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Wintersleep is a Canadian
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...
band formed in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
in 2001.Heidi Ulrichsen
"Wintersleep offers 'sneak peeks' of new album at Boreal"
''Sudbury Star'', June 30, 2014.
The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist and guitarist Paul Murphy, guitarist and keyboardist Tim d'Eon, and drummer Loel Campbell. In 2002, Jud Haynes joined the band as bass guitarist until 2007. In 2005, Mike Bigelow joined on keyboards until 2006, after which he played bass, until 2016. Since 2006, Jon Samuel has served as a backing vocalist, keyboardist, and guitarist, while Chris Bell has served as a backing vocalist and bass guitarist since 2016. Bigelow returned to the band in 2021. In 2005, Wintersleep opened for
Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...
for two shows in
St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
at the Mile One Stadium. The band received a
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
in 2008.
Ben Rayner Ben Rayner is a music critic and writer for the ''Toronto Star'' since 1998. His commentary on artists is extensively cited across the industry. Indie88 considers him "of the most respected industry professionals around." In 2012, he served on t ...

"Wintersleep's hit echoes U.S. political tenor"
''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', November 29, 2016. page E1
To date, Wintersleep have released seven studio albums.


History


First three albums: 2001–07

Wintersleep formed in 2001.True, Chris " Wintersleep Biography, ''
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'', Macrovision Corporation
Originally from the small town of
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Yarmouth is a town in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. A port town, industries include fishing, and tourism. It is the terminus of a ferry service to Bar Harbor, Maine, run by Bay Ferries. History Originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq, the regi ...
, members Paul Murphy and Tim d'Eon had known each other through their previous progressive rock band, Kary, which they formed in the mid-1990s, while still in high school, with drummer Mark d'Eon and bassist Jesse Luke. Kary released two official albums, ''The Sound of Beauty Breathing'' in 2001 and ''Light'' in 2004, before disbanding. Murphy was friends with drummer Loel Campbell, a native of
Stellarton Stellarton is a town located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is adjacent and to the south of the larger town of New Glasgow. In pioneer times the area was called Coal Mines Station, and from 1833 until 1889, it was known as Albion Min ...
, with whom he recorded a number of songs. Tim d'Eon and bassist Jud Haynes soon joined them, and they named themselves Wintersleep. They released two albums through
Dependent Music Dependent Music was a Canadian independent record label, owned and operated by the artists that were a part of the collective. Dependent Music was formed by Brian Borcherdt in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1994. Artists who have released material ...
, a label and artist collective formed in
Yarmouth Yarmouth may refer to: Places Canada *Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia **Yarmouth, Nova Scotia **Municipality of the District of Yarmouth **Yarmouth (provincial electoral district) **Yarmouth (electoral district) * Yarmouth Township, Ontario *New ...
, Nova Scotia in 1994. In 2006, Wintersleep signed with Labwork Music, a partnership label of Sonic Unyon and EMI Music Canada, and re-released their first two studio albums. The re-releases included bonus tracks and videos not featured in the originals. On October 2, 2007, Wintersleep released their third full-length album, ''
Welcome to the Night Sky ''Welcome to the Night Sky'' is the third album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep. It was released October 2, 2007, by Labwork Music. In 2008, just after the album's release, Wintersleep won the Juno Award for New Group of the Year. The ...
''. A limited edition of the record, on vinyl, with alternative artwork, was published by
Hand Drawn Dracula Hand Drawn Dracula (HDD) is a Toronto-based independent record label. Artists who have released music on the label include Beliefs, Breeze, Brian Borcherdt, Bruce Peninsula, By Divine Right, Chastity, Dusted, Julie Fader, No Joy, Postdata, Ta ...
. They won the 2008
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
for New Group of the Year.


New albums, increased exposure: 2009–14

Wintersleep was selected as one of the opening acts by
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
for his concert at
Halifax Common The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park. History The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which fo ...
on July 11, 2009. That year, the band toured in support of ''Welcome to the Night Sky'' and also began writing their next record, ''
New Inheritors ''New Inheritors'' is the fourth album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep, released on May 17, 2010, in Europe, and in North America on May 18. The band began working on the album in September 2009. The mixing process finished in January 2 ...
'', which came out on May 17 in Europe and May 18 in North America. Their fifth album, ''
Hello Hum ''Hello Hum'' is the fifth album by Canadian indie rock band Wintersleep, released on June 12, 2012. The band started writing the album during the ''New Inheritors'' tour in 2010 and 2011, via "late night voice memo'd bedroom demos, hallucinog ...
'', was published in 2012. The group's song "Weighty Ghost" was used in the 2008 film ''
One Week One Week may refer to: * One Week (1920 film), ''One Week'' (1920 film), a short film starring and co-directed by Buster Keaton * One Week (2008 film), ''One Week'' (2008 film), a Canadian feature film directed by Michael McGowan * One Week (song), ...
'', in both the trailer and one of the final scenes. In 2010, the song was included in ''The Top 100 Canadian Singles'' by ''
National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
''s Bob Mersereau. Wintersleep performed "Weighty Ghost" on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...
'' on January 14, 2011. In 2011, the song appeared on the TV series '' Being Human'' and was also used in the background of a
Molson Canadian Molson Canadian is a brand of 5% abv lager beer (4% in Ireland) brewed by Molson Brewing, the Canadian division of Molson Coors Brewing Company. The beer was introduced in 1959. Awards Molson Canadian has won several beer industry awards, inclu ...
commercial, advertising the "Red Leaf Project". In 2013, "Weighty Ghost" became the theme music of the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
television crime drama '' Cracked''. Wintersleep toured extensively during 2013, including as the opening act for Scottish indie band
Frightened Rabbit Frightened Rabbit were a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. Initially a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, the final lineup of the band consisted of Hutchison, his brother Grant (drums), Billy Kennedy ...
, who invited them on their UK tour and later their North American tour. Wintersleep also opened for Frightened Rabbit on the latter's North American dates in early 2018. In 2014, the band recorded eleven tracks at The Sonic Temple studio in Halifax. That year, they also performed on a moving streetcar at the North by Northeast festival in Toronto.


