The Sheepdogs

For the self-titled album, see The Sheepdogs (album).
The Sheepdogs

The Sheepdogs performing in August 2011
Background information
Origin Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genres Rock, Boogie Rock, Southern Rock, Blues Rock
Years active 2006–present
Labels Warner Music Canada, Atlantic
Website www.thesheepdogs.com
Members Ewan Currie
Ryan Gullen
Sam Corbett
Rusty Matyas
Shamus Currie
Past members Leot Hanson

The Sheepdogs are a Canadian boogie rock band formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2006. The group consists of Ewan Currie on vocals and guitar, Ryan Gullen on bass guitar, and Sam Corbett on drums/percussion. Rusty Matyas has toured with the band as their lead guitarist since Leot Hanson left the band in July 2014.[1] Shamus Currie (brother of lead singer Ewan Currie) has also toured with the band since the release of their self titled album in 2012, playing trombone, keyboards, and tambourine.[2]

Musical career

The Sheepdogs released several recordings independently prior to entering Rolling Stone's "Choose The Cover" competition. They beat 15 other different bands to get the contest win and were featured on the August 18, 2011 cover of Rolling Stone magazine, the first unsigned act to do so. During the competition, the band made appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and performed at the Bonnaroo Music Festival as well The Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Quebec. The band has recently signed with Atlantic Records with a new album being produced by The Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney.[3]

The band's Five Easy Pieces EP debuted at No. 7 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 3,300 copies.[4]

On September 22, 2011, the band won the three CASBY Awards they were nominated for. They won Favourite New Artist, Favourite Indie Album, and Favourite New Album.[5] The Sheepdogs won Rock Album of the Year at the 2011 Western Canadian Music Awards.[6]

Their song "Who?" was featured in a scene of the second episode ("Tell-Tale Hearts") of season 12 of the hit CBS series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation which aired on September 29, 2011.

On April 1, 2012, The Sheepdogs won three Juno Awards, Rock Album of the Year, Best New Group and Single of the Year, during which the group was touring in Australia with John Fogerty and were unable to attend.[7]

The Sheepdogs played several festivals in Summer 2012, including the Catalpa Music Festival on Randall's Island in New York City on July 28, 2012.[8]

On September 4, 2012, The Sheepdogs released their self-titled album on Atlantic Records.[9]

In November 2013, the single "The Way It Is" was incorporated into a television commercial aired nationally for Cadillac ATS automobiles.[10]

Leot Hanson left the band in July of 2014, shortly after he opened the Capitol Music Club, a bar and music venue in Saskatoon.[11]

For their ongoing tour, a friend of the band, Winnipeg guitarist Rusty Matyas has stepped in to replace Leot Hanson as the band's lead guitarist.[12] Matyas also features in the songs "Crying" and "The Contenders" on the band's second album The Sheepdogs' Big Stand from 2008.

Shamus Currie, younger brother of lead singer Ewan Currie, has toured with the band since the release of their fourth studio album The Sheepdogs (2012).[13] Shamus Currie's trombone features prominently in the band's live performances of the song "Ewan's Blues" in which Shamus Currie usually takes center stage, often ending the song with a solo version of Ewan Currie's a cappella outro.[14] Shamus Currie has also featured on a number of the band's early albums; Currie's trombone can be heard on the song "Black and Tan" from The Sheepdogs' Big Stand, and "Rollo Tomasi" from Learn & Burn.

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions Certifications
CAN
Trying to Grow —
The Sheepdogs' Big Stand —
Learn & Burn 14
The Sheepdogs 1
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

EPs

Singles

Year Song Chart peak Certifications Album
CAN
[16][17]		 CAN
Alt
[18][19]		 CAN
Rock
[20]		 US
Rock
2011 "I Don't Know" 48 3 2 — Learn & Burn
"Who?" — 10 3 — Five Easy Pieces
2012 "The Way It Is" 59 1 2 — The Sheepdogs
"Feeling Good" 54 1 1 34
2013 "How Late, How Long" — 21 1 —
"—"denotes a release that did not chart.

