Dragonette
Encyclopedia
Dragonette is a Canadian electropop group active since 2005. Dragonette consists of singer-songwriter Martina Sorbara
Martina Sorbara
Martina Sorbara is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of Greg Sorbara, who is a Member of Provincial Parliament, formerly the Minister of Finance in Ontario....

, bassist and producer Dan Kurtz (also in The New Deal
The New Deal (band)
The New Deal is a three-piece electronic band formed in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With a drummer , bass guitarist , and keyboard player , the music incorporates many elements of modern electronica, which they have branded live progressive breakbeat house.The band formed in 1998 after a...

) and drummer Joel Stouffer.

Dragonette released a self-titled EP
Dragonette (EP)
Dragonette EP is the first release from Canadian electropop/New Wave/Synthpop group Dragonette. This EP was released as a promotional tool to showcase their music while the band was unsigned and was made available to purchase from the band's website....

 before being signed to Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

 and relocating to London, where they recorded and released their debut album Galore
Galore (Dragonette album)
Galore is the debut studio album by Canadian electropop group Dragonette. It was released digitally on August 6, 2007 and physically on September 24, 2007 by Mercury Records...

to moderate critical appreciation. A second studio album, Fixin to Thrill
Fixin to Thrill
-Personnel:Band* Martina Sorbara – vocals ; keyboards * Dan Kurtz – keyboards, programming ; bass ; guitar ; backing vocals ; acoustic guitar...

, was released in 2009.

Career

Sorbara and Kurtz met at a music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 and formed a duo named The Fuzz, making music together in their basement recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...

 for fun. The duo formed Dragonette after these initial recordings, and supported New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...

 on only their second live performance. In 2005, the band released the Dragonette EP, prior to signing a record deal with Mercury Records of Universal Music UK.

Dragonette relocated to London to record debut album Galore, and toured the UK supporting local acts, including Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...

 (with whom Sorbara also recorded the track Take Me Back To Your House) and Sugababes
Sugababes
The Sugababes are an English pop girl group based in London, consisting of members Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen. The Sugababes were formed in 1998 with founding members Siobhán Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan. Their debut album, One Touch, was released in 2000 under London...

 and played headline gigs in small venues across the UK and Canada. British musician Will Stapleton replaced Simon Craig on guitar following the relocation. Dragonette filmed two music videos, one Jesus Doesn't Love Me and another for I Get Around
I Get Around (Dragonette song)
"I Get Around" is an electropop song performed by Canadian band Dragonette. The song was written and produced by Dragonette for their debut album Galore...

. The former video leaked onto the internet, while the other served as promotion for their first single release. Despite the promotion from the band, I Get Around entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 at number ninety-two, disappointing the band members. A further single release, Take It Like a Man
Take It Like A Man (Dragonette song)
"Take It Like A Man" is a 2007 single, and was the second to be released by Canadian group Dragonette. "Take It Like a Man" also featured on the band's debut album Galore....

fared no better, not even reaching the top 100 on the UK Singles Chart. Dragonette did however receive some airplay with a cover of Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is a Scottish singer-songwriter, record producer and DJ. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls"...

' hit single The Girls
The Girls (song)
"The Girls" is the second single of Scottish electropop artist Calvin Harris. It was released on 4 June 2007, prior to the release of his debut album, I Created Disco. "The Girls" was Harris' highest charting single on the Official UK Top 40, as of 10 June 2007, "The Girls" has reached a peak of #3...

, which was retitled The Boys. I Get Around was released in the band's home country of Canada where it outperformed the UK release, peaking at number fifty-seven on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

s Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...

.

In 2008, Dragonette received a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...

 nomination for Best New Group, while Kurtz and Sorbara wrote and produced the song Grab a Hold with Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...

 for her 2008 album Bring Ya to the Brink
Bring Ya to the Brink
Bring Ya to the Brink is Cyndi Lauper's tenth studio album and was released on May 27, 2008 in the United States. The song "Set Your Heart" was released as a promo-only single in Japan in early 2008 and "Same Ol' Story" was the first official single released worldwide on May 6, 2008...

. Will James Stapleton left the band, to be replaced by Chris Hugget. Dragonette recorded a second studio album Fixin to Thrill, which was released in late 2009.

