BRIAN URBANIK - drums;
SCOTT WINTER - bass;
LIAM BROWN - guitar/vox;
JONATHAN TYRRELL - guitar/vox;
KRISTJAN BERGEY - saxophone/keyboards/vox;
Influences
"From start to finish, top to bottom, it's one of the most perfect albums to come out this year."
- www.i(heart)music.net (review of 'Dead Calm Horizon')
"Sometimes a band starts to not only speak to you, but speak for you and as more people start listening to KHW, the more fans will start singing along . . . Easily one of the best Canadian EPs of the year."
- www.herohill.com (review of 'Dead Calm Horizon')
"Moody while being unmistakably hopeful, this act has some serious musical chops."
- www.lucidforge.com (review of 'Dead Calm Horizon')
"...a darkly elegant collection of songs reminiscent of The National, though perhaps not quite so world-worn or on the wrong side of last call. Tastefully appointed with strings, horns and stately piano but with a unmistakably rock core, 'December' reaches for understated theatricality while sidestepping melodrama and achieves something a little short of greatness but still pretty impressive."
- www.chromewaves.net (review of 'December')
"This Toronto band creates music that is dark, yet it's not short on hope, as evidenced by the stark beauty of the instrumentation, much like The Acorn or The National."
"...a band that is onto something very intense -- and very special. The venue was a step away from being a sauna, but the set was brilliant. (NXNE 2008)"
- Stranded In Stereo
"Delicate drumming laid a backdrop to morose, reverb-tinged arpeggios and light flourishes of introspective keyboards as lead singer Jonathan Tyrrell soberly crooned about tired eyes and broken hearts. The result was a harrowing sonic landscape akin to a desolate, snowy forest. It’s a wonder how this music compelled ladies to shake their asses. Yet, somehow, it did and that’s how you know you’ve struck gold."
- www.torontoindie.com (review of NXNE 2008 showcase)
The first ever Ketch Harbour Wolves video - spliced together with love and time from rehearsals, recording and a live performance at The Horseshoe Tavern in November '08.
(Full screen version can be accessed
HERE
)
Ketch Harbour Wolves are at once near and distant, intimate and vast. Their music ranges from episodes of sprawling emotional energy to moments of cathartic stillness. Imagine the rich baritone of The National carried by Arcade Fire arrangements through a Leonard Cohen wilderness.
In May of 2008, Ketch Harbour Wolves released their sophomore EP, Dead Calm Horizon, which critics have hailed as "From start to finish, top to bottom, one of the most perfect albums to come out this year." (www.iheartmusic.net). The EP has been honored as the 1 Album of 2008 by i(heart)music.net, HeroHill, and London Burgeoning Metropolis and has been mentioned on websites in Italy, Sweden, Ireland, France, the US, and the UK. The album also received nation-wide press with a review in Metro Canada calling it “the perfect mix of brooding passion, infectious melodies and rich, layered instrumentation.”
Ketch Harbour Wolves hail from across Ontario while fostering a deep connection to Nova Scotia where in 2003 the band's predecessor, The Flying Buttresses, was forged in the small coastal town of Ketch Harbour. After almost two years of intense musical experimentation, near destitution, and enough stories for a lifetime of songs, singer Jonathan Tyrrell and drummer Brian Urbanik packed their van and drove the seventeen-hundred kilometres home to Ontario. Ketch Harbour Wolves were born five-strong on the familiar ground of Toronto with bass guitarist Scott Winter, lead guitarist Liam Brown, and multi-instrumentalist Kristjan Bergey (keyboards, flute, saxophone) forging the dynamic and powerful quintet.
Ketch Harbour wolves have recently been cited as one of the "Top 10 Hottest bands in Canada" by popular blog site www.herohill.com. With live performances both explosive and captivating, the band has developed a feverishly loyal following in Toronto and beyond. They’ve headlined such esteemed venues as The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, The Mod Club Theatre and The El Mocambo, consistently drawing passionate crowds. Ketch Harbour Wolves have showcased at NxNE in both 2007 and 2008, Canadian Music Week 2009 and were recently featured in Toronto Indie Week's 'Best of the Fest' showcase. Their music has been featured on independent radio across Canada and two of their songs are soon to be featured in the upcoming documentary "Standing Spirit".
Whenever you plan on taking a trip out West, please stop in Regina. Don't go to Saskatoon, Saskatoon is lame. But if you HAVE to go to Saskatoon instead of Regina (as many acts end up doing) then I will make the drive to see you. Saskatoon = Shmaskatoon!
No worries Jon! Thanks for the add & response. Your distinct sounds fit my playlist like a smack in the mouth! Great stuff. I owe Leslie one for shooting ya my way. All the best!
NxEW.ca is a new music bloggy thing. - We were just one month old yesterday and we already have 60+ writers in something like 20 Canadian cities (and 2 American ones) and hit almost 5,000 visitors in the first month! Keep me posted on what's going on w/ you and if you want to get in on the podcast have someone give me a shout ( beach. justin at gmail.com )
