The Most Serene Republic
Encyclopedia
The Most Serene Republic is a Canadian
indie rock
band based in Milton
, Ontario
. It takes its name from the sobriquet
of formerly independent Venice
under the Doges
, which was regarded as "The Most Serene Republic of Venice
".
Past members:
Their debut album Underwater Cinematographer
was produced, mixed and engineered by Lenssen and mastered by Ryan A. Mills and recorded at ASF Studios. Its original release was in late 2004 on the independent label Sunday League Records before being picked up by Arts & Crafts
. It was re-released on June 28, 2005 featuring new artwork. They were the first band signed by Arts & Crafts
that was not related to Broken Social Scene
in any way or form. After touring the album extensively with the likes of Metric
, Stars and Broken Social Scene
, the band recorded what ultimately became the Phages
EP, that was first made available when the band supported The Strokes
on their Canadian tour of 2006.
In 2006 long time drummer Adam Nimmo left the band, replaced by Tony Nesbitt-Larking. Tony appeared on Population
and toured with the band throughout 2008. TMSR spent much of 2007 prepping their sophomore
album Population
, which was released by Arts & Crafts
on October 2, 2007 to generally positive reviews.
In 2007 Jewett and Lenssen appeared on MTV Canada
to promote the release of Population
. This would be the band's first television appearance. The two were interviewed during the airing of Making The Band
wearing Star Trek
outfits. During the interview they said they were on their way to a Star Trek Convention following the interview. In 2008 the full band appeared on MTV Live
for an interview and three-song performance.
In an interview from June 17, 2008, guitarist Nick Greaves stated that the band will be recording their third album with Broken Social Scene
and Super Furry Animals
producer David Newfeld, and hinted there might be a slight change of musical direction.
2008 saw the release of Live At XMU
, a 4 song acoustic EP made up of songs from Population
and Phages. It was recorded December 11, 2007 at the XMU
studios in Washington, D.C.and released August 12, 2008 exclusively to iTunes
.
On April 20, 2009, the band announced their newest album, ...And The Ever Expanding Universe
, would be released on July 14, and offered the album's second track, "Heavens to Purgatory", as a free download. In addition, they announced that an EP of 16-bit remixes entitled Digital Population would be released on April 28.
On August 14 their song "Humble Peasants" was featured in the trailer for "A Generation After Genocide" a documentary about the healing power of soccer in Rwanda. http://www.vimeo.com/6131861
Their video "Heavens to Purgatory" was directed by Ben Steiger-Levine and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards. http://junoawards.ca/nominees/#videoYear
The band released "Pre Serene: Thee Oneironauts", a remastered compilation of material recorded by the band's direct ancestor, Thee Oneironauts in the latter half of 2003, on May 24, 2011.
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 based in Milton
Milton, Ontario
Milton is a town in Southern Ontario, Canada, and part of the Halton Region in the Greater Toronto Area. Milton received a tremendous amount of awareness following the release of the results of the 2006 Census, which indicated that Milton is the fastest growing municipality in the Greater Golden...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It takes its name from the sobriquet
Sobriquet
A sobriquet is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. It is usually a familiar name, distinct from a pseudonym assumed as a disguise, but a nickname which is familiar enough such that it can be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation...
of formerly independent Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
under the Doges
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, which was regarded as "The Most Serene Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
".
Members
- Adrian Jewett – vocals, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
(2003–present) - Ryan Lenssen – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, backup vocals (2003–present) - Nick Greaves – 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...
, EBow, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
(2003–present) - Sean Woolven – 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...
, backup vocals, (drums '04) (2004, 2006–present) - Simon Lukasewich – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
(2006–present) - Adam Balsam – drumsPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2009–present)
Past members:
- Peter Van Helvoort – 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...
(2004) - Andrew McArthur – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2004–2006) - Tony Nesbitt-Larking – drumsPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2006–2008) - Adam Nimmo – drumsPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(2004–2006), (2008) - Emma Ditchburn – 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 (2004–2009)
History
The roots of the band were planted in 2003 when Ryan Lenssen and Adrian Jewett formed Thee Oneironauts (O-nye-rawn-nauts). The pair recorded and self-released an EP entitled Night of the Lawnchairs on the GROK Studios imprint, which had also released Lenssen's concept band "Rushing To Redlights". The Oneironauts grew to trio status with the addition of Nick Greaves on guitar before ultimately becoming The Most Serene Republic.Their debut album Underwater Cinematographer
Underwater Cinematographer
Underwater Cinematographer is the 2005 debut album by The Most Serene Republic.-Track listing:All songs written by The Most Serene Republic...
was produced, mixed and engineered by Lenssen and mastered by Ryan A. Mills and recorded at ASF Studios. Its original release was in late 2004 on the independent label Sunday League Records before being picked up by Arts & Crafts
Arts & Crafts (record label)
Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally...
. It was re-released on June 28, 2005 featuring new artwork. They were the first band signed by Arts & Crafts
Arts & Crafts (record label)
Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally...
that was not related to Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
in any way or form. After touring the album extensively with the likes of Metric
Metric (band)
Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto. The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and Los Angeles...
, Stars and Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
, the band recorded what ultimately became the Phages
Phages (EP)
Phages is a 2006 EP by The Most Serene Republic. The artwork depicts downtown Toronto's Yonge and College intersection looking north from the southwest corner in the winter....
EP, that was first made available when the band supported The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
on their Canadian tour of 2006.
In 2006 long time drummer Adam Nimmo left the band, replaced by Tony Nesbitt-Larking. Tony appeared on Population
Population (album)
Population is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. It was recorded and mixed by Ryan Mills, Mike Kuehn and Ryan Lenssen at Sleepytown Sound in Toronto. The album was released on October 2, 2007 through Arts & Crafts. This is the first album to feature the...
and toured with the band throughout 2008. TMSR spent much of 2007 prepping their sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
album Population
Population (album)
Population is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. It was recorded and mixed by Ryan Mills, Mike Kuehn and Ryan Lenssen at Sleepytown Sound in Toronto. The album was released on October 2, 2007 through Arts & Crafts. This is the first album to feature the...
, which was released by Arts & Crafts
Arts & Crafts (record label)
Arts & Crafts Productions is a Toronto-based independent artist services company, offering expertise as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser and music publisher both in Canada and internationally...
on October 2, 2007 to generally positive reviews.
In 2007 Jewett and Lenssen appeared on MTV Canada
MTV Live (Canada)
Live is a 26 minute flagship show of MTV Canada, on the air since March 21, 2006. The program began as an interactive talkshow where viewers were encouraged to jump into the conversation...
to promote the release of Population
Population (album)
Population is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. It was recorded and mixed by Ryan Mills, Mike Kuehn and Ryan Lenssen at Sleepytown Sound in Toronto. The album was released on October 2, 2007 through Arts & Crafts. This is the first album to feature the...
. This would be the band's first television appearance. The two were interviewed during the airing of Making The Band
Making the Band
Making the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
wearing Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
outfits. During the interview they said they were on their way to a Star Trek Convention following the interview. In 2008 the full band appeared on MTV Live
MTV Live (Canada)
Live is a 26 minute flagship show of MTV Canada, on the air since March 21, 2006. The program began as an interactive talkshow where viewers were encouraged to jump into the conversation...
for an interview and three-song performance.
In an interview from June 17, 2008, guitarist Nick Greaves stated that the band will be recording their third album with Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
and Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
producer David Newfeld, and hinted there might be a slight change of musical direction.
2008 saw the release of Live At XMU
Live at XMU
-Track listing:#"Compliance" -#"Anhoi Polloi" -#"Sherry and Her Butterfly" -#Present of Future End" -...
