It’s no secret that it’s hard to keep even the most successful band together, and thus it’s impressive whenever you hear of one that has not only been around for years, but nearly a decade. Meet The Northwest, a band formed in 2013 by five Sault Ste. Marie natives who “weren’t ready to call it a day.” During their 9 years together, The Northwest has shared bills with such artists as Gob, The Trews, and The Sheepdogs, in addition to independently releasing 2 EPs. Their third release, All In, came out earlier this month, led by the single “Stay Gold.”
A rhythmic, crunchy guitar opens the song, immediately bringing on the familiar pop-punk/emo vibes we all know and love. Vocalist Mike Yak’s tone and delivery are reminiscent of Nada Surf, while other moments of the track bring to mind bands like Jimmy Eat World and The Ataris.
About “Stay Gold,” Yak says,
“A couple years ago just as we started writing this album, Matt Mays was in town, I am a huge fan and I got him to sign my ‘Once Upon A Hell Of a Time’ gatefold LP. Inside he wrote ‘Hey Mike…STAY GOLD…Matt Mays’…and I knew there and then that I was going to have to write a song around that!”
Check out the video for “Stay Gold” below.
You can listen to “Stay Gold” on platforms like Apple Music, Soundcloud, and Spotify.
