Since the summer of 2006, Toronto’s Bruce Peninsula has been evolving and ballooning into a formidable musical force, and the Canadian indie rock scene has been quick to take notice. Upon formation, Misha Bower and Matt Cully decided to start playing songs that they’d discovered, and become enamored with, from the Library of Congress’s Archive of Folk Songs, which was exhaustively compiled by noted musicologist, Alan Lomax, during the first half of the 20th century.
After only two shows as a duo, the lineup quickly snowballed, picking up more enthused musicians who also happened to be friends, eventually becoming a grand musical beast with almost a dozen heads!
“This band is just a mash of people who met in Toronto,” as explained by Neil Haverty, one of two BP members to originally come out of Hamilton, “The relationships usually weren't musical first. We
worked together or we had mutual acquaintances and became friends. When Bruce Peninsula was starting to come together, we were very mindful of who would sound good in the band, but we were lucky because we were tight with lots of talented people.”
The collective musical resume of Bruce Peninsula is just too extensive to cover thoroughly on this page, but every member has plenty going individually that warrants some mention. Before Bruce Peninsula came to be, Misha Bower was primarily a playwright and dramatic performer, and Matt Cully was a busy DJ and promoter all over Toronto. In fact, BP is the first actual gigging band for both founding members. Neil Haverty has performed with various groups, and as a solo artist, throughout the decade. Drummer Steve McKay, who also hails from Hamilton, is an incredibly sought–after backing musician for various artists, a solo artist with releases under his belt and a production assistant in TO. Bassist Andrew Barker is a jazz–fluent guitar teacher/performer who composes on his own as well. Vocalist Katie Stelmanis is a recording artist whose own record was released by Blocks Recording Club earlier this year. Vocalist Casey Mecija spends her non–BP time fronting another current Toronto indie–fave, Ohbijou. Kari Peddle is cutting her ‘post–high school band’ musical teeth as a vocalist in BP. Vocalist Daniela Gesundheit makes her own music as ‘Snowblink’. Percussionist, Leon Taheny is a successful recording engineer and a member of the post Death From Above 1979 project, Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains. Percussionist Maya Postepski studied percussion at the U of T and also plays in Katie’s band.
Got all that? Great.
Let’s get back to what they do together, as Bruce Peninsula. The music harnesses the spirit of the great blues, folk and gospel singers from long ago, all the while injecting some more modern post–rock intricacies into their own songs as well as the re–interpretations that they’ve produced.
On most of their tunes, Misha and Neil lead the other vocalists in a call and response mode as the band stomps, drums and strums alongside the glorious choir. “Ultimately,” as Haverty is quick to point out, “we'd like to make it impossible to identify any single one of us as the lead singer. On the record, Misha sings ‘Weave Myself A Dress’ and ‘Drinking All Day’ and I sing a lot of the other leads but, for example, Katie sings a lead at the end of ‘2nd 4th’ World War’, Isla and Matt sing together in the middle of ‘Shutters’ and Katie and Misha sing together at the start of ‘Shanty Song.’ Going forward, the lead singer line will definitely not be so clear–cut.”
Bruce Peninsula is a musical vehicle in which every member has the opportunity to take the wheel. It’s a policy that the band doesn’t take lightly, and it’s because of this collaborative democracy and multi–faceted musical chemistry that Bruce Peninsula has already developed a highly recognizable sound of their very own. Having so many vocalists working together within the group is certainly one of the key factors to their unique style.
“It was definitely a conscious decision to focus on the singing,” assures Haverty, “We're all suckers for good harmonies. Even if this band didn't exist, we'd still sing in chorus when we got drunk at parties and we'd still generally be drawn to vocal–heavy music. Bruce Peninsula was always going to be full of voices. That was clear from day one.”
“Singing draws people in,” adds Cully, “No matter how far a composer wants to push the human voice to its limits it will somehow always resist complete abstraction. We can't help but recognize our own voice when we hear someone singing, it always seems to echo as a ghostly dimension to our listening. I feel like this innate attraction to vocal music will always somehow align it with the spiritual. And seeking the spiritual will always occupy us even in our current climate of despair.”
One can only imagine how convoluted the songwriting process must be with so many talented people in one group. “The idea for a song,” as Cully explains, “is usually brought forward by an individual, or developed closely in a small group, usually no more than three. So far Neil, Misha and I have usually been the instigators at this level. This is increasingly changing and our process is opening up to include a larger core of writers. We have a good mixture of trained, semi–trained and untrained musicians within the group that can offer a unique mix of perspectives on developing songs. A song will take many shapes before it develops into a solid, repeatable entity. It takes a while before everyone feels as though they've contributed to some aspect of the whole.”
The band are just putting the finishing touches on their debut full length, A Mountain is a Mouth, and despite an indie label bidding war for their recording, they’ve decided to give it a go on their own by self–releasing it this January. As Cully declares, “We are very happy to be releasing this record ourselves, though admittedly we're a little daunted by the task. We really feel that new possibilities for distributing music independently are constantly opening up and we are excited to learn all we can about cutting–edge approaches.” Haverty supports their decision to go D.I.Y like a proud and loving parent, “It came down to one thing. Why, after so long, coddling this baby of ours, would we sell it off? We don't have to bring in strangers; we have enough ‘staff' in the band and willing friends to help give it a proper release. So we've decided to keep it close to us. It's on us to keep it all under control but in the end, we just didn't want to let her go.”
Be sure to get to the Casbah early enough to catch a live sneak preview of A Mountain is a Mouth when Bruce Peninsula warm, if not burn, the crowd up for Apostle of Hustle.
