Bluessmyth is a rock band — not a blues band — from Calgary (Photo Provided)

Well when it comes to Bluessmyth, quite a lot.

“It’s like a blacksmith forging metals into art or creating different styles of music,” explained the band’s lead singer and lead guitarist Chris Yaholkoski.

But contrary to obvious interpretation of the name, Yaholkoski said he wants to be clear.

“We’re not genre specific. Obviously with the name Bluessmyth people think we’re a blues band, but we’re nowhere near a traditional blues band.”

Yaholkoski, or simply Y according to the band’s MySpace page, explained that although they may have a blues-based influence, much of their music tends to be heavier, along the lines of groups such as Blues Traveler and Gov’t Mule.

Unlike some of their peers though, they prefer not to get too caught up into the “jam band” concept.

“Twenty-minute songs won’t do it unless you’re constantly creating something different within that piece of music, to keep them engaged,” Yaholkoski said. “For the most part we keep it pretty tight. I found that you have to hold the audience a lot more.”

This does not mean Bluessmyth disregards instrumental importance. In fact, they said it’s quite the opposite.

As a band, they said they try to emulate the level of musicianship and professionalism seen in some of their idols.

“Just the musicianship. What we find’s lacking in today’s music or mainstream . . . there’s a real lack of good musicians, and that plagues us a lot,” Yaholkoski said.

The desire to focus on the purity of the music and its technicalities explains one of the groups motivations.

Both individually and with Bluessmyth, Yaholkoski participates in an education through music program, which sees him and the band doing clinics at elementary schools in western Canada, he said.

“That’s another aspect of the band that’s great – to teach people, kids about the themes that we are singing about and learning about.”

When Yaholkoski discusses themes, he said the band wants to create “music that matters.”

“We’re at a point now where the story-telling and themes of the songs and the themes of the album are very important to us.”

One topic on the band’s mind is Hurricane Katrina, an event inspiring two songs off their latest release, Sola Gratia.

Now with three albums to boot, Bluessmyth has found their own direction, a sign of maturity and confidence, Yaholkoski said.

“We basically said to ourselves this is what we’re going to create, this is the sound we want, and we’re gonna do it our way.”

The album has brought increased recognition for the band, who have some interest brewing in Europe, and are now playing to an expanded audience in Ontario.

Chuckling, Yaholkoski said, “First Ontario, then the rest of the world.”