SEE Magazine: July 22nd, 1999

Limblifter
with Vibrolux
Saturday, July 24
at the Rev

Change can be a good thing. Other times it’s a pain in the ass.

As the front man for Vancouver’s Limblifter, Ryan Dahle has seen his share of changes in the last couple of years and knows both aspects of it well. For starters, recall that Limblifter started off as a side project of the brothers Ryan and Kurt Dahle between records with what was then their full-time gig with Vancouver rockers the Age of Electric. Limblifter cut an album, landed a major label deal and scored a modest success with their 1996 self-titled release.

However, early in 1998 the word got out that the Age of Electric, despite sitting at the peak of their success, had packed it in, and judging by Dahle’s reticence to discuss the matter, the split wasn’t entirely amicable. But it turned Limblifter from a side project, albeit a successful one, into the full time gig for Dahle.

Limblifter spent the better part of last year in the studio recording their follow up album, as well as parting (on good terms this time) with co-founder and bassist Ian Somers, recruiting new bass player Todd Fancey and walking away from their label, Universal. With a good three years between albums, Dahle is chomping at the bit to release the latest Limblifter effort.

"In the last year and a half, the reason we didn’t have a Limblifter record was all the garbage I had to deal with," said Dahle. "We wanted all the crap to be out of the way before we came out with another record."

Now they have that record, which will come out just as soon as they can find someone to take it.

"We made the best record by far that we’ve ever made," said Dahle. "We put a lot more focus and a lot more effort into the whole thing. Now we just need to find a home for it to release the record properly."

Until then, fans of Limblifter will have to catch the band live, like at Saturday’s gig with openers Vibrolux at the Rev, for a taste of the new material.

The long spell between releases, as well as a light touring schedule, may have caused Limblifter to drop off the music scene’s radar for the last little while, which presents the challenge of getting people excited in the band again.

"It’s tough to keep people interested, but the most important thing we can do is be excited and interested in what we’re doing ourselves," said Dahle. "We’ll be on the right track if we’re there for the right reasons."

Getting back on track is the key right now. The multitude of changes Limblifter has experienced recently comes in sharp contrast to the seeming ease with which they became successful with their first effort.

"Everything seemed so easy with this band. We struggled so long with Age of Electric but Limblifter seemed to be a smoother road," said Dahle.

But lightning seldom strikes twice and Dahle is not banking on the next Limblifter outing to bring the same kind of overnight success. Still, coming back to a project after a fair time away can have its benefits.

"It feels really good, I feel it’s kind of a rebirth as much as it’s a continuation of what we were," said Dahle. "It’s a rediscovery."