The Garrys

Featuring four siblings from the coldest part of the landlocked Canadian prairies, The Garrys, perhaps surprisingly, make surf music. They use layered blood harmonies, hazy sun-bleached melodies, classic lo-fi guitar tones, and syncopated surf beats to create a unique “doom-wop” sound, dripping with dark nostalgia and touched by psychedelic dread.

blind commentary

“Emo-gaze” is the name of the game for this Saskie four-piece. The “gaze” part of Blind Commentary’s sound envelops listeners in layers of dreamy, fuzzy tones and reverb-filled guitars. Alt-rock and emo hooks add an irresistibly catchy, stomping element to their sound, reminiscent of mid-western emo giants and long drives late at night.

Grimelda

“A damaged idea of music” is how Grimelda describes their wild conglomerate of art-punk, noise rock, hyperpop, nu-metal, and even bossa nova. And there’s a good chance you’ve either seen them at Sled, or somewhere across the country as they tour. Just follow the sound of kazoos, farm animals, and home-schooled math-rock.

Yarbo

Established in 2018, Yarbo is a four-piece band that blends post-hardcore, punk, and metal into a mishmash they’ve just started calling “aggressive rock.” Hailing from Saskatoon, Yarbo’s style of noisemaking is eclectic but consistent. Their songs tend to be short, abrasive and stuffed with ideas that are both brutal and catchy.

About Sled Island:

Sled Island is an annual five-day independent music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta that brings together a community of music, comedy and art with nearly 30,000 attendees in multiple venues across the city. For more information, visit SledIsland.com.

Upon entering a festival venue, the passholder agrees to being photographed, filmed or recorded in that venue, and agrees to the publication, reproduction, distribution and broadcast of all photographs, video or other recordings of the passholder’s voice or likeness without further notice or compensation in any publicity, advertisement or other publication carried-out by, or on behalf of, Sled Island and in perpetuity in any manner and media whatsoever, including print, broadcast or internet.

Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees must abide by Sled Island’s safer spaces and inclusion policy and agree to the code of conduct, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.

Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney First Nations. Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).