October Sky (band)

Last updated
October Sky
October Sky band photo live 2011.jpg
live concert at Club Soda in Montreal (2011)
Background information
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres Rock
Electronic
Years active2000 (2000)–present
MembersKarl Raymond
Alex Racine
Past membersAndrew Walker (2007 to 2012)
Gabriel Lobato (2000 to 2007)
Yanik Rouleau (2004 to 2014)
Julien Laframboise-Poitras
Website octobersky.ca

October Sky is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Canada. Formed in 2000, the group currently consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Karl Raymond and drummer Alex Racine. The style of their early music, including their debut album Hell Isn't My Home , has been described as progressive, but they started to add several electronic elements to their sound on subsequent albums. The Aphotic Season was the first step in that new direction but their latest EP Rise marked a major shift in their sound.

Contents

To date, October Sky have released two full-length albums - Hell Isn't My Home (2008) and The Aphotic Season (2012), and three EPs - October Sky EP (2006), Green and Beautiful EP (2010), Rise (2015).

History

Early years (2000-2005)

October Sky originated from the suburbs of Montreal in 2000, when high school friends Karl Raymond and Alex Racine started playing hard rock music together. When keyboardist Yanik Rouleau joined in 2004, the style of music they played evolved to a more progressive and alternative feel. [1] Shortly after Yanik joined the band, they entered in and won a local battle of the bands contest called Exposure, among 85 bands. The positive feedback they received therein prompted them to go on a small tour in regional areas of Quebec in 2005, including shows in and around Montreal. During this time, they took home yet another battle of the bands contest called Concours Studio Sixieme Sens. [2] The prize for the latter involved a substantial amount of recording time, where they recorded their first eponymous EP. [3] It was at Studio Sixieme Sens that the band learned the ropes in recording procedures and techniques, where they were given the opportunity to experiment and start to truly define their sound.

First EP (2006-2007)

October Sky self-released their first EP in 2006, highlighted by the band's first self-produced concert to a crowd of 450 fans and friends.

October Sky's next big move was to set up camp in Toronto, Ontario, where they would live for 8 months, to explore the strong Toronto independent music scene. They discovered the opportunity to enter another contest, Toronto Indie Week, in which they were titled "Top Finalist" (among 370 North American bands). After having played 18 concerts in the Toronto Metropolitan Area, and having soaked up all they could about the music industry in Canada's largest city, [4] they would move back to Montreal to recruit bassist Andrew Walker in early 2007.

The summer of 2007 saw the band spending a lot of their time writing and recording in their newly built home studio. Late fall, they were on the verge of completion of a 10 track album. On October 10, 2007, October Sky independently launched their debut album Hell Isn't My Home at the Cafe Campus in Montreal to a crowd of 500 fans.

Shortly after, the band entered a battle of the bands contest called Omnium Du Rock. While finishing second in the final, they were approached by one of the judges, an agent for the record distribution company TRX Distribution, based in Montreal.

Hell Isn't My Home (2008-2009)

October Sky signed a distribution deal with TRX Distribution in the summer of 2008, and officially released Hell Isn't My Home on September 2, 2008, online and in all Archambault music stores in Quebec and Ontario. The band put on album launch parties for the media on September 2 at Cafe Campus in Montreal and September 3 at The Rivoli in Toronto.

In promotion of the album, the band set out on a cross-Canadian tour of 21 shows in 16 different cities from Sherbrooke, Quebec to Vancouver, BC from September 18 to October 31, 2008, having opened for Mobile a couple of times. [5]

The album was well received by the media, receiving radio play on over 20 commercial radio stations across Canada. Their music video for "Hit the Ground" debuted at number 4, ahead of Madonna and Justin Timberlake, on MusiquePlus' "Plus sur commande," a television show playing the most requested music videos of the week. [6] The music video was also playlisted on MuchLOUD. [7] October Sky won three Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards for their debut album Hell Isn't My Home . [8]

In the harsh Canadian winter of early 2009, October Sky was invited to play on two occasions in the Feerie des Glaces festival in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, whereby they opened for classic rock veteran Michel Pagliaro. [9]

Later that year, TRX Distribution was bought out by distribution company DEP under Universal Music Canada, and October Sky and Universal failed to reach an agreement to continue distributing Hell Isn't My Home.

October Sky then entered what they decided would be their last contest, called Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB), an international competition, as the name suggests. They won the Montreal regional finals in May, and moved on to play in the Canadian National Finals at the Envol and Macadam Festival in Quebec City, where they had the privilege of opening for Alexisonfire and Bad Religion. [10] Their victory would bring them to London for the World Finals in 2010.

Green and Beautiful EP and Europe (2010-2011)

In January 2010, October Sky traveled to Toronto to record a three-song demo with producer Brian Moncarz at Rattlebox Studios, which is co-owned by Brian and Grammy-winning producer David Bottrill. [11] [12] [13] The demo ended up being the basis for Green and Beautiful EP , released on September 21, 2010. The EP also features several live tracks and a remix of "Hell Isn't My Home" by DJ Nota.

The band took a trip to perform at The Scala in London, UK, in the World Finals of the GBOB, competing against 18 other countries on April 27, 2010.

