The Weekend was a
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
band from
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, Canada.
The Weekend has lent its music to feature film soundtracks (''
Freaky Friday
''Freaky Friday'' is a comedic children's novel written by Mary Rodgers, first published by Harper & Row in 1972. It has been adapted for several films, including versions in 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2018, and was reinterpreted as a horror film f ...
'', ''
Uptown Girls
''Uptown Girls'' is a 2003 American comedy-drama film directed by Boaz Yakin, from a screenplay by Julia Dahl, Mo Ogrodnik and Lisa Davidowitz adapted from the story by Allison Jacobs. It stars Brittany Murphy as a 22-year-old living a charmed li ...
'', ''
D.E.B.S.'') and television shows such as ''
The Simple Life
''The Simple Life'' is an American reality television series starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. It depicts the two wealthy socialites, as they struggle to do manual, low-paying jobs such as cleaning rooms, farm work, serving meals in fast ...
2'' and ''Mary-Kate and Ashley's So Little Time''.
The band name led fellow Canadian musician
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
to spell his name without the last “e”, to avoid copyright issues.
History
Co-founders Andrea Wasse (vocals, chief songwriter) and Link C.(synthesizer, programming) were in high school when they formed the band with Lorien Jones (bass) and Mike Clive (drums). Their first performance was in 1998. Originally a swing band who were part of the 90's
swing revival
The swing revival, also called retro swing and neo-swing, was a renewed interest in swing music, beginning around 1989 and reaching a peak from the early/mid to late 1990s. The music was generally rooted in the big bands of the swing era of the ...
, the band reoriented towards pop and
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...
.
Its second performance was as an opening act for an audience of over 500 people. The Weekend quickly gained a loyal audience in the
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula bounded by Lake Huron, including Georgian Bay, to the north and northwest; the St. Clair River, Lake St. ...
independent music scene.
2000–2005
The Weekend issued three albums produced as pop music with themes that revolve around the attainment of 'perfect love'. They travelled worldwide and with popularity in Asia and Australia. In 2004, it toured
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
as part of Soundrenaline 2004, the largest rock music festival in the country.
Solo work (2004-2010)
Andrea Wasse co-wrote for ''
Canadian Idol
''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show ''Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore ...
'' (2004),
CTV Television
The CTV Television Network, commonly known as CTV, is a Canadian English-language terrestrial television network. Launched in 1961 and acquired by BCE Inc. in 2000, CTV is Canada's largest privately owned television network and is now a divisi ...
series ''Instant Star'', and album tracks for artists
Jenna G
Un-Cut were a British group from Manchester, England, composed of Darren Lewis and Iyiola Babalola from the music production duo Future Cut, and vocalist Jenna Gibbons (Jenna G).
Prior to forming Un-Cut, their first collaboration was in 2001 w ...
and Amanda Stott.
[
Wasse co-wrote "Watch Me Move" performed by ]Fefe Dobson
Felicia Lily Dobson (born February 28, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Born in Toronto, Ontario, she began performing as a teenager, during which time she received and refused an offer from Jive Records for a recording contract. Dobso ...
. "I'm a Lady" is another one of the songs Wasse co-wrote. The songs appeared on Dobson's album ''Joy
The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness.
Dictionary definitions
Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
'' released in November 2010.
Discography
''The Weekend'' (2000)
# "The Single"
# "New Fast (Right Behind You)"
# "My Way"
# "What I Die For"
# "Fleetwood"
# "High School America"
# "Drummer"
# "Maracas"
# "Cindy"
# "Heard It On the Radio"
# "Boy You" - bonus outtake track.
''Teaser EP'' (2002)
# "Bring It On"
# "80's Rockstar"
# "Perfect World"
# "Victory"
# "Out of Sight"
''Teaser + Bonus Level'' (2003)
# "Bring It On"
# "80's Rockstar"
# "Perfect World"
# "Victory"
# "Out of Sight"
# "Work It Out"
# "The Single"
# "Baby C'mon (Nu New Fast)"
# "Me vs. the World"
# "Workin' for The Weekend"
# "Boy You" - bonus (non-outtake) track.
# "Do This" - bonus outtake track from previous album's sessions - iTunes store exclusive.
''Kiss Kiss'' (2003) -- Exclusive to Australia and Japan
# "80's Rockstar"
# "Bring It On"
# "Perfect World"
# "NYLA"
# "Into the Morning"
# "Victory"
# "Out of Sight"
# "Work It Out"
# "Sex Kitten"
# "Anything for You"
# "Boy You" - bonus (non-outtake) track.
''Beatbox My Heartbeat'' (2005)
# " Into The Morning"
# "There Goes My Heart"
# "Temporary Insanity"
# "Cold Feet"
# "Disconnected"
# "NYLA"
# "California"
# "Pretty from the Outside"
# "Start It"
# "Flipside"
References
External links
New Music Canada Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weekend, The
1998 establishments in Ontario
Canadian pop rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1998
Musical groups from London, Ontario