Former Richmond band Remember August will be reuniting for a one-time concert. Richmond born Andy Roy and Grant McKenzie, alongside their band are back for one last hurrah August 26 in Vancouver. When news broke out about the reunion, nostalgic fans didn’t wait, selling out the tickets within 36 hours. 

“The arrival of Remember August cultivated a new outlet for an entire demographic of youth in Richmond to find themselves. Prior to the band’s presence on the music scene in Richmond, there weren’t any live musical performances for youth, by youth, it was a largely missing piece for what would become a committed following of kids. Remember August provided events and opportunities for youth to connect to a community that had not been represented in Richmond,” said Ryan Weber, former Youth Coordinator at South Arm Community Center. 

It all started in late 2004, when Richmond locals Andy Roy and Grant McKenzie formed a band with their friend Cody. All that was left was to come up with a name for their band, after countless ideas, a name was finally agreed upon. The band had agreed to incorporate August in the name but felt that it was yet to be complete. A drive along No.2 Road would be all that was needed to finalize the name of the band, as they drove past Coast Capital, Roy came up with Remember August which was agreed upon by all members.  

When writing songs, the band was focused on two things, hooks and melodies. Focusing on writing lyrics that would constantly get stuck in the listener’s mind, the band never really discussed the topic of their lyrics. “Both Grant and I were obsessed with big hooks and catchy choruses, but our song writing was relatively simple. The inspiration was to write the catchiest song possible, that people would want to sing along to. Whatever lyrics seemed to fit the melodies—we just stuck with,” said Roy, singer of Remember August. 

Along their journey, the band managed to cultivate a following of local high school kids by playing at local community centres on Friday and Saturday nights.

The band had one goal left: The Warped Tour. The Warped Tour was a tour that would travel around the United States, as well as three to four stops in Canada annually. The band applied for the Enrie Ball stage but were not selected, undeterred Andy Roy, continued to contact the CEO who said the only chance they would be on tour was if the founder of the tour Kevin Lyman agreed. 

“Undeterred, I tracked down Kevin Lyman’s home phone number and pitched him directly, Kevin reluctantly approved—mainly to get off the line. Ecstatic, I immediately called Ernie Ball with the good news, but was swiftly told—contrary to their previous statement—we were not welcome. Hurt and defiant, I assured them I would continue calling every single day to change his mind, after several weeks—he finally agreed to let us on—if I promised to stop bothering him. I vividly remember, midway my dad had said ‘Andy—worst case scenario, you’re in the exact same spot you are now—off the tour. Best case, you guys get on, keep hustling’, he was right,” said Roy.  

By 2007, the band would disband due to differences in their life stages. After months of hustling, the band cultivated a devoted following, played on the Warped Tour, and had constant meetings with record labels in California. Band members would slowly transition towards the next stage in the lives, Richmond local Andy Roy would pursue his education at UBC and Grant McKenzie would head off to California to finish his PhD. 

“We both come from families that prioritized education over everything. That’s not a great backdrop for navigating the roller coaster of the music industry. We were at different points in our lives, if I was 24, I’m sure I would’ve left town to pursue a master’s degree, too, as Grant did,” said Roy. 

Since disbanding, the group has gone their separate ways in North America, Andy Roy, singer, is in San Francisco, Grant, the guitarist, is now living in Montreal, and Cody, the drummer, has stayed behind in Vancouver. Though the trio have separated the bond between bandmates is still strong, and one that will carry on despite no longer performing together. 

“I often think of playing shows like going to war. The moment before you start playing, when you look at your bandmates, and you’re all ready for battle—that’s something incredibly special that cannot be replicated. The bond between bandmates is unbreakable. I think we all miss that, the daily grind, stress, and emotional swings, less so,” said Roy. 

The band is excited for the chance to play in front of their fans one last time and promises that the performance will not just be some nonchalant trip down memory lane but will be full of energy. 

“It feels” surreal. When we announced the show, I was very scared, I thought people may have forgotten about us. The fact that it sold out in 36 hours is truly remarkable. It’s been incredible to see that our little group, from Richmond, meant something to these people. Being able to read those memories and reconnect with those people has been so enjoyable. This (reunion) isn’t a casual drive down memory lane, this is one more time, at 200 miles per hour, throwing caution to the wind,” said Roy. 

For aspiring musicians who wish to follow in the same steps, Roy advises to keep hustling, something that he has continued to do long after the band disbanded. “Hustle is everything, there are tons of great musicians out there, the majority of whom are better than you, but you can outwork them”, said Roy. 

For more information, visit rememberaugust.com/index2.html