That summer, October Sky were given the opportunity to perform at the Osheaga Festival in an acoustic tent in association with War Child. Henceforth, in promotion of Green and Beautiful EP, October Sky ventured off to France and Belgium for an 11-day tour in November and December 2010. [14]

The band performed acoustically on Quebec's popular television show L'echelle du talent: Zero a 1000, which aired on V Tele in November, 2011, during its first season. [15] They were invited back on the show at the beginning of the following season as part of the "best of" series of the first season.

In March 2011, October Sky performed during Canadian Music Week in Toronto, and followed up with a headlining performance at Club Soda, a well-known venue in Montreal, where they recorded Live in Montreal EP . Less than a month later, the band went back to London, UK, to perform a showcase to the UK music industry and local fans, called Discovery 2 Showcase. [16] Subsequently, the band returned to Toronto to perform another showcase as part of North by Northeast in June, followed by back-to-back performances at the Festival d'ete de Beloeil, a popular music festival in Beloeil, Quebec, including an opening slot for comedian Rachid Badouri. [17]

The band crossed the Atlantic Ocean once again to embark on a 2-month tour of the UK from mid-September to mid-November to develop their fan base there, featuring over 20 performances in over 10 different cities. They officially released their debut album Hell Isn't My Home to the UK public on October 3, 2011, along with their single "Hit the Ground", receiving radio play on NME Radio, TotalRock Radio, East Kent Radio, Emma Scott Presents and others. [18]

The Aphotic Season (2012)

Shortly after the return of their UK tour at the end of 2011, October Sky recorded 7 songs with producer Luc Tellier. On April 2, 2012. October Sky announced the release of the forthcoming album called The Aphotic Season which has been available June 18, 2012, worldwide. Later that year, the band released the second single of that album called Green And Beautiful on October 30, 2012. [19] The same song used for the title of their last EP was remixed by producer Luc Tellier, then put back on their latest record to become a single. A video produced and animated by Paul Kuchar from Kool Factor company received great reviews shortly after its release. Within 2 weeks, the video had reached 8 800 views on YouTube. [20] The video is made up of traditional hand drawn animation, set in a 3D space, adding a certain degree of depth. [21]

Rise (2015)

October Sky spent 2014 in studio writing and recording songs with producer ‘’Paul Milner’’. They wrote more than 15 new songs and chose the best seven to put on an EP called ‘’Rise’’. That 7 track album was released in October 2015 followed by a tour of 32 shows across the United States during spring 2016. From the EP Rise, the band released 2 singles: The Moment and Break me if you can for which they produced an official video that was premiered in worldwide exclusivity by Yahoo!. On November 29, 2016, October Sky released a Live off the floor session called Rise Sessions with long time friend Gabriel Lobato. The band shot multi angle videos of live performances for the songs Break me if you can, Live again and All this sound.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beloeil, Quebec</span> City in Quebec, Canada

Beloeil is a city in Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of Montreal, on the South Shore and is on the Richelieu River, 32 kilometres (20 mi) east of Montreal. According to the official Commission de toponymie du Québec, the name is written Belœil with an oe ligature; however, other sources avoid the ligature, including the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the town's own official website.

Me Mom and Morgentaler were a Canadian third wave ska band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band members included Gus "Van Go" Coriandoli, Kim Bingham, John Jordan, Adam "Baltimore Bix" Berger, Kasia Hering, Sid Zanforlin, Matt Lipscombe, Noah Green, Diane White, and John "JB" Britton. They were known for their elaborate live performances, spectacles of vaudevillian-styled performance art with leftist leanings. They sang in both English and French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Despised Icon</span> Canadian deathcore band

Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. Formed in 2002, the band is noted for the talent of its drummer, Alex Pelletier, who makes frequent use of the blasting technique, as well as for its dual lead vocalists; Alex Erian and Steve Marois.

Jay Malinowski is a Canadian singer, songwriter, visual artist and writer. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, and grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known as the vocalist and guitarist for reggae group Bedouin Soundclash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sebastien Grainger</span> Canadian singer and musician (born 1979)

Sebastien Alexandre Grainger is a Canadian singer and musician, best known as drummer and singer of the alternative rock duo Death from Above and the singer and guitarist for his band Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains. He is part owner of Giant Studios in Toronto, Ontario with Jimmy Shaw of Metric.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Lake Swimmers</span> Canadian folk rock band

Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian folk rock band from Wainfleet, Ontario, and currently based in Toronto.

Cursed was a Canadian hardcore punk band formed in 2001 and dissolved in 2008. It featured members from Montreal, Toronto, and Hamilton of various other Canadian DIY bands such as Haymaker, Left for Dead, The Swarm aka Knee Deep in the Dead, Acrid, Ruination, The Black Hand, Countdown to Oblivion, At the Mercy of Inspiration, Shallow North Dakota, Crux of Aux, Quest for Fire and Burning Love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malajube</span> Canadian rock band

Malajube is a Canadian francophone indie rock band formed in Montreal, Quebec.

