Sonic Booms: Making Music in an Oil Town

by Gillian Turnbull

Calgary is a city best known for its big skies, cowboy culture, and the annual outdoor spectacle known as the Stampede. It’s also a city of boom and bust, its economy built on the ever-shifting sands of world oil prices. Oil has not only brought people from all over the world to Calgary, diversifying its population over the last few decades, it’s also created one of the most vibrant independent music scenes in Canada. Here, musicians drawing on the traditions of country and folk music make their living in small venues, house concerts, and festivals, where Calgarians offer their unwavering support for the music that tells their stories.

Despite the economy’s uncertainty - demonstrated by one of the most debilitating recessions in recent history that began in 2014 - this music still thrives, operating as both tonic and mouthpiece for the disenfranchised. Sonic Booms: Making Music in an Oil Town explores Calgary’s roots music scene, showing how oil, of all things, fuelled the rise of one of North America’s most dynamic and resilient subcultures.

255 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2019

About the author

Gillian Turnbull is the author of Sonic Booms: Making Music in an Oil Town (Eternal Cavalier Press, 2019). Her most recent book is the anthology Bad Artist: Creating in a Productivity-Obsessed World (2024), co-edited with Nellwyn Lampert, Pamela Oakley, and Christian Smith. She holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction. She has taught music at Toronto Metropolitan University and written for Chatelaine, Maisonneuve, The Walrus, and The National Post. She is the Director of Writing and Publishing at the University of King's College in Halifax.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. In a world obsessed with commercial music and all its glitz, it is refreshing to find this remarkable study of the roots music scene in Calgary. The ties between that scene, the economy and government are well thought out and described so well. The struggles and triumphs of local musicians are captivating. After reading the book, I've listened to music by the artists featured in the book. Considering the quality of their performances and compositions, it is no wonder their story is worth exploring. The author's experiences in the scene over many years lend an authenticity to the book as well as an intimate touch that is easy to relate to. A very interesting, informative and well written work.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic overview of the Calgary folk/country music scene with a personal touch. Gillian expertly blends history and research with the personal stories of her characters. As a former Calgarian and annual volunteer for the folk music festival, it was fantastic to learn more about the venues and musicians I already loved, as well as be introduced to many other great artists. This book would also be a great read for anyone passionate about Alberta music, or Canadian music in general.