Eagle Lake Owls

2013 may have offered up most of my favourite bands, but two significant artist were absent from the roster. The wholesome sweetness of Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens was unfortunately not invited to the 2013 party. But the truth is I didn’t miss them much. Reason being I had Little Brittle Bones. This fragile song carries something that Vernon and Stevens rarely offer: a triumphant crescendo. It depicts a home, buried in snow and ice, and trapped in winter’s darkness. But as it breaks free of what hinders it, and the ice crumbles like broken bones, it is perhaps the most uplifting moment in music this year. - IMVERYAPE.com

Eagle Lake Owls have a great twangy, Prairie sound that sort of fits into the indie-folk crossover genre. Think an acoustic version of The Dodos or Sufjan Stevens.

The vocals are nothing short of incredible, and the show will be worth your trudge through the snow and crumpled $10 bill.

This is one you’ll want to pair with a few glasses of early wine, some patterned tights (guys, I don’t know what your equivalent to that would be) and people you love.

And if you’re not sold yet on the intimate venue and lovely sound of the band, I should let you know there is a cellist in the band. You can get all your hipster points in one adorable night. - CBC Manitoba

The official debut (not counting the solo basement recordings of singer/guitarist/percussionist Andy Cole) of Winnipeg trio Eagle Lake Owls is a five song snippet of better-than-your-average-folkie folk tunes that only hint at the unabashed potential within. Not only is the songwriting subtly blatant (think Eels) but it instantly takes you into the world of Cole and his characters. Fleshed out by the trumpet/glockesnpiel/vox of Dominique Lemoine and the cello of Nathan Krahn, such tracks as the delicate Little Brittle Bones and the back porch chanter Good God Damn excel, but it’s all about knowing when to keep it stripped and when to flesh it out, and the trio balances this incredibly well. If nothing else, check out the rawness of the whispers and yelps on Late Morning, a tune that begs to play during a montage of our hero pining over lost love. - The Uniter

You can hear the world thawing from winter's cold grip on Little Brittle Bones, from Winnipeg, Manitoba's Eagle Lake Owls. The slow and steady vibration of spring echoes through the song's opening moments, before it shakes the last shards of ice off and swells into life. Songs like this are what keep you going through the isolation of a prairie winter. - Guardian UK

Following [Owen Edwards] was a band I was guaranteed to pay attention to based on name alone- Winnipeg’s own Eagle Lake Owls. According to the photo on this band’s website, their Bellwoods setup didn’t seem to be too far off from their plugged-in setup. They had some great harmonies and quite the mix of sounds thanks to the use of unconventional instruments (a suitcase drum is always awesome, by the way). - Grayowl Point

The West End Cultural Centre's 25th anniversary season rolls on this weekend with Pickin' on the Prairies, a two-day celebration of back-porch bluegrass, folk and old-tyme music.

"Folk and bluegrass have been a part of the WECC since the very beginning and continue to be exciting genres of music," says Jason Hooper, artistic director of the WECC. "Folk and bluegrass is a core part of our programming, always has been always will be."

Another core mandate of the WECC's programming is supporting local musicians, which is why both nights boast all-Manitoba talent.

"I like to think that the WECC is the first home for Manitoba musicians and that we are a place for music lovers to come and experience the culture of music that exists in their own backyard."

For Hooper, a big part of being a music lover is the thrill of discovery. It's no accident Pickin' on the Prairies' lineup is largely made of emerging acts, including Ashes, an exciting new project involving ex-members of D. Rangers, up-and-coming indie-folk outfit Yes We Mystic, buzzed-about acoustic act Eagle Lake Owls (recently named a band to watch in 2013 by The Uniter) as well as songwriter/guitarist Emma Cloney and violinist Patti Lamoureux. As Hooper points out, putting new faces onstage is one of the most important ways the WECC can support local musicians.

"We hope that we help them to build a local audience and fan base from the very beginning of their career, and not just show up after the hard work of getting started is finished."

