| Jon and Roy | |
|---|---|
Jon and Roy at Richard's on Richards in Vancouver on January 23, 2009. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Victoria, BC, Canada |
| Genres | Folk rock Reggae |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Independent |
| Associated acts | Bocce Avocado Jon Middleton |
| Website | Official website Official MySpace page |
| Members | |
| Jon Middleton Roy Vizer Ryan Tonelli Dougal McLean |
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Jon and Roy is a four-piece folk rock band from Victoria, British Columbia.
Contents |
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Jon Middleton and percussionist Roy Vizer met at University of Victoria. They formed Jon and Roy, and began performing around Victoria and Vancouver in 2003. They added multi-instrumentalist Dougal Bain Mclean in 2004 and recorded ‘Sittin’ Back’ in 2005 with recording engineer/producer Stephen Franke.
After traveling together in Australia, Jon and Roy went on hiatus from 2006 to 2007, during which Middleton recorded his solo album, ‘After A Trip’ while McLean and Vizer relocated to Vancouver. In 2007, Jon and Roy reformed and the duo recorded the album ‘Another Noon’ once again with Stephen Franke at Blue Heron Studios. With the help of now manager Stephen Franke the group toured Canada and eventually landed an opening slot with Buck 65 in the UK and a placement in a VW ad. Another Noon went on to sell over 5000 copies.
In 2008, Jon and Roy added bassist Ryan Tonelli and began touring Canada extensively with highlight performances at the Ottawa Blues Fest, Rifflandia and the Victoria Ska Fest. In the winter of 2008, the group played their first Jon and Roy Holiday Special at Alex Goolden Hall in Victoria. The sell-out concert featured Ryan Guildemond from Mother Mother, Current Swell as well as members of Jets Overhead and was recorded by CBC Live later to be broadcasted across the country. With steady radio support from local radio stations The Zone, The Peak and CBC Radio 3, Jon and Roy became one of Canada’s up and coming folk acts. ‘Another Noon’ was hailed as “the best recorded representation of the Canadian left coast to date” by Exclaim magazine.
In 2009, the group began recording their third album meanwhile touring and developing their fan base around Canada. McLean rejoined the band and later that year the group toured Western Canada with Australia’s Cat Empire. In December 2009, Jon and Roy hosted the second annual Holiday Special featuring guests Wil, Hannah Georgas and members of Hey Ocean!. The show sold out for a second consecutive year and set the stage for Jon and Roy’s third release in April 2010.
In April 2010 Jon and Roy released 'Homes'. Independent Media Magazine offer a warm review of the album, “It wants you to get outside, enjoy the sunshine and leave all your material possessions behind.” with blog Hero Hill adding that Jon and Roy bring “something fresh and unique” to the folk scene.