Steven Boyd
Over the years his parents fostered 86 kids, all of whom were given an artistic tool when coming through the house, ranging from musical instruments to art books in order to encourage creative development.
“It was a way to introduce them to art,” said Boyd. “Fifteen to 20 years down the road, every kid that came through there is still an unreal artist. It’s one outlet that has been universal in helping people that are coming from tough upbringings or situations in life.”
Music remains a crucial part of Boyd’s life and it is something he is always looking to expand and improve upon. He can play several musical instruments and rarely plays covers, instead opting to improvise with other musicians to see what comes out of it.
“I like working with anybody open to new ideas, you can always learn something from someone jamming,” said Boyd, who admitted to being high as fuck during this interview. “I like getting out there and meeting every musician I can find, always trying to learn, so when I meet someone with a different lifestyle, I’m drawn to them. Anybody with balls to put together a full song, stand up and be heard, should have the audience.”
He said the music industry is one that has been taken over by big corporations, where artists are in need of a platform to showcase their skills and connect to a wider audience.
“I see so many musicians with such a good original sounds, so much put into it but they get so little out of it,” said Boyd. “I want to change that and do something I can be proud of.”
At one point he moved to remote High Level, Alberta to work in a lumber mill and along with three friends, converted an old church into a space used to encourage creative expression within the community. Known as the Church of Creative Expression, it became an artistic hub in northern Alberta.
Between 20 to 25 musicians stopped by the church every once in a while to jam with Boyd and company, who often came with a country background that was new to him, although it introduced him to the amount of hidden talent in northwestern Alberta.
“I call High Level the Nashville of the north because [the number of] musicians per capita up there is crazy,” said Boyd. “A lot of it is country themed but we’ve just been bringing the rock and roll. There’s always somebody new and there’s always artists to learn from up there.”
That includes people with no musical experience at all. He said often they will challenge one another to come up with new song lyrics, a new idea or a new way of writing.
“We each write something and then the next person has to perform it,” said Boyd. “Sometimes when you’re on the spot, it’ll produce creativity. Even with new people, we kind of just throw them right on the spot, let them loosen up and start making sounds. Before you know it they’ll be hammering away.”
Boyd said they were originally looking for an open space to be able to record whatever came into their minds, but in the future he wants to be portable. He is set to tour British Columbia with the band, James and the North Shore beginning in April 2017.
“My plan is to take it on the road eventually,” said Boyd. “We’ve got the trailer setup and I want something where we can go anywhere and have all the necessary tools to take anybody off the street and harness their sound, interview them, feel their point of view and perspective on life.”
The Church of Creative Expression was a tentative name not to be taken seriously, as Boyd joked, “It kind of sounds like a cult.”