The long and winding roads marked the beginning of our travels, which shortly turned into a straight shot on towards Saskatchewan. While it was close to eight hours we made the long drive seem like nothing with some tunes, conversation and the promise of what was sure to be a great adventure in Saskatoon.
Once we arrived in Saskatoon and found our quaint new home for the next five days, full of themed rooms; one bathroom; and a heater built into the floor we all worried about falling into with one wrong step. We didn’t have much time because right away we started to unload the vehicles; with masks on, full of equipment. Once we did this it was finally to choose rooms and relax, not without jokes about the themed rooms.
The next day we all woke up later than intended and exhausted from the long drive the previous day, but ready to take on the day nonetheless. Taken by Sanity was ready to take Saskatoon by storm. Once we reloaded the vehicles after unloading them the night before. Once we unloaded Taken by Sanity was ready to record for Skullcreek Sessions.
I have no idea what took place during this recording session, so the rest of the Taken by Sanity team explored the fair city of Saskatoon. This consisted of driving around, getting lost, and finding a coffee place to caffeinate at, then go home and watch some movies. Once the sky got dark we pondered the fate of the band we had left to record, when at that moment they contacted us to say they were ready to do the whole shebang of loading vehicles again then grabbing a well-earned dinner. After unloading the van again. Skullcreek Sessions was kind enough to treat us to this safe socially distanced dinner. After our delicious dinner at Capitol Music Club, we all head home and immediately passed out to get our early start on video recordings.
The next day we rise early to grab a complimentary breakfast, courtesy of Skullcreek Sessions, at Capitol again with the joys of not having to pack or unload equipment. After a delectable meal, it was time to record video. The band made quick work of it, like the rockstars they are, while I took photos and videos for a behind-the-scenes view. A few takes later full of many angles and lots of jamming it was time to pack up once again and head to our temporary home. With all our major tasks complete there was one thing left to do. Sit back, relax and have some fun. Yes, it was finally our time to kick back and play games full of laughs.
It was the penultimate day in Saskatoon and there was content to be made and still fun to be had. While the start was slow we grabbed our needed caffeine and made our way to do some photoshoots. In true Taken by Sanity fashion taking photos was full of chaos, busting guts, and shenanigans. A few hours later when it started to get dark we headed back to our cozy residence for recording. A plethora of songs was recorded with many amusing outtakes to be had. But, once all was said and done for recordings it was time to rest our weary heads in preparation for our return trip.
The sun rose early just like us and so we cleaned and said goodbye to the place we were staying. First we, of course, had our coffee run and then packed our vehicles for the last time. From here we left Saskatoon behind us on a long drive back home to Calgary. While it was a longer trip now that we had no new adventures to look forward to we made the most of it with the usual tunes blasting while we sailed down the highways. Along the way home, we found ourselves in the home of Nickelback. Naturally, we had to blast some of their music as we stared upon their murals and took photos to commemorate Nickelback’s greatness and as a promise to one day make it as big as Nickelback.
This was our final stop before we made it back and unloaded the vehicles for the last time. We finished this in record time and thus ended the trip of a lifetime in Saskatoon.