With the release of his new single ‘Out of Town Off the Grid‘ on July 28, 2023, Edmonton-based musician Everett LaRoi has come full circle. After years of playing with and producing bands, composing film music and teaching guitar lessons, LaRoi is back to being a solo recording artist and performer again, as he once was over 20 years ago when he released a self-titled solo album back in the year 2000.

When it comes to playing and recording songs, LaRoi has usually preferred to be a band member as opposed to being a solo artist. From his recent duo ‘Goldtop’ (with Alice Kos), who played the Calgary Folk Music Festival and topped the CKUA Radio Network charts during the summer of 2017, to his early days co-fronting Edmonton’s indie trailblazers ‘Idyl Tea’ in the late eighties, Everett LaRoi has written songs for, played and sang on and more times than not, engineered and mixed the releases of the numerous bands he has played in.

But now, with other projects on hiatus and after an unexpected two and a half year break from live performances, LaRoi is back performing shows with a new band, has written a couple dozen new songs, and is finishing recording a new solo album slated for release in early 2024. His new single features drummer Mike Silverman (Deep Dark Woods, Kacy & Clayton), bassist Tom Murray (Old Reliable, Pal Joey) as well as keyboardist and vocalist Alice Kos (GoldTop, Mark Davis).

The outpouring of new songs came perhaps as a way to help process life in the aftermath of a collision of events in time and space; the passing of both of his mother and father over an 18 month period beginning in 2017 and then shortly thereafter the personal and musical isolation of COVID-19.

“After my Mom passed away in 2017 and then, shortly thereafter my Dad in 2018, there was this crushing weight of grief I was carrying around. For some reason, getting out of town and going camping where we could immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of the wilderness, where cell phone towers couldn’t reach us for a few days, was really soothing. I needed to sip a cold beer, poke at a campfire with a stick and listen to the crickets and the birds.”

‘Out of Town Off the Grid’ was written immediately following a family camping trip to the back country of Southern Alberta.

With live performances cancelled during COVID-19 lockdowns, LaRoi turned his focus to teaching guitar lessons, writing new songs and working on film music. His first film music for an animated kid’s show was created during an intense 10 day stretch in December 2021 at the beginning of lockdown just prior to the Omicron variant spike. ‘Dilly Digger’, which was created by Eva Colmers, Marty Chan & ZsofiaOpra-Szabo ended up spending the greater part of 2022 traversing the globe at film festivals from New Delhi to London to Madrid to Oaxaca. Previous to that, LaRoi’s soundtrack for NFB film “Invisible World” (shot on location in Cambodia and written by Tyler Jenfield, directed by Galen Scorer and produced by Bonnie Thompson) won a “Rosie Award” for “Best Original Music Score under 30 minutes” at the 2016 Alberta Film and Televison Awards.

In spite of his recent works, Everett LaRoi is probably still best known for his band Idyl Tea, who’s DIY indie work ethic, post-punk guitar jangle and often humorous but always melodious alternative folk-rock-powerpop songs won the band a loyal audience on the college and club circuit nationwide.

There was, of course, no internet back then, but after self releasing a vinyl EP in 1986 (‘How I See This Table’), Idyl Tea got the attention of national media including The Globe and Mail, Rock Express and Toronto’s NOW Magazine. Canada’s premiere 1980’s music television channel MuchMusic warmed to the group, interviewing them on numerous occasions and putting Idyl Tea videos into regular rotation. The group was subsequently signed to Attic/A&M Records in 1990.

Adding to the momentum, the group began to maintain a rigorous touring schedule on the college and club circuit, sharing the stage with Blue Rodeo, David Lindley, Moe Berg, Change of Heart, SNFU, Junior Gone Wild, The Rheostatics, Chalk Circle, Spirit of the West, The Leslie Spit Tree-O among many others. Finally, after 11 years of recording and touring, the members of Idyl Tea decided to take a hiatus in 1995 to concentrate on other endeavours.

