The origin story of the indie-rock band Wintersleep starts in Halifax, when two teenage boys started a post-hardcore, prog rock band called Kary.
It didn’t last but in 2001, those two boys – Paul Murphy and Tim D’Eon – formed a new band, Wintersleep. Now they have toured the world, created an international following, won a JUNO, and this year, will celebrate the group’s 25th anniversary.
“Honestly, I don’t think there’s any way that either of us would have thought that we would have been able to do it for a living at all, let alone do it for 25 years,” says D’Eon. “I think we’d probably be impressed with ourselves,’ he laughs.
They’ve just released their eighth full-length album, Wishing Moon, their first in seven years.
They recorded the album with producer Nicolas Vernhes at his studio in the Mojave Desert near Joshua Tree National Park.
“We wanted to switch it up,” says D’Eon. “We’ve been working with the Scottish producer Tony Doogan for the majority of our records and were looking for something fresh.”
The band also loved many of the groups Verhnes had worked with, including The Fiery Furnaces, The War on Drugs, and Spoon.
“Nicolas has done tons of cool records,” he says.
It was a fun experience, recording in the desert a good 15 minutes’ drive from the nearest (small) town.
“It just felt very organic and homey. It had a good vibe right off the bat,” he says.
Verhnes also encouraged them to work without a click track keeping the drum beat utterly precise. Loel Campbell has been the group’s drummer since Day One.
“I mean, Loel is basically a metronome as it is,” laughs D’Eon, “but it did feel freeing. If you listen for it, you might catch a slight push and pull at times.”
When we reached him in his hometown of Fredericton, he’d arrived home the night before from Zurich, the last stop on their European tour.
“I’m a bit tired,” he says, “but it was great.”
Wishing Moon had only been out a week when they hit the first stages in the UK but fans were already singing along and requesting songs.
“It was really cool. It felt really positive,” he says.
Now this group, who gained acclaim with their songs “Weighty Ghost,” and “Amerika,” will be on Alberta stages in June.
“Alberta’s always been really good to us, and there are always tons of Newfoundlanders and Maritimers,” says D’Eon. “I remember our first shows ever in Alberta, we almost had a built-in audience of Atlantic Canadians,” he laughs.
And they’ll keep on moving into their 26th year.
“It’s crazy and it’s a lot of work but it’s very rewarding as well, so I think we’ll just keep her going,” he smiles.
The band will play the Starlite Room in Edmonton on June 10, and The Palace Theatre in Calgary on June 11. Tickets and details can be found on their website.
“You & I” from Wishing Moon:
