By: Karen Steinberg
Photo By Geoff Fitzgerald
Q) Dwayne Gretzky is a little bit pop mixed with rock, but how would you describe your sound?
A) Well, as a cover band our aim is always to capture the essence of the artists and songs we cover. That involves being very detailed and faithful to the original source material while also finding subtle ways of expressing the songs in our own way. We’re always striving to make our shows as dynamic as possible, so we take on quite a range of styles and sounds. When we started the band fifteen years ago we gravitated mostly towards roots/class rock stuff like Van Morrison, Tom Petty, The Beatles and The Band. But over time and as the band has grown, we’ve tended to lean a bit more disco/80s pop. One thing about our sound is that we never play to tracks – everything is always live. Of course, it helps to have ten people in the band to cover all the parts.
Q) Who are some of your musical influences?
A) Too many to name! We’re a large group with diverse musical interests and experiences. Some of us went to jazz school, some of us have a theatre background and others grew up playing in rock bands. So, there’s quite a range of musical tastes within the band. Ultimately, we’re all suckers for well-crafted pop music. In terms of the classic repertoire we cover, some of our favourite artists include Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Whitney Houston, Queen and Paul Simon to name a few.
Q) We love your cover songs! What is the process for deciding which famed tracks you’ll cover?
A) Thanks! We’ve been a band for fifteen years and have performed over eight hundred and fifty songs live, so we’ve built up a pretty huge repertoire over the years. First and foremost, we choose songs that we like. We also choose songs that suit our sensibility and play to the strengths of the band members. Once we’ve performed a song in front of an audience a bunch of times we get a better sense of whether or not it’s working and how it best fits into our setlist.
Q) Each of you plays a great part in making a cover song unique. How do you break down a song so each person gets to perform?
A) One of the joys of being in a large group with a bunch of talented people is there are plenty of opportunities to pass the ball around. We work well as a team and enjoy setting each other up to shine. We’ve put in a lot of performing hours together so we’ve built up a lot of mutual trust. It’s all about synergy – good bands are always greater than the sum of their parts.
Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?
A) We do it all ourselves internally. For the Dwayne’s World sessions our touring monitor tech Nathan Vanderwielen records the session at our rehearsal studio. What you see and hear in the videos is all captured live. Afterwards one of our guitar players, Ian Docherty (also a very skilled sound engineer), mixes the audio from his home studio.
Q) Your covers of “Roam” and “9 to 5” are out now. Is this a prelude to an album or EP of cover songs to come?
A) We do have plans to package a bunch of songs together from our Dwayne’s World sessions into a full album / vinyl release. So, stay tuned for Dwayne’s World Volume 1 coming out sometime this fall 2026!
Q) My personal favorite of your cover songs are “The Chain,” “1999” and “Higher Love.” Which of your covers hold a special place in your heart and why?
A) I’m sure you’d get a different answer depending on which band member you ask. For me, “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon is a personal favorite and has been a staple in our set for years. It kinda ticks all the boxes of what we’re trying to do with this band – it’s joyous, musical and nostalgic. It’s also a song you don’t see cover bands taking on very often. I’m happy to see that video get good traction online – I think it really resonated with people.
Q) Are you able to tease some upcoming ideas you have for cover songs or are you keeping them close to the vest for now?
A) Let’s go with option B – the vest! Ok, here’s one teaser – the title of one of the upcoming songs rhymes with the vest. How’s that? We’re now releasing two Dwayne’s World tunes a month, so there’s plenty of fun stuff coming down the pipeline. They’re super fun to make so we’re excited to keep it going! Any particular songs you’d like us to cover? We’re open to suggestions!
Q) What can fans expect from a live Dwayne Gretzky performance?
A) A joyous celebration of the greatest songs of all time, pulled off with top notch musicianship and theatrical flair. We love bringing these songs to life! It’s pure, contagious fun. We promise our show is never boring.
Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?
A) Massey Hall in Toronto is a very special place – we’ve been fortunate enough to play
there a few times. And last summer we headlined the Bud Stage – an outdoor
amphitheatre in Toronto – which was a pretty surreal experience with over seven thousand people in attendance. It was a real bucket list show for us. Many of us grew up seeing our favorite artists perform at these venues, so they feel especially magical.
Q) What artist/musician are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?
A) Maybe I’ll take this opportunity to plug some of the amazing creative projects within our own community. Obviously, we love coming together to celebrate classic songs in Dwayne, but we’re also super supportive and inspired by each other’s creative pursuits outside of the band. Do yourself a favour and check out some of these amazing Toronto bands featuring members of Dwayne: Disaster Pony, Lydia Persaud, MOONRIIVR, YSSY, Teen Ravine, Wax Atlantic, The O’Pears, July Talk, Lisa SQ and Broken Social Scene to name a few.
Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?
A) Thanks for all the love and support! We really enjoy doing what we do and sharing the love of these great songs with people far and wide. It’s nice to see people responding so positively to our “Dwayne’s World” videos and helping to grow our audiences outside of Ontario. We can’t wait to make more of them and hope to see you all at a Dwayne show near you!
All Questions Answered By Nick Rose