100 mile house

On their second album, Edmonton, AB's 100 Mile House spin out a dozen roots-y tunes rich in instrumentation and lyrical depth. Songs that contemplate home and the longing for lend a melancholy tone to much of the album. But energetic, countrified numbers like "Edward IV" and "Because You're Mine" add variety to the mix. Fronted by husband and wife Peter Stone and Denise MacKay, the band bring in cello, mandolin and banjo, as well as relying heavily on Scott Zubot's adept violin throughout ? most strikingly in instrumental track "Sigh." Small touches are what set Hollow Pond apart ? details like the wheeze of organ that opens the first track and the low hum of choral vocals that supplement Stone's British-accented singing. Warm, pretty and finely crafted, this is a fine sophomore album from a skilled set of musicians and songwriters.

By Rachel Sanders - Exclaim!

On their second album, Edmonton, AB's 100 Mile House spin out a dozen roots-y tunes rich in instrumentation and lyrical depth. Songs that contemplate home and the longing for lend a melancholy tone to much of the album. But energetic, countrified numbers like "Edward IV" and "Because You're Mine" add variety to the mix. Fronted by husband and wife Peter Stone and Denise MacKay, the band bring in cello, mandolin and banjo, as well as relying heavily on Scott Zubot's adept violin throughout ? most strikingly in instrumental track "Sigh." Small touches are what set Hollow Pond apart ? details like the wheeze of organ that opens the first track and the low hum of choral vocals that supplement Stone's British-accented singing. Warm, pretty and finely crafted, this is a fine sophomore album from a skilled set of musicians and songwriters.

By Rachel Sanders - Exclaim!

For an album that so often deals with the topic of being away from home, it's slightly ironic that Hollow Ponds, the second full-length album from Edmonton-based band 100 Mile House, was recorded at the home shared by bandmates and husband-and-wife duo Denise MacKay and Peter Stone.

The band, which includes Scott Zubot on a variety of instruments and often includes Tom Murray on bass and Tyrn Armstrong on the drums, was buoyed by the lack of constraints that home recording afforded: without having to watch the clock fastidiously, the album could reveal itself over time more naturally.

"Everyone has an idea of how they want their music to sound in their heads, and it gives you the ability to get it out no matter how long it takes," explains Stone, of the advantages of recording at home. "A lot of it we did know how we wanted it to sound before we started and then it was just a matter of finding it, but there's always bits that catch you along the way where you find something great by accident. Like you record on the wrong mic and then you go, 'What's that sound?' Mistakes sometimes show the greatest stuff."

100 Mile House began life in England, where Stone hails from. After meeting MacKay in Toronto, the couple lived together in Edmonton for a year, moved to London for four and eventually returned to Alberta's capital. Those movements, as well as the constant displacement of one half of the couple, form the bedrock of Hollow Ponds' themes.

"Since we've met one of us has always lived away from home," Stone says of his relationship with his wife. "There's this constant thing where, no matter how good a time you're having, you're not at home. As much as I really enjoy Edmonton—and can't see myself ever leaving Edmonton—there's always that constant feeling you're not at home, and there are a lot of songs on the album influenced by that." - Vue Weekly

For an album that so often deals with the topic of being away from home, it's slightly ironic that Hollow Ponds, the second full-length album from Edmonton-based band 100 Mile House, was recorded at the home shared by bandmates and husband-and-wife duo Denise MacKay and Peter Stone.

The band, which includes Scott Zubot on a variety of instruments and often includes Tom Murray on bass and Tyrn Armstrong on the drums, was buoyed by the lack of constraints that home recording afforded: without having to watch the clock fastidiously, the album could reveal itself over time more naturally.

"Everyone has an idea of how they want their music to sound in their heads, and it gives you the ability to get it out no matter how long it takes," explains Stone, of the advantages of recording at home. "A lot of it we did know how we wanted it to sound before we started and then it was just a matter of finding it, but there's always bits that catch you along the way where you find something great by accident. Like you record on the wrong mic and then you go, 'What's that sound?' Mistakes sometimes show the greatest stuff."

100 Mile House began life in England, where Stone hails from. After meeting MacKay in Toronto, the couple lived together in Edmonton for a year, moved to London for four and eventually returned to Alberta's capital. Those movements, as well as the constant displacement of one half of the couple, form the bedrock of Hollow Ponds' themes.

