Alvvays Explained

Alvvays
Landscape:yes
Origin:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Years Active:–present
Label:Royal Mountain (Canada)
Polyvinyl (US)
Transgressive (Europe)
Pod / Inertia Music (Australia)
Current Members:Molly Rankin
Kerri MacLellan
Alec O'Hanley
Sheridan Riley
Past Members:Phil MacIsaac
Brian Murphy
Abbey Blackwell

Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), Lukas Cheung (bass), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut studio album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts.[1] Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third studio album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.

Antisocialites and Blue Rev each won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. All three of their albums were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. The song "Belinda Says" from Blue Rev was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[2]

History

Formation and early years (2011–2015)

Molly Rankin, the group's singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin,[3] a fiddler with the Celtic folk family collective The Rankin Family, who enjoyed international success in the 1990s.[4] Molly would write and sing the song "Sunset" on the 2007 Rankin Family album Reunion. Rankin grew up in Mabou, Nova Scotia, writing music with her neighbour, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan. She later met guitarist and partner Alec O'Hanley at a concert. With the help of O'Hanley, Rankin quietly released a solo extended play titled She in 2010. Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin recruiting MacLellan, O'Hanley, drummer Phil MacIsaac and bassist Brian Murphy. Rankin picked the name Alvvays because it had a "shred of sentiment and nostalgia."[5] The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.

The band members moved to Toronto and secured jobs that allowed them to tour occasionally.[6] The group toured extensively as supporting acts for bands such as Peter Bjorn and John and the Decemberists.[7] Their self-titled debut studio album, Alvvays, was recorded in Calgary with Chad VanGaalen in March 2013; Graham Walsh helped track the album while John Agnello helped mix it.[5] [8]

Alvvays were signed to Polyvinyl Records (US) on the strength of their performances at South by Southwest[9] and online response to the demo of their single "Adult Diversion".[10] The album Alvvays was released by Royal Mountain Records (Canada), Polyvinyl Records (US) and Transgressive Records (Europe) in July 2014.[11] Simon Vozick-Levinson, writing in Rolling Stone, called the album an "indie-pop wonder".[12] Alvvays went to #1 on US college charts on August 5, 2014;[13] in November that year they performed in Los Angeles with another Canadian band, Absolutely Free.[14]

"Archie, Marry Me" became a minor hit.[15] The single for "Archie, Marry Me" featured the B-side "Underneath Us" which was recorded after the eponymous album.[16]

The group toured heavily in support of their debut, including slots at Glastonbury 2015 and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016.

The debut album was nominated to the shortlist of the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. They performed at that year's gala with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. At the Juno Awards of 2015, the band was nominated as Breakthrough Group of the Year, and Alvvays was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year.[17]

Antisocialites (2016–2018)

Alvvays began recording and writing their second studio album in 2015.[18] Several new original songs had been performed throughout 2014 and 2015, including "Your Type" (often the opening song of the show), "New Haircut" (later retitled "Saved By A Waif") and "Hey". In 2016 they added "Not My Baby" and "Dreams" to their performance repertoire.[19]

Following the addition of new songs such as "Plimsoll Punks" as part of live shows in spring 2017, Alvvays released a teaser clip of a song called "In Undertow" from their second album, Antisocialites. Along with songs performed at previous shows, new songs for this record included "Already Gone", "Forget About Life", "In Undertow", "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" and "Saved by a Waif". The album was released on September 8, 2017. A North American and European tour in support of the album was announced for autumn 2017. In 2016, Phil MacIsaac left the music industry for a career in graphic design;[20] he was replaced by Sheridan Riley.[21] A second UK tour in spring 2018 was announced in September 2017.

On September 16, 2017, at a show in Antwerp, a male audience member jumped on stage and attempted to kiss singer Molly Rankin. Ken Veerman, the director at Trix, the show’s venue, apologized on Facebook.

In 2018 the band received a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination for the song "Dreams Tonite",[22] and Antisocialites was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.[23] At the Juno Awards of 2018, Alvvays was nominated as Group of the Year and Antisocialites won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.[24]

Blue Rev (2021–present)

Between 2019 and 2022, members of Alvvays largely stayed out of the public eye, rarely posting on social media. The radio silence led to memes and rumors the band had disbanded. Bassist and founding member Brian Murphy left the band in 2021.[25] [26] Alvvays released "Pharmacist", the first single from their third album Blue Rev, on July 6, 2022. Blue Rev was released on October 7, 2022.[27] "Belinda Says", the third single from Blue Rev, was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.[28]