Blog Archive
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2008
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September
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- SEPTEMBER 2008 - VIEW MAGAZINE - FEATURE
- AUGUST 2008 - NOW MAGAZINE - LIVE REVIEW
- AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - 7" REVIEW
- AUGUST 2008 - CHROMEWAVES - FEATURE
- AUGUST 2008 - CHARTATTACK - FEATURE
- AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - LIVE REVIEW
- AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - 7" SONG FEATURE
- AUGUST 2008 - IHEARTMUSIC - FEATURE
- AUGUST 2008 - HEROHILL - 7" REVIEW
- JANUARY 2008 - EYE WEEKLY - CRITICS POLL
- DECEMBER 2007 - EXCLAIM - CRITICS POLL
- NOVEMBER 2007 - OTTAWA XPRESS - FEATURE
- NOVEMBER 2007 - ITSNOTHEBANDIHATE - LIVE REVIEW
- NOVEMBER 2007 - TORONTOINDIE - LIVE REVIEW
- NOVEMBER 2007 - OTTAWA SUN - FEATURE
- NOVEMBER 2007 - CHROMEWAVES - LIVE REVIEW
- SEPTEMBER 2007 - EYE WEEKLY - FEATURE
- AUGUST 2007 - CHROMEWAVES - LIVE REVIEW
- AUGUST 2007 - HIPPODROME - LIVE REVIEW
- JULY 2007 - MONDO - LIVE REVIEW
- JULY 2007 - RADIOFREECANUCKISTAN - LIVE REVIEW
- JULY 2007 - EYE DAILY - LIVE REVIEW
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September
(22)
AUGUST 2008 - NOW MAGAZINE - LIVE REVIEW
Anyone expecting to hear some sweet hymn-singing from this bunch got much more than they bargained for. The Bruce Peninsula delivered a walloping one-two punch of hard-belting harmony singing, bolstered by an amped-up backing band. If this performance was meant to be a statement, it was that the Bruce Peninsula aren’t just a rag-tag assembly of bored hipsters who think it’s cool to croon pre-war gospel and blues numbers, but rather a hugely promising folk-psych ensemble with a dynamic set of darkly twisted original songs ready to unleash. Their debut full-length, A Mountain Is A Mouth, is due to hit any week now. Consider yourself warned.
AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - 7" REVIEW
The first tangible record by a great Toronto, ON band, this seven-inch (aka. "The BP 45") features three traditional songs performed in the already inimitable manner of Bruce Peninsula. With their amalgam of gospel-tinged field recordings and post-punk intricacy, Bruce Peninsula tap into soul and fury in ways other multi-headed ensembles only dream of. With "Rosie," the group take on an Alan Lomax recording, infusing it with raw power and drama, a chorus of urgent female vocalists haunting Neil Haverty's gritty, impassioned lament for one of the most infamous muses in underground folk while jarring percussion thuds up against a building drone. The flipside features "Lift 'em Up/Jack, Can I Ride," the former a powerful interpretation of a biblical tale written by Washington Phillips. Its soaring vocals navigate snaky guitar-lines and a foreboding sense of doom. That end comes dramatically with "Jack, Can I Ride," an artfully recorded stomp-chant that also draws from Lomax's work. With anticipation growing for the A Mountain is a Mouth full-length this fall, Bruce Peninsula impress with a rewarding wax omen.
AUGUST 2008 - CHROMEWAVES - FEATURE
You couldn't have picked a more perfect place to be introduced to the gothic gospel spirituals of Toronto's Bruce Peninsula than under an open sky as the sun began to set across a farmer's field, as I did last August at the Dog Day Afternoon festival. Sounding both fresh and unmeasurably old, the eleven-piece choir/blues band hybrid made an indelible first impression I figured would be nearly impossible to match. And yet they did a few months later in the more conventional environs of Lee's Palace and once again in a couple weeks at The Horseshoe. Obviously, as special as that Dog Day performance was, Bruce Peninsula were not dependent on their environs to work their magic.
But what of the studio? It's hard enough to capture the chemistry of live performance on tape for a conventional band - how about one that's as much an old-time revival show or gospel choir as a band? Amazingly, it sounds like they've done it. Listening to some still-rough/unmastered versions of their debut album, A Mountain Is A Mouth, I'm immediately reminded not only of the energy and intensity of their live shows, but also the mystery and sense of distance - spatial and chronal - that I didn't think could be experienced indoors, let alone from speakers. And the clarity of all the voices and instruments, not necessarily something you get live, is also astonishing. Whoever recorded this thing did a hell of a job.
The record is still being polished up (but hopefully not too much) for a release sometime this Fall on a home still to be named/determined, but in the meantime the band have released a 7" of two traditional folk recordings (from the Alan Lomax archives) that also capture the sound of the band, if not their songwriting. Both sides are streaming at the band's MySpace (along with a track from the album) but I suspect it doesn't sound quite the same over the internet as it would on record, with the added dimension of crackles, or live, with the added dimension of crickets.
But what of the studio? It's hard enough to capture the chemistry of live performance on tape for a conventional band - how about one that's as much an old-time revival show or gospel choir as a band? Amazingly, it sounds like they've done it. Listening to some still-rough/unmastered versions of their debut album, A Mountain Is A Mouth, I'm immediately reminded not only of the energy and intensity of their live shows, but also the mystery and sense of distance - spatial and chronal - that I didn't think could be experienced indoors, let alone from speakers. And the clarity of all the voices and instruments, not necessarily something you get live, is also astonishing. Whoever recorded this thing did a hell of a job.
The record is still being polished up (but hopefully not too much) for a release sometime this Fall on a home still to be named/determined, but in the meantime the band have released a 7" of two traditional folk recordings (from the Alan Lomax archives) that also capture the sound of the band, if not their songwriting. Both sides are streaming at the band's MySpace (along with a track from the album) but I suspect it doesn't sound quite the same over the internet as it would on record, with the added dimension of crackles, or live, with the added dimension of crickets.