Jordan Robson-Cramer is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist musician based in Montreal, Quebec. He was the founder and front man of the band Magic Weapon, and former member of the bands Miracle Fortress. He is also an original member of the recently reformed Sunset Rubdown which is planning to record its 4th album in the coming year.

Subb was a Canadian ska punk band formed in November 1992 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Since their beginning in the early 1990s, the band released four full-length albums, one EP and one split CD on the labels Stomp Records and Underworld Records. Though they experienced several lineup changes over the years, founding members Mart Charron and Stef Gauthier remained in the group. The band's musical style initially blended elements of punk rock, ska, and hardcore into a genre popularly known as ska punk or "ska-core," which characterized their first two albums. In 2002, they were moving away from this sound and producing an album with a heavy pop punk influence. After a brief hiatus in 2003, the band moved back towards their ska, punk and hardcore elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiz Kilo</span> Canadian singer

Wissam Kilo, better known by his stage name Wiz Kilo, is a Canadian hip hop and electronic artist, songwriter, music producer, dancer, actor, model and hip hop instructor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blind Witness</span> Canadian deathcore band

Blind Witness is a Canadian deathcore band from Granby, Quebec. Formed in 2005, the group was signed to Mediaskare Records and released two full-length studio albums. The band broke up in 2012, but reformed in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kastner</span> Canadian musician and composer (born 1969)

Jean-Guy "John" Kastner is a Canadian musician and composer born in Beaconsfield, Quebec. He was the singer for Montreal hardcore punk band the Asexuals as well as singer-guitarist for Montreal alternative band Doughboys and alternative band All Systems Go!. He is also the manager and former rhythm guitarist for the band Men Without Hats.

Flashlight Brown were a Canadian punk rock band, originally from Guelph. They were formed in 1995. At the time they were just known as Flashlight. The band's most known lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist Matt Hughes, bassist/vocalist Fil Bucchino, drummer Tim Thomson, and guitarist Mike Conroy. They're known for singles "Ready To Roll" and "I'm A Human", as well as their cover of "Save It for Later". Their music received some airtime on radio and TV stations in Canada and has been featured in Rugrats Go Wild, Smallville, and Sky High.

<i>Hell Isnt My Home</i> 2008 studio album by October Sky

Hell Isn't My Home is the debut full-length studio album by October Sky, released on September 2, 2008. It was originally released independently on October 10, 2007, but was released officially as a double album under TRX Distribution, a Quebec-based record distributor. The second disc is a bonus disc which features the first three songs of the band's first EP October Sky EP. In 2009, the company was bought out by DEP under Universal Music Canada, and October Sky and Universal failed to reach an agreement to continue distributing the album.

<i>Green and Beautiful EP</i> 2010 EP by October Sky

Green and Beautiful EP is October Sky's third release, and second EP. It was released as a limited edition offer on September 21, 2010 at Cafe Campus in Montreal, Quebec, as only 500 physical copies were manufactured.

Parlovr was a Canadian indie rock band. Based in Montreal, Quebec, the band consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Alex Cooper, vocalist and guitarist Louis David Jackson and drummer Jeremy McCuish.

<i>The Aphotic Season</i> 2012 studio album by October Sky

The Aphotic Season is the second studio album by October Sky, released worldwide on June 18, 2012 with Rocksector Records, a Manchester-based record label.

Charlotte Day Wilson is a Canadian contemporary R&B singer-songwriter. She came to prominence in the mid-2010s with her single "Work" and collaborations with other Toronto-based artists like BadBadNotGood and Daniel Caesar. Wilson released her debut album Alpha in July 2021.

Michel "Sky" Langlois is a Canadian outlaw biker and gangster who served as the second national president of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in Canada. A founding member of the Popeyes biker gang, which amalgamated with the Hells Angels in 1977, Langlois was convicted as an accessory to murder in the club's internal Lennoxville massacre of 1985, and later of conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the 1994–2002 Quebec Biker War.

References

  1. ↑ "Altsounds." Archived 2008-10-11 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  2. ↑ "CBC Profile - October Sky" Archived 2010-07-13 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Studio Sixieme Sens." Retrieved October 14, 2011. (in French)
  4. ↑ "Statistics Canada 2006." Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  5. ↑ "Band Web Blogs" Archived 2011-11-27 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  6. ↑ "October Sky beat out Madonna and Timberlake." Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Rhythm and Booze" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  8. ↑ "2008 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Awards." Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  9. ↑ "L'information du nord Mont Tremblant" [usurped] Retrieved October 14, 2011. (in French)
  10. ↑ "October Sky wins GBOB" Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Discogs - David Bottrill" Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Rattlebox Studios" Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Discogs - Brian Moncarz" Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Fridae TV." Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  15. ↑ "October Sky win on Quebec's most popular TV show" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  16. ↑ "October Sky at AAA" Archived 2011-05-27 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Vallee du Richelieu - Festival d'ete de Beloeil" Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011. (in French)
  18. ↑ "Glasswerk review" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
  19. ↑ "New single" Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  20. ↑ "YouTube Video" Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Paul Kuchar" Archived 2013-01-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 22, 2012.
  22. ↑ "TRX Distribution Catalogue." Archived 2012-04-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved October 14, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.