The Wine Soaked Preachers are a country band with strong Alberta roots. Lead singer and guitarist Jay Bilyk says, “We started with one foot in Brooks and one foot in Calgary.”
Bilyk and drummer Mark Alberts grew up together in Brooks. “The social hub there was the Brooks Hotel, which is bar, not a hotel,” he laughs.
For many years, The Brooks Hotel hosted a Boxing Day gig with a notable headliner: Corb Lund. Bilyk and Alberts were part of the fun. When other things pulled Corb Lund away from the annual jam, The Wine Soaked Preachers stepped in and stepped up.
Moving to Calgary led Bilyk and Alberts to play many gigs in that city, including at The Stampede. Adding more musicians to the mix was fun. They often played with The Bitterweed Draw, a Calgary bluegrass band. “We brought them back to the Brooks Hotel for a lot of shows,” says Bilyk.
After some changes in personnel, the band is now a four-piece group. Jay Bilyk is on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Mark Alberts plays drums. Wayne Garrett plays telecaster and pedal steel. Mile Cantafio is on double bass.
They’ve also expanded their set lists beyond the cover tunes. “We write country and western music that’s focused on Alberta,” says Bilyk. “We have four albums out, and we play gigs whenever we can. Usually in Calgary.”
Audiences can expect a blend of original and cover tunes when the band plays. “Merle, Waylon, Corb, and western swing. We like to mix it up and play that stuff along with our own songs.”
You can catch The Wine Soaked Preachers on December 17 at The Blues Can in Calgary, and December 19 for a late afternoon gig at The King Eddy.
Here’s The Wine Soaked Preachers with “Nevermore,” from their album Same Old Town.
