How TimberFang turns local roots into something loud and unforgettable
Emma Voelpel, Staff Writer
After a two-year hiatus, the Calgary and Siksika Nation-based alternative rock band Timberfang is back on stage. Popping up at local venues, the band has brand-new music and a promise to deliver recorded tracks to their fans.
The three-piece band consisting of lead singer Lyle Breaker, bassist Justin Wolfleg, and drummer Shane Rowse made their return to the Palomino Smokehouse this month. The performance marked their second show since taking an extended break from performing live.
Who is TimberFang?
Having loved music their whole lives, TimberFang found their sound in different eras and genres.
Breaker traces his influences back to the explosion of the early ‘90s grunge era and the indie-rock scene of the early 2000s. Citing bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney as what gave him his sound.
“I grew up in that era right when hair metal was dying out, and the Seattle scene was taking over,” says Breaker. “Then in the early 2000s, I got into all the indie bands, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes. That all shaped how I write.”
Wolfleg credits his dad’s taste for 70s and 80s classic rock that first got him into music.
As for Rowse, a child of the 90s, he found his love for music in the surge of alternative rock that overtook every radio station.
“I feel like these guys are more into the niche kind of music,” says Rowse. “I like the heavier, more mainstream kind of stuff.”
Despite having different musical backgrounds, they managed to find a sound that encapsulates all their niches. This blend of influences gives TimberFang its distinctive edge—music that feels both familiar yet unconventional, dynamic yet grounded.
“It’s very alternative, kind of funky, kind of grungy,” says Breaker. “There’s also some clean parts where it’s like the calm before the storm.”
Beginnings
The band initially developed in 2015 under the name The West End Rangers, consisting of Breaker, Wolfleg, and a few of their childhood friends. The band had a more metal sound and would play in various bars around Calgary before they disbanded a few months later.
Not wanting to give up on their music, Breaker and Wolfleg—along with bandmate Gerrence Sitting Eagle founded TimberFang in 2018. It was then that they adopted a more alt-rock sound.
The band toured and played at local bars and music festivals in the Canadian West from the late 2010s till after the pandemic. However, in 2022, their bandmate—Gerrence—unexpectedly passed away.
“It was pretty devastating because Gerrence was not only a bandmate, but a brother and a real good friend of ours,” says Breaker. “We were kind of just licking our wounds there for a bit and kind of wondering, ‘should we continue with music or not?’”
Post pandemic
After taking some time off, Breaker soon reconnected with his former coworker, Rowse. The two had worked together at a fuel yard in Carseland, Alta., a few years prior, and Breaker remembered Rowse’s interest in music and performing.
“A few years later, we ran into each other again,” says Breaker. “You meet people for a reason, you know?”
Breaker posed the question to Rowse, and before they knew it, TimberFang was performing live venues again, with Rowse taking a seat behind the drums.
“I knew I wanted to keep playing. Once we started rehearsing everything just clicked,” says Breaker.
Second hiatus
TimberFang continued playing festivals such as Sled Island, the Big Winter Classic, and MomentsFest before they took another hiatus in mid-2024 when bandmates Wolfleg and Rowse became first-time fathers.
At the end of 2025, the band made their grand return to the stage and came back swinging with a gig at the Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ festival.
“There was like a guy crowdsurfing,” says Breaker. “We definitely generated a little bit of buzz off that initial show.”
Their return to the stage at Rockin’ 4 Dollar$ got them their most recent gig at The Palomino, where they performed alongside local bands like the Emblematics and Little Super Dangerous.
“The crowds are always amazing, the sound techs take great care to make sure everything feels right,” says Rowse. “It’s just a good vibe all around.”
What’s next for TimberFang
The upcoming year is looking to be a big one for the group.
The band has already begun performing new songs, and they explain how they’re eager to get into the studio to finally record some of their work for the fans.
The band’s sound continues to evolve, and Breaker finds he’s only finding more inspiration for his writing.
“I find my songwriting has always started off very abstract, but as I progress as a musician, I like my songs to be a bit more personal and a way to connect with people,” says Breaker. “I find music is always about people.”
Though parenthood has made it difficult for them to meet up and perform more often, the bandmates make a point of meeting weekly to rehearse.
“It’s just an effect of being a parent, it kind of matures you,” says Rowse. “That kind of takes place in your music.”
Despite the transformations, name changes, and challenges the group has endured, the things they can always rely on are their sense of humour and their love for music.