AUGUST 2008 - CHARTATTACK - FEATURE
Bruce Peninsula are a band on the brink... of what, nobody knows yet.
The 12-member group that grew from Matt Cully and Misha Bower's archival music listening sessions are about to mutate again. The year-long recording project that had them hopping through eight Toronto locations (including St. George The Martyr Church) has finally given birth to a debut album, A Mountain Is A Mouth. But before anybody hit record, the name Bruce Peninsula was already getting around. A trip to the crowded press section on the band's website is proof that their live performances make lasting impressions.
"I think we're lucky that we've had some interest in our music, and I guess it's a testament to the fact that we enjoy playing live and I think that comes across to people," Cully says about the early buzz their shows have generated. "It's like an extension of our private existence as friends getting together and doing it anyway. We're kind of bringing that out into the public just for a little bit."
With the new album on the cusp of release and an east coast tour booked, Cully and Bower know their band are going to have to change. Coordinating recording sessions with 12 musicians wasn't easy, and the group will shrink to seven people on tour.
Complicating matters is the fact that the Bruce Peninsula choir is packed with talented artists who have thriving solo careers or other bands. Katie Stelmanis and Ohbijou's Casey Mecija both contributed their voices to the album, as did Isla Craig, who has since stepped back from Bruce Peninsula to concentrate on her own songs.
Factor in the additional pressures of finding a label to release A Mountain Is A Mouth in the fall, and you have to wonder how the need for professionalism will affect the friends-having-fun vibe that Bruce Peninsula was built on.
Cully says he and his core bandmates are ready for anything.
"We're moving into a phase where it has to be more professional, or you have to think about yourself as a musician and [about] your career and what you want to do. I think that we are committed to take the next step."
The 12-member group that grew from Matt Cully and Misha Bower's archival music listening sessions are about to mutate again. The year-long recording project that had them hopping through eight Toronto locations (including St. George The Martyr Church) has finally given birth to a debut album, A Mountain Is A Mouth. But before anybody hit record, the name Bruce Peninsula was already getting around. A trip to the crowded press section on the band's website is proof that their live performances make lasting impressions.
"I think we're lucky that we've had some interest in our music, and I guess it's a testament to the fact that we enjoy playing live and I think that comes across to people," Cully says about the early buzz their shows have generated. "It's like an extension of our private existence as friends getting together and doing it anyway. We're kind of bringing that out into the public just for a little bit."
With the new album on the cusp of release and an east coast tour booked, Cully and Bower know their band are going to have to change. Coordinating recording sessions with 12 musicians wasn't easy, and the group will shrink to seven people on tour.
Complicating matters is the fact that the Bruce Peninsula choir is packed with talented artists who have thriving solo careers or other bands. Katie Stelmanis and Ohbijou's Casey Mecija both contributed their voices to the album, as did Isla Craig, who has since stepped back from Bruce Peninsula to concentrate on her own songs.
Factor in the additional pressures of finding a label to release A Mountain Is A Mouth in the fall, and you have to wonder how the need for professionalism will affect the friends-having-fun vibe that Bruce Peninsula was built on.
Cully says he and his core bandmates are ready for anything.
"We're moving into a phase where it has to be more professional, or you have to think about yourself as a musician and [about] your career and what you want to do. I think that we are committed to take the next step."
AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - LIVE REVIEW
Throughout their triumphant set, at least half of all musicians were singing at any given time and when all really connected, the goosebumps were raised and the tiny church was shaken to the core. Stomping, singing and growling their way through original numbers and revamps of chain-gang spirituals, the show hit a fever pitch at the end when singer Neil Haverty dropped the mic and ran up and down the pews, crying and singing to heaven like a man possessed. Indeed, when all the singers, who included Katie Stelmanis and Casey Mecija from Ohbijou, connected, the electricity could be felt and one was tempted to rise from your wooden pews to sway and clap. Everyone should be lucky enough to feel the power and energy that Bruce Peninsula seem to emit from a power on high. Hallejuah!
AUGUST 2008 - EXCLAIM - 7" SONG FEATURE
There’s a chance you’ve vacationed in the Bruce Peninsula. It’s a beautiful spot in Ontario located between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron in the Niagara Escarpment that offers untouched natural habitat, a biosphere reserve and two national parks. Oh, and Sauble Beach, where young people go with kegs in tow to get blitzed and water-ski.
A group of Toronto musicians are looking to cause a wave of confusion the next time you hear, “Are you going to Bruce Peninsula?” There are 12 of them, actually, almost enough to start their own tourism board, but I have a feeling they’ll be too busy fighting off the disciples that will quickly be flocking to join their congregation.
Formed in 2006 by Misha Bower and Matt Cully, the Bruce (I’m gonna call them) took their inspiration from American folklorist and musicologist Alan Lomax’s extensive archive, the project quickly ballooned, adding members from a number of different Toronto bands (including Germans, ohbijou, Katie Stelmanis, the Lake Vernon Drowning) to melding an array of sounds mostly borrowed from the music of 100 years past. While folk is likely the best word to nutshell them with, the Bruce are equally a gospel choir in the body of indie kids who’ve been struck down with the blues.
While they certainly follow traditional songbook, the collective certainly add their own finesse to their songs of choice. Set for release as a seven-inch in July on member Neil Haverty’s Escape Goat label, “Lift Em’ Up Jack, Can I Ride?” is their take on late Texas preacher Washington Phillips’ “Lift Him Up That’s All.” Removing the stripped down carousel-spun flourish of the great troubadour, the Bruce channel his spirit into a righteous meld of thumping beats, rickety percussion, blues guitar passages and a feverishly climactic call and response that summons the sweat glands to purge.
