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"If fresh, interesting folk music moved units like bad pop does, Olenka Krakus and her bandmates would be zillionaires." - Dave Jaffer, Hour Magazine
"Krakus' lyrics prod at her Polish ancestry, exploring moral inquiries from her dying planet to life in suburbia, while spinning stories reminiscent of the likes of raconteurs Tom Waits or Nick Cave (who would make great drinking buddies for Krakus and her Lovers)." - Rachel Weldon, Soundproof Magazine
Olenka and the Autumn Lovers formed in early 2008. The band, fronted by Polish singer/songwriter Olenka Krakus, has a sound that mingles a strong Eastern European influence with elements of North American country and folk music. The band’s diverse instruments (cello, violin, accordion, trumpet, saxophone, lap steel, mandolin and glockenspiel) provide a unique musical backdrop to Olenka’s sophisticated, often narrative, form of songwriting. Influenced by her memories of Communist Poland and by the country’s folklore, Olenka investigates themes of social injustice and personal responsibility, populating her songs with melancholy outcasts from both Polish and Canadian landscapes.
In 2008, the band released three albums, including Warsaw Girl (a 6 song EP of solo and minimally arranged songs), a self-titled full-length (11 fully-orchestrated, Eastern-European influenced pieces), and Papillonette (a 6-song EP of classic folk and country inspired melodies and narratives).
In addition to these releases, the band toured widely throughout the year and participated in numerous festivals, including NXNE, LOLA, and the Home County Folk Festival. In May of 2009 the band toured east again and will be returning to the Maritimes in October. 2009 Festival appearances include/will include NXNE, Pop Montreal, and Halifax Pop Explosion.
Music by O&AL has been featured on CBC 1, 2, and 3 and has been played extensively on Canadian college radio. The self-titled album won the CHRW local-album of the year award for 2008 and has been charting strongly in Earshot charts. Several songs have also been licensed for film projects.
O&AL’s music has been compared to that of Beirut, Wilco, Cat Power, Gillian Welch, Gogol Bordello, Tom Waits and Arcade Fire.
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