Slowcoaster | |
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 Steven MacDougall performing at the Shoreline Festival in 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Genres | Indie rock |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Company House |
| Members | Steven MacDougall Mike LeLievre Devon Strang |
| Past members | Brian Talbot |
| Website | www.slowcoaster.ca |
Slowcoaster is a Canadian indie rock band from Sydney, Nova Scotia. [1] The band's sound is rock-based, with strong influences of reggae, ska, folk and jazz. [2]
Slowcoaster was formed in November 1999 by guitarist Steven MacDougall, drummer Devon Strang, and bassist Mike LeLievre. [3] To promote themselves, they founded their own management company, House of Rock, which has since become influential in promoting a number of acts from Cape Breton Island. The band performed locally and toured the Maritimes, releasing two EPs, Jody's Garden and Volume II. [4] Slowcoaster added percussionist Darren Gallop to the lineup in 2002 and released Leaves, with Accidents & Excuses following in 2003.
The band began touring nationally and their debut album, Where Are They Going? was released in 2004. [5] Steven MacDougall's song "Spanish Bay" placed second in the 16th Annual National Songwriting Competition the same year. [6] A video for the single "Patio" was released and saw national play on MuchMusic. [5] Drummer Devon Strang left the band around this time, with longtime collaborator Brian Talbot replacing him. [7]
Slowcoaster came to the forefront of the Maritime live music scene in 2005 and 2006, touring frequently and headlining at Nova Scotia's Evolve Festival [8] and Stan Rogers Folk Festival, New Brunswick's Sunseekers ball music festival, the Canada Day Countdown and Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival, and Prince Edward Island's Shoreline Festival. [9]
They won Music Nova Scotia's Alternative Group of the Year award in 2005, and an ECMA award for Alternative Recording of the Year in 2006. [10]
In 2007 the band released Future Radio. [11] A video for the single "Leave" was released in early 2008. They followed up in 2010 with the album The Darkest of Discos , again winning the ECMA for Alternative Recording of the Year in 2011. [12]
Their last full-length album, The Girls Downtown, was released in 2013. [13] They have since released a few further singles independently on their Bandcamp page, most recently "Haunt You" in 2020. [14]
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The Darkest of Discos is the fifth studio album by Slowcoaster.
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