Jr. Gone Wild are the spiritual granddaddies of many Edmonton musicians. Mike McDonald and a revolving cast of the defunct band’s lifers and guests helped define this city’s indie scene and sound during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Chris Wynters seems pleased at the suggestion that Captain Tractor, his 11-year-old band, is the natural heir to Jr. Gone Wild’s populist/party-band mantle.

"I saw Jr. Gone Wild open for 10,000 Maniacs," Wynters recalls. "They were a huge influence on us. It was the first time I thought music was something I had a chance to do with my life as a kid from Edmonton."

There are plenty of parallels between both outfits. Beyond a musical affinity–twangy roots-rock with plenty of local references colouring the lyrics–the groups share a sensibility: a defiantly goofy regional pride, plus a preoccupation with drinking, that modestly masks accomplished songwriting and confident musical mastery. Both also became cottage industries of sorts, spawning networks of affiliated people working with and on-behalf of them.

So, it’s fitting that a classic Mike McDonald track lies smack in the centre of North of the Yellowhead, Captain Tractor’s first album in five years.

"We’ve been covering ‘Just the Other Day’ on stage since 1997," Wynters says. "It seemed time to put it on a record. We wanted Mike to come in and do it with us, but we couldn’t get it together.’

North of the Yellowhead is not so much a comeback record as a "still here" record. It treads familiar territory–basically the Tractor boys doing what they do best, delivering fun anthems to liver damage and odes to heartbreak, both straight-up and chased with wordplay.

Their deer

Wynters acknowledges, "This record is all about, ‘Let’s put our favourite songs together.’ It was pretty much the easiest record we’ve ever done. A lot like our first one–we were just having fun, and doing it because we wanted to, not because we felt we had to. Some of the songs on here have been kicking around for years."

While many of Captain Tractor’s fan-pleasing favourites make an appearance on the CD, a favourite of another kind is notably absent. Founding member Brock Skywalker left the group, amicably, to devote more time to his own pursuits. To fill Skywalker’s considerable boots, the band drafted accordionist and keyboard player Jason Kodie, who Wynters and guitarist Scott Peters encountered through their theatre work.

"Captain Tractor is all frontmen," says Wynters. "A lot of our shows are about us and how we react to one another. We have big personalities. Brock has a big personality, and Jason is a big personality, too."

The new lineup debuted live at a New Year’s Eve gig. "We were the same bunch of guys for such a long time," says Wynters. "We love Brock. We miss him. But it’s exciting having this new blood here."

The new CD also marks the official debut of Bucky, the deer’s head that stares out from the cover. "Bucky is coming on the road with us. We built him a case," chuckles Wynters. "[Bassist] Jon Nordstrom and his dad shot him 15 years ago–and I make no comment on that–in Saskatchewan. We did this photo shoot in his garage, and Bucky was there. We’ve adopted him as our mascot."

Their beer

The deer-ly departed has pride of place on the label of another new band product–the beer they created with Alley Kat Breweries, Captain Tractor’s Yellowhead Wheat Ale.

"We figured we have sold a lot of beer over the years," reasons Wynters. "So bringing out our own seemed like a natural progression." He describes the development process as an, "Interesting relationship. We had lots of input. We tasted lots of beers and started to figure out what we liked. In the end we went with using citrus-flavored hops–it’s light, nice."

The beer is on tap at O’Byrnes and apparently selling well, and will be available at the CD Release at the Druid, which will be specially configured to contain the party that night. Captain Tractor will be playing in a tent set up adjacent to the mega-patio.

"We’ve always been unconventional as to where we put on shows. Generally our CD releases are big events, and with the tent attached, the Druid is the biggest venue of its kind in town."

Armed with its beer and its deer, Wynter and friends are ready to rumble. "After 11 years, we are very clear on what Captain Tractor sounds like. We’re not trying to invent something new. We’re just going to enjoy ourselves."