Canvas (band)

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Canvas
Origin Austin, Texas
Genres Alternative rock
Years active 1998–2006
Labels Desert Tide Records
Members Joseph King
Julian Mandrake
Scott Thomas
Brad Byram
Past members Ben Rada
Tabber Millard
Geoff Piper
Jean-Paul Labrosse
Bret Mobley

Canvas was a rock band from Austin, Texas. For most of their history the lineup was Joseph King (guitar, lead vocals), Julian Mandrake (lead guitar), Ben Rada (rhythm guitar), Brad Byram (bass, backing vocals), and Scott Thomas (drums). The band was extremely popular and influential on the Texas music scene, and the members of the band have all gone on join or form other successful bands.

History

The roots of Canvas begin in San Francisco in the mid 1990s with singer-songwriter Joseph King and guitarist Ben Rada while they were students at Stanford. The two met at a coffee shop, became fast friends, began jamming, and decided to put a band together. The band soon also included bassist Geoff Piper and drummer Jean-Paul Labrosse. The band was originally named Labrosse King, but by the time they released their first EP in 1998 had renamed themselves Canvas. In 1999 Canvas played the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and became so enamored with the city that they decided to move there. They added established Austin musicians Julian Mandrake (formerly of Oynxx and Brother Love) on lead guitar, Scott Thomas (formerly of Dexter Freebish) on drums, and Brad Byram (formerly of Ugly Tribe and Zen Merchants) eventually replaced Geoff Piper on bass in addition to King on vocals and Rada on rhythm guitar. Immediately after recruiting the new members, the band began work on their first full-length album Invocation, which they recorded and produced in their garage. While in California, the band had a light rock sound which drew comparisons to Matchbox Twenty. When the band moved to Texas, they quickly made friends with bands such as Johnny Goudie, Spoonfed Tribe and Blue October and found a new harder edged sound influenced by their musical peers.

Invocation's two singles, "In These Walls" and "Sirens", were added into regular rotation at Austin's KLBJ-FM and climbed to No. 1 most requested and top 5 phones within a week, and stayed at the top for two months. The station also included a live version of Canvas's song "Lessons From Underneath the Kachina Woman's Skirt" as the opening track of their 2002 Local Licks Live compilation.

The group built a large cult following due to their raucous concerts, which often included fire dancing, a practice they had to abandon in 2003 after clubs imposed tighter restrictions following The Station nightclub fire.

After the recording of their 2004 album Four Days Awake rhythm guitarist Ben Rada left the band, and Joseph King assumed rhythm guitar duties as well as lead vocals on the Four Days Awake tour. During the 2005 tour supporting their third album Painting the Roses drummer Tabber Millard filled in for Scott Thomas.

Canvas played an emotional three-hour farewell show at Antone's in Austin on October 1, 2005. During the show former Canvas rhythm guitarist Ben Rada joined the band for the song "In these Walls" and Johnny Goudie joined the band to sing "Intertwined", a song that he co-wrote with the band.

The band had played well over five hundred concerts all across the United States prior going on hiatus. When asked if the band were breaking up, Joseph said that the band were like an old married couple who have decided to take separate vacations.

Band splits

In early 2006 Joseph King and Scott Thomas along with former Billy Idol guitarist Mark Younger-Smith formed the band Murder My Sweet, which was well received at the South by Southwest Festival in Spring 2006. King has since left the project and moved to New York where he is pursuing a solo career and fronting the band Deadbeat Darling

After his break from Canvas in the spring of 2004, Ben Rada split time between audio engineering gigs for Austin clubs and traveling the states with Austin local legend Bob Schneider. He now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Julian Mandrake has a new band, Mother's Anthem, and is also the touring lead guitarist for Blue October.

Brad Byram is currently playing with Austin's The Wartime Social, Blondes Make Better Victims and Johnny Goudie and the Little Champions.

Scott Thomas drums for Johnny Goudie and the Little Champions and Murder My Sweet.

Tabber Millard drummed for SouthFM until their 2007 split, and has also been a member of VAST, Blondes Make Better Victims, Bekah Kelso, and Alpha Rev. He is currently a member of Anuhea's backing band.

Geoff Piper is a member of the band Pinpoint Mercy and also fronts the Geoff Piper Band.

Reunions

Canvas reunited for one show on January 28, 2006 at Momo's Club in Austin, Texas. A second reunion show for June 2006 was planned, but was cancelled due to Julian Mandrake's obligations to Blue October's Foiled tour.

On September 29, 2007 The Wartime Social, Mother's Anthem, Johnny Goudie and the Little Champions and Deadbeat Darling all played a show at Momo's Club. At the conclusion of Deadbeat Darling's set, all the members of Canvas, including Ben Rada and Tabber Millard took the stage and played "In these Walls", "All About You" and "Four Days Awake." On April 12, 2013 Canvas reunited and played a full concert at the historic Scoot Inn in Austin, Texas. Later in 2013 the band reunited at the new Antone's location in Austin to play a Christmas concert on December 20th with Vallejo and Podunk.

Members

Touring Members

Discography

External links

Official sites

Media / Interviews

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