Karkwa | |
|---|---|
 Karkwa receiving the 2010 Polaris Music Prize(Photo: Dustin Rabin) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Montreal,Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 1998–2011, 2018, 2023–present |
| Labels | Audiogram |
| Members | Louis-Jean Cormier François Lafontaine Martin Lamontagne Julien Sagot Stéphane Bergeron |
| Website | (in French)karkwa.com |
Karkwa is anindie rock band fromMontreal, Quebec, Canada, formed in 1998.
Formed in 1998, the group consists of vocalist and guitaristLouis-Jean Cormier, keyboardist François Lafontaine, bass guitarist Martin Lamontagne, percussionistJulien Sagot, and drummer Stéphane Bergeron. The band's name is a phonetic rendering ofcarquois (French for aquiver of arrows).
After reaching the final stages of theFrancouvertes contest in 2001, the band released its debut album,Le Pensionnat des établis, in 2003. The album's single "Poisson cru" reached the top of Quebec'scampus radio charts, and was named the best album of the year by two critics for Montreal's alternative weeklyVoir.
The band's second album,Les Tremblements s’immobilisent, won threeFélix Awards in 2006. In 2007, they were featured, along withThe Stills,The Besnard Lakes andMahjor Bidet, on the bill of Quebec Scene, a concert inOttawa sponsored byCBC Radio 3.[1]
On the third album,Le Volume du vent, as the band further expanded its reach into English Canada, guest musicians includedPatrick Watson andElizabeth Powell.[2] The album was a longlisted nominee for the2008 Polaris Music Prize.[3]
Their fourth album,Les Chemins de verre, was recorded in Paris, France.[4] The album won the2010 Polaris Music Prize[5] and the 2011Juno Award for Francophone Album of the Year.
In December 2011, the band announced that it would release a live album in 2012, followed by a hiatus.[6] The album debuted at number 25 on theCanadian Albums Chart.[7]
Lead singer Louis-Jean Cormier released his debut solo album,Le treizième étage, in 2012. The album won Francophone Album of the Year at theJuno Awards of 2013. In June 2013,Le treizième étage was longlisted for the2013 Polaris Music Prize. Percussionist Julien Sagot has also released the solo albumsPiano mal (2012),Valse 333 (2014),Bleu Jane (2017), andSagot (2021).
On July 7, 2018, the band performed a reunion show at the La Noce festival inSaguenay.[8]
In 2023, they announced that they had reunited to record and release a new album,Dans la seconde, for release in September.[9] The announcement was accompanied by the release of the album's first preview single, "Parfaite à l'écran", whose music video featured actressPascale Bussières.[10] The album received a Juno nomination for Francophone Album of the Year at theJuno Awards of 2024,[11] and was a longlisted nominee for the2024 Polaris Music Prize.[12]
Les Tremblements s'immobilisent
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