The Bruce Peninsula’s debut full-length, A Mountain Is A Mouth, is in the can, and awaiting release some time in the fall. A release party for the Lift Em’ Up Jack, Can I Ride?/Rosie is set for July 20 at the St. Andrew-By-the-Lake Church on Toronto Island, and the band will head out on the road this summer with the Got To Get Got.
A group of Toronto musicians are looking to cause a wave of confusion the next time you hear, “Are you going to Bruce Peninsula?” There are 12 of them, actually, almost enough to start their own tourism board, but I have a feeling they’ll be too busy fighting off the disciples that will quickly be flocking to join their congregation.
Formed in 2006 by Misha Bower and Matt Cully, the Bruce (I’m gonna call them) took their inspiration from American folklorist and musicologist Alan Lomax’s extensive archive, the project quickly ballooned, adding members from a number of different Toronto bands (including Germans, ohbijou, Katie Stelmanis, the Lake Vernon Drowning) to melding an array of sounds mostly borrowed from the music of 100 years past. While folk is likely the best word to nutshell them with, the Bruce are equally a gospel choir in the body of indie kids who’ve been struck down with the blues.
While they certainly follow traditional songbook, the collective certainly add their own finesse to their songs of choice. Set for release as a seven-inch in July on member Neil Haverty’s Escape Goat label, “Lift Em’ Up Jack, Can I Ride?” is their take on late Texas preacher Washington Phillips’ “Lift Him Up That’s All.” Removing the stripped down carousel-spun flourish of the great troubadour, the Bruce channel his spirit into a righteous meld of thumping beats, rickety percussion, blues guitar passages and a feverishly climactic call and response that summons the sweat glands to purge.
The Bruce Peninsula’s debut full-length, A Mountain Is A Mouth, is in the can, and awaiting release some time in the fall. A release party for the Lift Em’ Up Jack, Can I Ride?/Rosie is set for July 20 at the St. Andrew-By-the-Lake Church on Toronto Island, and the band will head out on the road this summer with the Got To Get Got.
AUGUST 2008 - IHEARTMUSIC - FEATURE
It's probably a little early to start thinking about next year's Polaris Prize when they still haven't handed out this year's, but I'm thinking that when people do start looking toward next year's award, Bruce Peninsula is going to be coming up in conversation an awful lot. In part, this is because of early glimpses of their debut full-length, A Mountain is a Mouth. While still far from complete, there's enough to the rough demos floating around that you get the sense the (eight-piece? nine-person? ten-piece? twelve-piece? I don't think they even know how many members the band officially has) collective could really be on to something special with their brand of creepy, Waits-ian folk-rock.
Of course, you can also get that same feeling just from listening to their 7". It may only be two songs in length, but the two songs are exceptionally good. There's definitely tension between frontman Neil Haverty's rough growl and the semi-joyful exuberance of the choir behind him, but as "Lift 'Em Up/Jack, Can I Ride?" shows, it's a welcome. It creates a sense of drama that few, if any, artists can match, and if the full-length follows through on this (and it certainly seems like it will), Bruce Peninsula may just be able to start making plans on how they'll divide up those Polaris winnings.
Of course, you can also get that same feeling just from listening to their 7". It may only be two songs in length, but the two songs are exceptionally good. There's definitely tension between frontman Neil Haverty's rough growl and the semi-joyful exuberance of the choir behind him, but as "Lift 'Em Up/Jack, Can I Ride?" shows, it's a welcome. It creates a sense of drama that few, if any, artists can match, and if the full-length follows through on this (and it certainly seems like it will), Bruce Peninsula may just be able to start making plans on how they'll divide up those Polaris winnings.
AUGUST 2008 - HEROHILL - 7" REVIEW
Two songs. That's all we are talking about. The new Bruce Peninsula 7" is only a brief six minutes and thirty seconds, but when it's done right, sometimes that's all it takes. The Bruce Peninsula is a collective - a rotating cast of characters - but unlike many collectives you read about, the Toronto based band eschews polish and importance, opting for honesty... brutal honesty. The rough edges are left in tact, giving the songs a realism that you crave from music but can't seem to find in today's overproduced world.
They smack you in the mouth as they dip into the past, offering their take on two traditional songs. The results are full of power and soul and start to make you question your beliefs. Stamped percussion, howling vocals and gospel backings; it hits hard and even though you aren't sure if you are heading towards the cross roads or at the pearly gates, there's no doubt there is a spirit bigger than yours you still have to answer to. Whether you should confess, pray or barter for your soul really depends on you?
That's why the recording of this 7" is so perfect. People talk about recording on the floor, but this sounds like it was recorded on your floor and the explosion of sound is meant only for your ears. And for that brief moment, it's just you and your maker because no one else around can do a damn thing to change it.
They smack you in the mouth as they dip into the past, offering their take on two traditional songs. The results are full of power and soul and start to make you question your beliefs. Stamped percussion, howling vocals and gospel backings; it hits hard and even though you aren't sure if you are heading towards the cross roads or at the pearly gates, there's no doubt there is a spirit bigger than yours you still have to answer to. Whether you should confess, pray or barter for your soul really depends on you?
That's why the recording of this 7" is so perfect. People talk about recording on the floor, but this sounds like it was recorded on your floor and the explosion of sound is meant only for your ears. And for that brief moment, it's just you and your maker because no one else around can do a damn thing to change it.
JANUARY 2008 - EYE WEEKLY - CRITICS POLL
Destined for Success in 2008
01 - Born Ruffians
02 - Bruce Peninsula (tied with Kardinal Offishall, Tokyo Police Club)
01 - Born Ruffians
02 - Bruce Peninsula (tied with Kardinal Offishall, Tokyo Police Club)
DECEMBER 2007 - EXCLAIM - CRITICS POLL
Voted into the Top 5 Artists to Watch for 2008:
Every once in a while a band so uniquely powerful comes along, they renew your faith in music. For the lucky few who’ve seen them live already, Toronto’s alt-gospel 11-piece Bruce Peninsula is one. Melding a chorus of voices influenced by ancient field recordings of spiritual blues songs with post-rock musical arrangements, this congregation is a stirring force. Currently perfecting their debut album for a spring release, Bruce Peninsula were born to be believed in.
