JUNO-Nominated Soul, Blues, and Roots Group, Secondhand Dreamcar has announced their sophomore album, Get Ready, set for release on Friday, September 25, 2026.
Following a breakout year that saw their debut album earn a JUNO nomination and broad national recognition, Edmonton’s nine-piece Soul, Blues, and Roots collective, Secondhand Dreamcar, returns with Get Ready, their thrilling sophomore album driven by the explosive chemistry and exceptional musicianship at the heart of the band. A natural evolution from their acclaimed debut, Answer the Call, their new record captures nine seasoned musicians operating at full force, bottling the dynamic, interactive energy of their live performances into an exhilarating collection of songs that effortlessly blend Soul, Blues, Rock, Gospel, and Funk. Exploring love, relationships, expectations, and change, Get Ready is a musical exploration of the freedom that comes with relinquishing control and embracing the unexpected, recognizing that while life rarely unfolds exactly as envisioned, where it leads can be even greater.
Bringing together nine of Alberta’s most accomplished musicians, Secondhand Dreamcar has solidified themselves as one of Canada’s most compelling live bands. Their debut album, Answer the Call, earned the group a JUNO Award nomination for Blues Album of the Year, where they were both the category’s only independent act and its only first-time nominee. First recognized by CKUA where the project reached #6 on CKUA’s Top 100 Albums of 2024, the album’s momentum continued with three 2026 Canadian Blues Music Award nominations and a 2026 Western Canadian Music Award nomination, alongside national media coverage from CBC Radio, CKUA, JAZZ.FM91, Range Magazine, the Edmonton Journal, Global News, and CityNews Edmonton. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist, Dana Wylie, the collective has brought their exhilarating live show to major stages across Canada including the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, proving their reputation time and time again with captivating grooves, electrifying live performances, and a deep reverence for the traditions of classic American Soul and Blues. Drawing comparisons to the harmony-rich Soul-Rock of Three Dog Night, the expansive musicianship of Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the spirit of Muscle Shoals, the group seamlessly bridges technical sophistication with lyrical authenticity and a distinct, modern perspective.
On their sophomore album, Get Ready, Secondhand Dreamcar revisits the approach behind Answer the Call with a clearer understanding of how to capture the essence that makes them so electric on stage. Bottling the energy of their live show and building on their dynamic chemistry, Get Ready embodies their uplifting, creative, and open approach to music, and thematically addresses the beauty and potential in letting go of expectation. Road tested for nearly a year, the project captures the interactive spontaneity of a live performance, recorded almost completely live off the floor. Lyrically, the album offers a positive spin on life not going to plan, with an exuberant take on the deep satisfaction that comes with the acceptance of that reality. “When I remember all of the hopes and dreams I had when I was younger, it pleases and amuses me to note that things have turned out so much more interesting than I ever could have envisioned back then,” shared lead vocalist Dana Wylie. “It’s hard to relinquish control, but there’s something liberating in admitting you can’t mastermind everything, because it comes with the realization that you don’t have to mastermind everything. Get ready, because it’s going to be something you never could have imagined”.
With its Al Green-inspired groove, focus track “I Don’t Want Anything From You” blends classic ’70s Soul and Funk to tell the story of the unexpected freedom found on the other side of a relationship. Drawing from the experience of remaining friends with a former partner, the song explores the transition from romance to friendship, sharing the relatable realization that a meaningful connection does not need to be defined by being a couple. Soulful and deeply groove-driven, the track showcases the precision of Secondhand Dreamcar’s player collaboration and the subtle intricacies of their interplay, with vocal and instrumental harmonies adding layers of texture while still allowing each of the nine musicians to find their own space within the arrangement. A song that became the natural focal point for the album, “I Don’t Want Anything From You” pairs one of Get Ready’s deepest grooves with the spontaneity and musical chemistry at the centre of the group.
