Conrad Montana (Les Gigantiques) on Sled Island, Calgary’s Music Scene & a 20-Year-Old Album Finally Released
Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island series with a conversation featuring Conrad Sawatzky (Conrad Montana of Les Gigantiques), a longtime Calgary musician who has been active in bands including Anxious Poets, the Shinolas, Cripple Creek Fairies, and The Deadly Skulls. Conrad shares his musical beginnings, his role in local preservation efforts like the Rat’s Nest Recording Society, and his early connection to Sled Island through Zach Peshack and Pop Montreal. He recalls standout Sled memories (Guided by Voices, Television, Yo La Tengo, and more), highlights Calgary venues supporting live music (Loophole, Blocks, Palomino), and discusses what makes Sled unique, including its diversity and discovery-focused playlists. The episode also covers Les Gigantiques’ newly released album—recorded 20 years ago, rediscovered by Trap One Records—now streaming, with vinyl coming in August and a release show August 23 at Blocks.
https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/
00:00 Show Intro 01:08 Sled Island Series Setup 02:13 Guest Conrad Montana 04:12 How We Met 04:48 Conrad Music Origins 07:12 Preserving Calgary Tapes 09:08 First Sled Island Connection 10:50 Favorite Sled Memories 12:53 Calgary Venues Today 14:43 Day In The Life 17:03 What Makes Sled Unique 20:17 Les Gigantiques Album Story 22:32 Sound And Stage Energy 24:44 Tour Plans And Sled 2026 26:15 Local Band Shoutouts 28:24 Advice For New Musicians 29:34 Show Plug And Farewell 30:57 Host Wrap Up 32:44 Subscribe And Closing Credits
The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/
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