In the summer of 2014, sticking with what we knew, we went on what we call our “Western Canada Busking Roadie.” This “tour” took us all the way to B.C., playing in music venues, farmers markets, on the street, and public spaces from Winnipeg to Kelowna, where we bought a baritone guitar from a friend and then turned around. This trip was awesome because it was pretty much all funded by bar gigs and busking. It was the beginning of realizing that we could have a lot of fun doing the thing we love while getting paid for it. There’s a little bit of uncertainty about whether the bars were legally allowed to let a 13 and 10-year-old play on their stages, but it made for some great experiences and even better memories.

- Simon

The following year, we sat down with local producer JP Laurendeau to create our EP “Roads.” The EP features our family harmonies along with the musical talents of Ariel Posen and Ryan Voth of The Bros. Landreth, and has a distinctly folk-country sound. It brings a smile (a mix of a joyful smile and a cringe smile) to my face when I look back on this EP. It was our first ever studio recording and really it was the start of two siblings and a Dad trying to make their dreams work. I laugh when I look back at the “drum” we used in the recording or the fact that my mandolin wasn’t good enough to be recorded so we went out and rented a better one.

- Mick

During this time we were playing some shows and festivals that we’ll always remember. Some of our favourites were the Fire and Water Fest, Dauphin Country Fest, Festival du Voyageur, and Trout Forest Music Festival where we shared the stage with awesome musicians like The Weber Brothers, Sweet Alibi, Home Free, Al Simmons, and Joshua Hyslop.

- Simon

The following summer, we wrote the story and music for a play we staged at theatre festivals from Edmonton to Toronto. This culminated in a local non-profit investing in the production of a full-length recording and accompanying comic book as a part of their community education programming. The recording was produced by Murray Pulver and featured Winnipeg artists Begonia, Erin Propp, and William Prince.

In 2018 after a successful showcase at the Manitoba Arts Network Emerging Artists series, we booked concert dates in towns and cities all around Manitoba. We didn’t know what to expect but it turned out to be a great series of shows, in little historic theatres, many of them in the out-of-the-way parts of the province. A particularly good memory was a gig at the Roxy Theatre in Neepawa – complete with a pre-concert walk through it’s spooky basement – built in 1913 and home to years of vaudeville performances. On a personal level, it was the theatre where my mother spent many a weekend watching movies and shows during her childhood in the 40s and 50s. She passed away just a year or so before the gig and was always the biggest fan of our band, which lent the night a certain magic. 

- JJ

Now, with the end of the pandemic and Mick turning 18, The Janzen Boys are prepared to focus on their music career in a way not previously possible. You might be wondering why Mick turning 18 was significant in terms of our music career. Well, when it comes to shows and general music dealings and everything else, you run into a lot of problems when there’s a band member under 18. So, with Mick turning 18 a lot of those problems are eliminated and we can fully commit to the music.

- JJ

So, in the fall of 2022, we booked time at Paintbox again to start work on four singles that initiated the second phase of our career, and the beginning of our first album, with Simon and I moving into more central roles. The first single being Long Way Home, the new album chronicles the events of the last 5 years in our personal lives. I think we’re all a little nervous about this album but at the same time we’re super excited about finally getting some new music up that represents The Janzen Boys as of now. 

- Mick

Here’s a little treat because you read this far!