Brian Campeau
Encyclopedia
Brian Campeau is a musician
currently based in Sydney
, Australia
.
, Canada
. Having played guitar
since the age of 5, Campeau began as a classical player, being taught in Paris
, France
. Shortly afterwards, his family moved back to his birthplace where he was exposed by new guitar teachers to different, more rock-based styles, which would serve as major influences later on. Towards the end of high-school, he and a few of his friends formed a short lived, but local successful power-pop band named the Smokey Murder Sticks. This band relied heavily on the sounds of Weezer
, the Police
, and Black Sabbath
, and managed to release a few demos before disbanding a few years later. The drummer (Jasen Colson), however, would come as an integral part to Campeau's development as a musician, introducing him to bands such as Yes
and Genesis
. Campeau and Colson soon formed a duo, and began recording complex arrangements at home studios, mostly for the sake of experimentation and creativity.
, Campeau moved to Sydney, Australia. Campeau slowly built up his recording studio
and began composing and recording increasingly complex music, involving mostly intricate guitar work and vocals, layered with programmed beats and synths. With this he recorded a few demos before finally releasing 'Brian Campeau and the Solitary Game in 2004'.
He then recorded his follow-up album 'Two Faces', which was initially released through Vitamin Records
in 2007. The objective of this album was to record it entirely using found sounds (similarly to Matmos
), and recording 2 discs made up of exactly the same songs; the second disc being completely different versions of the songs from the first disc. This album was well received in Australia, and was also well reviewed by many publications and radio stations, including Triple J
, Sydney's FBI Radio
, and the Sydney Morning Herald.
After about 2 years of touring and recording, Campeau then released 'Mostly Winter Sometimes Spring' through Inertia Music in 2009. The primary focus for this album was to use only one instrument per song, using different aspects of each instrument to create layers of melody and percussion. Musicians on this album included Elana Stone
, Zoe Hauptmann, Kate Adams and Ruth Wells. Some of the instruments used were upright bass, melodica
, harmonium
, various guitars, and saxophone
. This album was also well received by numerous publications around Australia, and led to an extensive tour of the west of Australia.
Campeau is now involved in several projects in and around Sydney. Most notable are:
The Rescue Ships: a duo with Elana Stone (currently recording a full length album)
The Green Mohair Suits: a bluegrass
band with Jason Mannell, Richard Cuthbert, Mikey Floyd, Elana Stone, and Ben Romalis
Jimmy Swouse and the Angry Darts: a rock band with James Maybury, Chris Arnott, Dave Sattout and Josh Ahearn (currently recording a full length album)
The Elana Stone Band : with Elana Stone, Aaron Flower, Zoe Hauptmann, and Evan Mannell
Manger: a semi rock-folk band with Zoe Vaughan, Oli Pieterse, and Mikaela Adams
He has also worked with several artists including Melanie Horsnell
, Angus and Julia Stone, Passenger (Mike Rosenburg), Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers
, and Emma Davis
.
His song 'Montreal' has also been chosen as the main song for NAB
's 'More Give, Less Take' advertisement campaign.
Brian Campeau and the Solitary Game (Independent - 2004)
Two Faces (Vitamin music - 2007 to 2009, now independent, though available on iTunes)
Mostly Winter Sometimes Spring (Intertia Music - 2009)
The Green Mohair Suits
Sing Songs from the Heathen Hymnbook (Independent - 2009)
Jimmy Swouse and the Angry Darts
(why can't we do it in the) Boardroom (Independent - 2010)
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
currently based in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early life
Campeau was born in 1980 in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
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...
. Having played guitar
Guitar
The 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...
since the age of 5, Campeau began as a classical player, being taught in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Shortly afterwards, his family moved back to his birthplace where he was exposed by new guitar teachers to different, more rock-based styles, which would serve as major influences later on. Towards the end of high-school, he and a few of his friends formed a short lived, but local successful power-pop band named the Smokey Murder Sticks. This band relied heavily on the sounds of Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
, the Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, and Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and managed to release a few demos before disbanding a few years later. The drummer (Jasen Colson), however, would come as an integral part to Campeau's development as a musician, introducing him to bands such as Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
and Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. Campeau and Colson soon formed a duo, and began recording complex arrangements at home studios, mostly for the sake of experimentation and creativity.