"Since we've met one of us has always lived away from home," Stone says of his relationship with his wife. "There's this constant thing where, no matter how good a time you're having, you're not at home. As much as I really enjoy Edmonton—and can't see myself ever leaving Edmonton—there's always that constant feeling you're not at home, and there are a lot of songs on the album influenced by that." - Vue Weekly

Have you ever had the urge to grab a Rand McNalley throw it in the passenger seat of your car and see what you can find? Total spontaneity, no plan, the highway is your destination. That is what “Hollow Ponds” is like by 100 Mile House.

The band is taking western Canada by storm with cool sultry moves. Peter Stone and his wife, Denise MacKay joins forces with multi-instrumentalist Scott Zubot to create a smooth and sometimes chilling inception. Peter and Denise’s voices circle each other like butterflies on the first day of spring. Each song is one part of a colorful bouquet.

They open with the title track and set the mood for the journey ahead. When listening I closed my eyes and imagined headlights spilling across a dark road as the white lines pass one by one. It is dreamy, enticing and almost daring; tempting you to follow them to the edge of a mountain with only the wind between you and a leap. I like to rock out as much as the next person but I also love music that provokes retrospect.

Denise gives us a taste of her delicate voice in, “Goodbye”. It is a real attention stealer. At the moment they have you so relaxed, she assures you the goodbye is not forever. Then they interrupt the tempered mood in, “Because your mine” and seal the package with the peaceful, “Morning Light”.

They have two amazing voices that sound like they were created simply to compliment each other. It is time now for you to embark on your own journey. I highly recommend, 100 Mile House, playing in your CD player before you hit the road. - Skope Magazine

Have you ever had the urge to grab a Rand McNalley throw it in the passenger seat of your car and see what you can find? Total spontaneity, no plan, the highway is your destination. That is what “Hollow Ponds” is like by 100 Mile House.

The band is taking western Canada by storm with cool sultry moves. Peter Stone and his wife, Denise MacKay joins forces with multi-instrumentalist Scott Zubot to create a smooth and sometimes chilling inception. Peter and Denise’s voices circle each other like butterflies on the first day of spring. Each song is one part of a colorful bouquet.

They open with the title track and set the mood for the journey ahead. When listening I closed my eyes and imagined headlights spilling across a dark road as the white lines pass one by one. It is dreamy, enticing and almost daring; tempting you to follow them to the edge of a mountain with only the wind between you and a leap. I like to rock out as much as the next person but I also love music that provokes retrospect.

Denise gives us a taste of her delicate voice in, “Goodbye”. It is a real attention stealer. At the moment they have you so relaxed, she assures you the goodbye is not forever. Then they interrupt the tempered mood in, “Because your mine” and seal the package with the peaceful, “Morning Light”.

They have two amazing voices that sound like they were created simply to compliment each other. It is time now for you to embark on your own journey. I highly recommend, 100 Mile House, playing in your CD player before you hit the road. - Skope Magazine

Transatlantic Canadian based 100 mile house are husband and wife duo Peter Stone and Denise MacKay and multi-instrumentalist Scott Zubot. They are a new arrival on Folk Radio UK and their latest release, Hollow Ponds, explores the overall theme of finding home and by home I mean the physical and emotional place. Peter and Denise have been on a bit of journey, the album provides a very personal insight into their relationship, covering memories of the past, escape and the desire to find a mutual place to settle down.

Peter is from the UK and it was a strange twist of events that led to him meeting Denise in Toronto. They have travelled around a fair bit since: they were based in Edmonton, then moved to London where they started 100 Mile House. They are now back in Canada.

As with any journey, it has its highs and lows. The alt-folk and roots based music reflects this perfectly and features diverse instrumentation including: guitar, banjo, piano, a 100 year old pump organ, suitcase, violin, mandolin, bass, drums as well as a make shift choir of family and friends.

The title track, Hollow Ponds, is a highlight of the album with the lovely pump organ opening to the Peter’s catchy short lyrical lines, ironies and snapshots of memories which take on a bigger life of their own in the minds eye over time: glimpses of overcooking the roast to late night drunken chats. The pace of the songs match the euphoria of finding their path again for their ongoing journey. The fast paced banjo / fiddle drivenEdward IV is a great foot-tapper, a mutual call for escape from the city and the late night closing time fist fights that keep you awake; a time of warm embraces and promises, the song ends on an uncertain statement of ‘we’re closer than you think’.

