Black Rain

Black Rain are one of those rare artists who have transcended the title of ‘band’ and become an institution. Formed in 2002 when brothers Jamie and Ryan Peekeekoot set out on their own and joined in 2012 by bassist Kevin Joseph, the group have tirelessly performed throughout the north, earning a reputation for an energetic, fun live show among their far-flung legion of loyal fans. Four studio albums (with a fifth, Forecast Calls For Rain, to be released before the end of the year) and heavy radio play have cemented their legacy as one of the bands to define a generation in Canada’s North.

The band’s earliest origin can be traced back to before any of the members were born, as both their families were steeped in a tradition of performing live music. “Back in the late 1970’s my Dad had a band and also played music with their Dad, so there’s a bit of a legacy-lineage going on there” Joseph explained. “I joined in about 2009 and they were already successful, already playing all over Western Canada.” Peekeekoot elaborated that “Jamie and I started playing together when we were little kids. We started with our Dad, Glen Peekeekoot, in his band Risky Business. He was playing with his brothers as well, then towards the end of that band he brought in Jamie and I too. Jamie was only about ten or eleven years old at that time”

Black Rain’s celebrated status in Canada’s north is indisputable. Twenty years of bringing their live show to remote locales has made the band a household name in many communities. “Our main base is here in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta a little bit” Peekeekoot explained. “We used to play a lot of cover songs to connect with the audience, but we started to notice that more and more people knew our songs wherever we’d play. Nowadays people know our material so well that they’ll just yell out songs. We don’t even use a set list unless we’re playing a bigger show, like a festival. For dances and cabarets we’ll just do a full set of audience requests.” Joseph emphasized the existence of an enthusiastic audience for any artists willing to travel to smaller northern communities, explaining “there’s a scene that a lot of people aren’t aware of; it stretches from the northern part of Ontario, through northern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta and definitely into the Territories. These are people who buy CDs, people who will pack a small 100 person hall to hear a band like Black Rain. When we go to Fort McPherson in the Territories or Fort Albany in Northern Ontario they’re calling out the names of our songs. I’ve had the pleasure of doing this since I was a teenager; been to Beijing, to Paris, to New York, and there’s a Wal Mart in every one of them. In Fond Du Lac, Saskatchewan or Horse Lake, Alberta, people greet us at the airport, feed us their traditional food, tell stories, laugh with us. Go play the same clubs in Edmonton or Calgary for fifty indifferent strangers, we’ll play that northern scene and be welcomed with open arms into every community.”