, a 4 song acoustic EP made up of songs from Population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
and Phages. It was recorded December 11, 2007 at the XMU
XMU (XM)
Sirius XMU is an indie pop, indie rock, unsigned artist music channel on XM Satellite Radio channel 35...
studios in Washington, D.C.and released August 12, 2008 exclusively to iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
On April 20, 2009, the band announced their newest album, ...And The Ever Expanding Universe
...And the Ever Expanding Universe
- References :...
, would be released on July 14, and offered the album's second track, "Heavens to Purgatory", as a free download. In addition, they announced that an EP of 16-bit remixes entitled Digital Population would be released on April 28.
On August 14 their song "Humble Peasants" was featured in the trailer for "A Generation After Genocide" a documentary about the healing power of soccer in Rwanda. http://www.vimeo.com/6131861
Their video "Heavens to Purgatory" was directed by Ben Steiger-Levine and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards. http://junoawards.ca/nominees/#videoYear
The band released "Pre Serene: Thee Oneironauts", a remastered compilation of material recorded by the band's direct ancestor, Thee Oneironauts in the latter half of 2003, on May 24, 2011.
Albums
- 2005: Underwater CinematographerUnderwater CinematographerUnderwater Cinematographer is the 2005 debut album by The Most Serene Republic.-Track listing:All songs written by The Most Serene Republic...
(Arts & Crafts) - 2007: PopulationPopulation (album)Population is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. It was recorded and mixed by Ryan Mills, Mike Kuehn and Ryan Lenssen at Sleepytown Sound in Toronto. The album was released on October 2, 2007 through Arts & Crafts. This is the first album to feature the...
(Arts & Crafts) - 2009: ...And the Ever Expanding Universe...And the Ever Expanding Universe- References :...
(Arts & Crafts) - 2011: Pre Serene: Thee Oneironauts (Home of the Rebels)
EPs
- 2006: PhagesPhages (EP)Phages is a 2006 EP by The Most Serene Republic. The artwork depicts downtown Toronto's Yonge and College intersection looking north from the southwest corner in the winter....
- 2008: Live at XMULive at XMU-Track listing:#"Compliance" -#"Anhoi Polloi" -#"Sherry and Her Butterfly" -#Present of Future End" -...
- Acoustic EP - 2009: Digital Population
- 2010: Fantasick ImpossiblissFantasick ImpossiblissFantasick Impossibliss is an EP by The Most Serene Republic released on Home of the Rebels and distributed by Arts & Crafts. It was made available for digital download on May 4, 2010.- Tracklist :# Comeuppance# Pink Noise# Jelly Chamber...
7"s
- 2006: Content Was Always My Favorite Color b/w Tragedy of The Commons
- 2006: The Most Serene Republic / HeadlightsHeadlights (band)Headlights is an American indie rock band from Champaign, Illinois on Polyvinyl Records. The band was formed following the dissolution of Absinthe Blind, when members Erin Fein, Seth Fein and Brett Sanderson formed a band named Orphans...
[Split]
Videography
- Content Was Always My Favorite Color (2006, Underwater CinematographerUnderwater CinematographerUnderwater Cinematographer is the 2005 debut album by The Most Serene Republic.-Track listing:All songs written by The Most Serene Republic...
) - Oh (God) (2007, Underwater CinematographerUnderwater CinematographerUnderwater Cinematographer is the 2005 debut album by The Most Serene Republic.-Track listing:All songs written by The Most Serene Republic...
) - The Men Who Live Upstairs (2008, PopulationPopulation (album)Population is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band The Most Serene Republic. It was recorded and mixed by Ryan Mills, Mike Kuehn and Ryan Lenssen at Sleepytown Sound in Toronto. The album was released on October 2, 2007 through Arts & Crafts. This is the first album to feature the...
) - Heavens To Purgatory (2009, ...And the Ever Expanding Universe...And the Ever Expanding Universe- References :...
)