In many ways the Hollow Ponds is as much about relationships as finding home, a balancing act that leads you on that mutual path of escape, seeking a better world to share. Better, still talks of being a better husband and friend, being more honest. There is a very down-to-earth honesty about all the lyrics on the album, they don’t sound pretentious or musically over-ambitious…it’s a very credible album that will draw you back in time and time again, an uplifting and empowering listen that has you rooting for their success.

100 Mile House are getting a lot of exposure in Canada at the moment and it would be great to see the UK picking up on that success, Hollow Ponds is a great album and is unlike anything I’ve personally heard before, and it goes without saying…I hope they find home. - Folk Radio UK

Transatlantic Canadian based 100 mile house are husband and wife duo Peter Stone and Denise MacKay and multi-instrumentalist Scott Zubot. They are a new arrival on Folk Radio UK and their latest release, Hollow Ponds, explores the overall theme of finding home and by home I mean the physical and emotional place. Peter and Denise have been on a bit of journey, the album provides a very personal insight into their relationship, covering memories of the past, escape and the desire to find a mutual place to settle down.

Peter is from the UK and it was a strange twist of events that led to him meeting Denise in Toronto. They have travelled around a fair bit since: they were based in Edmonton, then moved to London where they started 100 Mile House. They are now back in Canada.

As with any journey, it has its highs and lows. The alt-folk and roots based music reflects this perfectly and features diverse instrumentation including: guitar, banjo, piano, a 100 year old pump organ, suitcase, violin, mandolin, bass, drums as well as a make shift choir of family and friends.

The title track, Hollow Ponds, is a highlight of the album with the lovely pump organ opening to the Peter’s catchy short lyrical lines, ironies and snapshots of memories which take on a bigger life of their own in the minds eye over time: glimpses of overcooking the roast to late night drunken chats. The pace of the songs match the euphoria of finding their path again for their ongoing journey. The fast paced banjo / fiddle drivenEdward IV is a great foot-tapper, a mutual call for escape from the city and the late night closing time fist fights that keep you awake; a time of warm embraces and promises, the song ends on an uncertain statement of ‘we’re closer than you think’.

In many ways the Hollow Ponds is as much about relationships as finding home, a balancing act that leads you on that mutual path of escape, seeking a better world to share. Better, still talks of being a better husband and friend, being more honest. There is a very down-to-earth honesty about all the lyrics on the album, they don’t sound pretentious or musically over-ambitious…it’s a very credible album that will draw you back in time and time again, an uplifting and empowering listen that has you rooting for their success.

100 Mile House are getting a lot of exposure in Canada at the moment and it would be great to see the UK picking up on that success, Hollow Ponds is a great album and is unlike anything I’ve personally heard before, and it goes without saying…I hope they find home. - Folk Radio UK

CD’s that excite me plop their way into my lap in the funniest ways. My first David Francey album took two years to wind it’s way westward from Quebec and arrive courtesy of Vic Bell from the Nickelodeon music club in Calgary. At the 2011 Calgary Folk Festival Song contest finals for the “pros and prose” category (for writers who have released a commercial CD) I really liked the song Better Still by 100 Mile House. It placed first and earned the band $3500.00 in prize money among other things. I asked Peter Stone to send me some more of their work and a brown envelope subsequently arrived with hollow ponds.

It is the band’s third release. Peter Stone, an expat Brit, and his wife Denise Mackay moved back to Edmonton a few years ago after a time playing in and around in London. returning to Alberta, they reconnected with Scott Zubot and 100 mile house was formed.
Thank heavens. It is a magical combination and hollow ponds is a terrific album. Moody at times, Peter and Denise ‘s voices blend perfectly and Scott’s fiddle adds just the right touch. Evoking travels done and to come, the songs seem to approach and then roll over you like a line of gentle prairie rain.

I particularly like Peter’s turns of well written phrases like from better still:

“If this could bore one lesson/ I should learn to be more honest still…./So the next time I see my parents/I’ll tell them how I really feel”

You will be hearing more and more from this band and if they are as new to you as to me, go seek them out at their gigs. Trust me it’ll be worth it.

