On June 4th, Alberta based Pop/Rock Group Seventh Rain will be playing an all-ages show at The New Black Centre for Music and Art in Downtown Calgary. Made up of musicians Ryan Williams, Rich MacFarlane, and Luke Sheppard, Seventh Rain will be sure to entertain and educate the crowd with their anti-bullying campaign.
Seven years ago, vocalist Ryan Williams met guitarist Rich MacFarlane at Bishop Grandin High school. Rich “was in the Marching Band with Phil, our old drummer with whom I played football. He was in a band and we were in a band. We basically joined forces to be a better band. I met Luke through a friend on St. Patrick’s Day five years ago while were looking for a bass player, and by chance he mentioned he played the bass,” recalls Ryan.
Since then, _Seventh Rain_ has built their fan base through the incredible support of Calgary-based radio stations. Their last album Byda created four hit singles, including their radio debut I’m Here on Vibe 98.5’s Top 30. The band has toured throughout Canada, Mexico and the United States, and has shared the stage with major recording acts, including Hedley, Live, Marianas Trench, Ten Second Epic, Nickelback, Evanescence, Sum 41 and Third Eye Blind. Most recently, the band won $10,000 for the Fuel 90.3 Rock Band contest in May of this year.
Their third album, The Ghost in Me, was released in August of last year, and they are continuing to enjoy a growing fan base and rave reviews.
Growing up, life was not that easy for the band members and with this in mind, the band continues to promote an anti-bullying message to its audience. According to Luke, “we realized we had more in common than music. I was bullied for being the new guy, the runt, and the geek. Phil (our old drummer) was bullied for being very overweight.”
Luke had a similar experience. When the idea for an anti-bullying message was coming about, Luke “thought about how it affected me, I realized the effects of bullying were one of the main factors of why I was in this band to begin with.”
Consequently, the band started playing in schools, building a program based on these past experiences. “We found that we could relate to students with our story, and still be credible to them because we’re an established band,” states Ryan.
The band has continued with this tradition by playing and speaking out against bullying at schools across Alberta in an attempt to connect to their students through music.
Going forward, Luke would like to continue with this message. “We encourage everyone to treat people with respect and dignity. We're all equal. We do our best to give our audience an exciting concert experience they will remember. Check out a show - you will not be disappointed!”
Ryan feels the same. “The main reason I feel bullying is a problem is that people are so afraid to be themselves that they hide their insecurities by taking it out on other people. They think if the attention is pointed at someone else's misfortune, people won't see theirs. In the end, it's the people that are comfortable in their own skin that other people are attracted to.”
Make sure to check out Seventh Rain on June 4th. The show is all ages, with a message they can inspire us all.
