Hey Romeo is ready to offer listeners its most recent efforts, with “Ride with Me,” a follow up to the 2014 EP
“I  Got This,” being released out September 25.

The band, featuring Drumheller’s Rob Shapiro, continues to grow musically and with “Ride with Me,” they have taken more control in the production.

“What set this record apart from past efforts,” said Shapiro “was taking the vision in our own hands.”

“This time we were driving the ship more than in the past,” guitarist Darren Guznowsky adds. “People often say ‘We love your records but they don’t sound like the live show.’ The idea here was to get as close to what Hey Romeo sounds like live and I think we captured that.”

The album was written over the course of 2013 and 2014, with co-writers Brad Crisler (Brooks & Dunn, Trace Adkins), Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jess Lee, Clay Mills (Darius Rucker, Trisha Yearwood) and Walt Aldridge (Bobby Wills, Kira Isabella, Sons of the Desert), and co-produced by Johnny Gasparic of Calgary’s  MCC Studios. 

“We spent a year writing in and out of Nashville but we actually recorded it in Calgary at MCC Studios. Really loved the experience as we produced it ourselves and made a record we’re really happy with,” Shapiro told The Mail.

While the album comes out September 25, the band released the single “Pushing up Daisies” in late August.

“Our friends Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Brad Crisler and MacKenzie Porter wrote it and we were surprised we got it as a single. It rocks and we have had great feedback so far!” said Shapiro.

Local listeners will not only recognize the music, but also the look of the new album, with photos showcasing the Drumheller valley. 

“Once we finished the record the promotion part of it takes over and we needed new photos. Our photographer had this idea about shooting photos in her favourite place, Drumheller! I said no kidding, well, let’s do it!” said Shapiro.

They used social media to help with arrangements and made a call out on Facebook for a classic car. 

“Fellow car lover Ray Tremblay responded with a beautiful shot of Dave Anderson’s classic Ford Galaxie, it was perfect. Big thank you to the Anderson family for lending us their sweet ride for the day, the photos will be used to promote the record this year.”

And a busy year it was, with a trip to the Big Valley Jamboree this summer. 

“BVJ is the highlight of the summer for festivals, we haven’t been there for a few years so it was quite a good time to hit the stage. We had great weather and a standing ovation at the end of the set, we had a little home field advantage with us being an Edmonton band,” he said. “It’s been great as they offered us shows when we first started making records in 2006 which gave us confidence to a young band to write, record and just get down the road.” 

Parents, grandparents, aunt’s, uncle’s and family friends are giving those children close to them an extra hug after news broke that two-year-old Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette’s body had been found on Tuesday.
    Derek James Saretsky, 22, was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged on Wednesday with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of indignity to a human body. Hailey’s father, Terry Blanchette was found dead in his home Monday morning.
    A candlelight vigil was held in Blairmore, Alberta Tuesday night and Ranchlands Victim Services informed the public at the vigil that Hailey’s body was found.
    Judy Nelson, Program Manager of Big Country Victim Services said victim services helps the community to mourn during a situation like this.
    “Because it is a small community like Drumheller would be, we would be out in the community to help the public. Because once it is your community, all of a sudden you are one big family. It is very upsetting, it is frightening for the community... It is not only just the family, it is the wide family,” she said.
    “It is frightening. Everybody has got small children or they know someone with small children, or they have their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, the neighbour’s children,” she said.
    The events have touched local residents as Shannel Boon, a mother of three from Drumheller, said her heart stopped when she heard Hailey was missing.
    “To hear a child just a few months older than my son was missing, I was in fear for what the turn out would be. It was heartbreaking when they announced that her poor little body had been found. I sobbed,” she told inSide Drumheller.
    “I sobbed for a small soul who’s light was snuffed out by a monster. I sobbed for her family because they would never get to watch her grow into a young woman. I had pure rage against a complete stranger that could harm an innocent child,” she said.
    “Last night, I held my babies a little tighter, I kissed them a little more and I told them how precious they are to me,” she finished.
    Boon said she plans to leave her front porch light on until Hailey is laid to rest because, “sometimes it helps to shine light in the darkness to help souls find their way.”