–By les siemieniuk
- Penguin Eggs

CD’s that excite me plop their way into my lap in the funniest ways. My first David Francey album took two years to wind it’s way westward from Quebec and arrive courtesy of Vic Bell from the Nickelodeon music club in Calgary. At the 2011 Calgary Folk Festival Song contest finals for the “pros and prose” category (for writers who have released a commercial CD) I really liked the song Better Still by 100 Mile House. It placed first and earned the band $3500.00 in prize money among other things. I asked Peter Stone to send me some more of their work and a brown envelope subsequently arrived with hollow ponds.

It is the band’s third release. Peter Stone, an expat Brit, and his wife Denise Mackay moved back to Edmonton a few years ago after a time playing in and around in London. returning to Alberta, they reconnected with Scott Zubot and 100 mile house was formed.
Thank heavens. It is a magical combination and hollow ponds is a terrific album. Moody at times, Peter and Denise ‘s voices blend perfectly and Scott’s fiddle adds just the right touch. Evoking travels done and to come, the songs seem to approach and then roll over you like a line of gentle prairie rain.

I particularly like Peter’s turns of well written phrases like from better still:

“If this could bore one lesson/ I should learn to be more honest still…./So the next time I see my parents/I’ll tell them how I really feel”

You will be hearing more and more from this band and if they are as new to you as to me, go seek them out at their gigs. Trust me it’ll be worth it.

–By les siemieniuk
- Penguin Eggs

Mistakes are the bane of every newspaper, magazine and TV newscast.

In Peter Stone's case, a journalist's error led to the love of his life, Edmonton singer-songwriter Denise MacKay, and their folk-pop project, 100 Mile House.

The British expat and musician was supposed to be playing his weekly gig at a Toronto bar when she showed up to perform.

"Someone had put in the paper that it was an open-mike (night), so Denise turned up with her guitar," says Stone. "I was like, 'OK, you're cute, you can play, you can join me on-stage.' She started playing and I was like, 'Man, she's better than me.' I let her play as long as she wanted."

Stone eventually moved to Edmonton, then the two headed to England for a few years. Last Christmas, they returned to the more affordable city of champs, where they met up with 100 Mile House's fiddler, Scott Zubot, and recorded their second effort, From Fall to Fall. It's a rootsy, blue-collar folk mix of snappy shufflers ( Wolves, Boys of East Boleyn), sullen ballads ( Fight, She's Gone), and the exquisite interplay of Stone's accented vocals, MacKay's angelic harmonies and Zubot's bittersweet violin.

"A lot of our songs are about places we're leaving or where we actually aren't at the time," laughs Stone.

"A lot of our songs were about Canada when we were in England, and then we got here and a lot of our songs are about England. It's really strange. Even on the album, you can tell by the theme of the song probably which country it was written."

While Stone credits Zubot with adding extra oomph to 100 Mile House ditties, the trio's sound also owes a lot to the Brit's mom and dad.

"When we started off, we were a lot quieter and my parents were like 'Just be louder,' " says Stone.

"I think that's the only advice they've ever given. 'Cuz my dad, he's into quite a few things, but he grew up on Thin Lizzy and The Who, so he likes it loud. Once Denise started playing the snare drum, he was a lot happier. " - By Sandra Sperounes, Edmonton Journal

Mistakes are the bane of every newspaper, magazine and TV newscast.

In Peter Stone's case, a journalist's error led to the love of his life, Edmonton singer-songwriter Denise MacKay, and their folk-pop project, 100 Mile House.

The British expat and musician was supposed to be playing his weekly gig at a Toronto bar when she showed up to perform.

"Someone had put in the paper that it was an open-mike (night), so Denise turned up with her guitar," says Stone. "I was like, 'OK, you're cute, you can play, you can join me on-stage.' She started playing and I was like, 'Man, she's better than me.' I let her play as long as she wanted."

Stone eventually moved to Edmonton, then the two headed to England for a few years. Last Christmas, they returned to the more affordable city of champs, where they met up with 100 Mile House's fiddler, Scott Zubot, and recorded their second effort, From Fall to Fall. It's a rootsy, blue-collar folk mix of snappy shufflers ( Wolves, Boys of East Boleyn), sullen ballads ( Fight, She's Gone), and the exquisite interplay of Stone's accented vocals, MacKay's angelic harmonies and Zubot's bittersweet violin.

"A lot of our songs are about places we're leaving or where we actually aren't at the time," laughs Stone.

