The Dunes

The Dunes’ sophomore album, Subject to Change, is about asking, discovering, deciding and moving forward. From the personal to the political, on small and grand scales, that’s what this Toronto-based indie rock band has done since releasing its 2006 debut, Socializing With Life.

“This album is kind of a story...it’s an actual album in the classic sense, meant to be listened to in its entirety” says lead singer/songwriter Kevin Pullen, referring to the tasteful sequence of the 12 new songs. "It's titled ‘Subject to Change’ because it reflects change on so many levels: change, for one, within the band, and lot of changes in my personal life — I lost a love, and I was involved in a kind of reckless lifestyle which came along with some deep depression and finally some light again. It’s a cycle I don’t want to repeat.”

Emerging with a new outlook and happier mindset, The Dunes have ushered in a more tightly arranged, mature, and expressive collection of songs than those on their debut; Piano and organ are all over the album, more than half of the songs feature strings, one has trumpet (“Los Angeles”) and another clavinet (“Same Inside”). “That’s what I missed out on with the first record. The budget didn’t allow it,” says Kevin. "We put our all into this one, and I think the emotion really comes through. It was do or die." Subject To Change was produced by Siegfried Meier (Machete Avenue, Thine Eyes Bleed) at Beach Road Studios situated on his farm in Goderich, Ontario, in the dead of winter. The band — now comprising Alistair Heath (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Barry (drums, vocals, keys), and Ahmed Grim (bass, vocals) — all slept in a trailer steps away from the studio, and miles away from any distraction that Toronto might have wrought.

“It was good that this happened, that I now have a whole new band, and I don’t think that it’s unusual,” says Kevin. “I was green at the beginning. I didn’t know what was going on. Now, we have a solid foundation. We all want the same thing. We want to take this to the world stage.” A true live act, the band sees between 100 - 150 dates per year.

With the original line-up The Dunes made significant inroads, landing a record deal with Toronto indie label Curve Music, which released Socializing With Life. The band subsequently had a Top 40 rock radio hit with the single “Do It All The Time,” whose video was placed in heavy rotation for months on MuchMusic, MuchMoreMusic and MuchLoud. The album was also released in the U.K., Germany, Holland and Switzerland, and the band promoted it by touring Canada as well as England and Scotland in 2007 / 2008.

Kevin estimates he’s written between 60 and 100 songs since then, and feels Subject to Change is a far better album. “We think there’s maybe three or four great songs on the first one…we’re pretty honest with ourselves,” Kevin says. “At the time I was writing it, I was nowhere near the songwriter I am now; it was my first time in the studio and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted. This time, we knew what we wanted, and there’s not a single lyric or note that’s out of place on this new record. Things were clear this time. The music just told us what to do."