Across the album’s nine tracks, the group offers a treasure trove of meticulously crafted songs that showcase the depth of their musicianship and the dynamic versatility of nine distinct players. Other songs on the album include title track “Get Ready,” the first song written for the project and one that brings the album’s larger theme of relinquishing control into the context of love. Exploring the realization that accepting a healthy relationship can require being ready to receive it, the song captures the unfamiliarity of encountering something real, stable, and enduring, complemented by Rooster Davis’ Aretha-esque organ work that envelops the track in classic Soul and Gospel. Moving from quiet and sparse to intensely emotional, its dynamic arrangement builds and releases tension while allowing the music to mirror the journey at the centre of the song. Previously released “Take Your Mind Off It, Baby” brings Secondhand Dreamcar’s expansive Soul, Blues, Funk, and Roots influences together through the collective’s signature live-driven approach, suggesting that listeners take a step back from life’s worries and embrace the present moment. Closing the album is the band’s interpretation of Bob Dylan’s “Meet Me in the Morning.” Taking Dylan’s 12-bar Blues foundation and pushing it toward Psychedelic Rock, the band drapes Wylie’s lower, raspier vocal in blistering trumpet and guitar solos, transforming the song into a dynamic album closer and a testament to the intuitive musicianship that allows nine distinct players to come together as one.
On their sophomore album, Get Ready, Secondhand Dreamcar captures the explosive musical alchemy that happens when nine distinct artists unite as one instinctive, connected band. Joyful, soulful, and creatively uninhibited, the record celebrates everything that has come to define Secondhand Dreamcar, from their intricate musical interplay and expansive arrangements to the spontaneity and energy at the heart of their live performances. While its songs explore love, relationships, change, and expectations from different perspectives, Get Ready serves as a reminder that there is freedom in accepting that the future does not need to unfold exactly as imagined to become something extraordinary. With captivating musical depth, the album leaves room to simply get lost in the groove or dig deeper into the stories and musicianship behind each song. A natural evolution from their celebrated debut, Get Ready showcases Secondhand Dreamcar fully embracing who they have become as a band, proving that oftentimes the most exciting possibilities emerge when expectations of where the road should lead are left behind, leaving room to simply get ready for the ride.
Upcoming Performances
September 24, 25 & 26 2026 – “Get Ready” Album Release Show – Edmonton, AB Tickets
October 3 2026 – Bo’s Bar & Stage – Red Deer, AB – Tickets
October 8 2026 – The Grand – Calgary, AB – Tickets
October 16 2026 – Legacy Centre – Slave Lake, AB – Tickets
October 17 2026 – Demmitt Culture Society Hall – Grande Prairie, AB – Tickets
October 22 2026 – Horseshoe Tavern – Toronto, ON – Tickets (with Joe Nolan)
October 23 2026 – Oxigin – Hamilton, ON – Tickets (with Joe Nolan)
October 24 2026 – Harmony Music Hall – Vandorf, ON – Tickets (with Joe Nolan)
November 6 2026 – Eleanor Pickup Arts Centre – Drayton Valley, AB – Tickets
November 7 2026 – Horizon Stage – Spruce Grove, AB – Tickets
November 20 2026 – Empress Theatre – Fort Macleod, AB – Tickets
November 21 2026 – Blues at the Bow – Bow Island, AB – Tickets
December 3 2026 – The Coda – Victoria, BC – Tickets
December 4 2026 – Vancouver Winter Blues Fest – Vancouver, BC – Tickets
December 5 2026 – Bez Arts Club – Langley, BC – Tickets
December 31 2026 – Chateau Lacombe Ballroom – Edmonton, AB – Tickets
2027 Tour Dates
February 26 2027 – Edson Cultural Heritage Organization – Edson, AB – Tickets
March 3 2027 – Griffin Park School – Brooks, AB – Tickets
April 9 2027 – Arden Theatre – St. Albert, AB – Tickets
April 10 2027 – Coronation Community Center – Coronation, AB- Tickets
June 24 2027 – Maclab Centre – Leduc, AB – Tickets
Get Ready will be available everywhere on September 25, 2026
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