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Dallas Good never wanted to be a musician.
As a kid, the singer and guitarist of Toronto's The Sadies dreamt of being anything but a singer and guitarist.
But when your dad is part of a legendary Canadian country band, it makes it more difficult not to go down the same road.
"Music was always accessible to me, but it was never pushed down my throat," recalls Good, whose father Bruce is a founding member of the Juno Award-winning country act, The Good Brothers.
"My brother and I were always given a realistic perspective of music as a career entails. There were no visions of grandeur. If anything, we started doing this at our own risk."
Good and his brother Travis formed their psychedelia-tinged country rock band in 1998. At the time, they drew heavily from traditional country and bluegrass but in recent years, the band has expanded its sound to include more rock, folk and progressive elements.
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"I would be sick to death if I had to play country and bluegrass night after night," says Good.
"I know this from playing with my father's band and backing up John Doe (The Sadies joined the legendary punk rocker on last year's critically acclaimed Country Club album.) It grows tiresome for me. I suppose that's the ego in me too that wants to be front and centre. I just know I'm not a side guy, even though one of my favourite things in life is backing other musicians."
On Darker Circles, The Sadies' latest album released last week, the group delves into, well, darker material.
But Good says he's addressing larger themes rather than specific issues in his life.
"I personally spent more time on the lyrics because before, it was a weakness that I always worked around."
Good credits producer Gary Louris (formerly of The Jayhawks and Golden Smog) for helping the band reach its sonic goals in the studio.
Louris also helmed The Sadies' 2007 album, New Seasons.
"The first thing he did was address our weaknesses and start to work on things like harmonies, melodies, things that are important to other people," Good says with a laugh.
"He helped me edit my lyrics, gave me confidence and taught me a lot more tricks that I've been able to use."
The Sadies perform Friday night at the Ironwood Stage, Saturday at Dickens Pub and Sunday at the Canmore Hotel with guests The Pack A.D.