Behave

Defined by earnest melodies and infectious riffs, Edmund’s sound is as blithe as it is percipient and as youthful and it is mature. Not unlike the music-makers themselves. Having struck up friendships before forming Edmund in the fall of 2005, Matthew Walko (vocals, guitar), Jeremy Penner (vocals, keys), Stephen Hubbard (bass) and Landon Folz (drums) share a fervor for crafting music that’s both eloquent and electric. Within a short span of time, Walko and Penner had established a cohesive songwriting partnership and the band was performing for crowds of all ages at The Backstage Lounge, Media Club and university campuses across the Lower Mainland. By June 2006, they were in the studio recording their first album. The result is Behave, a nine song LP released in November 2006. Eager to transpose the energy of their live shows, Edmund ambitiously self-produced and self-engineered the album along with help from West Coast producer Jonathan Anderson, who has worked with other Canadian up-and-comers (Stabilo, Paula Toledo, In Medias Res, Maplewood Lane). Utilizing addictive pop hooks and rebellious rock licks, Edmund’s debut captures all sides. Whether it’s letting go too soon (“Maybelline”), holding on too long (“Carry On”) or grieving what never was (“Six Months”), Behave explores love, loss and the fragments of feeling in between. But don’t get them wrong. As the title track suggests, Behave is just as cheeky as it is contemplative. And with songs like the synth-driven “All I Know” and the dance-infused grooves of “More Than Perfect” and “Uncle Andrew’s Trouble”, the two find room to co-exist. But for Edmund, Behave is just the beginning. With plans to tour the album locally and nationally, there’s no slowing down. A continual desire to out-do their last efforts also suggests this album isn’t the last you’ll hear from these four boys with music pumping through their veins.