Musical style and influences

Alvvays' music has been described as jangle pop by the music press and its members. According to Rankin, the band's emphasis is primarily on strong melodies rather than for a specific genre.[5] The band has been compared to Camera Obscura; Rankin noted she shared vocalist Tracyanne Campbell's "fondness for the pathetic perspective."[15] Rankin sought inspiration from Stephin Merritt, frontman of the Magnetic Fields, appreciating the honest but lighthearted nature of his lyrics.[29] Rankin's personal influences include The Magnetic Fields, Teenage Fanclub, Dolly Mixture, The Smiths, Celine Dion, Pavement, The Primitives, Oasis[15] [5] and Australian indie-pop group The Hummingbirds.[30] While the band does not have an overt Celtic music sound, Rankin acknowledges that she was immersed in the genre from childhood, and it has a discernible influence on the way she sings and writes melodies.[31]

Members

Current members

Past members

Past touring musicians

Discography

Albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"
Album detailsPeak chart positions
CAN
[33]
AUS
Hit

[34]
NL
Vinyl

[35]
NZ
Heat

[36]
SCO
[37]
UK
[38]
UK
Indie

[39]
US
[40]
US
Indie

[41]
US
Rock
[42]
Alvvays 107 17
Antisocialites
  • Released: September 8, 2017
  • Label(s): Polyvinyl (US)
    Royal Mountain (Canada)
    Transgressive (Europe)
    Pod / Inertia Music (Australia)
36 18 8 22 28 6 82 7 14
Blue Rev
  • Released: October 7, 2022
  • Label(s): Polyvinyl, Celsius Girls
75 6 33 6 27 2 61 8 8
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
YearPeak chart positionsCertificationsAlbum
CAN
Rock

[43]
US
AAA

[44]
"Adult Diversion"2013Alvvays
"Archie, Marry Me"2014
"Next of Kin"
"Party Police"2015
"Not My Baby"2017Antisocialites
"In Undertow"48
"Dreams Tonite"
  • MC: Gold
"Plimsoll Punks"
"Lollipop (Ode to Jim)"
"Pharmacist"2022Blue Rev
"Easy On Your Own?"50 32
"Belinda Says" / "Very Online Guy"
"After the Earthquake"
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Music videos

Notes

Awards and nominations

!Year!Association!Category!Nominated Work!Result!Ref
Juno AwardsBreakthrough Group of the YearAlvvays[46]
Alternative Album of the YearAlvvays
Libera AwardsBreakthrough Artist of the Year[47]
Polaris Music PrizeAlbum of the Year[48]
Juno AwardsGroup of the YearAlvvays[49]
Alternative Album of the YearAntisocialites
Polaris Music PrizeAlbum of the Year[50]
Juno AwardsAlternative Album of the YearBlue Rev[51]
Record of the Year[52]
Best Alternative Rock Record
Polaris Music PrizeAlbum of the Year[53]
Grammy AwardsBest Alternative Music Performance"Belinda Says"

