Endangered Ape

Starting out as current bassist Paul Lawton’s solo bedroom project, Lethbridge’s Endangered Ape has since gone through several line-up changes to settle upon its current incarnation: Lawton himself on bass and songwriting duties, Adam Munro on vocals, Jane Edmundson on the synth, Jeff King and Kent Aardse on guitars, and Stu Bota on the drums.


Most solo bedroom projects turned full bands lose the intimacy that a solo project provides but with Endangered Ape, their recordings’ lo-fi production gives them the best of both worlds: at the moment, they can sound like a post-punk version of Simply Saucer if they want to (and they do) but their aesthetic ensures continuity between their past, present, and future, so that no matter what they choose to sound like, they will always maintain at least some singularity.


However, it is in their live shows that they have gained their reputation. Out of all the bands playing Alberta Boom, Endangered Ape has the most electrifying vocalist with Munro. With the same spirit as Fucked Up’s Pink Eyes or Les Savy Fav’s Tim Harrington (but without the bulge of either), he manages to be confrontational and entertaining. Even with a vocalist such as theirs, the rest of Endangered Ape is never content fading into the background. Their unique sound usually ensures just that but with the addition of their two new guitarists, the band now has enough musical firepower than ever to face the audience head-on as much as their vocalist does. - Beatroute (December 2008)