Wintersleep
Encyclopedia
Wintersleep is a Canadian
indie rock
band from Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
, a music label and artists' collective that began in Yarmouth
, Nova Scotia
in 1994.
In 2006, Wintersleep signed with Labwork Music, a partnership label of Sonic Unyon
and EMI Music Canada
, and re-released their first two studio albums to the U.S. and Canadian markets. The re-releases include bonus tracks and videos not featured in the originals. Their debut album was remixed and re-mastered by Laurence Currie for the re-release.
On October 2, 2007, Wintersleep released their third full-length album, Welcome to the Night Sky
. They won the 2008 Juno Award
for New Group of the Year
.
A limited edition of Welcome to the Night Sky
on vinyl with alternative artwork was released by Hand Drawn Dracula
.
The band's members frequently collaborate outside of Wintersleep. Murphy and D'eon played together in the band Kary, now on indefinite hiatus. Drummer Campbell has also performed with Kary, and is a member of a number of other projects, including Contrived
, Holy Fuck, Hayden
, Chikita Violenta
, Land of Talk
, The Holy Shroud, and The Remains of Brian Borcherdt. Murphy collaborated with his brother in the project Postdata. Bigelow plays bass in Contrived with Campbell, and also plays in Holy Fuck and The Holy Shroud. D'eon played guitar for Contrived before Samuel joined the group, appearing on Contrived's first record, Pursuit of Plots, and the second album, Dead Air Verbatim. Samuel was a member of Halifax band Slight Return.
Wintersleep was selected as one of the opening acts by Paul McCartney
for his concert at Halifax Common
on July 11, 2009.
Wintersleep began working on their fourth studio album, New Inheritors
, in September 2009. The album was released on May 17 in Europe and May 18 in North America. The bulk of the album was written while touring Welcome to the Night Sky
due to the very busy tour schedule the band follows.
Wintersleep performed "Weighty Ghost" on the Late Show with David Letterman
on January 14, 2011. The song also appeared on the TV series Being Human on January 17, 2011. In 2010, "Weighty Ghost" was included as one of The Top 100 Canadian Singles by Bob Mersereau
.
Former members
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Background
Wintersleep formed in 2001 and released two albums with Dependent MusicDependent Music
Dependent Music was a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by the artists that were a part of the collective. Dependent Music was formed by Brian Borcherdt in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1994...
, a music label and artists' collective that began in Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in 1994.
In 2006, Wintersleep signed with Labwork Music, a partnership label of Sonic Unyon
Sonic Unyon
Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The retail store is located on Wilson Street near James Street North)...
and EMI Music Canada
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, and re-released their first two studio albums to the U.S. and Canadian markets. The re-releases include bonus tracks and videos not featured in the originals. Their debut album was remixed and re-mastered by Laurence Currie for the re-release.
On October 2, 2007, Wintersleep released their third full-length album, Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep. It was released October 2, 2007 by Labwork Music. In 2008, just after the album's release, Wintersleep won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year....
. They won the 2008 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...
for New Group of the Year
Juno Award for New Group of the Year
The Juno Award for the New Group of the Year has been awarded since 1974, as recognition each year for the best new group or band in Canada. The award was originally known as Most Promising Group of the Year, and from 1994–2002 it was known as Best New Group.-Most Promising Group of the Year...
.
A limited edition of Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep. It was released October 2, 2007 by Labwork Music. In 2008, just after the album's release, Wintersleep won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year....
on vinyl with alternative artwork was released by Hand Drawn Dracula
Hand Drawn Dracula
Hand Drawn Dracula is a Canadian independent record label.Artists who have released material on the label include Bad Tits, Bishop Morocco, Brian Borcherdt, By Divine Right, Contrived, Julie Fader, Off the International Radar, Postdata and Wintersleep....
.
The band's members frequently collaborate outside of Wintersleep. Murphy and D'eon played together in the band Kary, now on indefinite hiatus. Drummer Campbell has also performed with Kary, and is a member of a number of other projects, including Contrived
Contrived
Contrived is a Canadian indie rock band based in Halifax and Montreal that formed in June 2000. The band consists of Mike Bigelow, Loel Campbell, Mike MacNeill, Tim D'Eon and Jon Samuel. They are signed to Hand Drawn Dracula. Four of the five members are in the Juno Award-winning band Wintersleep,...
, Holy Fuck, Hayden
Hayden (musician)
Paul Hayden Desser who records as Hayden, is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Thornhill, Ontario.His early works are a largely eclectic mix of genres from grunge rock to alt country, as demonstrated by his first full album, Everything I Long For, released in 1995. Since then his work has become...