Dragonette have collaborated with several house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

 DJs for releases, to varying degrees of success. Although Take Me Back To Your House with Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...

 only featured Martina Sorbara as vocalist, it has since been promoted by the band as a Dragonette collaborative. The band have since recorded several tracks with French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

 DJ Martin Solveig
Martin Solveig
Martin Picandet, better known under his stage name Martin Solveig is a French electronic music DJ and producer from Paris. He also hosts a weekly radio show called "C'est La Vie" on stations worldwide including FG DJ Radio in his homeland...

, including; Boys & Girls
Boys & Girls (Martin Solveig song)
"Boys & Girls" is a song performed by French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig featuring Canadian electropop group Dragonette. It was released as the lead single from Solveig's fifth studio album, Smash on October 5, 2009.-Music Video:...

in 2009, Hello
Hello (Martin Solveig song)
"Hello" is a song performed by French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig, taken from his fifth studio album Smash . It features vocals from Canadian electro-pop act Dragonette. The song was released as the album's second single on September 6, 2010 by Mercury Records. It was also...

in 2010 and Can't Stop & Big In Japan in 2011. All of these tracks feature on Solveig's 2011 album "Smash". 2010 also saw Fire In Your New Shoes
Fire In Your New Shoes
"Fire In Your New Shoes" is the second single from Dynasty, an album by American house DJ Kaskade. It features the lead singer from Dragonette, Martina Sorbara. It was released digitally on April 13, 2010.-Charts:-Track listings:...

with Kaskade
Kaskade
Ryan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...

 and Animale
Animale
"Animale" is a song performed by electronic music DJ and producer Don Diablo featuring Canadian electropop group Dragonette.- Charts :...

with Don Diablo
Don Diablo
Don Diablo is a Dutch record producer, songwriter, artist, DJ. His parents named him after Don van Vliet .-Biography:...

.

On 27 July 2010, Dragonette released Our Summer, a single made available digitally together with Volcano. Dragonette released the Mixin to Thrill
Mixin to Thrill
Mixin to Thrill is the Second EP from the band Dragonette, which was released on 3 August 2010. It contains 3 new songs and a selection of remixes from the singles on their second album, Fixin to Thrill.-Track listing:...

EP digitally and a limited edition CD will be sold via the band's online store on 3 August 2010. The New EP also contains three new songs, including Volcano, Our Summer and several remixes from the past year. On 14 July 2011, The Dragonettes along with Martin Solveig, released a single called Hello. A music video came out later that month.

The band have toured the world in promotion of their albums and also performed at Lollapalooza in 2010.

In 2010 South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

's Land line operator Telkom launched its Mobile arm 8ta(Heita), which uses Hello as the theme song for its adverts.

In 2011, Dragonette worked with Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...

 member Nicola Roberts
Nicola Roberts
Nicola Maria Roberts is a British recording artist and entrepreneur. In 2002 Roberts auditioned for the reality televisions series and competition Popstars The Rivals which saw her finish in the final line-up of a girl group named Girls Aloud...

, co-writing and producing the single Lucky Day for her debut solo album Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes
Cinderella's Eyes is the debut studio album by English recording artist Nicola Roberts. A member of the British five-piece girl-band Girls Aloud, Roberts drew inspiration from her time with the band...

.

The band have also informed fans via their official mailing list that they are currently recording their third studio album. Kurtz reported on the band's official forum that Dragonette's third studio album will be released in 2011.

Albums

Year Title Peak chart position
CAN
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...

2007 Galore
Galore (Dragonette album)
Galore is the debut studio album by Canadian electropop group Dragonette. It was released digitally on August 6, 2007 and physically on September 24, 2007 by Mercury Records...


  • Released: September 25, 2007
  • Label: Mercury
    Mercury Records
    Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...


80
2009 Fixin to Thrill
Fixin to Thrill
-Personnel:Band* Martina Sorbara – vocals ; keyboards * Dan Kurtz – keyboards, programming ; bass ; guitar ; backing vocals ; acoustic guitar...


  • Released: September 29, 2009
  • Label: Mercury

63

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
CAN
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...


UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

2007 "I Get Around
I Get Around (Dragonette song)
"I Get Around" is an electropop song performed by Canadian band Dragonette. The song was written and produced by Dragonette for their debut album Galore...

