Clues (band)
| Clues | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | indie rock, experimental |
| Years active | 2007–2010 |
| Labels | Constellation |
| Members |
Alden Penner Brendan Reed Ben Borden Lisa Gamble Nick Scribner |
| Past members | Bethany Or, Alden Penner |
Clues was an indie rock band from Montreal, Canada formed by Alden Penner, Brendan Reed, and Bethany Or.[1]
Formation (2007–2008)
Clues was founded by Alden Penner and Brendan Reed, both active for years in the Montreal music scene. Alden, founder of The Unicorns, a band that burned bright and fast at the beginning of the century, and Brendan has been a member of a number of groups, including The Arcade Fire. They began building Clues quietly and in near-secrecy during the summer of 2007.
By 2008, friends Ben Borden, Lisa Gamble, and Nick Scribner had been recruited from the Montreal art and music scenes; a few more shows went down, the sound building and strengthening every time. With the band’s foundations fully cemented, Clues began work on their self-titled debut record towards the end of the year.
Music
During live shows and on recordings, the band shared and traded-off on an extensive array of instruments and created a twitchy, urgent, utterly original music that expanded Montreal’s (already diverse) pop music lexicon. Clues incorporated multiple drummers, horns, a table of fried electronics (including a Commodore 64 and an OLPC), saw and pianette alongside their trusty electric guitars and basses.
Through their founding and early work as a band, Clues remained close to home, dedicated to collaborating with and supporting fellow independent artists. In 2008, Reed started VillaVillaNola, a digital music store featuring recordings by predominantly local artists who have flourished underground but who otherwise receive sparse attention. Strong ties to the independent music community, together with shared ideals, led Clues to collaborate with Montreal’s Constellation, who released the band’s debut record in May of 2009. In the autumn of 2009, Lisa left the band and was replaced by Jon Boles.
After several North American and European tours, change was once again afoot. Alden veered off to work on a music project that was near and dear to his heart, and the remaining four members began building something new... [2]
Debut album (2009)
Clues's self-titled debut album was released on May 19, 2009 on Constellation Records. Radwan moumneh recorded the record at the Hotel2Tango in 2008, with additional recording with Mark Lawson at Arcade Fire's Petite Église studio. A few months before the album was released, Clues did a very small tour in North America along with label mates Elfin Saddle, playing mostly at small colleges. The band then returned to Montreal. In the Summer of 2009, Clues toured North America more extensively in support of the album but continued to play exclusively at small, all-ages venues. In autumn a European tour followed.
Clues disbanded about a year after their only album was released.
Discography
Studio albums
- Clues (2009)