New label and further releases: 2015–present

In December 2015, Wintersleep signed with Dine Alone Records. In January 2016, they premiered the song "Amerika" through ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
s blog. On March 4 of that year, the band released their sixth studio album, ''The Great Detachment'', through Dine Alone.
Rush Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
bassist and vocalist, Geddy Lee, played on the track "Territory". On Valentine's Day 2018, Wintersleep announced that their first three albums would be reissued on vinyl, with a bonus 7" single including previously unreleased tracks. In December 2018, the band announced their next album, '' In the Land Of''. It was released on March 29, 2019, by Dine Alone. The album release was supported by a national tour, from March 20 to May 3, 2019, with some but not all dates featuring
Partner Partner, Partners, The Partner, or, The Partners may refer to: Books * ''The Partner'' (Grisham novel), by John Grisham, 1997 * ''The Partner'' (Jenaro Prieto novel), 1928 * ''The Partners'' (book), a 1983 book by James B. Stewart * ''Partner'' (m ...
as the opening act. Wintersleep was joined by Montreal band Caveboy as the opening act at four Ontario tour dates. ''In the Land Of'' went on to be long-listed for the
Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize; the prize was incr ...
. In September 2019, Wintersleep embarked on a tour of Europe, following the worldwide digital release of "Free Fall" and "Fading Out", on September 9, 2019. The two singles were originally released on
Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...
and became the top-selling release of the national event.


Other projects

The band's members frequently collaborate outside of Wintersleep. Murphy and d'Eon played together in the band Kary. Drummer Campbell also performed with Kary and is a member of several other projects, including
Contrived Contrived is a Canadian indie rock band."C ...
, Holy Fuck,
Hayden Hayden may refer to: Places Inhabited places in the United States *Hayden, Alabama *Hayden, Arizona *Hayden's Ferry, former name of Tempe, Arizona *Hayden, California, former name of Hayden Hill, California *Hayden, Colorado *Hayden, Idaho *Hayden ...
,
Chikita Violenta Chikita Violenta is a Mexican indie rock band from Mexico City. The band members are Luis Arce, Andrés Velasco, Esteban Suárez and Armando David. They all met in high school between 1994 and 1997. Since the beginning of the band, Chikita Violen ...
, Land of Talk, The Holy Shroud, and The Remains of Brian Borcherdt. Murphy collaborated with various other musicians, including his brother, on his solo project Postdata. ''Let's Be Wilderness'', the 2018 album by Postdata, features Campbell and d'Eon. Bigelow plays bass in Contrived with Campbell and also performs with Holy Fuck and The Holy Shroud. d'Eon played guitar for Contrived before Samuel joined the group, appearing on Contrived's first record, ''Pursuit of Plots'', and the second album, ''Dead Air Verbatim''. Samuel was a member of Halifax band Slight Return.


Band members

Current * Loel Campbell – drums, guitar (2001–present) * Paul Murphy – vocals, guitar (2001–present) * Tim d'Eon – guitar, keyboards (2001–present) * Jon Samuel – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar (2006–present) * Mike Bigelow – bass guitar (2007–2016, 2021–present), keyboards (2005–2006) Past * Jud Haynes – bass guitar (2002–2007) * Chris Bell – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–2020)


Discography


Studio albums


Singles


Videography


Awards

* 2008:
Juno Award The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
for New Group of the Year * 2008:
Much Music Video Award The iHeartRadio MMVAs were an annual awards show broadcast on Much to honour the year's best music videos that was last held in 2018. Originally debuting in 1990 as the Canadian Music Video Awards, the awards were renamed in 1995 to the MuchMu ...
– VideoFACT Award for "Weighty Ghost"


References


External links

*
Labwork Music
record label
2012 Off-stage video recording session
with ''They Shoot Music Don't They'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Wintersleep Musical groups established in 2001 Musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canadian indie rock groups Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year winners Sonic Unyon artists