"
57 92 45 Galore
Galore (Dragonette album)
Galore is the debut studio album by Canadian electropop group Dragonette. It was released digitally on August 6, 2007 and physically on September 24, 2007 by Mercury Records...

"Take It Like a Man
Take It Like A Man (Dragonette song)
"Take It Like A Man" is a 2007 single, and was the second to be released by Canadian group Dragonette. "Take It Like a Man" also featured on the band's debut album Galore....

"
112
2008 "Competition" 87 56
2009 "Fixin to Thrill
Fixin to Thrill (song)
"Fixin to Thrill" is an electropop/New Wave song performed by Canadian band Dragonette. The song was written and produced by Dragonette for their second album Fixin to Thrill...

"
Fixin to Thrill
Fixin to Thrill
-Personnel:Band* Martina Sorbara – vocals ; keyboards * Dan Kurtz – keyboards, programming ; bass ; guitar ; backing vocals ; acoustic guitar...

"Pick Up the Phone" 28

As featured artist

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
CAN
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...


FRA
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...


RSA
5FM
5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...


NL
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...


IRE UK US
2009 "Boys & Girls
Boys & Girls (Martin Solveig song)
"Boys & Girls" is a song performed by French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig featuring Canadian electropop group Dragonette. It was released as the lead single from Solveig's fifth studio album, Smash on October 5, 2009.-Music Video:...

" (Martin Solveig
Martin Solveig
Martin Picandet, better known under his stage name Martin Solveig is a French electronic music DJ and producer from Paris. He also hosts a weekly radio show called "C'est La Vie" on stations worldwide including FG DJ Radio in his homeland...

 featuring Dragonette)
17 - - - - - C'est La Vie Remixes
2010 "Fire in Your New Shoes
Fire In Your New Shoes
"Fire In Your New Shoes" is the second single from Dynasty, an album by American house DJ Kaskade. It features the lead singer from Dragonette, Martina Sorbara. It was released digitally on April 13, 2010.-Charts:-Track listings:...

" (Kaskade
Kaskade
Ryan Raddon , better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer. On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll, with Ultra Records Kaskade placed at #30...

 featuring Dragonette)
69 19* - - - - Dynasty
Dynasty (Kaskade album)
Dynasty is the sixth solo album by house DJ Kaskade. It was released on iTunes on April 27, 2010, and physically on May 11, 2010. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, number 4 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart, and number 104 on the Billboard 200.The songs...

"Hello
Hello (Martin Solveig song)
"Hello" is a song performed by French electronic music DJ and producer Martin Solveig, taken from his fifth studio album Smash . It features vocals from Canadian electro-pop act Dragonette. The song was released as the album's second single on September 6, 2010 by Mercury Records. It was also...

" (Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette)
8 5 1 1 6 13 46 Smash
"Animale
Animale
"Animale" is a song performed by electronic music DJ and producer Don Diablo featuring Canadian electropop group Dragonette.- Charts :...

" (Don Diablo
Don Diablo
Don Diablo is a Dutch record producer, songwriter, artist, DJ. His parents named him after Don van Vliet .-Biography:...

 featuring Dragonette)
33 - - - TBC
2011 "Can't Stop" (Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette) Smash
"Big In Japan" (Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette & Idoling
Idoling
is a Japanese female idol group created by Fuji TV. The concept of the group is to watch as the girls grow as idols and experience various things. The group currently has twenty members from various talent agencies. Idoling's main source of exposure is their variety show, which airs several new...

)

Music videos

Year Song Album
2007 "I Get Around" Galore
"Jesus Doesn't Love Me"
2008 "Take It Like a Man"
"Competition"
2009 "Fixin to Thrill" Fixin to Thrill
"Boys & Girls" with Martin Solveig C'est La Vie Remixes & Fixin to Thrill & Smash
"Pick Up the Phone" Fixin to Thrill
2010 "Easy"
"Fire in Your New Shoes" with Kaskade Dynasty
"Hello" with Martin Solveig* Smash
"Animale" with Don Diablo* TBC

* = NOTE: Neither Martina Sorbara or any other members of the band appear in this video.

External links

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