By Divine Right is a Canadian

indie rock Indie rock is a 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 music they produ ...

band led by

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

ist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras.

History

The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bass guitarist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve BermanGraham Rockingham, "Placing By Divine Right in the proper light". '' Hamilton Spectator'', February 12, 2016. while members were attending Thornlea Secondary School in

Thornhill, Ontario Thornhill is a suburban district in the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada, split between the City of Vaughan (its western portion) and the City of Markham (its eastern portion), with Yonge Street forming the municipal boundary. T ...

. The band issued a number of independent releases before signing to

Squirtgun Records Squirtgun Records was an independent record label founded by Lee Maslin in 1994 specializing largely in releases by Canadian rock bands. Artists who have worked with the label include Shortfall, hHead, Scratching Post, Treble Charger, Radioblas ...

for their 1997 album ''All Hail Discordia''. Bassist

Brendan Canning Brendan may refer to: People * Saint Brendan the Navigator (c. 484 – c. 577) was an Irish monastic saint. * Saint Brendan of Birr (died 573), Abbot of Birr in Co. Offaly, contemporaneous with the above * Brendan (given name), a masculine given ...

and guitarist Leslie Feist joined the band for their 1999 release ''Bless This Mess'', which was supported by a national tour opening for

The Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...

. Canning and Feist later left the band, and co-founded

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Canning, the oth ...

. In 2001, the band released the album ''Good Morning Beautiful''. In 2003, By Divine Right was one of the only Canadian bands to do a concert tour of China. From 2001 to 2004, the band's line up consisted of Contreras, Colleen Hixenbaugh,

Brian Borcherdt Brian Borcherdt (born August 31, 1976) is a Canadian musician who has been both a solo artist and a member of Burnt Black, Trephines, Hot Carl, By Divine Right, Holy Fuck, Lids, and Dusted. As a teenager growing up in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, h ...

, John Hall and Dylan Hudecki. In 2004, drummer John Hall was replaced by Cam Giroux (who played on ''Good Morning Beautiful''), while Borcherdt and Hudecki both left the band. Hudecki was replaced by Darcy Rego and then Michael Small, both of

The Meligrove Band The Meligrove Band is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Toronto, and consisting of Jason Nunes on vocals, guitar and piano, Darcy Rego on vocals and drums, Brian O'Reilly on guitar and synthesizer, and Michael Small on bass guitar. History ...

, for tours of the United States, Canada and Britain, supporting ''Sweet Confusion''. Filling in on drums for some dates was Loel Campbell of

Wintersleep Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia 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 g ...

. After these tours, the band's line-up changed again, to Contreras, Hixenbaugh and Small with drummer Derek Downham, followed by a September 2006 show at the

Drake Hotel (Toronto) The Drake Hotel is a hospitality venue on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, near Parkdale, Toronto, Parkdale. In addition to a nineteen-room boutique hotel, there is a restaurant lounge, corner café with street-level patio, Sky Yar ...

that saw the band perform all new songs with Rego, Small and Jason Nunes (

) under the By Divine Right name. By Divine Right's next live show was on December 31, 2007, at the Tranzac Club in Toronto, at which the band's new full-time line up of Contreras, Stew Heyduk (of

The Golden Dogs The Golden Dogs are a Canadian pop-rock band based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Mark Daniell.T.O.'s Golden Dogs have 'Eye' on road. JAM! Music. Canadian Online Explorer. Quebecor Media. 2007-12-16. Retrieved 2010-12-16. Formed in 2001, the band ...

) and Mitch Perkins (formerly of

Rusty Rusty may refer to something covered with rust or with a rust (color). Rusty is also a nickname for people who have red hair, have a rust-hued skin tone, or have the given name Russell. Rusty may also refer to: People * Rusty Anderson (born 1959 ...

) appeared together for the first time. In 2007, By Divine Right contributed a cover of

Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...

' "Shaved Head" to the tribute album ''

The Secret Sessions ''The Secret Sessions'' is a tribute album to Canadian indie rock band Rheostatics, released March 16, 2007 through the web label Zunior. The album was released to coincide with the band's farewell show scheduled for March 30, and features Canadia ...

'', with a line-up consisting only of Contreras and Julien Beillard of the band

Wooden Stars Wooden Stars are a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1994. The band, from Ottawa, consists of vocalist and guitarist Julien Beillard, guitarist Michael Feuerstack, bassists Josh Latour and Mathieu Beillard, and drummer Andrew McCormack. Style ...

