Wolf Parade
Encyclopedia
Wolf Parade is an indie rock
band formed in 2003 from Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus as of May 31, 2011.
member Spencer Krug
was offered a gig by Grenadine Records
' Alex Megelas. With only a three-week deadline to form a band, Krug contacted a fellow Canadian guitarist Dan Boeckner
(formerly of British Columbia
band Atlas Strategic
) and began writing songs in Krug's apartment. Initially using a drum machine
for their rhythm section played through computer speakers, Krug later invited Arlen Thompson to the lineup as the drummer; however, the newly formed trio rehearsed as a full band only the day before their first show. During the tour, Wolf Parade recorded and released their self-titled debut EP (referred to as the 4 Song EP).
In September 2003, Hadji Bakara joined Wolf Parade, contributing his synthesizer and sound manipulation skills to the lineup. By the summer of 2004 the band released its second independent, self-titled EP, commonly referred to as the 6 Song EP.
In September 2004, the band traveled to Portland, Oregon
to record with Modest Mouse
's Isaac Brock
. Brock had recently signed the band to Sub Pop
when he was an A&R
man for the label at the time. He had known Dan Boeckner from his days in Atlas Strategic
, who had toured with Modest Mouse and were offered a Sub Pop signing just before the band split up. Wolf Parade spent two and a half weeks working 14-hour days in Portland. After some remixing, the band returned to Montreal to finish recording. The album was scheduled for a May release, but then pushed back. On its new record label, the band released its first widely-distributed EP, Wolf Parade
, in July 2005.
In September 2005, the band's debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary
was released on Sub Pop Records to critical acclaim, earning a 2006 Polaris Music Prize
nomination.
Dante DeCaro
(formerly of Hot Hot Heat
) joined sometime in 2005 as a second guitarist and percussionist.
In 2008, an arrangement of the Wolf Parade song "I'll Believe in Anything" for full symphony orchestra received a reading by the Victoria Symphony, conducted by Tania Miller. There is an archival recording of this session in existence.
The second album, At Mount Zoomer
, followed in June 2008.
An on-stage announcement in November 2008 that Dante DeCaro would no longer be playing with the band was later revealed to have been a joke.
Hadji Bakara left the band in 2008 to pursue an academic career. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago.
Wolf Parade reconvened in November 2009 to begin work on their third album, Expo 86
. In an interview with Exclaim!
magazine, Dan Boeckner stated that the album may be released as a double album or as an LP and an EP, given the sheer amount of quality songs to come out of the sessions. The five members realized they'd all been at Vancouver's World Fair in the same week when they were kids, which is how the album got its name. The album was produced by Howard Bilerman
and was released in the United States on June 29, 2010.
In 2010, the song "Shine a Light" from Apologies to the Queen Mary
appeared in the "Criminal Minds
" episode "The Fight".
Wolf Parade kicked off their 2010 North American tour in Montreal. The band is scheduled to play the Sasquatch! Music Festival over the Memorial Day weekend (May 27 to 30 2011).
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 formed in 2003 from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
. The band is currently on an indefinite hiatus as of May 31, 2011.
History
Wolf Parade began in April 2003, when former Frog EyesFrog Eyes
Frog Eyes is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada known for their highly idiosyncratic songs, which pit Carey Mercer's melodic falsetto whoops against an avalanche of guitar, keyboards, piano, and drums. Their 2010 album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph was a longlisted nominee for the...
member Spencer Krug
Spencer Krug
Spencer Krug is a Canadian musician. He is currently the singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the indie rock bands Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. He has also performed with other Canadian bands including Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, Fifths of Seven, and ska band the Two Tonne Bowlers, playing various...
was offered a gig by Grenadine Records
Grenadine Records
Grenadine Records is a Canadian independent record label based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The music label was founded in 1997 by Eric Y. Lapointe and Alex Megelas who met at Bishop's University's radio station CJMQ-FM....
' Alex Megelas. With only a three-week deadline to form a band, Krug contacted a fellow Canadian guitarist Dan Boeckner
Dan Boeckner
Dan Boeckner is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. He currently fronts the indie rock bands Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs and was previously a member of Atlas Strategic.-Overview:...
(formerly of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
band Atlas Strategic
Atlas Strategic
Atlas Strategic was an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-History:The band was composed of Dan Boeckner on guitar and vocals; Johnny Pollard on organ, synthesizer, saxophone, and backing vocals; Steve Simard on drums; and Brooklyn Cannon on guitar and backing vocals.Their...
) and began writing songs in Krug's apartment. Initially using a drum machine
Drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
for their rhythm section played through computer speakers, Krug later invited Arlen Thompson to the lineup as the drummer; however, the newly formed trio rehearsed as a full band only the day before their first show. During the tour, Wolf Parade recorded and released their self-titled debut EP (referred to as the 4 Song EP).
In September 2003, Hadji Bakara joined Wolf Parade, contributing his synthesizer and sound manipulation skills to the lineup. By the summer of 2004 the band released its second independent, self-titled EP, commonly referred to as the 6 Song EP.