Every once in a while a band so uniquely powerful comes along, they renew your faith in music. For the lucky few who’ve seen them live already, Toronto’s alt-gospel 11-piece Bruce Peninsula is one. Melding a chorus of voices influenced by ancient field recordings of spiritual blues songs with post-rock musical arrangements, this congregation is a stirring force. Currently perfecting their debut album for a spring release, Bruce Peninsula were born to be believed in.
NOVEMBER 2007 - OTTAWA XPRESS - FEATURE
There's something extremely special about two voices connecting in the right way. If you don't think so, then imagine all music was a bad night of karaoke at Shanghai. We need perfect harmonies in our music, and when a band can harness them, like New Pornographers or Arcade Fire, the results are stunning. Likewise, Toronto's Bruce Peninsula is all about seeking the spiritual in the harmonies of its many singers. Taking a page from Canada's recent bigger-is-better approach to bands, the lineup includes 11 musicians. "The reason we got more people involved in the first place was because we knew we wanted a lot of singing," Neil Haverty clarifies. "The specific starting point came when Matt [Cully] proposed we do an old chain gang song called Rosie for our second show. The song called for a big group of singers, so we taught it to a bunch of our friends in the parking lot behind the club and performed it 20 minutes later. That turned out really well, and when we heard it, the idea of an 11-member band started to make sense."
To put it simply, Bruce Peninsula is looking for something unique and lasting. As Matt Cully notes, "We really want to avoid the trappings of rock, indie rock, or whatever the dominant style is in this month's [music] magazines. Having a large group takes the pressure off the individual and allows us to experiment with all sorts of subtleties and to explore sonic territories that require more than a few hands."
Indeed, what better place is there for a choir to sing in than a church?
"We've managed to get some really magnificent natural reverb and wide-open sounds," Haverty explains about recording in a church for their upcoming debut album. "Some of those recordings have choirs that are 30 or 40 people strong, and every one of them is singing their heart out. There's something about a big group of people singing that's inherently moving, no matter what kind of song they're singing, and we know we want to channel some of that." Though the album won't be out until next year, you can still check out live recordings of upcoming songs at www.myspace.com/brucepeninsula . See them now so you can brag about it later.
To put it simply, Bruce Peninsula is looking for something unique and lasting. As Matt Cully notes, "We really want to avoid the trappings of rock, indie rock, or whatever the dominant style is in this month's [music] magazines. Having a large group takes the pressure off the individual and allows us to experiment with all sorts of subtleties and to explore sonic territories that require more than a few hands."
Indeed, what better place is there for a choir to sing in than a church?
"We've managed to get some really magnificent natural reverb and wide-open sounds," Haverty explains about recording in a church for their upcoming debut album. "Some of those recordings have choirs that are 30 or 40 people strong, and every one of them is singing their heart out. There's something about a big group of people singing that's inherently moving, no matter what kind of song they're singing, and we know we want to channel some of that." Though the album won't be out until next year, you can still check out live recordings of upcoming songs at www.myspace.com/brucepeninsula . See them now so you can brag about it later.
NOVEMBER 2007 - ITSNOTHEBANDIHATE - LIVE REVIEW
Although their music is not even remotely religious, it does have a slight gospel feel to it. This is probably because of the six female choir singing and clapping along with unmitigated enthusiasm. Lead vocalist Neil Haverty uses his bluesy yelp to lead the parade, creating an atmosphere that is stimulating and inspirational. More than all else, their performance really encourages a musical sense of community, that leaves one believing in an old, and perhaps unreasonably optimistic, cliché. That is, that maybe music does have the ability to change the world. OK, cheesy and extreme I guess, but Bruce Peninsula can at least make you feel that way.
NOVEMBER 2007 - TORONTOINDIE - LIVE REVIEW
I arrived while Bruce Peninsula had control of the stage—and I do mean control. It was hard not to notice the sights and sounds of the 11 people on stage. With three drummers and five additional singers behind lead vocalist, Neil Haverty, one might wonder why a band of Bruce Peninsula's size would limit itself to such a small number of live instruments, but while each member could have easily grabbed a small percussive instrument to play, the band's large gospel-like chants were enough to turn any head in the place, and move a few feet to boot. The music itself had a Tom-Waits feel, bouncing along nicely with the help of some interesting drumming.
NOVEMBER 2007 - OTTAWA SUN - FEATURE
"Don't you think it's kind of ridiculous that a band could have 'buzz' after fewer than 20 shows?"
The question is posed by Neil Haverty of Toronto's Bruce Peninsula, a confounding collective that takes as its starting point the raw roots-productions of late folklorist Alan Lomax -- and, in particular, the spirit of old-time gospel music. The band has been at the centre of much buzz during its short time as a performing unit.
While the group's first CD is months away from completion, numerous bloggers and critics have declared Bruce Peninsula to be hot.
A reality that troubles Haverty.
"Our band is still a baby," he cautions, "and there are a lot of bands out there that have been at it a lot longer, that deserve to be buzzed about. We'd prefer it if buzz didn't rear its ugly head just yet. Buzz is bad news for the longevity and sanity of a new band."
Fortunately, the band's determination to release no CD before its time is likely to stall any such threats. Once it arrives, the debut release will be worth the wait.
"I guess you could call it perfectionism," Haverty concedes, "but we just think of it as doing things right. We've spent a lot of time writing these songs; we're going to take as long as we need to record them. The record will hold the definitive versions of these songs we've been playing, so we have to make sure what we're hearing in the speakers matches up with what we hear in our heads.
