The Sunparlour Players started playing live in spring of 2005 after Andrew released the small EP "Mersea". They then released another small live EP later in 2005. Then they played a lot more. Then in 2007 they released their critically acclaimed "Hymns For The Happy" (Outside Music).
"Wave North" is their new album (Outside Music - available May 19/09). Recorded at Blue Rodeo’s Woodshed Studio and the Fembots Junkshop between Dec 2008 and Feb 2009. Choir and horns were recorded at Toronto’s Factory Theatre. Aided by celebrated producer Jeremy Backofen (Felice Brothers, Frightened Rabbit, Mice Parade) whose cross-pollinated experience with some of the most innovative alternative musicians today gave them a definitive approach to the recording of the album.
Sunparlour Players will release Wave North on May 19, 2009
I caught your set at North Country Fair and I was mesmerized! Such a fresh and traditional sound... most impressive is the mulitple percussion and switching of instruments... looking forward to more sounds!
Tomorrow on the show Bandwidth is dedicated to two new albums: Sarah Slean and the Art Of Time's latest, Black Flowers, gets the lion's share of the program, as Sarah and Alan dissect in detail the cover songs she picked for this album, including songs by Cohen, Tielli, Harmer, Miles and more.
Then the Sunparlour Players join Alan to talk about their new CD "Wave North", about everything from the inspiration of farming and, uh, wooden dresses.
Listen carefully to the interviews, because there's a skill-testing question at the end of the show to win the two CDs!
Bandwidth's heard Saturdays at 5:05 on CBC Radio One everywhere in Ontario except Toronto. But if you're in Toronto, you can listen live at that time by going to cbc.ca/bandwidth (and click on listen live).
Nice feature in this issue of Exclaim Magazine, 'A strong current runs below Sunparlour Players' sophomore album, Wave North, and frontman Andrew Penner hopes it will drag you in. "It feels like there's an undertow of conflict," he says. "It's not necessarily positive or negative, it's just asking whoever's listening to engage in it"
Great CD review in Eye Magazine, 'The rustic vibe returns mid-record for “Nuclear,” and on the quietly lush numbers “Wood Dress” and “Wall Sisters,” singer/songwriter Andrew Penner brokers a compromise between old-world imagery and the disc’s modern, glossy production'
NxEW.ca is a new Canadian music group blog. We have 60 + writers across Canada (and a few in the U.S.). We welcome anyone who wants to write about Canadian music - including musicians, promoters, managers, etc. (We're not the CBC and we exist to promote Canadian music, so conflict of interest is not an issue). If you'd like to chip in on the blog or want to submit stuff for consideration for the podcast get in touch at beach.justin at gmail.com
