House of Doc is one big happy family - literally.

The Winnipeg folk/roots outfit is comprised of Dan Wiebe, his sister Rebecca Harder, and her husband Matthew Harder. Jesse Krause is the newest member to the fold, replacing David Wiebe (also brother to Dan and Rebecca) who left the group in 2005.

You'd think having this much family - blood or otherwise - in a creative setting could lead to drama. But, according to multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Matthew Harder, families and bands aren't so different from each other.

"The reality is, bands behave like family eventually," Harder says.

"It makes staying together as a band more of a guarantee," he continues. "Our commitment to the band is stronger because of our commitment to each other."

So far, so good. House of Doc released its third full-length record, East of West, earlier this month. Serving as the follow-up to 2005's Prairiegrass, the new album sees the band maximizing its musical palette, perfecting a blend of bluegrass, Americana, folk and gospel - all tightly bound by the quartet's trademark harmonies.

East of West also sees the band drawing its lyrical inspiration from a happier place.

"I think that Prairiegrass turned into an awful lot of funeral dirges," Harder says. "We had a lot of things going on. It all took on a very sombre tone. We wanted this one to have more of a toe-tap feel, and, as much as a folk record can be, make it a bit more pop."

From the a cappella Simple Times to the full-orchestra epic Summerstone to the spirited cover of The Stampeders' Sweet City Woman, East of West is anything but a downer - and the band's recording digs, The Tragically Hip's Bathouse Studios in Bath, Ont., no doubt added to the album's decidedly up-beat feel.

"To call it a studio is an overstatement. It's really a ramblin' old shack," Harder laughs. "It's all about the vibe there."

The 'studio' may have had raccoons living in the ceiling, but it was also home to a veritable musical playground for a band cutting a record.

"They've got a great batch of equipment," Harder says. "And, you get to feel awesome because you're using The Hip's gear."

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