'Our jaws hit the floor': P.E.I. band selected for video game soundtrack

Being from the "small province of P.E.I.," Charlottetown band Loyal Thieves had no expectations when they answered a social media call for submissions for the soundtrack of the NASCAR Heat 3 video game.

But when they got the email saying their song Nowhere Fast was one of 18 songs selected from around the world, their "jaws hit the floor."

"We were in awe," said Loyal Thieves guitar player Cody Cudmore.

"You just submit these things and hoping that they get selected. Honestly, our jaws hit the floor because we had no expectations and we didn't hear anything from them and then, 'You guys have been selected.'"

Loyal Thieves is made up of Cudmore and his two brothers, Darcy and Dan, and friends Ian Murray and J.D. Geldert.

The group has been together since 2012but have not played regularlyin the last few yearsbecause some of the band members have moved off-Island to pursue other careers.

Cudmore, who now lives in Halifax, said they are still writing songs and hope to record again the next time they are together on P.E.I.

Having their song selected for the video game soundtrack has injected new life into the band, he said.

As a kid growing up, soundtracks were so big in my life.- Cody Cudmore

"When you're not playing gigs and jamming on a consistent basis it's something that could easily fizzle off. But with this news kind of breaking, it started the conversation up again of like how fun and how much we enjoy writing and getting in the same room with each other and writing music."

Nowhere Fast, a song about relationships that "seem to be going nowhere fast," was written by Cudmore and Murray. The only other Canadian band to have a song selected was The Park A.D. from British Columbia. The other bands are from the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

Loyal Thieves will receive some publishing money, but Cudmore said the exposure alone is "huge" in a world where there is so much music available online.

"As a kid growing up, soundtracks were so big in my life, hearing new artists and hearing new songs that are just constantly in your head when you're playing the game," he said.

"It has a big impact on you whenever you're growing up. So, hopefully, we're that same case for people who are playing this game."

NASCAR Heat 3 is due in stores on Sept. 7.

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