In September 2004, the band traveled to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
to record with Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
's Isaac Brock
Isaac Brock (musician)
Isaac Brock is the lead singer, guitarist, banjoist, and songwriter for the American indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova...
. Brock had recently signed the band to Sub Pop
Sub Pop
Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
when he was an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man for the label at the time. He had known Dan Boeckner from his days in Atlas Strategic
Atlas Strategic
Atlas Strategic was an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-History:The band was composed of Dan Boeckner on guitar and vocals; Johnny Pollard on organ, synthesizer, saxophone, and backing vocals; Steve Simard on drums; and Brooklyn Cannon on guitar and backing vocals.Their...
, who had toured with Modest Mouse and were offered a Sub Pop signing just before the band split up. Wolf Parade spent two and a half weeks working 14-hour days in Portland. After some remixing, the band returned to Montreal to finish recording. The album was scheduled for a May release, but then pushed back. On its new record label, the band released its first widely-distributed EP, Wolf Parade
Wolf Parade (2005 EP)
Wolf Parade is an EP by the Canadian indie band Wolf Parade. It was released on July 12, 2005 on Sub Pop. "Shine a Light" and "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" also appeared on Wolf Parade's full-length release, Apologies to the Queen Mary later that same year.-Track listing:# "Shine a...
, in July 2005.
In September 2005, the band's debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary
Apologies to the Queen Mary
Apologies to the Queen Mary is the highly-acclaimed first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade.- Track listing :# "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" – 2:54# "Modern World" – 2:52...
was released on Sub Pop Records to critical acclaim, earning a 2006 Polaris Music Prize
2006 Polaris Music Prize
The inaugural edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize presented on September 18, 2006, at Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre. The winning album was Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds.-Nominees:...
nomination.
Dante DeCaro
Dante DeCaro
Dante DeCaro of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, is the former guitarist/songwriter of the Canadian band Hot Hot Heat. His inventive guitar parts were considered a crucial part of Hot Hot Heat's success with their first major label album Make Up The Breakdown...
(formerly of Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...
) joined sometime in 2005 as a second guitarist and percussionist.
In 2008, an arrangement of the Wolf Parade song "I'll Believe in Anything" for full symphony orchestra received a reading by the Victoria Symphony, conducted by Tania Miller. There is an archival recording of this session in existence.
The second album, At Mount Zoomer
At Mount Zoomer
At Mount Zoomer, the second full length LP from the Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade, was released on June 17, 2008.-Album title:The album is named after drummer Arlen Thompson's sound studio, Mount Zoomer, which apparently is "a B.C...
, followed in June 2008.
An on-stage announcement in November 2008 that Dante DeCaro would no longer be playing with the band was later revealed to have been a joke.
Hadji Bakara left the band in 2008 to pursue an academic career. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago.
Wolf Parade reconvened in November 2009 to begin work on their third album, Expo 86
Expo 86 (album)
Expo 86 is the third full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade. It was released on 29 June 2010."Expo 86" was recognized by Exclaim! as the No. 17 Pop & Rock Album of 2010. Exclaim! writer Josh O'Kane said: "Long gone are the densely layered sonic landscapes of Wolf Parade albums...
. In an interview with Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
magazine, Dan Boeckner stated that the album may be released as a double album or as an LP and an EP, given the sheer amount of quality songs to come out of the sessions. The five members realized they'd all been at Vancouver's World Fair in the same week when they were kids, which is how the album got its name. The album was produced by Howard Bilerman
Howard Bilerman
Howard Bilerman is a Canadian recording engineer, producer, and Grammy nominated musician. He is a former member of the band Arcade Fire, having recorded & drummed on their debut album, Funeral, as well as records by Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Vic Chesnutt, Basia...
and was released in the United States on June 29, 2010.
In 2010, the song "Shine a Light" from Apologies to the Queen Mary
Apologies to the Queen Mary
Apologies to the Queen Mary is the highly-acclaimed first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade.- Track listing :# "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" – 2:54# "Modern World" – 2:52...
appeared in the "Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
" episode "The Fight".
Wolf Parade kicked off their 2010 North American tour in Montreal. The band is scheduled to play the Sasquatch! Music Festival over the Memorial Day weekend (May 27 to 30 2011).
Personnel
- Spencer KrugSpencer KrugSpencer Krug is a Canadian musician. He is currently the singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the indie rock bands Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. He has also performed with other Canadian bands including Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, Fifths of Seven, and ska band the Two Tonne Bowlers, playing various...
– vocals, keyboards - Dan BoecknerDan BoecknerDan Boeckner is a Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. He currently fronts the indie rock bands Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs and was previously a member of Atlas Strategic.-Overview:...
– vocals, guitar - Arlen Thompson - drums
- Dante DeCaroDante DeCaroDante DeCaro of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, is the former guitarist/songwriter of the Canadian band Hot Hot Heat. His inventive guitar parts were considered a crucial part of Hot Hot Heat's success with their first major label album Make Up The Breakdown...
– guitar, bass, percussionPercussion 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...
