Local punk artist Garry "EzRa" Doell is back with a high-energy anthem for summer, teaming up with bassist and longtime musician Andy Elias for a fresh chapter in the Pembina Valley music scene. Their latest release, Summer Vacation, follows Doell’s tongue-in-cheek debut single Skool Sucks, creating a soundtrack for every kid’s favourite time of year.
“I kind of thought of Summer Vacation as like a sequel to School Sucks,” said Doell. “It’s the thing that every kid looks forward to… whether they love school or not.”
The new track captures the universal feeling of freedom as the school year wraps up. “You got to do the countdown. You got to do the whole throwing of all your homework in the air, slamming of the lockers,” Doell said. “Summer vacation is just one of those things.”
Even Elias, who works as an educational assistant at a local high school, agreed. “We still look forward to summer vacation. Everyone is excited for it, doesn’t matter how old you are.”
Punk therapy and "Planet Garry"
Doell’s music is personal, rooted in lived experience and a desire to uplift. “Ezra… it’s Hebrew for ‘help,’” he shared. “Being diagnosed with ADHD, music has always been like therapy to me. I feel like our music can maybe help people in a way—to just give them a laugh during the day and forget everything that might be going on negatively.”
That same intention extends to his monthly comic strip in the Winkler Morden Voice, titled Planet Garry. “Drawing has also been a way of therapy for me,” he said. “And I hope that can be something to give people a quick chuckle in the day.”
Acoustic challenge and punk heroes
While their typical sound is fast and full of edge, the duo took on an acoustic challenge during a live studio performance. “We don’t know yet,” joked Doell about how it would translate. “We just figured it might be a fun thing to do.”
As for influences? “Blink-182,” Doell said without hesitation. Elias agreed, adding, “Green Day and Blink are always the two that I really loved in high school.”
Both also tipped their hats to Canadian band Billy Talent. “I would think of them more as like indie punk,” said Doell. “They bring out their own style… their own chord progression that literally no one else can play.”
More to come
In addition to Skool Sucks and Summer Vacation, Doell has released two more singles—Dog Days and Time Capsule, available on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube. And there’s more in the works.