The Paperboys

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"Paperboys" redirects here, for the Norwegian rap group, see Paperboys (rap group)

The Paperboys playing the Triple Door in Seattle, Washington.

The Paperboys are a Canadian folk music band, who blend Celtic folk with Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco and country influences.

The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist and songwriter Tom Landa. The band currently consists of Landa, Kendell Carson on fiddle, Brad Gillard on banjo and bass, Geoffrey Kelly on flutes, and Matt Brain on drums. Occasional guests include Cam Salay on banjo and bass, Damian Graham on drums, Tobin Frank on bass and accordion, and Vince Mai on trumpet.

Each of The Paperboys last five albums has been nominated for a Juno Award (the Canadian Grammy). 1998’s ‘Molinos’ won for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year. ‘Molinos’ also won the West Coast Music Award for Best Roots Recording. In 2000, they won another West Coast Music Award in the same category for their album ‘Postcards’.

They’ve performed and appeared in the Genie Award nominated film ‘Marine Life’ - which Tom also wrote the musical score for - and in the Genie Award winning ‘Lunch With Charles’, which was the first-ever film co-production between Hong Kong and Canada.

The Paperboys have made numerous appearances on Canadian National television. They’ve played and been interviewed on Vicki Gabereau, The Mike Bullard Show, The Jim Byrnes show and CBC Television’s ‘Terminal City’.

In 2001, the Red House Records Label asked The Paperboys to contribute a track to ‘A Nod to Bob’ – a 60th birthday homage to Bob Dylan. Their rendition of ‘All Along The Watchtower' was consistently noted in reviews as one of the highlights of the album.

The Paperboys routinely sell out shows in some of the most popular and prestigious clubs and festivals throughout Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Europe. One of their most notable appearances was being asked to perform at The Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts in Washington D.C.

In Canada, they’ve appeared at almost every folk festival across the country, including Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto. They’ve also played festivals across the US, including New York’s Falconridge Festival, The Folk Alliance Festival, The Boston Folk Festival and Seattle’s Bumbershoot.

They’ve been asked to return almost every year to several festivals across Europe, headlining at the U.K’s Warwick and Trowbridge festivals, headlining as well at festivals in Germany and Denmark.

It’s not often that an independent band can maintain such a successful and acclaimed career for more than a decade. The Paperboys attribute this accomplishment largely to the connection they make with their fans. Every live show is full of smiling, dancing people who sing along to every song. Tom and the band have often been heard saying “We get paid for the travel time but we play the shows for free…”