When I first reached out to Kirk about his band The Adits, his reply was the most punk thing ever: “Hey. What did we do now?”
Actually, they’ve done quite a lot lately, thank you very much. The three-piece Castlegar-based outfit made up of Kirk on guitar, Dave on bass, and Andy on drums played the Summer Send-off party at Tailout Brewing earlier this month, they toured throughout the Kootenays during the summer, and they launched a new album in February and distributed it, by hand, to record shops as far away as Belgium. Oh, and they’re helping keep the punk spirit alive and well in the West Kootenay.
Originally from Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, Kirk travelled the country as a newspaper reporter before landing in the Kootenays nine years ago for a communications job. Since then he’s been interspersing work stints with jam sessions, practicing and writing such lyrics as the ones in the “I hate the summer” song:
“Navigating rivers on anything but a boat
Air mattress, bike tire, f*** I think it should float.
Lobster-ginger-head, the freckles they’re on neck.
Post-morning shower, we’ll bathe in SPF.”
That track starts with a guitar lick reminiscent of Canadian punk legends DOA and incorporates more lyrics that poke fun at what many deem the best of the four seasons. It’s that playful mockery, combined with an aggressive music style, that first attracted Kirk to the genre. “I’ve always been into punk, ever since I was a kid in the ’90s,” he says. “I’d listen to the Sex Pistols and early Ramones and I loved the shorter songs infused with comedy and wit. You can’t get bored with it.”
It wasn’t long before he was listening to more contemporary acts like Rancid, NOFX, and Total Chaos and then buying a guitar so he could play along. Five years ago he formed the Adits and since then he’s seen some members come and go but the current lineup is responsible for the full-length “Mangled in the Mine” album that dropped earlier this year.
Given Kirk has travelled all over the country, I asked him what the difference is between the music scene in Castlegar compared to the rest of Canada. “Tight-knit is the word,” he replies. “Everyone has everyone’s number in their phone. So when someone needs to borrow a PA or a mic for example, it’s easy. People are always eager to lend a hand.”
There are a lot of musicians in Castlegar but Kirk says most do not fall into what he considers true punk artists. The local band Toaster “is a little more on the heavier side than us,” he says, “but they still have the comedic lyrics which is what I dig.” Then there’s Bucket, who “are fresh out of music school,” and the “sludge doom band” Severed Arm where his former bassist is now playing. He also mentions well-known local musician Eric Hoodikoff who plays for a number of different outfits include metal band Savage Blade and the cover band BC/DC. For a more punk sound, though, Kirk says Bitter Washed out of Rossland are as close as you’ll get to what The Adits offer.
Aside from their touring gigs and albums, The Adits have also made inroads into the ear holes of Canadians through the national punk compilation album “Punk Canada Vol 2.” On it they cover the song “Riot,” originally by Toronto band Dirty Bird. They’ve also provided the soundtrack for an annual skateboard event at the Driftopia Inn in Pass Creek, one of the only vacation rental properties in Canada with it’s own private skate park.
Beyond the music, the band is responsible for some truly unique experiences, such as the jalopy parade in Castlegar. In other words, The Adits have done a f*** of a lot.