Longtime PHILTHY phriends The Rural Alberta Advantage are currently a little more than halfway through a seven-date US tour that will have them back in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection on February 18th at Johnny Brenda’s. The Toronto band’s last (and first) show at Fishtown’s “mini rock n’ roll ballroom” came in 2023, when they were touring their fifth and most recent LP, The Rise & The Fall, which they tell me during our most recent chat proved to be one of their best shows ever. The current jaunt, which kicked off February 5th, comes behind the January 28th release of single “The Hunt In Edson,” the follow-up to last year’s “Falling Apart,” whose drop coincided with a European tour. Just before hitting the road, the folk-rock trio took some time to talk with me about their new music, two decades of touring, and what they’ve been listening to a lot of lately.
Izzy Cihak: I know you recently played your first show of the year at Harmony Hall. How did the first performance of 2026 go? I know you’re not at all new to playing live, but the shows are always great and the three of you still always seem to have a blast playing them.
Amy Cole: The Harmony Hall show was great! The show was part of a small but mighty music festival called Wintersong run by really great people who are passionate about the arts in their community. When our Canadian record label, Paper Bag, asked us to be a part of their showcase, it was an easy yes, both because we thought it would be a great way to help us get ready for this US tour, and because it was such a cool festival.
Izzy: The last we spoke, in early 2024, you mentioned wanting to get to work on new music, and I know you have a new full-length on the way, and already dropped “Falling Apart” last year, followed by “The Hunt In Edson,” which just dropped. Have you had any favorite fan/audience reactions to the new music so far? I realize “The Hunt In Edson” might be too recent for that…
Amy: It can be nerve-wracking to play a new song during the set. We’re still getting used to playing them live, and we know that many people in the crowd might be looking forward to hearing their one or two favourite songs and might not be as jazzed to hear something they’ve never heard before. But with “Falling Apart” and “Edson” (which Nils has been playing solo on this tour), the audience response has been really, really positive, and they’re cheering just as loud for those songs as they are for some of our quote unquote “fan favourites.” It feels nice to know that we can still put out new music that people respond to and are affected by.
Izzy: I realized during one of our last chats that I’ve actually been to every show you’ve ever played in Philly, and I know Paul has family here and you’re all fans of the city, but I’m curious to hear some of your most vivid show memories from Philly.
Paul Banwatt: Our last show at Johnny Brenda’s is one of our favourite shows ever. I think we all felt really connected with the crowd that night. And yes, for me personally, Philly is usually a chance to have a lot of family come out. Having that kind of love and support in the room feels great (even if my childhood nicknames might get yelled out, sometimes drunkenly, a few times during the set). Also, post-show cheesesteaks are a thing. I gave up red meat almost 20 years ago with this single exception…
Izzy: I’ve been listening to you since Hometowns, and on the latest edition of Philthy Radio (my show for Y-Not Radio) I played “Don’t Haunt This Place” to promote the Johnny Brenda’s show. Do you have any memories of writing or recording that song, or any especially memorable performances? It’s always been a mainstay in the setlist.
Paul: That’s a song that Nils and I played together back when we hosted and attended open mic nights. I’m not so great at playing drums lightly (and less so then). Instead, for intimate settings I’d just cover my entire kit with a blanket so I could otherwise play normally. When we recorded “Don’t Haunt This Place,” we did the drums like that – with a blanket on them – and I’ve always thought about doing it live that way too.
I think we keep playing it in the set because it’s still fun. Songs that are a bit challenging keep you engaged – you can’t just go through the motions. You actually have to consciously play the song. I like those ones.
Izzy: You’ve always toured a lot and, despite how much the music industry has changed since you started, a lot of aspects of touring remain largely the same, costs aside. Do you have any advice for artists who are thinking about starting a life on the road or artists who have been doing it for a while but suspect they can’t maintain the touring routines of their early years?
Amy: Ha ha, I feel like “costs aside” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there! Truthfully, I imagine it’s super hard for new bands to make a viable living on tour. It’s hard for anyone. The three of us love being in the RAA, but we do have other, separate careers that allow each of us to have reasonably comfortable lives while still getting to tour and record. It’s how we’ve always done it, from the very beginning until now. So, I guess if I were to offer any advice, I’d say to be resourceful, and be flexible.
Our lives look different now than when we started – now we’re married, with kids and dogs and all that, and so our touring schedule isn’t as relentless as it used to be. The three of us have always been good at supporting each other when someone needs to take a few weeks or months away, and we each put in the effort to make what we do in the band work for all of us. So, I’d say work as hard and do as much as you possibly can, when you can, but also do your best to support and respect the needs of everyone in your band. I don’t think we’d still be doing this otherwise.
Izzy: On a related note, are there any artists or albums that you’ve been really loving recently, or are planning on digging into while you’re on the road?
Amy: I know I’m super late to the game on Wednesday, but I just love their latest record. I really admire Karly’s songwriting, and her writing in general – she wrote a beautiful essay in Vulture last year that just floored me. I just missed them when they were in Toronto recently, I hope I can catch them next time around.
Nils Edenloff: Just before last Christmas we were in Europe playing a couple of shows with “MOONRIIVR.” It’s a project started by our good friend Gavin Gardiner, who recorded our last record and the two new singles. For one, it’s always a treat when you get to spend time on the road with your friends, but it’s even more fun when you get to listen to them night after night making music that excites you. Anyway, I had their songs worming through my head for weeks after, and beyond.
Izzy: Finally, how are you hoping and planning to spend the remainder of 2026? When can fans expect more of the new album, whether the actual release or just additional singles or music videos?
Paul: We’re going to focus on writing after these US shows. Nils has been busy and has a lot of (in my opinion) amazing songs queued up for us to work on – it’s probably the most material we’ve had at this stage since we recorded Hometowns. It’s an exciting place to be, and really different from how it’s been for the last four records, where we’ve really only worked on a song or two at a time.
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