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The NACC Charts for October 24. October 24, 2017.
  2. Web site: 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List GRAMMY.com . www.grammy.com. }
  3. Web site: John Morris Rankin Obituary . thecanadianencyclopedia.ca . The Canadian Encyclopedia . November 1, 2021.
  4. https://www.straight.com/music/778611/alvvayss-molly-rankin-broke-family-tradition "Alvvays’s Molly Rankin broke with family tradition"
  5. News: Alvvays Singer Molly Rankin on Starting a New Band, Chad VanGaalen's 'Weird' Studio. Diffuser.fm. October 22, 2015. November 21, 2014. Rebecca Schiller.
  6. News: Alvvays: The Best of What's Next. Paste. October 22, 2015. July 22, 2014. Philip Cosores.
  7. Web site: The Decemberists + Alvvays: 6 April 2015 – Beacon Theatre, New York . popmatters.com . April 13, 2015 . PopMatters . November 1, 2021.
  8. News: Alvvays: 'Nobody talks about the adventurous kind of love'. The Globe and Mail. October 22, 2015. July 29, 2014. Brad Wheeler.
  9. Web site: Alvvays, Next of Kin, Mohawk Patio at SXSW, Austin, 19.3.15 . youtube.com . YouTube . November 1, 2021.
  10. News: Alvvays: Biography & History. Allmusic. October 22, 2015. Scott Kerr.
  11. http://www.stereogum.com/1677736/alvvays-archie-marry-me/mp3s/ Alvvays: "Archie, Marry Me"
  12. Alvvays 'Alvvays' Album Review. Vozick-Levinson. Simon. July 14, 2014. Rolling Stone. July 25, 2014.
  13. Web site: CMJ Charts: August 5, 2014. CMJ. August 24, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140814172502/http://www.cmj.com/nmr/1356. August 14, 2014. dead.
  14. https://consequenceofsound.net/2014/11/live-review-alvvays-at-acerogami-in-pomona-1126/ "Live Review: Alvvays at Acerogami in Pomona (11/26)"
  15. News: SXSW Lone Stars: Alvvays on Archie's Identity and Scot-Pop. Spin. October 22, 2015. March 11, 2015. Ilana Kaplan.
  16. Web site: Blog . N. M. E. . July 9, 2014 . Track Premiere – Alvvays, 'Underneath Us' . October 1, 2022 . NME . en-GB.
  17. Web site: Past Nominees & Winners . junoawards.ca . Juno Awards . November 1, 2021.
  18. News: Catching Up with Alvvays. Paste. October 22, 2015. September 21, 2015. Adrian Spinelli.
  19. Web site: We need to talk about these new Alvvays songs. DIY. April 21, 2016 . October 10, 2017.
  20. Web site: Sturgeon . Nathalie . 'A case of the empties' . cbc.ca . CBC News . November 2, 2021.
  21. Web site: An Interview with Sheridan Riley. Movement Drum Company. August 16, 2018.
  22. http://exclaim.ca/music/article/2018_socan_songwriting_prize_nominees_revealed "2018 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominees Revealed"
  23. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/polaris_music_prize_reveals_2018_short_list "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List"
  24. https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/news/junos-2018-the-complete-list-of-winners-1.4579405 "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners"
  25. Web site: Hayhoe . Beau . September 6, 2022 . "Pharmacist" Signals an Impressive, Long-Awaited Return for Alvvays . November 6, 2022 . Atwood Magazine . en-US.
  26. Web site: Tenreyro . Tatiana . October 7, 2022 . Alvvays Faced Down Challenges (and Came Out Better for Them) to Make Blue Rev . November 6, 2022 . Spin.
  27. Web site: Brodsky . Rachel . Alvvays Announce New Album 'Blue Rev': Hear "Pharmacist" . Stereogum . July 6, 2022 . en . July 6, 2022.
  28. Web site: Corcoran . Nina . Paramore Win Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Rock Album at 2024 Grammys . 4 February 2024 . 4 February 2024 . Pitchfork.
  29. News: Discovery: Alvvays. Interview. October 22, 2015. November 23, 2013. Hannah Ghorashi.
  30. News: 2023-12-11 . How an 80s Sydney band inspired Canadian indie pop darlings Alvvays . 2024-02-08 . ABC News . en-AU.
  31. http://www.aux.tv/2014/08/torontos-alvvays-welcome-you-to-the-jangle-on-their-debut-album/ "Toronto's Alvvays welcome you to the jangle on their debut album"
  32. Web site: Alvvays-- Lollapalooza Interview, 2017. Soundcloud.com. October 10, 2017.
  33. Alvvays – Chart History: Canadian Albums . . October 18, 2022.
  34. Peaks on the ARIA hitseekers chart:
    • Antisocialites: Web site: ARIA Report: Issue 1438. http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171004025047/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20171004-1333/Issue1438.pdf. dead. October 4, 2017. ARIA. November 17, 2023.
    • Blue Rev: The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 October 2022. The ARIA Report. Australian Recording Industry Association. 1702. 24. October 17, 2022.
  35. Web site: Alvvays - Blue Rev - dutchcharts.nl. Dutch Charts. December 21, 2022.
  36. Web site: NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart. Recorded Music NZ. September 18, 2017. September 15, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170915113952/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=4398 . September 15, 2017 . dead .
  37. Peaks in Scotland:
  38. Peaks in the UK:
  39. Peaks on the UK Independent Albums Chart:
  40. Web site: Alvvays – Chart History. Billboard.com. October 18, 2022.
  41. Web site: Alvvays – Independent Albums Chart History. Billboard.com. December 21, 2022.
  42. Web site: Alvvays – Top Rock Albums Chart History. Billboard.com. January 16, 2023.
  43. Alvvays: Canada Rock . Billboard . December 21, 2022.
  44. Alvvays: Adult Alternative Airplay . Billboard . December 21, 2022.
  45. Canada . Alvvays . December 21, 2022.
  46. Vlessing. Etan. Junos 2015: Kiesza, the Weeknd Win Big at Canada's Music Awards. Billboard. December 16, 2016.
  47. Web site: A2IM Names Libera Indie Music Award Nominees. HypeBot. May 5, 2015 . March 24, 2023.
  48. http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/polaris_music_prize_reveals_2015_short_list "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2015 Short List"
  49. Web site: 2018 Juno Awards Nominees. Junoawards. February 7, 2018. February 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180207212610/http://junoawards.ca/nominees/printer-friendly/?nomination-year=2018. dead.
  50. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/polaris_music_prize_reveals_2018_short_list "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List"
  51. https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/news/here-are-all-the-2023-juno-nominees-1.6724343 "Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees"
  52. Web site: Wet Leg Leads Nominations for A2IM's Indie Libera Awards. Aswad. Jem. Variety. March 22, 2023. March 24, 2023.
  53. https://www.cbc.ca/music/events/polaris/polaris-music-prize-2023-short-list-1.6903778 "Here's the 2023 Polaris Music Prize short list"