When we first heard that the electro, dance punk band Shout Out Out Out Out was from Edmonton, Alberta our interest was immediately piqued. Canada’s self-proclaimed cultural capital boasts countless creative festivals, North America’s largest mall and a River Valley that would put Central Park to shame. Need we say more?

No wonder the homepage of Shout Out Out Out Out’s record label, Normals Welcome Records (headed by band members Jason Troock and Nik Kozub), states, “like most Edmontonians involved in music, we are happy with our city’s relative obscurity while also confident that what is going on here has the potential to really blow up.”

Fans of both the band, and anywhere one hit the water park inside a mall, we caught up with Troock for an inside scoop, just before Shout Out Out Out was leaving Alberta for a cross-American tour (catch them tonight at Studio B in Brooklyn, or this weekend in Baltimore at the Virgin Festival ). From his home in Edmonton, he shed some light on why his band, and his hometown may be the next big thing:

What’s Edmonton’s music scene like?
Edmonton has a really, really supportive music scene. It’s cross-genres supportive. We’re pals with country artists, rock and hip-hop. It’s really helped us out, being so supportive of each other. The scene is expanding; there’s been a real explosion. It seems to be happening with some success. There’s a renewed push for local labels to seek out national and international distribution…

How would you describe the Edmontonian mentality?
It’s not a big city like New York or Toronto, so there’s a sense of self-sufficiency. It’s so isolated from the rest of the world – everywhere is a long drive from Edmonton. Touring acts don’t come to Edmonton in the winter, so the city’s music fans rely on local bands to provide music. We don’t wait around for touring acts to come, people start their own bands. Musicians here have to be proactive; if it’s not there and you want it to be, you better make it happen.

Do you have any particular favorites place to perform locally?
That’s a tricky one these days. The city is undergoing a massive boom, an oil-driven boom. As a result, rents are skyrocketing, which is a huge factor in seeing local venues go belly-up. Recently we’ve lost a lot. Right now, I’d say the Starlite Room , where we’ve played for a few years. It seems to be a normal mainstay for touring bands. It has a really good sound system, which is essential to the kind of music that we do, and it’s a small enough venue, so you get to connect in a good way with the audience. We’re doing a show in a few weeks - a party at a warehouse...

Is playing at alternative venues very common?
No, but because of all of the venues shutting down there’s a real push to do shows at non-conventional spaces. Some of the most memorable gigs we’ve had were at an art space or the roller rink. We did one at Sports World, people were skating; it was awesome.

What about staple watering holes, or clubs…
Nik and I DJ a weekly night at Velvet Underground, which is beneath the Starlite Lounge. We spin electro, techno, house and some hip-hop. Pretty much anything fun with a beat you can dance to. Normally, most days of the week we go out to the Black Dog. It’s a good neighborhood pub. The drinks are affordable. It’s on Wythe Avenue, which has turned into the strip if you will, with the bulk of the record stores, clothing stores. You’re much more likely to hear Motorhead and Iron and Wine than you are the top 10 billboard hits of the week.

I read Edmonton has it’s own Bourbon Street. Do you ever go?
No! It’s a fake street in West Edmonton Mall. It would be like the Bourbon Street in Disneyland. There’s also a big water park and mini-golf course [in the mall]. I like going to the water park sometimes, but I’m not really big into the mall lifestyle, mall culture. So, no, I don’t really go there. But, in winter when it’s –20 degrees, it’s great to go lay on the rubber beach and pretend you don’t have to go dig your car out of the snow when you’re done.

What’s your favorite place in Edmonton during the summer?
I spend a lot of my summer in the River Valley. There are great parks for picnics and BBQs. I personally spend a lot of time biking. There are great trails. You can also go picking berries. It’s unfair to say everyone walks around picking berries all day, but it is something you can do.

Do you ever check out any of the city’s various festivals?
I’ve been to the folk festival a few times. It’s set against the River Valley, so it has an awesome view of downtown. You can sit on the side of the water, which is really cool when it’s warm out and the sun is setting.

What about local eateries?
There’s Lucky Saloon & Eatery, which is right near my house. They serve all kinds of breakfast and brunch kind of food from like 10am-4pm. That’s my favorite restaurant; I usually rotate between this polenta dish and poached eggs. It looks kind of like a well-decorated taqueria, a really chill atmosphere.
The Oriental Veggie House is downtown. They serve a lot of soy/gluten, fake-meat based foods. It’s got a real laid-back feel to it too. There’s a really big Indian community in Edmonton, so there’s a lot of great Indian food along 34th avenue. Sam Wok is a late night dining place that seems to be open whenever we want to eat there. It’s a place we’ll go to at 2am. I think it’s basically standard Chinese food. The Singapore noodles we have fairly often, and this rice roll with long donut. I’m not exactly sure how to describe what’s in it except that it’s rice with a doughy filling.

Coffee shops?
I don’t really drink coffee, but the other guys in the band will be mad if I don’t mention this one place, Decapo. All the other guys are real coffee connoisseurs and they think its tops, a great coffee place.

Are there any galleries that you frequent?
Latitude 53 is an art space downtown. We played there a few years ago. They’ve had fashion shows, art shows and fun parties. They have an amazing patio that overlooks downtown. It’s kind of like the friend with the great patio, it’s not a regular venue but you’re always excited when you hear they’re having a party.

Do you ever get homesick on the road?
I must say I’m lucky to get to travel around to different places, but, yeah, of course. I live here with my girlfriend. Everyone in the band has a girlfriend. I enjoy touring in limited doses, but I miss things a lot when we’re away for a long time. Most of my friends are involved in the art and music community. I miss not hearing what they’re working on or what they’re next project is going to be. It gives me the energy to do that stuff on my own.

~Alisa Gould-Simon

Go There:
Oriental Veggie House, 10586 100 St., Edmonton, T5H 2R6, (780) 424-0463
Sam Wok, 7915 104 St. NW #101, Edmonton, (780) 433-6077
DeCapo Café, 8738 109 St., Edmonton, T6G 1E9, (780) 433-5382