Dave Hartney and David Borys of The Steel Toe Boots decided to form a rocking country band at one of the same bars they now play. Looking up to the stage between beers and shots, the two saw a young musician rocking the place and playing covers with as much energy as the actual artists who had made them famous. That performer was a young Aaron Pritchett, and "the Daves" recognized what separated him from the other bands: a true passion for the music, and the fact that he seemed to loved every minute on stage.

A few years later, on a hard drinking camping trip in the beautiful British Columbia wilderness, Dave and Dave jammed together for the first time for a bunch of friends around the campfire. They played the first song they had ever decided to learn: "Right Where I Need To Be" by Gary Allan, a tune that remains in the band's set list. People joked about possible names for a band with two Daves, but instead the duo reached back into the past for one made-up at that very same country bar years before in an elaborate pick-up attempt: The Steel Toe Boots. For some reason, no matter how exaggerated the stories of that night became, the S.T.B. name was always remembered as a centerpiece of the tale.

With not much more than a name for the band, that summer ended and the pair headed their separate ways back to university; one to Saskatoon, and one to Edmonton. The highway between those prairie cities was well traveled that year in both directions, as the Daves made themselves well acquainted with the other's campus bar and party scene. Between hangovers and pre-drinking, they sat down to write country tunes that spanned from the traditional, to up-tempo country-rock songs that would find themselves right at home at any rowdy honky tonk. Only two summers later, the Daves had put together a five-piece band that exploded onto the scene at country bars and fairs across Western Canada. Ironically, the band ended their second summer by opening up for Aaron Pritchett at the Campground "C" Country-Rock Festival (in Whistler, BC), who had years earlier inspired their attitude about how country music should be played.

The Steel Toe Boots live to play music at great events and rowdy bars, bringing people onto the dance floor and raising the energy level to its breaking point any time people come to party. The band's set list seems to put a smile on people's faces, no matter what town or what audience they happen to be in front of. There is something that separates this band from the rest of the pack besides their youthful energy: a passion for performing country music and an attitude that heading to your local cabaret or saloon can be more like going to a concert, rather than merely a night out at the club. If you see The Steel Toe Boots' name on the marquee, come ready to party.

Dave Hartney (vocals, guitar) bought his first album when he was eight years old: a cassette tape of 'American Pride' by Alabama. "I had no notion of what country music was at that age, I just liked their songs on the radio." Despite this early introduction to the genre, it was not until he decided to attend The University of Saskatchewan in the prairie city of Saskatoon, that he rediscovered a love for country music. "I think it was on those long drives through the Rockies and through the prairies from Vancouver to Saskatoon that I really discovered the talent level of the players in Nashville, listening to the radio in my truck, and I decided I really wanted to be able to play a guitar like that" says Hartney. "The fact that there is such a great country music scene in the lower mainland of BC where I'm from, and so many great bars to play where you get to be in the middle of a huge party, didn't hurt either." Hartney grew up a big fan of the legendary Tom Petty. He began learning the riffs of AC/DC and Aerosmith after his dad bought him his first guitar at age eleven, and followed Georgia band Collective Soul as well.

Among the modern era of country stars, Hartney has been particularly influenced by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. "I really like the idea of a vocalist who can play the lead role on guitar as well, and just be an all-round musician. I have a lot of respect for the way Keith can rock an arena and keep people going nuts for two hours straight; he has what all great artist have and that’s the ability to connect to people while he is playing a live show...that's something our band always tries to do." Hartney is also a big fan of Dierks Bentley, whose tour came through the U. of S. campus bar while Dave was at university. "To me, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have songs that connect and that people want to hear over and over, you just can't get people excited, and Dierks has some great tunes." Hartney is also a big fan of Alan Jackson, Vince Gill, and Travis Tritt. "Travis Tritt is also one of my favorites for the way he brings a great edge and some rock to mainstream country. 'Put Some Drive In Your Country' is not only one of my favorite songs, it's pretty much exaclty what I want to do musically."

Asked about the future of The Steel Toe Boots Hartney says, "The band has been nothing but fun since Dave (Borys) and I started this thing jamming around a campfire on some borrowed acoustics. We get to play the same bars and festivals we've always gone and partied at, and we meet great people every single time we play." As with the rest of the Boots, Dave is excited about the band's first album (currently being recorded) being released sometime early in 2009.

David Borys (vocals, guitar) instantly fell in love with country music when the radio dial hit the local station in high school. "I remember tuning into 'Smoke Rings in the Dark' by Gary Allan and I thought, if this is what country music is all about, I'm in." He remains a huge G.A. fan, in addition to Willie Nelson, Dwight Yoakam, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and classic rock acts from CCR to the Boss - Bruce Springsteen. Borys is also a major fan of Corb Lund, "Corb is one of the finest songwriters in country music today, and its cool he's from up here (in Canada). Really though, I like all types of music, from Andrea Bocelli to Frank Sinatra to ZZ Top, and all that influences me in some way when I'm writing music."