In 1996, LaRoi took a break from touring, started teaching guitar lessons and began a 4 year tenure as the host of a popular Edmonton open mic on Whyte Avenue (Mickey Finn’s). He also made a brief foray into the role of talent buyer at Edmonton’s Sugar Bowl Cafe. “I wasn’t the best talent buyer, but at least I came to understand things from a music promoter’s standpoint.” explains LaRoi. “I also met some fantastic musicians who I have stayed in contact with to this day”.

Everett was still writing songs, and after being awarded a FACTOR grant in 1999 formed a crack studio band featuring jazz stalwart Ron Samsom on drums, Shantel Koenig on bass and Robin Hunter (‘Imagineers’, ‘Parkland Music Project‘) on lap steel and slide guitar. The resulting self-titled solo cd was tracked at Beta Sound Recorders in Edmonton by Jerry Woolsey and mastered by Joe Gastwirt (Tom Petty, Neil Young) at Oceanview Digital in West Los Angeles. The release was supported by a nationwide tour in 2000 which included dates at The Railway Club in Vancouver, The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and a showcase slot with The Corb Lund Band at Canadian Music Week 2001. “The Everett LaRoi Band” featured Dan Holden (‘My Sister Ocean‘) on bass guitar, Tim Resaul (Jeff Stuart and the Hearts, The Dice Cubes) on drums and Robin Hunter on lap steel and slide guitar.

In 2001 LaRoi was approached to compose a documentary film soundtrack for Murray Jurak’s NFB release “Red Run”. The soundtrack featured performances by some dynamic Edmonton musicians: Cam Neufeld on violin, Christine Hanson on cello, and Ron Samsom on tabla. It was also during this time that LaRoi began to work side-guy gigs and studio sessions including stints as guitarist or vocalist with Mike McDonald (Junior Gone Wild), The City Streets, Abe Wells, ‘Darrek Anderson & The Guaranteed’ and ‘Mark Davis‘.

ManRayGun was originally formed in 2005 as a trio comprising Dennis Lenarduzzi, Steve Lenarduzzi and Everett LaRoi. While the first year centered around songwriting sessions, sonic explorations and open stages, it was with the addition of Tom Murray, ex of Old Reliable and Pal Joey, and Silas Grenis of punk legends ‘The James T. Kirks‘ to the backline that the band solidified it’s sound. Calgary’s Beatroute Magazine describes that ultimate mash-up as “Rich with pathos-laden guitars and a nostalgic expression of roots music”.

Manraygun has released four recordings, ‘TwilightSpeak’ (2007), ‘Misfortune Telling’ (2008), ‘Everything is Temporary’ (2009), and ‘Outside Thoughts’ (2014). The group received positive reviews and considerable airplay on college radio across Canada, CKUA and the CBC. The group’s sound  is an amalgam of folk, country-tinged rock, Alberta-centric Canadiana and a dash of New York art-school punk.

In 2012 LaRoi began also working with other artists in the role of producer. LaRoi produced emerging Edmonton-based songwriter Alice Kos’ debut release “You Missed It All” (“The #1 Edmonton album of 2012…a near-perfect collection.” – Mike Ross, GigCity). LaRoi and Kos followed up the release with live performances in Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon as well as a mini-tour in Eastern Canada with Marvin Etzioni (co-founder of Lone Justice) at notable venues such as the The Black Sheep Inn (Wakefield, PQ) and Dakota Tavern (Toronto).

Following the success of the tour, Kos & LaRoi decided to officially start a duo named ‘Goldtop‘. Shifting between shadowy dream-pop, crunchy distorted rock and acoustic reverie, their sound swirled with vintage keyboards, warm tremolo guitars, drum loops and Everly-esque harmonies. ‘Goldtop’ ended up topping the charts on the CKUA radio network with their debut release “You Possess Me” in the summer of 2017, the same year the group performed at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.