Montreal, QC · indie rock

Wolf Parade

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Montreal indie rock institution — jittery, anthemic songs from two of Canada's best songwriters, home-field advantage included and audible.

Wolf Parade started in Montreal in April 2003, when Spencer Krug, previously of Frog Eyes, was offered a gig with just three weeks to put a band together. He brought in guitarist Dan Boeckner, formerly of Atlas Strategic, and the pair began writing in Krug's apartment before drummer Arlen Thompson joined to complete the core lineup.

Krug and Boeckner split lead vocals and write separately, giving the band two distinct voices on every record: Krug's keyboard-driven songs tend toward the angular and theatrical, while Boeckner favours a leaner, more direct rock approach. Synth player Hadji Bakara and guitarist Dante DeCaro both spent years in the band before eventually moving on.

The band's debut, Apologies to the Queen Mary, arrived on Sub Pop in 2005, produced by Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock, and picked up a Polaris Music Prize nomination the following year. At Mount Zoomer followed in 2008 and Expo 86 in 2010, rounding out three albums before the band stepped away.

Wolf Parade went on hiatus in 2011 while its members pursued other projects, including Sunset Rubdown, Handsome Furs and Divine Fits. They announced their return in 2016 with a self-titled EP, followed by the albums Cry Cry Cry in 2017 and Thin Mind in 2020, both released on Sub Pop.

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indie rock