"We have that luxury, I think, because nobody is expecting anything from us yet -- and those who are expecting something seem to be willing to wait for the fully formed thought."
The question is posed by Neil Haverty of Toronto's Bruce Peninsula, a confounding collective that takes as its starting point the raw roots-productions of late folklorist Alan Lomax -- and, in particular, the spirit of old-time gospel music. The band has been at the centre of much buzz during its short time as a performing unit.
While the group's first CD is months away from completion, numerous bloggers and critics have declared Bruce Peninsula to be hot.
A reality that troubles Haverty.
"Our band is still a baby," he cautions, "and there are a lot of bands out there that have been at it a lot longer, that deserve to be buzzed about. We'd prefer it if buzz didn't rear its ugly head just yet. Buzz is bad news for the longevity and sanity of a new band."
Fortunately, the band's determination to release no CD before its time is likely to stall any such threats. Once it arrives, the debut release will be worth the wait.
"I guess you could call it perfectionism," Haverty concedes, "but we just think of it as doing things right. We've spent a lot of time writing these songs; we're going to take as long as we need to record them. The record will hold the definitive versions of these songs we've been playing, so we have to make sure what we're hearing in the speakers matches up with what we hear in our heads.
"We have that luxury, I think, because nobody is expecting anything from us yet -- and those who are expecting something seem to be willing to wait for the fully formed thought."
NOVEMBER 2007 - CHROMEWAVES - LIVE REVIEW
First up was Bruce Peninsula and, after seeing them at Dog Day Afternoon in the Summer, it was strange to see them indoors rather than under the late afternoon, country sky. Once underway, though, the eleven-piece outfit - more congregation than band - somehow managed to recreate that sense of elemental urgency, not unlike an impending thunderstorm. There's a rawness to their foreboding country gospel aesthetic that connects on a very primal level and as they continue to work on their debut album, I wonder how it'll be possible to capture that energy to tape. Maybe it'd be better to simply pile into a covered wagon and travel the country spreading the good word in person. Check them out on November 24 at the Horseshoe with The Acorn and be saved. Or damned. Or both.
SEPTEMBER 2007 - EYE WEEKLY - FEATURE
Neil Haverty had only been to church once before in his life. He was in Grade 3, and was the only sinner in a car driven by the more spiritually inclined. He was also the only one to be injured in a car accident on the way home that fateful day. Three stitches later, he decided never to go back.
But on a muggy August night at St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, Haverty stands on the altar and leads a congregation of eight other friends in a series of spiritual call-and-response numbers accented by handclaps and foot stomps, voices resonating from the rafters.
Haverty and his bandmates in Bruce Peninsula weren't at the church that night as a part of its normal Anglican services. During the week, St. George's doubles as the Music Gallery, home to folkies and freaks of every stripe. It's a venue that every member of Bruce Peninsula has haunted since they moved to Toronto individually from various surrounding suburbs and towns.
On this night, it's the ideal space to record vocals for their debut album. Haverty serves as the scruffy-voiced centre of the band, though it was founded by guitarist Matt Cully and lead female vocalist Misha Bower. Cully urges him to "rip your voice apart on this one." After a take, Haverty humbly asks the assembled choir, "Am I coming through too 'urrrrgh' for you?" Choir-girl Katie Stelmanis responds, "You can never be 'urrrrgh' enough for this song."
The morning after, a pesky EYE WEEKLY reporter hauls Haverty (whose writing also appears occasionally in these pages) and Cully out of bed at 9am, scant hours after they retired from festivities the night before. Despite a lack of caffeine, Haverty and Cully are remarkably articulate while discussing the document they'd just made.
"We were humbled by the space, and that added to the performances," says Cully, who – unlike Haverty – did grow up going to church. "Everyone was a lot more focused and willing to work. Hanging out in that space, sitting in church pews and hearing other people sing is different from hearing Misha do a great job in an isolation booth while we're eating nachos on the street or something. It's what I'm going to remember the most about making the record."
Cully is also part of the popular DJ duo Goin' Steady, spinning vintage soul music. But after immersing himself in Alan Lomax's field recordings of traditional American music, Cully enlisted his friend Bower to play some of those songs, and Haverty joined for their second show, in August 2006. A snowballing roster of members now includes Casey Mecija of Ohbijou, and solo artists Stelmanis and Isla Craig – all of whom are playing larger roles.
"On all the new songs we've written, we're working towards less of a lead-and-follow and more of a group," says Cully. "[On] the last song we wrote there are three leads and a constant group presence."
"Bruce Peninsula sounds this way now," adds Haverty, "but with nine people who are as creative as they are, I think we have four or five records planned that are not this."
"This" is a visceral yet modern take on traditional forms, focusing on the full vocal possibilities of a choir with elemental percussion, and driven by primal rhythms that draw indirect lines to First Nations or African music. The spiritual element is paramount in every note, whether or not there are direct religious references in the lyrics.
When asked whether they themselves get right with God, Haverty says simply, "Whether we believe in God or not, we believe in the energy of those songs."
Heaven can wait when it comes to the finished recorded product, which might arrive as late as next spring, depending on various circumstances – including the fact that Bower commutes to Toronto from Moncton for gigs and recording sessions.
"We're all such music geeks who fetishize records," says Cully. "So if we're going to make a record, it has to be the one that goes above the mantelpiece and that we're really proud of and have no regrets."
Haverty adds, "Because we're all friends, it's important to look at it as a yearbook, so that when we're 70 years old – whether this band implodes right after the record or lasts 10 years – this is the last year and a half of our lives and it's going to be in glorious surround sound."
But on a muggy August night at St. George the Martyr Anglican Church, Haverty stands on the altar and leads a congregation of eight other friends in a series of spiritual call-and-response numbers accented by handclaps and foot stomps, voices resonating from the rafters.
