Toronto band (by way of Ottawa), The Balconies, are announcing eastern Canada tour dates, which include opening for By Divine Right in Sackville, New Brunswick. This is the band’s first time touring outside of Ontario and Quebec. East coast music fans are in for a treat. The band recently was featured on the cover of Ottawa’s street weekly VOIR, and won 3 categories in Ottawa Xpress’ Best of Ottawa 2009 poll. Their self-titled debut album, released at the end of ‘09, has received a great deal of attention from campus radio, bloggers, and critics alike. The National Post named the band on their 2010 Futures List as a Canadian act to look out for this year. The band will spend the bulk of 2010 touring Canada and playing festivals. Tour dates announced below.
BIO
A lot of things can happen in university. You walk away with a degree, a career direction, and a place to start… Or sometimes you leave university; hours of all-night study sessions and endless essay writing, with a killer rock and roll band. While training in classical music at Ottawa University future boyfriend/girlfriend Jacquie Neville and Liam Jaeger met in between concert etudes and ensemble practice. Though their passion for post tonal theory and Brahms is a common thread, something else bound them together, and that something was their need to let loose on stage in the form of an incredibly high energy pop band. Taking their classically trained backgrounds and throwing it all aside in exchange for soaked t-shirts, frantically dancing fans, and beer stained van seats. It’s the kind of move your parents wouldn’t be proud of. Even worse for Papa Neville, the two lovers roped in kid brother Stephen Neville to play bass and hold his own beside sister Jacquie as co-lead-vocalist. Stephen manages to combat Jacquie’s powerful and astonishing vocal range with his deep timbre Ian Curtis-like harmonies. And it was set: Jacquie stage left leading with incredibly catchy guitar riffs, Stephen stage right, and Liam banging it out behind the two so hard you’d think the venue was on fire.
One basement practice lead to another and it had become apparent The Balconies (a moniker given to them by fellow Ottawa folk artist and friend Leif Vollebekk), had something special. Having played in pivotal Ottawa acts (Liam a member of the now defunct For the Mathematics and Jacquie moonlighting in Jetplanes of Abraham), it was determined the trio had stumbled upon the sound and songs they had been working so hard to write. It felt natural and comfortable, and their hometown of Ottawa were happy to embrace the new fam-jam-collaboration.
Fast forward to 2009 where the band released their debut album stuffed to the brim with adorable and painstakingly catchy pop rock and roll. They found themselves playing alongside the likes of Mother Mother, Dog Day, Land of Talk and personally invited to play a number of festivals, including Ottawa Bluesfest, North by Northeast, Canadian Music Fest, and Pop Montreal. Before long, the band graced the cover of Ottawa’s VOIR, won 3 categories in Ottawa Xpress’ Best of Ottawa 2009 poll (further establishing themselves as ringleaders in their hometown), relocate to Toronto, and top campus radio charts across the country. To further solidify their 2009 successes, the National Post named them on their 2010 Futures List, as a Canadian band to keep tabs on this year.
One thing’s for sure, their album is infectious as hell, but it’s their ability to leave a lasting impression on stage to any crowd they play to that have critics tripping over their lips. Jacquie, with her batting eyelashes and wide eyes smirking at boyfriend, Jaeger, soaked in his own sweat from playing so hard, and brother Stephen unassumingly spewing out tales of messy late nights and relationship faux-pas.
Now breaking in their new hometown of Toronto, the band will spend 2010 on the road, traveling our fair country of Canada until the highways end and bringing their unforgettable and honest sets to new stages. They say university gives you a direction, a piece of mind, and a place to start. And surely this is just the start of a very promising career for these three studious young artists. Who ever said a masters in feedback regulation or an honours in late night caffeine fueled driving was less credible? Well then they probably never listened to The Balconies.
TOUR DATES
Jan. 28 @ Clark Hall Pub, KINGSTON
Jan. 30 @ L’Absynthe, MONTREAL (w. The Darcys)
Feb. 3 @ Tantramarsh Pub Mount Allison, SACKVILLE (w. The Darcys, By Divine Right)
Feb. 6 @ Seahorse Tavern, HALIFAX
Feb. 26 @ Blacksheep Inn, OTTAWA (w. The Golden Dogs)
*more tour dates to be announce on Myspace.
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