Let’s Get Friendship Right is the 15th album by The Skydiggers. It is an album where every song feels masterfully crafted by a band that knows exactly who they are and have perfected their genre-bending style.
I had a chance to speak with lead guitarist Josh Finlayson who had formed the band with lead singer Andy Maize in 1987. I asked about the writing process and themes of the album. Finlayson explained to me that Andy Maize and himself had both experienced the recent loss of several friends and family members. The duo wanted to use music as a healing power for both them and others. They Isolated themselves in a weeklong retreat at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Alberta, it was here the duo decided that the album should chronicle the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
The result is an album that is like no other. It’s a nine-song rollercoaster in which once you start you will not stop until you listen to its entirety. Andy Maize’s vocals have never sounded better and the overall production feels masterfully executed.
After speaking with Josh Finlayson, it became very clear why this band has been able to continually impress and produce masterful albums over the last thirty years. They truly love what they do, and they care deeply for their audience.
The Skydiggers are a band with a very impressive past but they are also a band that has many more stories to tell and fantastic songs to deliver.
