Band with local connection gets five ECMA nominations

When the East Coast Music Award nominations were announced Tuesday, one band's name was on everybody's lips.
Wintersleep walked away with five nominations, including Record of the Year and Group Recording of the Year for their third album, Welcome to the Night Sky. Wintersleep earned the second most nominations, just behind Joel Plaskett Emergency with seven nods.
Another local band, Alert the Medic of Stellarton, was nominated for the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Recording of the Year and the Sirius Sattelite Radio Rock Recording of the Year. George Canyon had two nominations, including for Male Solo Recording of the Year.
The ECMAs will take place Feb. 10 and will be hosted by Canadian comedian Mark Critch of This Hour has 22 Minutes.
Speaking from his parents' home in Stellarton, Wintersleep drummer Loel Campbell said he's thrilled to see the band get recognition after years of playing and touring together. Campbell, now 24, met his bandmates nine years ago in school. Back then, they were a garage band with dreams of one day making it big.
"Every year, the ECMA nominations will come out and it'll be a big deal out here, but you never think when you're playing music in your parents' basement you'd ever be among that company," Campbell said. "It says a lot for the progress of our band."
But the members of Wintersleep, also including Paul Murphy, Mike Bigelow, Tim D'eon and Jon Samuel, may not be in the audience for the taping of the ECMA's. After a short break, the guys are heading back on the road for a few Canadian dates in January and February, including at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. They're also heading to Japan in the new year for 10 days.
After years of relentless touring, the venues are starting to get bigger and so too are the audiences.
"I think it's just hard work paying off," said Campbell. "When we first started touring, we'd be playing in a club to nobody. But you start developing a fanbase based on your performances and word-of-mouth."
Life on the road has its disadvantages. There are times, Campbell admits, he thinks it would be nice to not have to live out of a suitcase. On the other hand, he says he knows how lucky he is.
"It's kind of amazing to do something you love and ... actually be able to validate it through awards."