With his debut album Gem of the West, Kim Elliot — aka Sentries — has delivered one of the most powerful and emotionally resonant records of the year. Self-produced and recorded across the quiet landscapes of the Canadian prairies, the album reflects both the solitude and strength of a singular voice emerging from local scenes like Lethbridge and Vancouver. Mixing expressive folk, evocative drones, and metaphor-rich lyrics, Gem of the West feels like a private world generously opened to the listener. We caught up with Kim to talk about the making of the album, his roots, and what’s stirring in the creative underground of western Canada. Here’s what he had to say.
B: Hi Kim,
Are you aware you've made one of the best albums of the year? And as if that wasn’t enough, you dropped even more gems in the second half. How did you react to the positive reviews—and if there were any negative ones, what did they criticize?
K: I don't know if I'd call it one of the best, but I am very proud of it for what little I have to work with budget and equipment-wise. The positive reviews are always nice to hear, and I try to ignore the negative ones haha.
B: You play and produce everything yourself—how is that even possible? The only collaborations appear on I Saw Someone Die in Sudbury: can you explain who all those people credited under “drones” are?
K: I just learned to do all of this myself growing up in a small town in the Canadian prairies where nobody else my age wanted to be in a band. The drones are a bunch of my friends I asked to send me audio of them humming or singing a single note, I then turned it all into one big synth sound for the loud part of Sudbury.
B: Can you briefly tell us about the music community you come from and operate in?
K: I feel I belong to two music communities, Lethbridge AB and Vancouver BC here in Canada. I grew up in Lethbridge, then went out to Vancouver for college where I made friends in other great bands like Computer and Slowicide. I then moved back home to Lethbridge to find the scene here sprawling with talent like 4BPM, Chrome Harvest, and many others.
B: What’s moving around you, and what musical and cultural references are behind these songs?
K: I suppose a lot of my lyrical references are about my personal experiences, but I try to shroud it in a lot of metaphor so listeners can sort of paint their own experiences onto it. I want my music to make people feel things, but I don't necessarily want to tell them what to feel either.
B: Will we ever see you in Europe—maybe even in Italy, where a lot of us are following you?
K: Europe tour would be a dream come true. I'm currently working on securing a grant to fund a UK/EU tour for next year. Hopefully this goes well, I'd love to come to Italy.
