Band “Southern Cross” tunes in with the audience

By Irene van der Kloet

On May 28, the band Southern Cross treated an audience at the Smoky Lake Inn to an evening of outstanding musical entertainment. Southern Cross is a relatively new band with members so well in tune that they sound like they have been playing together for years. In 2020, Perry Phillips and Kyler Schogen started Southern Cross along with two musicians from Edmonton; the original band went through some changes until it resulted in its current version in January 2022 with Perry Phillips (vocals/guitar/harmonicas) from Vilna, Kyler Schogen (guitar and vocals) from Bellis, Randy Padlesky (drums and vocals) and Jeff Katerynych (bass guitar and vocals), both from Bonnyville. All band members are professional musicians and bring many years of collective experience. Schogen and Phillips came up with the band name based on their appreciation for southern rock and how it has generally influenced music, especially country music. There’s also a connection for both with the Southern Cross constellation, which is only visible in the southern hemisphere, where they both spent time. “It’s hard to explain where exactly the name ‘Southern Cross’ came from, but it is based on that connection with the southern rock, blues and rhythm & blues and country music, primarily from the southeastern United States,” Perry explains. “It’s a style that remains very popular and has had a huge impact on country music. We tend to play music with strong rhythms, driving beats and a prominent guitar sound that makes people want to dance. We know that people appreciate good music, even if every song is not well known. The band has an extensive music roster, ranging from country classics to alternative country, along with rock/blues. Our extensive song list allows us to customize it to our audience, venue and occasion,” Kyler mentions. “We have diverse backgrounds in music and an appreciation for a broad range of styles, and if there’s a category we want to fit into, it is good music played well. People’s appreciation for music seems to be becoming much broader, and while country music is the foundation for Southern Cross, we want to have something for all our audiences. The band will be working on incorporating original songs into the mix in the months ahead. It’s not easy to bring a new band into the business, and it takes focus and commitment to move forward to make it happen continuously.” Recently the band recorded some short video clips in Kyler’s SunCave Studio in Bellis to distribute to potential clients such as Ag Societies, event planners, bars and casinos.

“But the best promotion is always word-of-mouth,” Perry points out. Making connections and following up is critical to the band becoming known. All band members share a love for music and a passion for playing it for people. “People appreciate our commitment to having a good sound, our selection of songs, our vocal harmonies and especially that we have a good time playing music,” Perry adds. The crowd at the Smoky Lake Inn certainly appreciated Southern Cross’s music. The Inn filled up entirely, and the band managed to play at a volume that allowed people to visit while enjoying the great music. Band members watch for body language that lets them know how people feel. This again speaks to the band members’ love for what they do. “Playing good music and connecting with people provides a positive experience for the band and the audience – we got our energy from them,” adds Phillips. Playing groups or individuals wanting to book Southern Cross can contact Perry Phillips at 780-614-8478 or Kyler Schogen at 780-656-5505.