Columbia

“Vancouver band channels British energy into an instant classic in Canadian rock. Join Our Ride is a shot in the arm to boring bands who don’t understand the power of song.”

Columbia's founding members have spent the past few years creating the New Universal Rock. Big Rock...the way it should be, with catchy licks and meaningful lyrics. Columbia combines talent and emotion.

When vocalist Kevin Schallie and guitarist Richard Jacquard first began writing music together, they promised each other that they would be the BEST, and do anything it takes to make music that transcends all boundaries. Kevin and Richard formed Columbia in the wake of their previous band Straitpipe. This new project saw the additions of Graeme Hahn on bass, Ben Frith on drums, and was a songwriting turning point for the band. With the full line up complete, the new songs had more direction, melody, and impact. This led to bigger, better shows and more opportunity. Eventually the boys sat down and wrote the songs that would become the Join Our Ride album.

The album was recorded at the Hive by Jesse Karr. Following the release of Join Our Ride, Columbia hit the road for several tours in the US and Canada, playing venues such as The Showbox in Seattle, The Cat Club on LA's Sunset Strip, as well as headlining shows at Richards on Richards, The Roxy, and The Venue in their hometown of Vancouver to name a few. Now, fresh from recording two new singles with Tommy Mac (Hedley) and Dean Maher (Engineer - Rise Against, etc), they are ready to take their music to the next level.

Like their favorite bands of the past, Columbia wants to be the BEST and is ready to prove it. Join Our Ride.

Join Our Ride.

Buzz from the Press:

“5-man ‘Universal new rock’ brigade Columbia is one of the rising stars of this year’s Vancouver Seeds 2009 competition. With their unique blend of blazing guitar licks, harmonic vocals, and sky-high ambition, these boys are winning over both Seeds and Supernova.com listeners; and with over 11,000 hits on their Supernova profile this month, this BC band is set to take the Seeds 2009 vote by storm.”
- Supernova.com

“Speaking with Kevin, Columbia’s lead singer, it’s easy to see why the band has seen so much success. Besides having a lot of catchy originals, they have a
devout fan base which has allowed the band to get ready for a serious run at the music industry.”
- Corrina Newby