SWIFT CURRENT — With shades of ’80s hair metal and a touch of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Swift Current’s Tombstone Whiskey is aiming to make its mark on the Canadian music scene.
The band features lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Darrin Lane Schwartz, drummer Mike Zacharias, bassist Brad Podolski and lead guitarist Kevin Steinley.
Tombstone Whiskey recently released a new album, Come Get Some, in late spring. The group originally formed in 2015 and took on its current lineup when Steinley joined in 2023.
According to Schwartz, the record reflects the band’s history.
“It’s got every new song we’ve written on there," he said. "Then we went through a list of what we call hits and put all our classics on there, too.”
The 13-song album also includes a hidden track on physical copies.
“Stuff that has always had a good reaction from people, we wanted to put that on the album,” Schwartz added.
He said the timing for a new release felt right.
“We hadn’t done anything since a live album recorded at the Lyric Theatre more than two years ago. We also put out an EP called Devil All the Time. In the winter, we don’t do a lot of gigging,” he said.
Zacharias added with a laugh, “And who wants to travel in the wintertime?”
While the band is looking to tour in support of the album, rising costs remain a challenge.
“While we want to get ourselves out there, one of the things right now is the cost of fuel," Podolski said. "That’s your make or break. We’ll still play for the people — don’t get me wrong. We’re hungry.”
Schwartz said the group’s focus remains on reaching listeners.
“We make music so that people can hear it. At the end of the day, that’s what we want,” he said.
Podolski noted the band’s success is also tied to broader economic conditions.
“Our business is based on the economy. If the economy is doing well, then we’re doing well,” he said.
“Until we get our name established,” Zacharias added.
The band has built up a repertoire of 55 songs, including crowd favourite “Rant and Rave”, allowing them to fill a full night of music.
That preparation is leading into one of the group’s biggest shows to date.
Tombstone Whiskey will perform at Frontier Days on June 27, with two performances scheduled. The band will open for Bon Jovi tribute act Bed of Roses at 8 p.m., followed by a second performance at the after-party in the Grasslands Hospitality Tent after the fireworks, starting between 10:30 and 11 p.m.
The group said performing on a large stage at Frontier Days will be a highlight.
Whether playing for listeners at home, in small towns or on larger stages, Tombstone Whiskey says its focus remains the same: delivering its music to audiences.
