Listen: The Sheepdogs release new single ‘Take Me For A Ride’ and drop surprise EP

Canadian rock ‘n’ roll veterans The Sheepdogs have stealth-bombed both a visualizer video for new single ‘Take Me For a Ride’ and a whole new 5-track EP titled ‘Paradise Alone’.

Recorded with Grammy-award-winning engineer Matt Ross-Spang, ‘Paradise Alone’ marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band, who celebrate their 20th Anniversary this year.

It is their first release on the newly formed Right On Records and their first full independent release since leaving Warner Music Canada.

The Sheepdogs say they intend to embrace their independent status and eschew the traditional album cycle, delivering more compact collections of music on their own schedule.

Watch: The Sheepdogs – ‘Take Me For A Ride’ visualizer

Speaking of new single ‘Take Me For A Ride’, frontman Ewan Currie said: “That one’s just a good old fashioned, dumb rock song, which is one of my favourite things. If a song makes me feel like I'm driving in the car with the windows down, that’s a good start to an album to me.”

The ‘Paradise Alone’ EP was inspired partly by contemplative evenings alone in the Florida Keys as Currie faced the prospect of turning 40, along with his band’s 20th anniversary.

The singer said: “It was not lost on me that the potential for a midlife crisis was in front of me.

“But I chose not to fully go into it. I just had a bad time, and then I went ‘Alright, I'll write some songs.’ It’s what my life is. I'm a musician, it's what I do. I'm so f----- lucky to do this job for a living.”

The result is an EP done entirely The Sheepdogs’ way.

Watch: The Sheepdogs - 'Darlin' Baby'

Bassist Ryan Gullen said: “In a world of content, we believe that the best thing a band can offer is music, and that’s how we want to approach our releases. While funny videos are great, people ultimately are here for the music, so we're setting up a system to deliver as much of it as possible (and yes, we’ll still make those funny videos too).

“This record is the first in a series of planned releases, allowing us to experiment, collaborate, and take risks. Instead of sticking to the traditional album cycle, we want to challenge ourselves creatively and share more music with people.”

The Sheepdogs are touring Europe throughout the autumn, including a string of UK dates and a Special Guest slot at Planet Rockstock on Friday 29th November.

Buy Planet Rockstock tickets here

Gallery: Saturday at Planet Rockstock 2023

Listen to Planet Rock on DAB nationwide, on our Rayo app, online or via your smart speaker (“Play Planet Rock”).