, keyboards
Associated acts
- Spencer Krug is also the lead singer of the indie rock band Sunset RubdownSunset RubdownSunset Rubdown is an art rock band from Montreal, Canada. The band began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who released his debut, Snake's Got a Leg, in early 2005...
and releases solo music under the name of Moonface. He was previously in Frog EyesFrog EyesFrog Eyes is an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada known for their highly idiosyncratic songs, which pit Carey Mercer's melodic falsetto whoops against an avalanche of guitar, keyboards, piano, and drums. Their 2010 album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph was a longlisted nominee for the...
, Fifths of SevenFifths of SevenFifths of Seven is an instrumental string/piano/accordion-based trio out of Montreal, Canada, composed of Spencer Krug , Beckie Foon , and Rachel Levine...
and Swan LakeSwan Lake (band)Swan Lake is a Canadian indie supergroup comprising Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes and Blackout Beach, Daniel Bejar of Destroyer, Hello, Blue Roses and The New Pornographers, and Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown and Frog Eyes. Originally playing under the moniker "Thunder Cloud", the group...
. - Dan Boeckner is also a member of the indie rock duo Handsome FursHandsome FursHandsome Furs is a Montreal-based indie rock duo which consists of Dan Boeckner, of Wolf Parade and Atlas Strategic, and his wife, writer Alexei Perry.-Music:...
which he formed with his wife Alexei PerryAlexei PerryAlexei Perry is a Canadian short-story writer and musician. She is best known for playing keyboards in the indie rock duo Handsome Furs with her husband Dan Boeckner, who is known for his work in Wolf Parade and Atlas Strategic.-Overview:...
. Before joining Wolf Parade, Boeckner played in Atlas StrategicAtlas StrategicAtlas Strategic was an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-History:The band was composed of Dan Boeckner on guitar and vocals; Johnny Pollard on organ, synthesizer, saxophone, and backing vocals; Steve Simard on drums; and Brooklyn Cannon on guitar and backing vocals.Their...
. - Dante DeCaro is currently fronting a project called Johnny and the MoonJohnny and the MoonJohnny and the Moon is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2006 based in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada. The band is fronted by Dante DeCaro of Hot Hot Heat and Wolf Parade and includes Lindy Gerrard, Mark Devoe, and Jeff "Big Juicy Papa" Phillips...
. Prior to Wolf Parade, DeCaro played in Hot Hot HeatHot Hot HeatHot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...
. - Arlen Thompson played drums on the Arcade Fire song "Wake UpWake Up (Arcade Fire song)"Wake Up" is an indie rock song by Canadian rock band Arcade Fire. It was the fifth and final single released from the band's debut album, Funeral. The single was released as a one-sided 7" vinyl record on November 14, 2005.-Reception:...
". He also helped produce both Handsome Furs albums at his Mount Zoomer recording studio in Montreal. He is a member of the side-project Treasure Hunt. - Hadji Bakara is a member of the synth-bass-dance-rap production team Megasoid, along with Speakerbruiser Rob, formerly SixtooSixtooSixtoo was the main project of a Canadian hip hop DJ, MC and producer Vaughn Robert Squire between 1996-2007. He has since retired the Sixtoo name pursuing other directions in electronic music, with a large genre shift from experimental hip hop to deeper club sounds of various temposSquire rose to...
. He also helped with treatments on "Black Mirror", "Neon Bible", and "My Body Is a Cage" off Arcade Fire's Neon Bible.
Albums
- Apologies to the Queen MaryApologies to the Queen MaryApologies to the Queen Mary is the highly-acclaimed first full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade.- Track listing :# "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" – 2:54# "Modern World" – 2:52...
(2005) Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
#158 (US) - At Mount ZoomerAt Mount ZoomerAt Mount Zoomer, the second full length LP from the Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade, was released on June 17, 2008.-Album title:The album is named after drummer Arlen Thompson's sound studio, Mount Zoomer, which apparently is "a B.C...
(2008) Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
#45 (US) - Expo 86Expo 86 (album)Expo 86 is the third full-length album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade. It was released on 29 June 2010."Expo 86" was recognized by Exclaim! as the No. 17 Pop & Rock Album of 2010. Exclaim! writer Josh O'Kane said: "Long gone are the densely layered sonic landscapes of Wolf Parade albums...
(2010) Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
#48 (US)
EPs
- Wolf Parade (2003) Self-released
- Wolf Parade (2004) Self-released
- Wolf ParadeWolf Parade (2005 EP)Wolf Parade is an EP by the Canadian indie band Wolf Parade. It was released on July 12, 2005 on Sub Pop. "Shine a Light" and "You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son" also appeared on Wolf Parade's full-length release, Apologies to the Queen Mary later that same year.-Track listing:# "Shine a...
(2005) Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
Singles
- "Modern World" (2006, Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
) - "Shine A Light" (2006, Sub Pop)
- "I'll Believe in Anything" (2006, Sub Pop)
- "Call it A Ritual" (2008, Sub Pop)
- "Language City" (2008, Sub Pop)
- "Semi-Precious Stone" / "Agents Of Love" (2010, Sub Pop)
External links
- Wolf Parade at Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
- Wolf Parade Official Site