"A lot of our songs were about Canada when we were in England, and then we got here and a lot of our songs are about England. It's really strange. Even on the album, you can tell by the theme of the song probably which country it was written."

While Stone credits Zubot with adding extra oomph to 100 Mile House ditties, the trio's sound also owes a lot to the Brit's mom and dad.

"When we started off, we were a lot quieter and my parents were like 'Just be louder,' " says Stone.

"I think that's the only advice they've ever given. 'Cuz my dad, he's into quite a few things, but he grew up on Thin Lizzy and The Who, so he likes it loud. Once Denise started playing the snare drum, he was a lot happier. " - By Sandra Sperounes, Edmonton Journal

After first meeting at an admittedly awkward open-mic show in Toronto, Peter Stone and Denise MacKay quickly struck up a musical partnership that has spanned six years and several continents. Most recently, the two found themselves fleeing the bustle of London's music scene for the more down-home comforts of our fair city.

"We came over in early December last year—just in time for a month of -30 weather," laughs Stone, a native of the UK. "We used to live in Edmonton about five or six years ago, before we moved out to London. But, it's not like I was dreading coming back here—we don't really get any snow in the UK, so it's still kind of a novelty for me. But, you know, we'll see how I feel in a few years."

After stripping their six-piece band down to just a guitar and their two voices, Stone and MacKay started 100 Mile House by hiding out in a converted warehouse space in South London and writing their debut EP On That Organ In the House By the Field in summer of 2008.

"Living in London was just such hard work—it's a really expensive city," explains Stone. "It has a reputation as a real music centre, and there is a lot of different music there and a ton of different venues. But it's almost like the city is just too saturated with music. There really is much more of a community spirit here in Edmonton, in part because it is so much smaller. But there's an open-mindedness and kind of kinship among the musical community here."

The pair not only found a sense of camaraderie among its newfound peers, but was also able to reconnect with old friend and collaborator Scott Zubot, an ex-pat who had also once again found himself back in Edmonton. He quickly found a place in 100 Mile House for his talents with both the mandolin and violin.

"We were so lucky to cross paths with Scott again. He recorded an album that Denise made about five years ago. He had left the city too, and happened to move back around the same time we did last year. He brings an added dimension to the band, a real creative energy and enthusiasm."

With plans to record with the new line-up in the fall of this year, Stone is optimistic that the band has found a stable homebase, and a roster and sound it can call its own.

"We really have found a lot of support here—it's been a really great musical atmosphere for us to be in." V - By James Stewart, Vue Weekly

After first meeting at an admittedly awkward open-mic show in Toronto, Peter Stone and Denise MacKay quickly struck up a musical partnership that has spanned six years and several continents. Most recently, the two found themselves fleeing the bustle of London's music scene for the more down-home comforts of our fair city.

"We came over in early December last year—just in time for a month of -30 weather," laughs Stone, a native of the UK. "We used to live in Edmonton about five or six years ago, before we moved out to London. But, it's not like I was dreading coming back here—we don't really get any snow in the UK, so it's still kind of a novelty for me. But, you know, we'll see how I feel in a few years."

After stripping their six-piece band down to just a guitar and their two voices, Stone and MacKay started 100 Mile House by hiding out in a converted warehouse space in South London and writing their debut EP On That Organ In the House By the Field in summer of 2008.

"Living in London was just such hard work—it's a really expensive city," explains Stone. "It has a reputation as a real music centre, and there is a lot of different music there and a ton of different venues. But it's almost like the city is just too saturated with music. There really is much more of a community spirit here in Edmonton, in part because it is so much smaller. But there's an open-mindedness and kind of kinship among the musical community here."

The pair not only found a sense of camaraderie among its newfound peers, but was also able to reconnect with old friend and collaborator Scott Zubot, an ex-pat who had also once again found himself back in Edmonton. He quickly found a place in 100 Mile House for his talents with both the mandolin and violin.

"We were so lucky to cross paths with Scott again. He recorded an album that Denise made about five years ago. He had left the city too, and happened to move back around the same time we did last year. He brings an added dimension to the band, a real creative energy and enthusiasm."

With plans to record with the new line-up in the fall of this year, Stone is optimistic that the band has found a stable homebase, and a roster and sound it can call its own.

"We really have found a lot of support here—it's been a really great musical atmosphere for us to be in." V - By James Stewart, Vue Weekly