Haverty and his bandmates in Bruce Peninsula weren't at the church that night as a part of its normal Anglican services. During the week, St. George's doubles as the Music Gallery, home to folkies and freaks of every stripe. It's a venue that every member of Bruce Peninsula has haunted since they moved to Toronto individually from various surrounding suburbs and towns.
On this night, it's the ideal space to record vocals for their debut album. Haverty serves as the scruffy-voiced centre of the band, though it was founded by guitarist Matt Cully and lead female vocalist Misha Bower. Cully urges him to "rip your voice apart on this one." After a take, Haverty humbly asks the assembled choir, "Am I coming through too 'urrrrgh' for you?" Choir-girl Katie Stelmanis responds, "You can never be 'urrrrgh' enough for this song."
The morning after, a pesky EYE WEEKLY reporter hauls Haverty (whose writing also appears occasionally in these pages) and Cully out of bed at 9am, scant hours after they retired from festivities the night before. Despite a lack of caffeine, Haverty and Cully are remarkably articulate while discussing the document they'd just made.
"We were humbled by the space, and that added to the performances," says Cully, who – unlike Haverty – did grow up going to church. "Everyone was a lot more focused and willing to work. Hanging out in that space, sitting in church pews and hearing other people sing is different from hearing Misha do a great job in an isolation booth while we're eating nachos on the street or something. It's what I'm going to remember the most about making the record."
Cully is also part of the popular DJ duo Goin' Steady, spinning vintage soul music. But after immersing himself in Alan Lomax's field recordings of traditional American music, Cully enlisted his friend Bower to play some of those songs, and Haverty joined for their second show, in August 2006. A snowballing roster of members now includes Casey Mecija of Ohbijou, and solo artists Stelmanis and Isla Craig – all of whom are playing larger roles.
"On all the new songs we've written, we're working towards less of a lead-and-follow and more of a group," says Cully. "[On] the last song we wrote there are three leads and a constant group presence."
"Bruce Peninsula sounds this way now," adds Haverty, "but with nine people who are as creative as they are, I think we have four or five records planned that are not this."
"This" is a visceral yet modern take on traditional forms, focusing on the full vocal possibilities of a choir with elemental percussion, and driven by primal rhythms that draw indirect lines to First Nations or African music. The spiritual element is paramount in every note, whether or not there are direct religious references in the lyrics.
When asked whether they themselves get right with God, Haverty says simply, "Whether we believe in God or not, we believe in the energy of those songs."
Heaven can wait when it comes to the finished recorded product, which might arrive as late as next spring, depending on various circumstances – including the fact that Bower commutes to Toronto from Moncton for gigs and recording sessions.
"We're all such music geeks who fetishize records," says Cully. "So if we're going to make a record, it has to be the one that goes above the mantelpiece and that we're really proud of and have no regrets."
Haverty adds, "Because we're all friends, it's important to look at it as a yearbook, so that when we're 70 years old – whether this band implodes right after the record or lasts 10 years – this is the last year and a half of our lives and it's going to be in glorious surround sound."
AUGUST 2007 - CHROMEWAVES - LIVE REVIEW
I'd been meaning to see the Bruce Peninsula a few times this Summer but hadn't gotten the chance till now. Comprised of a slew of Toronto musicians who split their time amongst numerous other gigs (how novel!), Bruce Peninsula stood out for how they utilized most of them - rather than hand everyone a guitar and jam it out, the five ladies in the band acted as a choir, though not of angels - more like ghosts. When combined with the raw field holler of bandleader Neil Haverty, they evoked a blend of deep gospel and blues and Southern Gothic that was unexpected and mesmerizing. They're working at committing their songs to wire recorder and play next at the Tranzac on September 5.
AUGUST 2007 - HIPPODROME - LIVE REVIEW
Think for a second about the number of times you’ve asked an artist what their biggest influence is. Now think about the number of times you got Alan Lomax (a storied ethnomusicologist who traveled the American south collecting field recordings) as an answer. “We’ve always wanted the Lomax influence to be just a piece of what we do,” says Neil Haverty, who sings and plays guitar, snare, and metalophone in Bruce Peninsula. “It showed us a lot about what it takes to be really good singers and gave us an authentic alternative to some of the more contrived, affected singing that happens in indie rock.”
Judging by what’s come my way, Bruce Peninsula seems to deliver one of the most authentic vocal performances I’ve heard in quite a while. All eleven members — Matt Cully, Misha Bower, Neil Haverty, Andrew Barker, Steve McKay, Isla Craig, Katie Stelmanis, Casey Mecija, Kari Peddle, Maya Postepski, and Leon Tahen contribute to the choir. The band has begun work on their first record which I predict will make some serious waves, pun half intended. Haverty tells me it’s being recorded all over Toronto, most recently at St. George the Martyr, a huge Anglican church.
Even with quite a smaller budget than Canadian cohort’s The Arcade Fire’s church project, also known as Neon Bible, there’s reason to believe that this record will have some serious soul. This notion is reinforced not only by one of Final Fantasy’s engineers (Leon Taheny) manning the knobs and contributing musically, but also by the painstaking construction of the dense vocal parts that the band takes such pride in.
Understandably reluctant to pigeonhole themselves in any stylistic niche, Haverty, under duress, suggests a similarity to pop experimentalists like Smog, The Dirty Projectors, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. “I was once told that we sound like Will Oldham fronting an aboriginal women’s choir,” Haverty says.
I can’t imagine that could be taken as anything less than a compliment, especially for this culturally fascinated super group, although I have trouble hearing it. I suppose its not hard to believe when you consider that BP has been playing Washington Phillips and Vera Ward Hall covers since day one, which have also been covered in recent years by Mr. Oldham himself.
