Prince Albert trio Dirty Sanchez Orchestra recently released their first album—the self-titled ‘Dirty Sanchez Orchestra—and are planning a home stop on March 1. Will Yannacoulias is on bass and vocals for the trio. The group also includes vocalist and guitar-ist and vocalist Barrett Prokopie and teenage drummer Charlie Prokopie. Yannacoulias said Barrett released albums with his previous bands The Never Was and Top Secret Briefcase and he recorded a short player with his band D-7.
“This was Charlie’s first time in a studio setting, and once he got comfortable with the differences from playing live he really nailed his performance,” Yannacoulias said.
The album is nine songs written between Feb and March of 2024. They were sharpened and re-vised through the 20 shows they played before recording.
“Musically, it draws from that fast, mean, melodic skate punk sound, especially No Use For A Name and Winnipeg’s legendary Propaghandi,” Yannacoulias said. “Lyrically, the songs are at times political or social commentary, but are more character studies.”
Yannacoulias said the album was recorded in two days with Justin Bender at Divergent Sounds.
“Justin is a Prince Albert expat who was a central figure in the extreme music scene here for years,” Yannacoulias explained. “Barrett and Justin lived together, played together and recorded together when they were young, and he was our first and only choice to record with when the time came.”
Yannacoulias said that they were also heavily influenced by 1990’s punk band Oswald’s Walk-ing Connection, who were founded in Prince Albert and MacDowall and were a prominent part of the scene in Saskatoon.
“We were definitely influenced and inspired by them. In an age before the internet and streaming they had a lot of success in western Canada punk scene and were true pioneers,” Yannacoulias said. The cover of the album is the Prince Albert Water Tower which burned down in 1958. The band is playing several album release shows with two in the same weekend.
On Friday, Feb. 28 they are in Saskatoon with Broken Idols and Asspatch who are also celebrating new releases at the Green Room in Saskatoon. Also on the bill is Old Tolerated. On March 1, they are playing at the Spice Trail with Psycho Hillbillees and Global Suicide Pact. “These Prince Albert shows are always my favourite,” Yannacoulias said. “We usually pack the room and a lot of our friends come out, people are singing along or yelling and heckling us in between songs, guys come up onstage to sing a few lines. It’s a fun chaotic party atmosphere un-like anywhere else we play.”
According to Yannacoulias, they also have some shows planned in Prince Albert and Saskatoon in the spring.
“We’re playing Mother’s Day at Studio Q, a new gallery and shared arts space in town that’s g-ing to be an important part of the arts community here going forward. The show that’s really looming large for us is the Winnipeg Punk Fest July 18-19. It’s our first time playing outside of Saskatchewan, we’re playing alongside fourteen other really talented independent Canadian bands,” Yannacoulias said. The album is only available on streaming platforms and on Bandcamp.
The Spice Trail show on March 1 is all ages and doors open at 8 p.m., advance tickets are $10 and tickets are $15 at the door. Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
