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Alvvays

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Alvvays
Background information
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresIndie pop, Dream Pop
Years active2011 (2011)–present
LabelsRoyal Mountain (Canada)
Polyvinyl (US)
Transgressive (Europe)
Pod / Inertia Music (Australia)
MembersMolly Rankin
Kerri MacLellan
Alec O'Hanley
Brian Murphy
Sheridan Riley
Past membersPhil MacIsaac
Chris Dadge
Websitealvvays.com

Alvvays (pronounced "Always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2011. The band currently consists of vocalist Molly Rankin, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan, guitarist Alec O'Hanley and bassist Brian Murphy. Their debut album, Alvvays, was released in 2014, peaking at number one on the U.S. college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, is expected in September 2017.

History

Formation and early years (2011–2015)

Alvvays performing at the 2014 Hillside Festival

Alvvays was formed in Toronto. Molly Rankin, the group's singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin, a fiddler with the Celtic folk family collective the Rankin Family, who enjoyed international success in the 1990s.[1][2] Rankin grew up writing music with her neighbour, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan. She later met guitarist and partner Alec O'Hanley at a concert in her teen years. With the help of O'Hanley, Rankin quietly released a solo extended play titled She in 2010.[3] Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin assembling MacLellan, O'Hanley, drummer Phil MacIssac and bassist Brian Murphy to join the group.[4] As the band grew up on neighbouring islands—Rankin and MacLellan on Cape Breton and O'Hanley, MacIssac, and Murphy hailing from Prince Edward Island—Rankin was led to dub the band "merging of obscure islands in the east coast."[3] She picked the name Alvvays because she liked that it had a "shred of sentiment and nostalgia."[5] The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.[6]

Alvvays performing at the Sasquatch! Music Festival in 2015

They often made the long drives from Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island to Toronto, where they all eventually moved and secured jobs that allowed them to tour occasionally.[7] The group toured extensively as supporting acts for bands such as Peter Bjorn and John and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart.[4] Their debut album was recorded in Calgary with Chad VanGaalen in March 2013; Graham Walsh helped track the album while John Agnello helped mix it.[5] After the album was complete, the group made cassette copies for festival bookers and fans at concerts to pass around.[2] The group were signed to Polyvinyl Records on the strength of their SXSW performances and online fervor over the demo of their single "Adult Diversion".[4] Alvvays, which was released by Royal Mountain Records (Canada), Polyvinyl Records (US), and Transgressive Records (Europe) in July 2014.[8] Simon Vozick-Levinson, writing in Rolling Stone, called the eponymous album an "indie-pop wonder".[9] Alvvays went to #1 on US college charts on August 5, 2014.[10] "Archie, Marry Me" became a minor hit.[6] The single for "Archie, Marry Me" featured the b-side "Underneath Us" which was recorded sometime after the eponymous album.[11]

The group toured heavily in support of their debut, including slots at Glastonbury 2015 and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016.[12] In addition to album material, Alvvays often performs cover songs of artists such as Kirsty MacColl ("He's On The Beach"), Camera Obscura (band) ("Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken"), The Hummingbirds ("Alimony"), and Deerhunter ("Nosebleed") among others.[13]

Second album (2016-present)

Alvvays has been sporadically recording and writing their second studio album, since 2015.[12] Several new original songs had been performed throughout 2014 and 2015, titled "Your Type" (often the opening song of the show), "New Haircut" (later re-titled "Saved By A Waif"), "Hey" and 2016 saw the addition of "Not My Baby", and "Dreams" to the new material often performed.[14]

Following the addition of other songs such as "Plimsoll Punks" as part of live shows in spring 2017, Alvvays released a teaser clip of a song called "In Undertow" from their sophomore album "Antisocialites".[15] As well as songs already played at previous shows, new song titles from this record include “Already Gone”, “Antisocialites”, “Echolalia”, “Forget About Life”, “In Undertow”, “Lollipop (Ode To Jim)”and “Saved By A Waif” (formerly known as "New Haircut"). The album is expected to be released on September 8, 2017.[16] A North American and European tour in support of the album has been announced for autumn 2017 and Sherian Riley will be drumming for the band on this tour.

