Silverdale musician Skye Brooks captured his first Juno Award this past weekend in Toronto with his band Fond of Tigers.
“It was very unexpected,” said 37-year-old Brooks about the win on Tuesday.
The Junos recognize mostly mainstream music and Fond of Tigers isn’t commercially oriented, he explained.
Despite the shock when they heard their name called, five of the seven members of the Lower Mainland band were happy to make their way to the stage in the Air Canada Centre to collect the instrumental album of the year award for their third album Continent and Western, released last year.
Two of the band members couldn’t be there because they were touring with other groups they’re involved in. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a member or two to be missing when Fond of Tigers plays because all of them are involved with other projects.
Brooks, who grew up in Mission and graduated from Hatzic Secondary, is a part of two other bands, Inhabitants and Copilots, and he is also a side drummer for singers.
Brooks has been playing drums since he was 13 years old, and he is also an accomplished guitar player, singer and composer.
“We all like playing different kinds of music and want to experience as much as we can,” noted Brooks. “I learn something from every situation I play in.”
Sometimes it’s tricky lining up all the band members because everyone has a busy schedule, but that’s all part of being a professional, said Brooks.
“You have to do a lot to make enough money to make a living.”
Fond of Tigers was formed in 2004 in Vancouver. All the members met at a downtown club called Sugar Refinery, which doesn’t exist anymore.
It was a dream venue for musicians because there was good food, a great atmosphere and open-minded booking, according to Brooks, who lived in the city for close to eight years before buying the house he grew up in a few years ago in Silverdale.
Brooks travels all year with different bands, but these days he’s playing at venues across Canada. The Juno-award winning band usually tours once or twice a year across the country and plays at the Vancouver Jazz Festival every year.
For more information about Fond of Tigers visit www.fondoftigers.com.