| Sam Roberts | |
|---|---|
Sam Roberts singing at Lollapalooza in 2007 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | October 2, 1974 Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Rock, Indie Rock |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals Guitar Bass Violin |
| Years active | 2000 - present |
| Labels | Secret Brain MapleMusic Recordings Universal Music Canada Cordova Bay UK Pony Canyon (Japan) Lost Highway Records (USA) |
| Website | Sam Roberts Band |
| Notable instruments | |
| Gibson ES-335, Fender Telecaster | |
Sam Roberts (born October 2, 1974) is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rock singer-songwriter, whose 2001 debut release, The Inhuman Condition, became one of the bestselling independent releases in Quebec and Canadian music history.
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Born in Westmount, Quebec, to South African parents, he graduated from Loyola High School and McGill University. Roberts formed the band that was eventually known as William in 1993. The band's name was changed to Northstar in 1996. Although the band gained some notice in independent rock circles, they could not break through to a national audience, and broke up in 1999 after failing to release an album.[1] Roberts' bandmate George Donoso went on to significant success in indie rock circles with The Dears, but Roberts struggled for several years afterward.
After disbanding Northstar in 1999, Roberts promptly recorded the full-length and now very collectable independent debut Brother Down at home. In 2001, Roberts recorded and released a six-song EP, The Inhuman Condition, independently. The EP sold slowly at first, but following a re-release of the EP in the summer of 2002 on MapleMusic Recordings, his first single "Brother Down" became one of the biggest Canadian hits of the year, and the second single, "Don't Walk Away Eileen", followed suit in the fall.
Roberts then signed to Universal Music and released his full-length major label debut, We Were Born in a Flame, in June 2003. That album's singles, "Where Have All the Good People Gone?" and "Hard Road", received a large amount of success, though mainly just in Canada.
The band's second album, Chemical City, was released in Canada in April 2006. In Canada, the first single was "The Gate", which quickly shot to number one on Canadian rock radio. The second single in Canada was "Bridge to Nowhere". "With a Bullet", the third song used to promote the album on Canadian radio, received little attention and no video was made for it.
Roberts' third album, Love at the End of the World, was released in May 2008. It debuted at the number one position on the Canadian album chart,[2] a first for Roberts. The lead single, "Them Kids", debuted on iTunes on March 4, 2008.
Sam Roberts is trilingual, speaking English, French, and Spanish. He married his high school sweetheart Jen in 2004, and they have three children.[3]
Sam Roberts and his bandmates released their fourth studio album, "Collider", on May 10, 2011.[4] It is the first album under the moniker "Sam Roberts Band" instead of "Sam Roberts".[5] The first single, "I Feel You" was officially released to Canadian radio on February 28, with an iTunes Canada release of March 8.
The members of the Sam Roberts Band as of 2011 are:
Past band members or roles:
Roberts first single, "Brother Down" received two nominations from the Juno Awards and three nominations from the MuchMusic Video Awards, winning the award for Best VideoFACT. The song "Hard Road", from Roberts' second album We Were Born in a Flame, received six nominations at the 2004 MuchMusic Video Awards and received the awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Post-Production. Overall, Roberts has received 11 awards from 24 nominations.
The Juno Awards is a Canadian awards ceremony presented annually by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Roberts has received six awards from ten nominations.[6][7][8]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Brother Down" | Single of the Year | Nominated |
| New Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | We Were Born in a Flame | Album of the Year | Won |
| Rock Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Artist of the Year | Won | ||
| 2007 | "Bridge to Nowhere" | Video of the Year | Won |
| Chemical City | Rock Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Love at the End of the World | Artist of the Year | Won |
| Rock Album of the Year | Won | ||
| "Detroit '67" | Video of the Year | Nominated |
The MuchMusic Video Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic. Roberts has received five awards from fourteen nominations.[9][10][11][12]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Brother Down" | Best VideoFACT | Won |
| Best Pop Video | Nominated | ||
| Best Independent Video | Nominated | ||
| Sam Roberts | People's Choice – Favourite Canadian Artist | Nominated | |
| 2004 | "Hard Road" | Best Director | Won |
| Best Cinematography | Won | ||
| Best Post-Production | Won | ||
| Best Video | Nominated | ||
| Best Pop Video | Nominated | ||
| People's Choice – Favourite Canadian Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | "The Gate" | Best MuchMoreMusic Award | Nominated |
| People's Choice – Favourite Canadian Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | "Them Kids" | Best Director | Nominated |
| Best Post-Production | Won |
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