Music videos

Year Video Director
2011 "I Don't Know" Davin Black
2012 "The Way It Is" Randy and Jason Sklar
2013 "Feeling Good" Matt Barnes

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2011 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Themselves June 15, 2011 (Season 2, episode 459)
August 2, 2011 (Season 2, episode 483)
Project Runway Themselves "Image Is Everything" (Season 9, episode 9)[23]
the neighbors dog Themselves "The Sheepdogs" (Season 2, episode 1)[24]
2012 MTV Live (Canada) Themselves September 22, 2012, Season 7

Awards and nominations

The Sheepdogs awards and nominations
Awards and nominations
Award Wins Nominations
CASBY Awards
 3 3
CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards
 – 1
Western Canadian Music Awards
 1 1
Junos
 3 3
Totals
Awards won 7
Nominations 8
Year Nominated work Event Award Result
2011 Themselves CASBY Awards[5] Favourite New Artist Won
Learn & Burn Favourite Indie Album Won
Favourite New Album Won
Western Canadian Music Awards[6][25] Rock Recording of the Year Won
Themselves CBC Radio 3 Bucky Awards Best Live Act Nominated
2012 "I Don't Know" Juno Awards Single of the Year Won
Learn & Burn Rock Album of the Year Won
Themselves New Group of the Year Won

References

  1. ↑ . Global News, July 3, 2014
  2. ↑ "Saskatoon's the Sheepdogs land cover of Rolling Stone". The Globe and Mail, August 1, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Patrick Carney Producing New Sheepdogs Album". Rolling Stone. January 4, 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  4. ↑ John Williams. "CANOE - JAM! Music - Artists - Sheepdogs, The : Sask.'s Sheepdogs make top 10 debut". Jam.canoe.ca. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "102.1 The Edge Announces the Edge CASBY Award Winners". Broadcaster – Canada's Communications Magazine. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "WCMA Announces Awards". Broadcaster – Canada's Communications Magazine.
  7. ↑ "Feist wins Juno for artist of the year". CBC News. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
  8. ↑ "The Sheepdogs Interview with New York Music News". Nymn.com. August 6, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Review – The Sheepdogs (self-titled)". Nymn.com. September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  10. ↑ "2014 Cadillac ATS "That's Mine" Commercial Song". Commercialtunage.com. Retrieved 2014-04-26.
  11. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/the-sheepdogs-parting-ways-with-guitarist-leot-hanson-1.2694276
  12. ↑ http://music.cbc.ca/#!/blogs/2014/7/Rolling-Stone-winners-the-Sheepdogs-lead-guitarist-go-their-separate-ways
  13. ↑ http://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/sheepdogs-confirm-split-with-guitarist-leot-hanson-1.1896685
  14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQKuVtZ-X4
  15. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – The Sheepdogs – The Sheepdogs". Music Canada.
  16. ↑ "The Sheepdogs Album & Song Chart History – Canadian Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
  17. ↑ "The Sheepdogs – Music Charts". Acharts.us. Retrieved 2012-09-07.
  18. ↑ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock – January 3, 2012". America's Music Charts. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  19. ↑ Rock, Canadian (2012-09-25). "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock – September 25, 2012". Canadianrockalt.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
  20. ↑ Peak positions for The Sheepdogs' singles on Canadian Active rock Chart:
  21. ↑ "Canadian digital download certifications – The Sheepdogs – I Don't Know". Music Canada.
  22. ↑ "Canadian digital download certifications – The Sheepdogs – Feeling Good". Music Canada.
  23. ↑ "Project Runway: Image Is Everything". IMDb.com. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  24. ↑ "the neighbors dog: The Sheepdogs". theneighbosdog.tv. Retrieved October 24, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Night Belongs to Manitoba". Vancouver Sun.

External links

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