. In May 2008, By Divine Right opened a show for

at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto with yet another new line up, consisting of Contreras, Heyduk and Darcy Rego returning on drums. In 2009, ''Mutant Message'', the band's first album since 2004's ''Sweet Confusion'', was released in Canada on the Toronto Arts imprint

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 ...

. label The album has José Contreras, Stew Heyduk and Darcy Rego with guest vocals by Jason Nunes and

Lily Frost Lily Frost, born Lindsey Frost Davis, is a Canadian independent singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Bilingual in French and English, she is a cross-genre, multi disciplinary singer/songwriter/performer and recording artist. Born in Toronto, ...

, and features "Que Paso", the first song Contreras wrote and sung in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

despite his longtime fluency in the language. By Divine Right's first tours since 2005 followed, with a new drummer, David Joseph, and bass guitarist, Michael Milosh. Music videos were released for the songs "I Love a Girl", "Cupid in Oilskins" and "I Will Hook You Up". The band's line up changed again after these tours, with Dylan Hudecki and Darcy Rego each filling in before Geordie Dynes and Alysha Haugen joined in late 2010. In 2013, By Divine Right released its ninth album, ''Organized Accidents''. In 2016 they released ''Speak & Spell'', a track-for-track cover of

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depech ...

's 1981 album '' Speak & Spell''. Contreras has also released two solo albums, ''José Contreras'' (2014) and ''At the Slaughterhouse'' (2019).Allie Gregory
"José Contreras of By Divine Right Announces New Solo LP 'At the Slaughterhouse'"
''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'', August 14, 2019. In 2022, By Divine Right released the single "St. Leons" from an upcoming album OTTO MOTTO. They also released a video for the song which features dashcam footage of a road-trip to the Yukon.

Discography

*'' Buffet of the Living Dead'' – 1992 (independent cassette) *''

By Divine Right By Divine Right is a Canadian indie rock band led by guitarist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras. History The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bass guitarist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve Berma ...

'' – 1995 (Kinetic) *''Some'' – 1996 (four-song EP cassette) *'' All Hail Discordia'' – 1997 (

Squirtgun Squirtgun is an American punk rock band from Lafayette, Indiana formed by record producer Mass Giorgini in 1993. History 1993–1998 Squirtgun originally consisted of Mass Giorgini (Bass, Vocals), Matt Hart (Vocals, Guitar), Flav Giorgini (Gu ...

) *'' Bless This Mess'' – 1999 (

Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk Management, and Nettwerk One Publishing. Established in 1984, the Vancouver-based company was created by Nettwerk principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record ...

) *'' Good Morning Beautiful'' – 2001 (

Linus Linus, a male given name, is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Linos''. It's a common given name in Sweden. The origin of the name is unknown although the name appears in antiquity both as a musician who taught Apollo and as a son of Apollo who di ...

) *'' Hybrid TV Genii'' – 2004 (

/ spinART) *''

Sweet Confusion By Divine Right is a Canadian indie rock band led by guitarist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras. History The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bass guitarist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve Berma ...

'' – 2004 (

/ spinART) *'' Mutant Message'' – 2009 (

) *'' Organized Accidents'' - 2013 (

) *''Speak & Spell'' - 2016 (Headless Owl Records)

Band members

Current members

*José Miguel Contreras (1989–present) *Geordie "Spaghetti Arms" Dynes (2010–present) *Alysha Haugen (2010–present)

Former members

*Mark Goldstein (1989–2000) *Steve Berman (1989–1991) *Elizabeth Teear (1989–1993) *Rob Carson (1992–1994) *Scott Maynard (1993–1996) *Cam Bull (1996–1997) *

(1999–2000) * Leslie Feist (1999–2000) *

(2001–2004) *Colleen Hixenbaugh (2001–2006) *Dylan Hudecki (2001–2004, 2005, 2010) *John Hall (2001–2004) *Cam Giroux (2001, 2004–2005) *Michael Small (2004–2006) *Darcy Rego (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010) *Loel Campbell (2004) *Derek Downham (2005–2006) *Jason Nunes (2006) *Julien Beillard (2007) *Mitch Perkins (2007–2008) *Stew Heyduk (2007–2008) *Michael Milosh (2009–2010) *Dave Joseph (2009–2010)

References

External links

By Divine Right official website

Hand Drawn Dracula
{{DEFAULTSORT:By Divine Right Musical groups established in 1989 Canadian indie rock groups Musical groups from Toronto 1989 establishments in Ontario