Current life
After completing a BA in philosophy in Guelph, OntarioGuelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
, Campeau moved to Sydney, Australia. Campeau slowly built up his 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...
and began composing and recording increasingly complex music, involving mostly intricate guitar work and vocals, layered with programmed beats and synths. With this he recorded a few demos before finally releasing 'Brian Campeau and the Solitary Game in 2004'.
He then recorded his follow-up album 'Two Faces', which was initially released through Vitamin Records
Vitamin Records
Vitamin Records is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of CMH Records. The label is home to the Vitamin String Quartet, who are best known for performing string quartet tributes to popular rock and metal acts such as Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead...
in 2007. The objective of this album was to record it entirely using found sounds (similarly to Matmos
Matmos
Matmos is an experimental electronic music duo originally from San Francisco but now residing in Baltimore signed to the Matador Records label. M. C. Schmidt and Drew Daniel are the core members, but they frequently include other artists on their records and in their performances, including...
), and recording 2 discs made up of exactly the same songs; the second disc being completely different versions of the songs from the first disc. This album was well received in Australia, and was also well reviewed by many publications and radio stations, including Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, Sydney's FBI Radio
FBi Radio
FBi is an independent, not-for-profit community radio station in Sydney, Australia. FBi places a heavy emphasis on local alternative music: it has a policy that at least 50 per cent of its music content is to be Australian, of which at least half comes from Sydney musicians.FBi began 'test...
, and the Sydney Morning Herald.
After about 2 years of touring and recording, Campeau then released 'Mostly Winter Sometimes Spring' through Inertia Music in 2009. The primary focus for this album was to use only one instrument per song, using different aspects of each instrument to create layers of melody and percussion. Musicians on this album included Elana Stone
Elana Stone
Elana Stone is a vocalist, songwriter, pianist, accordion player, and band leader based in Sydney, Australia. Described by John Bailey from Sunday Age as 'One of the most impressive singing voices in the country' , her album In the Garden of Wild Things was released in 2006 on the Jazzgroove label...
, Zoe Hauptmann, Kate Adams and Ruth Wells. Some of the instruments used were upright bass, melodica
Melodica
The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ" or "key-flute", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica. It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. Pressing a key opens a hole,...
, harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, various guitars, and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. This album was also well received by numerous publications around Australia, and led to an extensive tour of the west of Australia.
Campeau is now involved in several projects in and around Sydney. Most notable are:
The Rescue Ships: a duo with Elana Stone (currently recording a full length album)
The Green Mohair Suits: a bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band with Jason Mannell, Richard Cuthbert, Mikey Floyd, Elana Stone, and Ben Romalis
Jimmy Swouse and the Angry Darts: a rock band with James Maybury, Chris Arnott, Dave Sattout and Josh Ahearn (currently recording a full length album)
The Elana Stone Band : with Elana Stone, Aaron Flower, Zoe Hauptmann, and Evan Mannell
Manger: a semi rock-folk band with Zoe Vaughan, Oli Pieterse, and Mikaela Adams
He has also worked with several artists including Melanie Horsnell
Melanie Horsnell
Melanie Horsnell is a singer-songwriter from New South Wales, Australia.-Musical career:Melanie first picked up a guitar at the age of five, learning the classical and flamenco styles of play, and began busking at Manly Beach at the age of ten...
, Angus and Julia Stone, Passenger (Mike Rosenburg), Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers
Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers
Cuthbert and the Nightwalkers are an Sydney seven piece pop band. They have released two albums and were winners of a Triple J Unearthed competition....
, and Emma Davis
Emma Davis
Emma Davis is an Irish triathlete who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics.Emma became Ireland's first ever Olympic qualifier for the Triathlon when her 15th place at the 2008 World Championships guaranteed her enough ranking points. She finished 37th in the Triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics...
.
His song 'Montreal' has also been chosen as the main song for NAB
NAB
NAB may stand for:* Name and address book* National Assessment Bank, an internal exam used by the Scottish Qualifications Authority* National Association of Broadcasters, the industry group representing the commercial radio stations and television stations of the United States** NAB Show, an annual...
's 'More Give, Less Take' advertisement campaign.
Discography
Brian CampeauBrian Campeau and the Solitary Game (Independent - 2004)
Two Faces (Vitamin music - 2007 to 2009, now independent, though available on iTunes)
Mostly Winter Sometimes Spring (Intertia Music - 2009)
The Green Mohair Suits
Sing Songs from the Heathen Hymnbook (Independent - 2009)
Jimmy Swouse and the Angry Darts
(why can't we do it in the) Boardroom (Independent - 2010)