YOUTHFUL AGE NO MEASURE OF AMBITION FOR LOCAL ROCKERS
by Craig Silliphant

The Band: Rising 4
The Members: Brandon Sikorsky (lead vocals, bass guitar), Chris Sikorsky (lead guitar), Nick Cherney (rhythm guitar), Alex Bent (Drums, keyboards)
The music: www.myspace.com/rising4

It’s always a challenge for an up-and-coming band to be taken seriously — and it’s really a challenge when your oldest member is 18 and youngest only 14. Still, Saskatoon outfit Rising 4 have come to do two things: kick arse and chew bubblegum — and they’re running real low on bubblegum.

Here’s a newsflash for anyone who isn’t taking this band seriously: you’re in for a real kick in the pants, ‘cause these kids are for real. Not only did Rising 4 record an EP at High Voltage Studios — and play a mind-blowing 40-plus shows — in their first year alone, they’ve also now taken to handling their own press and distribution. Now into their second year, the accomplishments just keep on coming.

“We’re lucky enough to have supportive families, friends and mentors to help motivate us,” says guitarist Chris Sikorsky. “A lot of our drive comes from their encouragement and we’re very thankful for that. Also, our age comes into play, or at least it did — years ago, it was almost hard to be taken [seriously] because of how young we were. That pushed us to be the best we could be, so we could keep up with the older bands around town.”

They’ve done a lot more than keep up. Now into their second year, they’ve cranked the amps up even further, having just released a brand spanking new self-titled album — and to top it off, their new video has been picked up by Much Music. These four young men are creating a perpetual motion machine, gathering speed as they go along — a fact that makes their name particularly appropriate.

“When we formed two years ago,” explains guitarist Chris Sikorsky, “all four of us felt we were doing some pretty sweet things for our ages. We had won a battle of the bands and everything was just coming together so well — we were on the ‘rise,’ [so we decided to call ourselves] Rising 4. Our name can also be looked at in a sense that we are ‘rising for’ our music and what we believe in.”

It’s hard to write about such talented young musicians without sounding condescending about their ages — so let’s just say you really should check out their new record to hear how professional and polished they sound. Rising 4’s music is a balls-out, grinding opera of slick guitar work and double bass drum madness. Lead singer Brandon Sikorsky is only 15 years old, but his voice has the poise, strength and control of someone twice his age. Each instrument on the recording comes together to form a tighter-than-hell onslaught of grandiose proportions, cleverly punctuated by some down-tempo, quieter moments juxtaposed against the flashes of noise.

“The thing is, our debut album is super diverse,” says the elder Sikorsky of their sound. “For example, one track will be borderline metal with the next being acoustic, followed by an upbeat song with a punkish feel. We’re really proud of our diversity and feel the album couldn't have turned out better.”

Obviously someone is taking notice outside Saskatoon, as the video for their debut single “Oxygen” has been picked up by Much Music. The DIY-style video was directed by Kendra Bohrson, with a little help from Rising 4’s friends at Kickstart Studios. It was shot in one day, in an abandoned warehouse, with only one power outlet, during a snow storm. You can check out the video on Much Music, and specifically on the Much Loud website — something even the band themselves seems to find surreal.

“It’s been a great experience, for sure,” says Sikorsky. “When we mention Rising 4 and Much Music in the same sentence, people instantly stop and listen — it's definitely cool, to say the least. People that don't know us as well are now realizing that we aren't just a garage band — nationwide promotion like this is a dream come true. It was unreal to see our video on the main page of Much Loud right beside Linkin Park, Machinehead, and Breaking Benjamin. To sum that up, we couldn't believe our eyes and had to refresh the page just to be sure.”

With national airplay, an amazing live show (and one which often sells out) and some serious drive to succeed, the young members of Rising 4 could very well soon be overtaking many of their older contemporaries. The whirling dervish that is Rising 4 keeps, well, rising — and I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the music industry and record buying public are even more aware of these scrappy up-and-comers by this time next year. More than anything, it’s great to see that they’re able to balance the rock ‘n’ roll dream with the knowledge of how much hard work they’ll need to put in — a concept many musicians twice their age still haven’t glommed onto.

“All four of us just want to share our music with as many people as possible,” explains Sikorsky. “Things keep snowballing for us. It's really motivating — the voice in the back of our heads saying, ‘There's a career in this,’ is growing louder and louder. We’re pretty hell-bent on making a life out of this band.”

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