Borys picked up the guitar in univeristy, a little later than most, at the request of his girlfriend the time. "It's funny how that one suggestion changed my life so much, not to mention the breakup lent itself pretty well to songwriting" he jokes. Fortunately he had some musical training as a youngster on the piano, and has a strong work ethic on the instrument. Borys used much of his free time while completing his Masters degree at the University of Alberta to practice, and came home one summer wanting to see if he could push his growing music dream further. "Me and Hartney have always sort of clicked on the songs we liked and what we thought as far as musical direction for a band; we just wanted to play music that people could sing and dance to and with some of our best nights out being at the various country bars around the Lower Mainland it seemed that country music was the natural choice."

Dave is currently working on his Ph.D. in military history at the University of New Brunswick. He has lectured on the world's historic battles at both the U. of Alberta and U. of New Brunswick, in addition to conferences and interviews on the radio. He has also had the honor of touring the battlefields of Europe with academics and military officials from both Canada and the United States. "Running a band and an army have more similarities than you'd think." But while he studies the military, he might not be the ideal soldier. Borys embraces iconic rebel country icons like Johnny Cash and his music, and accusations of drinking too much and playing too loud only make him smile bigger. "I like to party hard and make some memories, you only get to do this thing (life) once. There is nothing better than getting to play music for people" he says, "I know exactly what I want from a band when I go out to party at a country bar, and we try to bring that to the people we play for every night." The Steel Toe Boots have become an integral part of David's daily life, besides completing his Ph.D., "We've made amazing progress in such a short time and there is so much more we want to do. I look forward to every next step we take and where we'll be in the near future."

Garett Vergides (bass) grew up a childhood friend of Dave Hartney. When the Dave's wanted to turn the idea for a band into reality, they stuck a bass in Garett's hands on a Christmas break home from university, and told him, "get started." Years before, Garett had owned a bass in high school, but without a band to keep him intersted, the music faded so-to-speak.

"The Boots was such a cool idea, and I never really expected it to go anywhere, so I thought, why not" he says, when talking about getting back into the instrument. "There was no learning curve as far as picking up the instrument and getting back into the feel of it, it was just taking a more methodical approach to learning country rythms and bass lines, and being able to properly express that genre as a musician."

Vergides recently finished trade school and now works the long, hard days of a boilermaker. Being both a tradesman and bass player allows him to "bring the power to the people," as the Dave's are known to say about him. Garett brings a great stage presense to the band, and growing up freinds with the other Dave's provides for a stage chemistry that comes naturally. "It's just a bunch of guys who love music up there trying to put on an entertaining show and let people have a good time."

John Tate (drums) comes from a very musical and artistic family. He started playing drums at age 6, shortly after moving from his native Toronto to Vancouver. He grew up listening to his parent's band rehearse in the family's living room, hearing his folks cover the likes of CCR, Clapton, Booker T, Fleetwood Mac, and Santana.

The introduction to the drums came when his father gave him some old practice pads and a pair of drum sticks. Tate first mastered the military-style, snare drum intro to the original version of "Convoy," foreshadowing his later interest in country music. Soon after beating up on that first set of practice pads, he got his first Kiss record, "Destroyer," and discovered his key musical influences as a drummer and a guitar player: Peter Criss and Ace Frehley. Oh yeah, John isn't exactly a novice guitar player, and in fact shreds and sings as well as he drums. He has toured as a central part of Alive II, and Carnival of Sin, renowned Kiss and Motley Crue tribute bands. Incidentally, Alive II bandmate Paul Sidoti is now playing guitar for miss Taylor Swift.

John prides himself on being an extremely hard working musician, whether it’s on stage, in the studio, or keeping the neighbors awake at home. His energy and solid rhythms have not gone unnoticed by long-time fans of The Steel Toe Boots.

Torben Brown (guitar, banjo, vocals) picked up his first guitar while on exchange in Denmark at the age of sixteen. An Ontario native, Brown moved west to pursue a career in music after completing a music degree at the University of Guelph, where he mostly studied jazz. "I was dragged by my high school girlfriend to a university info night, and basically on a whim decided to go get a music degree, I never planned on going to university." That choice might help account for his virtually indescribable musical talents. His lighting quick fingers constantly turn heads, and he is involved with several music projects in the lower mainland. He got his first gig back in Ontario, subbing for Shane Philip's regular guitar player and was kept on board until Brown started his own band, Hung Fat. After a lot of time on the road playing jazz, rock, and tributes in bars across Ontario and Quebec, he decided to move to Vancouver in 2006.

Despite being a fan of virtually all genres of music, he got into country music first through the classics: Hank, Cash, and Patsy, and instantly had a profound respect for the great rhythm sections that backed them. "I did a few country covers and realized there is a great deal of similarity to soloing in jazz and country, so it came pretty easily and I quickly came to respect the Nashville studio musicians especially." Brown also likes Dwight Yoakam and Bonnie Rait when it comes to country.