Musical style and influences

Alvvays' music has been described as jangle pop by the music press and its members. According to Rankin, the band's emphasis is primarily on strong melodies, rather than for a specific genre: "If old people ask, I say it sounds like the Cranberries. If young people ask, I call it jangle pop. If a punk asks, I say it's pop."[5] The band sounds similar to Best Coast and has often been compared to Camera Obscura; Rankin noted she shared vocalist Tracyanne Campbell's "fondness for the pathetic perspective."[6] Rankin sought inspiration from Stephen Merritt, frontman of the Magnetic Fields, appreciating the honest but lighthearted nature of his lyrics.[3] Rankin's personal influences include the Magnetic Fields, Teenage Fanclub, Dolly Mixture, the Smiths, Celine Dion, Pavement, the Primitives, and Oasis.[6][5] While the band does not have an overt Celtic music sound, Rankin acknowledges she was immersed in the genre from childhood and it has a discernible influence on the way she sings and writes melodies.[17]

Discography

Albums

Year Details Peak positions
US
Heat
[18] 		UK
[19]
2014 Alvvays 12 107
2017 Antisocialites - -

Singles

  • 2014: "Adult Diversion"
  • 2014: "Archie, Marry Me"
  • 2014: "Next of Kin"
  • 2014: "Party Police"
  • 2017: "In Undertow"
  • 2017: "Dreams Tonite"
  • 2017: "Plimsoll Punks"

Members

Current members

  • Molly Rankin – vocals, guitar (2011–present)
  • Kerri MacLellan – keyboards (2011–present)
  • Alec O'Hanley – guitar (2011–present)
  • Brian Murphy – bass guitar (2011–present)
  • Sheridan Riley – drums (2017–present)[20]

Past members

  • Phil MacIsaac – drums (2011–2016)

References

  1. ^ "Alvvays’s Molly Rankin broke with family tradition". The Georgia Straight, November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Brad Wheeler (July 29, 2014). "Alvvays: 'Nobody talks about the adventurous kind of love'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Hannah Ghorashi (November 23, 2013). "Discovery: Alvvays". Interview. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Scott Kerr. "Alvvays: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Rebecca Schiller (November 21, 2014). "Alvvays Singer Molly Rankin on Starting a New Band, Chad VanGaalen's 'Weird' Studio". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d Ilana Kaplan (March 11, 2015). "SXSW Lone Stars: Alvvays on Archie's Identity and Scot-Pop". Spin. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  7. ^ Philip Cosores (July 22, 2014). "Alvvays: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Alvvays: "Archie, Marry Me". Stereogum.
  9. ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (14 July 2014). "Alvvays 'Alvvays' Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  10. ^ "CMJ Charts: August 5, 2014". CMJ. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  11. ^ Alvvays - Underneath Us - Youtube
  12. ^ a b Adrian Spinelli (September 21, 2015). "Catching Up with Alvvays". Paste. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  13. ^ Search for setlists: alvvays | setlist.fm
  14. ^ http://diymag.com/2016/04/21/alvvays-dreams-not-my-baby-new-songs
  15. ^ https://twitter.com/alvvaysband/status/870684077782777856
  16. ^ https://www.reddit.com/r/alvvays/comments/6evlhy/new_tweet_from_alvvays_last_time_they_tweeted_was/didt301/
  17. ^ "Toronto's Alvvays welcome you to the jangle on their debut album". Aux, August 5, 2014.
  18. ^ "Alvvays – Chart History". Billboard.com.
  19. ^ "2.08.2014 (wk30)". zobbel.de.
  20. ^ https://soundcloud.com/rachaeldanziggordon/alvvays-lollapalooza-interview-2017
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