Hooper says he heard about these performers in a variety of ways, including the Manitoba Folkways Collection (a series of field recordings inspired by the famed American folklorist and ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax), the Manitoba Music artist directory and streaming radio. "A lot of times it's just going out and listening to what people are doing," he adds. "I first heard Yes We Mystic at last year's Carol Shields Festival of New Works, a local theatre festival.

"That moment of discovery? A lot of that has to do with something 'ringing true,'" he continues. "When it does you kind of know it and start paying attention to what the artist or band is doing -- and there they are, on your radar." - CBC Manitoba Scene

Eagle Lake Owls
The Rural Manitoba Advantage

In June 2010, Andy Cole started gigging as Eagle Lake Owls, playing honest, bare bones acoustic songs to receptive audiences. Always having the intention of doing it as a band, he eventually hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Dominique Lemoine and cellist Nathan
Krahn.

“I’ll come with an idea of something and if everyone’s into it, we’ll take the skeleton of the song and rearrange parts,” Cole says. “What I like about it is that it’s a lot easier than writing your own songs,” Lemoine adds with a laugh. “I can tell right away where it can go. I think Andy and I have similar ideas of what we want the music to sound like. The more we do it the more it comes naturally.” “At this point we’ve mapped out the sound
of what we sound like as a full band,” Cole says.

Last fall it felt natural enough to lay down five tracks for a self-titled debut EP due in May (disregarding Cole’s solo output as Eagle
Lake Owls). Recorded with Jeff Patteson at Home Street Recording, the process was a breeze, but had to happen quickly. “It was drama free,” Cole says. “I knew people who’d recorded with Jeff and they’d had good experiences. Our cello player was supposed to leave and go to England and we were going to ease into it, then suddenly we’ve got until the first week in October.” The strength of a group is something that Cole always wanted, and wouldn’t change now.

“I’m getting better at feeling more confident in my ideas,” he says. “When you’ve got no one to bounce it off of except the crowd once they hear it, you can usually tell pretty quick if it works or not.”

www.eaglelakeowls.com - The Uniter

Eagle Lake Owls – Self titled
-A band isn’t always made by a lead singer, but with the Eagle Lake Owls that’s absolutely the case. This Winnipeg band doesn’t list a single credit on their bandcamp page, but whoever this gifted lead singer is, he has a quintessential folk vocal quality. There’s something about the easy chord progression of this music that is exactly what we crave. Raw and real, this album is a phenomenal debut. - Ear To The Ground

There is a lot about the Eagle Lake Owls that is sparse. Even the album cover displays what appears to be a lone eagle perched on a branch, hovering over a mass of water.

The six songs on their second self-titled EP are also sparse. These musicians use space between the notes in a creative, effective way.

"We like to err on the side of less when we can," said lead singer/guitarist Andy Cole. "Sometimes we've worked with other musicians and usually we have to tell them to not be so good....Sometimes what doesn't happen makes more of an impact on the sound."

Joining Cole are Nathan Krahn on cello and multi-instrumentalist Dominique Lemoine. Eagle Lake Owls are making a name for themselves with their striking vocals and tasteful instrumentation.

Lead singer Andy Cole moved to Winnipeg three years ago from Timmins, Ont. He eventually came across Dominique Lemoine.

"I went to every show that I could when I first got here, just to meet people. Then I'd track them down on Facebook. I was new in town and wanted to meet musicians," he recalled.

Lemoine says their 'sound' was evident from the get-go.

"There was a certain chemistry that kind of worked immediately and it's developed since then, especially with the addition of Nathan," she explained..

"The cello was a nice addition that came a little later when it was originally just me and Dominique putting the songs together," said Cole.

"That kind of tied it together. The cello is very evocative. It can really paint a picture in your mind. And when our thing is about being sparse, it's kind of nice to have an instrument that can be up front like that but just add something into the background." - CBC