“We’ve been careful not to play too much,” Haverty says, “because a band that plays any gig that comes their way is either going to burn out really fast or make people sick of them.” This maturity is rare in bands who haven’t even dropped their first record, and speaks volumes about these Canadians who may soon make every hipster in North America add Alan Lomax to their record rotation.
Judging by what’s come my way, Bruce Peninsula seems to deliver one of the most authentic vocal performances I’ve heard in quite a while. All eleven members — Matt Cully, Misha Bower, Neil Haverty, Andrew Barker, Steve McKay, Isla Craig, Katie Stelmanis, Casey Mecija, Kari Peddle, Maya Postepski, and Leon Tahen contribute to the choir. The band has begun work on their first record which I predict will make some serious waves, pun half intended. Haverty tells me it’s being recorded all over Toronto, most recently at St. George the Martyr, a huge Anglican church.
Even with quite a smaller budget than Canadian cohort’s The Arcade Fire’s church project, also known as Neon Bible, there’s reason to believe that this record will have some serious soul. This notion is reinforced not only by one of Final Fantasy’s engineers (Leon Taheny) manning the knobs and contributing musically, but also by the painstaking construction of the dense vocal parts that the band takes such pride in.
Understandably reluctant to pigeonhole themselves in any stylistic niche, Haverty, under duress, suggests a similarity to pop experimentalists like Smog, The Dirty Projectors, and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. “I was once told that we sound like Will Oldham fronting an aboriginal women’s choir,” Haverty says.
I can’t imagine that could be taken as anything less than a compliment, especially for this culturally fascinated super group, although I have trouble hearing it. I suppose its not hard to believe when you consider that BP has been playing Washington Phillips and Vera Ward Hall covers since day one, which have also been covered in recent years by Mr. Oldham himself.
“We’ve been careful not to play too much,” Haverty says, “because a band that plays any gig that comes their way is either going to burn out really fast or make people sick of them.” This maturity is rare in bands who haven’t even dropped their first record, and speaks volumes about these Canadians who may soon make every hipster in North America add Alan Lomax to their record rotation.
JULY 2007 - MONDO - LIVE REVIEW
The members of Bruce Peninsula walked from the back of the pews onto the stage, sporting various percussion instruments. I can't describe Bruce Peninsula's music with reference to any single pre-existing musical style in particular, and I can't imagine better praise for a band. Clearly, the four female vocalists were singing in a style redolent of American folk and labour songs, hence the "Lomax" thing (Alan Lomax being the United States' pre-eminent folk-musicologist of the 20th century). And yet, their vibraphone pulled the band in another, jazzy direction, while the electric guitars pushed Bruce Peninsula into the instrumental indie of, say, The Advantage. Sometimes even the vocals switched into more of a pop music mode, recalling Fleetwood Mac more than The Carter Family. Add seamless transitions in-between songs and some sweet call and response and you have BrucePeninsulamusic, and it's wonderful.
JULY 2007 - RADIOFREECANUCKISTAN - LIVE REVIEW
The highlight for many was Bruce Peninsula, a new Toronto band that's evolved over the space of ten gigs in the last year. Rooted in traditional spirituals and blues, the rugged gospel vocals are shared by a female choir and guitarist /marimba man Neil Haverty, with a dextrous rhythm section behind them that have obviously been schooled by the Thrill Jockey roster while simultaneously soaking up the Alan Lomax collection.
But the specifics aren't as important here as the effect it had on the audience. There's an inherent joy in seeing a family band such as this: mixed gender, choral vocals, and melodies meant to uplift and offer some glimpse of salvation. The staging helped, as well: an ever-so-slightly-sloped tiny natural ampitheatre, where the stage was set in a beautiful orchard; one had to peer through tree branches to see some band members.
Because of the size of the band (approx. nine or ten, if my sunstroked memory serves correctly), they obviously had many friends in the tightly knit audience. But for everyone else, it was one of those moments where with each successive song, you could feel everyone around you falling deeper in love and losing themselves in the joy of the moment. Applause and enthusiasms increased exponentially after each song, with some even moved to tears. These are the moments that every music fan lives for, the kind that are all too often spoiled by hype machines both macro and micro. Even writing about this now seems to sully the special moment.
But the specifics aren't as important here as the effect it had on the audience. There's an inherent joy in seeing a family band such as this: mixed gender, choral vocals, and melodies meant to uplift and offer some glimpse of salvation. The staging helped, as well: an ever-so-slightly-sloped tiny natural ampitheatre, where the stage was set in a beautiful orchard; one had to peer through tree branches to see some band members.
Because of the size of the band (approx. nine or ten, if my sunstroked memory serves correctly), they obviously had many friends in the tightly knit audience. But for everyone else, it was one of those moments where with each successive song, you could feel everyone around you falling deeper in love and losing themselves in the joy of the moment. Applause and enthusiasms increased exponentially after each song, with some even moved to tears. These are the moments that every music fan lives for, the kind that are all too often spoiled by hype machines both macro and micro. Even writing about this now seems to sully the special moment.
JULY 2007 - EYE DAILY - LIVE REVIEW
Neil Haverty's newest gospel-pop-folk incarnation, Bruce Peninsula, followed with a jaw-dropping show that was still being raved about well into the next day (and shouldn't be missed at their upcoming Music Gallery show) The whimsical banners of the stage set made me think for a moment I was at the Nimus Festival, and it was not unlike being present at the initiation rites of a new religion, whose tenets were as yet unclear. Impeccably rehearsed and beautifully arranged, the vocal parts of the five exceptional women singers wove in and out of — and sometimes marched through — the gorgeous and fully-realized guitar melodies of Haverty and company. No easy musical comparisons come to mind, though the unabashed joyfulness was somewhat like Danielson Famile without the self-consciousness, and when the band (after inadvertently trashing the stage) joined the audience in the grass and led a gospel singalong, the love-in was consummated.
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