Alvvays | |
|---|---|
 Alvvays performing inLondon, UK, 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2011 (2011)–present |
| Labels | Royal Mountain (Canada) Polyvinyl (US) Transgressive (Europe) Pod / Inertia Music (Australia) |
| Members | Molly Rankin Kerri MacLellan Alec O'Hanley Sheridan Riley |
| Past members | Phil MacIsaac Brian Murphy Abbey Blackwell |
| Website | alvvays |
Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadianindie pop band formed in 2011, originating fromCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based inToronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Theirself-titled debut studio album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts.[3] Their second studio album,Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third studio album,Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.
Antisocialites andBlue Rev each won theJuno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. All three of their albums were shortlisted for thePolaris Music Prize. The song "Belinda Says" fromBlue Rev was nominated forBest Alternative Music Performance at the66th Annual Grammy Awards.[4]
Molly Rankin, the group's singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin,[5] a fiddler with the Celtic folk family collectiveThe Rankin Family, who enjoyed international success in the 1990s.[6][7] Molly would write and sing the song "Sunset" on the 2007 Rankin Family albumReunion. Rankin grew up inMabou, 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 titledShe in 2010.[8] Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin recruiting MacLellan, O'Hanley, drummer Phil MacIsaac and bassist Brian Murphy.[9] Rankin picked the name Alvvays because it had a "shred of sentiment and nostalgia."[10] The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.[11]
The band members moved to Toronto and secured jobs that allowed them to tour occasionally.[12] The group toured extensively as supporting acts for bands such asPeter Bjorn and John andthe Decemberists.[13][9] Their self-titled debut studio album,Alvvays, was recorded in Calgary withChad VanGaalen in March 2013;Graham Walsh helped track the album whileJohn Agnello helped mix it.[10][7]
Alvvays were signed toPolyvinyl Records (US) on the strength of their performances atSouth by Southwest[14] and online response to the demo of their single "Adult Diversion".[9] The albumAlvvays was released byRoyal Mountain Records (Canada), Polyvinyl Records (US) andTransgressive Records (Europe) in July 2014.[15] Simon Vozick-Levinson, writing inRolling Stone, called the album an "indie-pop wonder".[16]Alvvays went to #1 on US college charts on August 5, 2014;[17] in November that year they performed in Los Angeles with another Canadian band,Absolutely Free.[18]
"Archie, Marry Me" became a minor hit.[11] The single for "Archie, Marry Me" featured the B-side "Underneath Us" which was recorded after the eponymous album.[19]
The group toured heavily in support of their debut, including slots atGlastonbury 2015 andCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016.[20]
The debut album was nominated to the shortlist of the2015 Polaris Music Prize. They performed at that year's gala with theToronto Symphony Orchestra. At theJuno Awards of 2015, the band was nominated as Breakthrough Group of the Year, andAlvvays was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year.[21]
Alvvays began recording and writing their second studio album in 2015.[20] 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.[22]
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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;[23] he was replaced by Sheridan Riley.[24] A second UK tour in spring 2018 was announced in September 2017.
On September 16, 2017, at a show inAntwerp, 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 aSOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination for the song "Dreams Tonite",[25] andAntisocialites was shortlisted for the2018 Polaris Music Prize.[26] At theJuno Awards of 2018, Alvvays was nominated as Group of the Year andAntisocialiteswon the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.[27]
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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.[28][29] Alvvays released "Pharmacist", the first single from their third albumBlue Rev, on July 6, 2022.Blue Rev was released on October 7, 2022.[30] "Belinda Says", the third single fromBlue Rev, was nominated forBest Alternative Music Performance at the66th Annual Grammy Awards.[31]
Alvvays' music has been described asjangle 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.[10] The band has been compared toCamera Obscura; Rankin noted she shared vocalistTracyanne Campbell's "fondness for the pathetic perspective."[11] Rankin sought inspiration fromStephin Merritt, frontman ofthe Magnetic Fields, appreciating the honest but lighthearted nature of his lyrics.[8] Rankin's personal influences includeThe Magnetic Fields,Teenage Fanclub,Dolly Mixture,The Smiths,Celine Dion,Pavement,The Primitives,Oasis[11][10] and Australian indie-pop groupThe Hummingbirds.[32] While the band does not have an overtCeltic 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.[33]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [35] | AUS Hit [36] | NL Vinyl [37] | NZ Heat [38] | SCO [39] | UK [40] | UK Indie [41] | US [42] | US Indie [43] | US Rock [44] | ||
| Alvvays |
| — | — | — | — | — | 107 | 17 | —[A] | — | — |
| Antisocialites |
| 36 | 18 | — | 8 | 22 | 28 | 6 | 82 | 7 | 14 |
| Blue Rev |
| 75 | 6 | 33 | — | 6 | 27 | 2 | 61 | 8 | 8 |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN Rock [46] | US AAA [47] | |||||||||
| "Adult Diversion" | 2013 | — | — | Alvvays | ||||||
| "Archie, Marry Me" | 2014 | — | — | |||||||
| "Next of Kin" | — | — | ||||||||
| "Party Police" | 2015 | — | — | |||||||
| "Not My Baby" | 2017 | — | — | Antisocialites | ||||||
| "In Undertow" | 48 | — | ||||||||
| "Dreams Tonite" | — | — |
| |||||||
| "Plimsoll Punks" | — | — | ||||||||
| "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" | — | — | ||||||||
| "Pharmacist" | 2022 | — | — | Blue 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. | ||||||||||
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Juno Awards | Breakthrough Group of the Year | Alvvays | Nominated | [50] |
| Alternative Album of the Year | Alvvays | Nominated | |||
| Libera Awards | Breakthrough Artist of the Year | Nominated | [51] | ||
| Polaris Music Prize | Album of the Year | Shortlisted | [52] | ||
2018 | Juno Awards | Group of the Year | Alvvays | Nominated | [53] |
| Alternative Album of the Year | Antisocialites | Won | |||
| Polaris Music Prize | Album of the Year | Shortlisted | [54] | ||
2023 | Juno Awards | Alternative Album of the Year | Blue Rev | Won | [55] |
| Libera Awards | Record of the Year | Nominated | [56] | ||
| Best Alternative Rock Record | Nominated | ||||
| Polaris Music Prize | Album of the Year | Shortlisted | [57] | ||
2024 | Grammy Awards | Best Alternative Music Performance | "Belinda Says" | Nominated | [31] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
