Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile: The Sunk'n City Gypsys

It's now time for this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile, as we're once again looking at a metal, hard rock, or punk band that's not from our area, but happened to feature a past or present Saultiee in any of their lineups, in order to feature and profile them for local readers! This month's choice puts a neat hybrid spin on punk rock, and featured a familiar face in their lineup last year, so here's what you should know!
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The Sunk'n City Gypsys (Victoria, British Columbia/Toronto, Ontario)

Lineup: (Saultites in RED, ex-members in italics; This information may be incomplete, notably regarding members' full and stage names, and possible missing alumni. Message us if you can fill in any blanks!)

Riley Anderson (vocals/banjo)
Shannon Dukowski (guitar/vocals)
Natasha Lefevre (mandolin/vocals)
Jaqui Dukowski (violin)
Shawn Venturlag (drums/cello)

Shawn Eddie (guitar/bass/banjo/vocals)
Joe "Oaken Hoon" (guitar/harp/vocals) 
Heather Martin (mandolin/vocals)
Sean Harrington (bass?)
Mister Nathan Tahti (accordion/guitar/vocals)
Messica Wild (accordion/piano/vocals)
Alex White (cajon/drums/vocals)
Andrew "Bootz" Barbutza (percussion/vocals)
Marcus ????? (washboard/cowbell)
Richie ????? (?????)

Official website: http://www.sunkncitygypsys.ca
Official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sunkncitygypsys
Official Reverbnation page: http://reverbnation.com/sunkncitygypsys
Official Twitter page: http://www.twitter.com/sunkncitygypsys
Official Bandcamp page: http://sunkncitygypsys.bandcamp.com
Official YouTube channel: http://youtube.com/sunkncitygypsys

Local Info: Former Sunk'n City Gypsys accordion player Mister Tahti is a well known face from the local music and art scene, most recently as the frontman of the local folk band Honest Job, as well as work as a solo musician & artist in multiple media, including graffiti and watercolours (click here for more info on his art background.) Though he's lived out of town at points in recent years, his local ties remain strong, and look for Mister with Honest Job at future concerts! Note that ex-Sunk'n City Gypsys drummer Alex White is not the former Soldiers of Misfortune and Cowboys & Indians bassist from the Soo, they just share the same name.

Band Bio: Launched in January of 2011, The Sunk'n City Gypsys are a "folk/punk/grass" band that began as a busking cover band in the Toronto area before evolving into an full band with original material. Constantly featuring frontman Riley Anderson and mandolin player Natasha Lefevre in their lineup, their early run saw their profile grow fast with merchandise, originals, and regular open mic and busking appearances, along with releasing their first demo "Middle of Nowhere" in June 2012. After playing their first major tour that fall, Riley & Natasha relocated the band to Victoria, B.C. in 2013, releasing a split CD "Dirty Things & Broken Strings" with Calgary's The High Class Whores that summer. Amidst numerous lineup changes and fluidity, the Gypsys welcomed Mister Tahti to the band in the spring of 2014, who featured on their latest CD "Winston Arms" last summer, but he quietly left the band by this year. The band can still be seen live often, so keep posted for updates!

While it's hard to comment on individual lineups of The Sunk'n City Gypsys, the band has continually crafted a intriguing mix of bluegrass and punk that has definitely found them a solid audience in Ontario, British Columbia, and points beyond! Riley's banjo skill is a constant, as is Natasha's nice mandolin work, and while the lead vocals can be an acquired taste on more aggressive songs, they do tend to fit the presented genres well, and their sound is reminiscent of local bands like Ye Olde Mold Pickers and (of course) Honest Job at times while retaining a punk edge. Mister Tahti is an effective contributor on "Winston Arms" as well, and The Sunk'n City Gypsys have a good thing going if you love folk, bluegrass, and punk music!

You can check out videos and songs from the band at the links above, including a free stream of their newest CD, while their YouTube channel is the best source for live and studio videos (originals and covers alike), including this music video for their song "X Marks The Spot"!


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I hope you guys liked this month's Saultites In Out Of Town Bands Profile! Next month in this series, we're heading to the States, as we're taking a look at Hillman, Michigan punk trio NA (yes, they have a two letter name,) whose drummer is Lake Superior State University alum Mikhail Swift! Watch for this profile on or around July 26th, and stay tuned for more news and previews later today! Thanks everyone!