, Chikita Violenta
Chikita Violenta
Chikita Violenta is a Mexican indie rock band from Mexico City. The band members are Luis Arce, Andrés Velasco, Esteban Suarez and Armando David. They all met in high school in early 2000...
, Land of Talk
Land of Talk
Land of Talk is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The band consists of singer and guitarist Elizabeth Powell, bass guitarist Joseph Yarmush and drummer Andrew Barr.-History:...
, The Holy Shroud, and The Remains of Brian Borcherdt. Murphy collaborated with his brother in the project Postdata. Bigelow plays bass in Contrived with Campbell, and also plays in Holy Fuck and The Holy Shroud. D'eon played guitar for Contrived before Samuel joined the group, appearing on Contrived's first record, Pursuit of Plots, and the second album, Dead Air Verbatim. Samuel was a member of Halifax band Slight Return.
Wintersleep was selected as one of the opening acts by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
for his concert at Halifax Common
Halifax Common
The Halifax Common, in local popular usage more often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in the community of Halifax in Nova Scotia's Halifax Regional Municipality...
on July 11, 2009.
Wintersleep began working on their fourth studio album, New Inheritors
New Inheritors
New Inheritors is the fourth album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep, released on May 17, 2010 in Europe, and in North America on May 18.The band began working on the album on September 2009...
, in September 2009. The album was released on May 17 in Europe and May 18 in North America. The bulk of the album was written while touring Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky
Welcome to the Night Sky is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep. It was released October 2, 2007 by Labwork Music. In 2008, just after the album's release, Wintersleep won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year....
due to the very busy tour schedule the band follows.
Wintersleep performed "Weighty Ghost" on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
on January 14, 2011. The song also appeared on the TV series Being Human on January 17, 2011. In 2010, "Weighty Ghost" was included as one of The Top 100 Canadian Singles by Bob Mersereau
Bob Mersereau
Bob Mersereau is a Canadian arts journalist.Mersereau is a music columnist and longtime arts reporter for CBC Television in New Brunswick. Since 1982, he has been a reporter on the East Coast music scene for CBC Radio, CBC Television, and the Telegraph-Journal...
.
Band members
- Loel Campbell – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2001–present) - Paul Murphy – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (2001–present) - Tim D'Eon – guitar, keyboards (2001–present)
- Jon Samuel – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar (2006–present)
Former members
- Jud Haynes – bass guitar (2002–2007)
- Mike Bigelow – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2005–2006), bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2007–April 2011)
Albums
- 2003: Wintersleep
- 2005: untitled
- 2007: Welcome to the Night SkyWelcome to the Night SkyWelcome to the Night Sky is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep. It was released October 2, 2007 by Labwork Music. In 2008, just after the album's release, Wintersleep won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year....
- 2010: New InheritorsNew InheritorsNew Inheritors is the fourth album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep, released on May 17, 2010 in Europe, and in North America on May 18.The band began working on the album on September 2009...
Singles
| Year | Song | 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... |
|||
| 2007 | "Weighty Ghost" | 54 | Welcome to the Night Sky |
| 2010 | "Trace Decay" | New Inheritors | |
Videography
- 2003: "Caliber" (Directed by Brian Borcherdt)
- 2004: "Sore" (Directed by Sean Wainstein, Ghostmilk Studios)
- 2005: "Danse Macabre" (Directed by Sean Wainstein, Ghostmilk Studios)
- 2006: "Jaws of Life" (Directed by Sean Wainstein w/ James Mejia)
- 2006: "Fog" (Directed/Animated by Mirco Chin)
- 2006: "Lipstick" (Directed by the 4030 CREW)
- 2006: "Faithful Guide" (Directed by Sean Wainstein, Ghostmilk Studios)
- 2006: "Insomnia" (Directed/Animated by Jesse Luke)
- 2007: "Weighty Ghost" (Directed by Sean Wainstein)
- 2008: "Oblivion" (Directed by Darren Pasemko)
- 2010: "Black Camera"
- 2010: "Trace Decay"
- 2010: "Preservation" (Directed by Sean Wainstein)
- 2011: "New Inheritors" (Directed by Danny, Think Tank Creative)
Awards
- 2008: Juno AwardJuno AwardThe Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
for New Group of the Year - 2008: Much Music Video Award - VideoFACT Award for Weighty Ghost
External links
- Wintersleep official website
- Labwork Music record label