The news that her Montreal-based band had landed a Juno nomination came about quite unexpectedly for former Ponoka resident Kathryn McCaughey.
But she and her NOBRO band mates (Sarah Dion, Lisandre Bourdages, and Karolane Carbonneau), are truly excited at the news - a nod for 'Rock Album of the Year.'
The Juno Awards are broadcast on March 30 on CBC.
"This last record was pretty interesting," explained McCaughey. "We worked with a producer by the name of Dave Schiffman, who has actually won Grammy awards - one of them was for Adele! He had the idea of getting us into a studio in Montreal and recording things to tape - like 'analog' - which is something not really done anymore," she added.
"He also had the idea of us playing 'live off the floor' because he saw the chemistry when we were playing. That is important to showcase on a record," she said.
'Live off the floor' is when the recordings are made with the band playing together, as in a performance. Typically, recording follows are more 'individual,' layered process of melding what each musician brings to the mix.
"So that was how we started. We brought the songs into that setting.
"Dave also has a keen sense of sound, and he's really good at cohesively putting together a project, and making it sound consistently good from the start to the end of a song. He was like a coach - he wanted to bring out the best in us. What I also learned from him is that you just keep on pushing and pushing."
That knack for creating groundbreaking tunes comes pretty naturally to the band, which originally started to come together around 2014.
"I was on my own playing bass and learning how to write songs," recalled McCaughey of those early days. "I was jamming with a couple of other girls, and had the idea of putting together a band called NOBRO. But we hadn't released any music, and we were just playing around."
Time passed, skills continued to be honed and a unique, bold punk style emerged. The line-up was solidified, and they started recording.
McCaughey, Carbonneau, Bourdage, and Dion have been building NOBRO into one of the 'most fierce and exciting bands' in Canada ever since.
In the meantime, they've been building quite the reputation - Iggy Pop played their track Bye Bye Baby on his BBC Radio 6 show, and a fictional band in the Netflix series The Imperfects covered their songs.
Also according to their bio, "The band has toured across North America and Europe with PUP, Alexisonfire, Billy Talent, Fidlar, and The OBGMs."
In May 2023, they opened for Blink-182 at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena.
"When you are (performing), you have to be fully committed to the whole thing. And you can't let your insecurities get in the way of doing what it is you want to do."
As to her own musical journey, McCaughey did study music during her growing up years in Ponoka.
"We had piano, but I focused more on the violin," she recalled. Along the way, she also discovered a love for hockey.
"I feel like, as a Canadian, you have to do something in the winter time," she added with a laugh. "I was figure skating, and then I just really wanted to play hockey. I wanted to be different I guess, so I begged my mom and dad to let me play. They were resistant at first - mom said I could play ringette, but I didn't want to play that," she laughed. "I wanted to play hockey!"
She would later head to McGill University in Montreal, where her passion for music - and for creating music in a powerful and distinctive way - was sparked.
"I dated a guy who played in a successful band about 10 years ago. He was signed to RCA, and he toured with some massive bands," she said.
"He taught me how to play bass, and write songs."
The relationship didn't last, but McCaughey had a passion to continue to grow as a musician. Also, she noted she had typically been referred to as this man's ex-girlfriend, and obviously she wanted much more than that - an authentic clarity about her own vision and creativity.
"Montreal is a pretty small music community, and especially when you are a female - it makes it even smaller," she added.
"I also always had the intention of playing in an all-female band - it was really important to me. So the stars aligned - we met each other, and they are just amazing musicians," she said.
As to their chosen genre, she said it's a style she's long admired and enjoyed.
"I've always really liked punk music. It's rooted in activism, and it's always had a very strong point of view - it's outside of the box.
"You don't really see a lot of people going against the grain, and that is what made me want to gravitate towards it (punk)," she added. "It felt controversial and exciting. As a young person, I wanted to explore that side of life a bit more, too."
