Altameda are a folk-rock duo consisting of singer/songwriter Troy Snaterse, and Métis visual artist and multi-instrumentalist Erik M. Grice. The duo are currently based in Toronto, Canada but originally hail from Edmonton. An act who aren’t easy to place into a particular genre, it’s safe to say that Altameda are a genre of their own. The Juno award nominated duo’s third album, “Born Losers,” debuted at #1 on the Canadian folk music charts.

Altameda have recently released a brand new single titled What Good Am I? featuring Frazey Ford. It’s the first of their newly released music since their huge Canadian Grammy nomination for best new alternative band last year.

‘What Good Am I?’ sets the bar incredibly high for what to expect from their music to come but given their track record, each release from now on is not going to disappoint. Altameda clearly think about every single detail within the music that they write as every instrument used, every note played and every lyric written are placed so perfectly that you can’t help but be captivated by every second of every song! ‘What Good Am I?’ for example is so beautifully composed that every listen is a surprise as you find yourself discovering parts of the song that you hadn’t previously discovered! This is what makes them such a hard act to box within a genre so why should we?

Having just played at the UK Americana Music Week event this January, the band also played a few shows across the UK. The duo will be returning to the UK in April to support Toploader. This is a tour not to be missed. Altameda are set for such great heights within the music scene so it’s definitely worth getting on board asap.

We caught up with Troy to talk about his time in the UK, the new single, returning to the UK and more!

Enjoy!

Hello – How are you? How has your week been?

It’s been good! Took a moment to re-adjust to our time zone, but fortunately wasn’t too bad this time around.

How was your experience at Americana Fest and the rest of the UK tour?

It was a truly wonderful experience. I found it to be one of my favourite conference festivals that we’ve taken part in because it felt intimate enough to be able to connect with the other artists and delegates. Sometimes, those festivals can be so big and chaotic that everyone is running around the whole time, and it’s hard to pin each other down. The rest of the tour was a lot of fun also.

Did you get much downtime? If so, what did you get to do?

We had a few days off towards the end of the tour in Bristol. We hung out with some friends, and explored a bit. It is a beautiful city, so it was nice to have some time off there.

Did you find any particular food or drink you liked here?

Guinness always tastes better in the UK. Also had a nice Sunday roast in Bristol.

At Americanafest – did you discover any new acts you liked?

We met some really great artists. Our new friend Madeline Rogers, who is also Canadian, but hadn’t met before. Also, our new friend Jo Dudderidge from the band Later Youth. Was also a treat to see some old friends.

What Good Am I? Is such a stunning song – it’s so timeless sounding. Please tell us about
the process behind creating this song

Thank you for saying so! The song is a meditation on a pretty universal question —- “What good am I?” to the world, to my friends, to my loved ones. It’s a question I’ve asked myself often, so the song came together fairly effortlessly in that regard.

Frazey Ford – we have to know how that collaboration came to be because what a match made in Vocal heaven

We imagined this song would be very well suited as a duet — and when we were considering who would be ideal vocalists to collaborate with, Frazey’s name came up since we are all fans. We sent her the song, and thankfully she was gracious enough to agree to sing on it. I think it really opens up the song dynamically, and plays into the idea that it might feel like an isolated thought, but in fact everyone asks themselves these questions.

Instrumentally the song is divine! Who is playing on this song?

Thank you! We had a lot of great players contribute to the recording. Our good friend, and live keys player Joel Visentin played some beautiful piano. Our friend Anna Ruddick played upright bass, we had a few horn players come through and our good friend Jimmy Bowskill played an incredible guitar solo at the end of the song. We are very grateful to know so many incredible players in Toronto who are gracious enough to lend their talents.

How different does the song sound from the writers room to full production?

I think that any good song should be able to carry the same emotional weight, whether it’s played stripped down or with a band. However, having that extra instrumentation helps to lift the song at different moments which makes for a more dynamic listen. But at its core, I would like to think that the emotional weight remains the same in whatever context it’s being delivered.

What instruments can you play?

I play guitar, drums, and bass mainly.

What instruments can’t you play but have always wanted to have a try? Are there any bizarre ones I may not have heard of?

It’s not “bizarre”, but it’s always been a regret that I didn’t learn piano at a younger age. I can play a little bit, and should put some energy into learning, as i think it would benefit my songwriting. I suppose there’s still time!

I am loving the album ‘Born Losers’. How do you decide the bookends of an album? Is the opener and closer very important to you?

The sequence of an album is very important to me. It’s something I deliberate over a lot, and sometimes informs my writing as well. There are certain songs that probably wouldn’t exist if I weren’t considering how they would fit into the context of an album.

Were any of the songs a challenge to complete?

Some took longer than others, but from a writing standpoint, I find the best songs are typically the ones that come together quickly, and from my subconscious.

What song was the quickest to write?

I’m not totally sure to be honest. I think the new single didn’t take very long to complete, as I recall. I think the words came to me in quick succession.

Your music is very cinematic and as I have said before, timeless. It’s hard to pinpoint a genre as it holds so many which blend beautifully together that it becomes almost a genre in itself- how would you describe your sound?

That is very flattering! I’ve personally always felt that if you want to become somebody’s favourite artist, you should be able to span the whole emotional spectrum with your music, so that has always been a goal for me. I draw from many different influences, so I think that makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly where it comes from. But I would just say that I’m trying to make music that speaks to the human experience in universal terms.

Do you set yourself any goals before each project or do you like things to just sort of flow
naturally?

There isn’t really a set goal when starting to put an album together. But once the first few songs have been written, then the direction of the album becomes more clear.

Who do you play new music to first for their reaction?

I will usually show it to my wife first, and she gives me a very honest reaction which is helpful. Then to whoever I’m working with as a producer, and go from there.

What song of yours is a family favourite?

That’s a good question! Thankfully my family are very supportive, and seem to like most of it. I can’t think of a specific song that they’ve all gravitated towards per se.

What music are you listening to right now?

I’ve been listening to a contemporary jazz artist who makes very cinematic music named Sven Wunder lately. He is excellent.

Where should we visit in Canada if we were to ever go back? I have been to Quebec,Toronto, Monteal and Ottowa. We visited a lovely place called Haliburton Forest and saw our first Moose close up!

I personally really love Toronto, and would recommend returning! It is extremely multi-cultural which makes for an incredibly diverse food scene. You can get the best and most authentic version of any type of cuisine here which is awesome. The summer’s are very vibrant and fun as well.

Any plans to return to the UK?

We will be returning to the UK in April for a tour supporting the band Toploader! It’s a pretty lengthy tour all over the UK. I’m looking forward to it.

Thank you so much – I very much appreciate your time.

Thank you very much! Hope to see you in April.

Me too!