Yukon Blonde Benefit From New Name

What's in a name? If you ask Yukon Blonde, plenty.

The Vancouver-based rock outfit used to gig under the handle Alphababy — a name that evokes images of a icky, leather-clad and most likely Hepatitis-infected '90s cover band.

Thankfully, Alphababy ditched its problematic moniker in late 2008 for the infinitely cooler Yukon Blonde — a name much better suited to a band with a penchant for thick, fuzzy guitars and melodies straight out of the '70s.

"There were a couple reasons for the name change. One, we didn't like the name Alphababy," says frontman Jeff Innes, 24, with a laugh.

"Two, when we went on tour with Jon-Rae Fletcher, we, as Alphababy, were his backing band. He kept saying that we really needed to change it. He said, 'Nobody knows who you are, cut your losses and change the name.'"

Wise man, that Fletcher.

Although Alphababy weren't exactly obscure with 300 shows under their belts (playing alongside such luminaries as Ladyhawk, Black Mountain and Women), doors really began to open for Yukon Blonde.

The band — which now includes Brandon Scott (guitar, vocals) and Graham Jones (drums, vocals) — signed with Toronto-based Nevado Records, which released their debut EP, Everything In Everyway, in October, and a 37-date Canadian tour followed with stops at POP Montreal, Halifax Pop Explosion and CMJ.

"It's helped considerably," Innes says of the name change. "A lot of people didn't come to Alphababy shows because they didn't like the name. That last tour we went on as Yukon Blonde was planned way more poorly than an Alphababy tour, but we had huge crowds. The response has been great."

The new name may have helped attract bigger audiences, but it's Yukon Blonde's sunshine-soaked harmonies and rich, melodic arrangements that have won them faithful fans.

The band are set to release their self-titled debut full-length on Tuesday (Feb. 9) via Bumstead Records (K.D. Lang, Two Hours Traffic, The Trews) — and the response has already been resoundingly positive.

It's not hard to see why — this album is all about the hooks. It also boasts delightfully lush, warm soundscapes that make it a treat to listen to on headphones (and, probably, on vinyl).

It should come as no shock, then, to learn the record was recorded live to tape.

"In the past, we found if we overanalyzed a part, it ends up sounding too polished," Innes says. "It gives it a certain kind of sound. We really like records from the '60s. There's a chemistry to them, and we wanted to have that sort of feel."

You can see Yukon Blonde kick out some new jams here:

Feb. 18 Kelowna BC @ Mars Hill
Feb. 19 Calgary, AB @ The Gateway at Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology
Feb. 20 Canmore, AB @ Communitea Cafe
Feb. 22 Edmonton, AB @ The Black Dog Freehouse
Feb. 23 Regina, SK @ The Exchange
Feb. 25 Minneapolis, MN @ 311
Feb. 26 Chicago, IL @ Darkroom
Feb. 27 Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
March 2 Boston, MA @ O'Brien's Pub
March 3 New York, NY @ Pianos NYC
March 4 Brooklyn, NY @ Littlefield NYC
March 5 Montreal, QC @ Le Divan Orange
March 6 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
March 10 Hamilton, ON @ The Casbah
March 13 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern (CHARTattack's CMW showcase)
March 17 Austin, TX @ South By Southwest Music Festival
March 26 Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos Cantina
March 27 Calgary, AB @ The Palomino