Fevers

No Room For Light, the sophomore release from Canada’s Fevers made its way onto CHUO’s Top 200 this week. Kicking off with a hugely sweeping cinematic opening, Fevers allows for their own talents to shine alongside disco and alt-rock sampling, which creates something unique. The electro-pop group’s sound is full of heavy synths, huge sonic landscapes, vocal harmonies, and Sarah Bradley’s delicate and personal vocals. All of these elements together, No Room For Light is intimate without losing its jauntiness. - CMJ.com

Electro indie rockers Fevers are getting set to release their debut full-length album, No Room For Light, this weekend with a fever that won’t require a trip to the doctor’s office.

“We’re making our album release more of a party,” says Fevers lead singer Sarah Bradley.

The album is officially out on Tuesday but the 24 Hour Fever gets going on Friday night when the band kicks off a series of shows beginning with an acoustic set at Mugshots (75 Nicholas St.) followed by an all-night party with a DJ set by Fevers and special guests.

Then, the band will perform a full electric show at Mavericks (221 Rideau St.) on Saturday night with the chance of impromptu sets in between — they’ll be dropping hints about locations via their Twitter page (@feversband) and Facebook.

The 24-hour party to release Fevers’ debut album is in stark contrast to the way the record came together.

In order to write No Room For Light, the band members escaped their busy schedules and the buzz of the city, locking themselves up in a summer cottage for 10 days.

“It was a very focused working session because we didn’t really have any other priorities except writing,” Bradley explains.

“It was very productive and also very relaxing.”

She says Fevers’ first EP, Passion is Dead, was a compilation of songs the band had written over the years, while their debut LP is more of a collaborative effort.

The band also enlisted the help of a producer this time around, Laurence Currie, who has worked with an impressive list of Canadian artists like Sloan, Wintersleep, Buck 65 and Holy F—.

Bradley admits that Currie’s input was “really beneficial to creating a coherent sound,” adding that he showed the band a different approach to recording music.

“Something we’ve never done is create visuals of our songs. So, we would play a song and he would be like, ‘Alright, let’s deconstruct this,’ so you could see the song visually.

“It kind of put the chaos that happens in our heads on paper so we could see it,” she says.

“That’s the great thing about working with a producer; you’re not only paying for an album, you’re also paying for a learning experience.” - Metro News

WHO: FEVERS
FROM: Ottawa, ON
WHERE: Maverick’s
WHEN: Saturday, August 24th 2013
TOTAL SCORE: 8.5/10

Style: Artpop, cerebral dance
Ottawa outfit FEVERS let loose to cap off their 24-hour album release party, which started the day before with an acoustic set at Mugshots and ended with a strobe-infused climax at Maverick’s. Their debut LP, No Room For Light, is available as of today on CD and for download on iTunes.
Crowd: After delaying the original, early start time for the show, Maverick’s cozied up to a decent capacity, with enough people to create an energetic atmosphere and enough space to let the energy out. A few crowd members danced avidly throughout the night, while a few others stood right up front and soaked up the sound, moving more tamely in a captivated sway. The atmosphere was warm overall, the band receiving unanimous support on their big night.
Technicalities: FEVERS are the most technically-endowed Ottawa band I’ve encountered thus far. The synth-heavy group stood behind layers and layers of equipment; each member had at their disposal a veritable palette of sonic power. Synth player/guitarist Martin Charbonneau effortlessly switched between the two instruments, employing a pedalboard the size of which would impress an exclusive guitarist, let alone multi-instrumentalist like himself. No doubt his intimate knowledge of the synth helped him in using the board to create slices of their overall sound. Vocalist/synth player Sarah Bradley worked a two-tier Roland/MicroKORG stand, all while belting out in a big voice that took their already impressively girthy sound up a difficultly-attained notch. Colin MacDougall, on the guitar, second mic and occasionally on the synth, provided solid vocals of his own which well complemented Bradley’s; they hit goosebump-inducing harmonies that came through the clamour of instruments and filled one with an out-of-place sense of calm among the otherwise hard-hitting, blood-pumping music. Bassist Jim Hopkins laid down a solid foundation in combination with drummer Mike Stauffer, who employed a kit comprised of acoustic drums, electronic triggers, a multi-pad and woodblocks. His crisp hi-hats cut through the rest of the sound and his innovative use of electronics (including a gut-rumbling kick trigger) gave the whole set a certain consistency. The few technical hang-ups in the set (missed cues, beats and instruments) didn’t take away from the overall vibe, which was numbingly powerful.
Image: Image-wise, FEVERS are a squeaky-clean band. Their novel use of lights is something rare in a band having just released their debut album, and not to be underestimated. The combination of projectors located on either side of the kit and pointed upwards just above stage front, smoke machines set behind the projectors and three LED-boards laid across the front of the stage and pointed vertically upwards was evidently fine-tuned and very well thought-out. The smoke swirled kaleidoscopically through the projector light while the LEDs created a wall of light that translucently concealed the band from the crowd, the whole coming together in a gorgeous visual display which perfectly complements their sound. If their music were a plate of veal, their visuals would be a finely-aged chardonnay.
Memorable Moment: During the last song in the set, FEVERS went into a lulling few minutes of down-toned, mainly guitar-and-vocal work before completely erupting into an outro that blew hair back, the finale to their spectacular visual show coming in the form of a powerful strobe blast that brought the whole set home. Suddenly, the “WARNING: this show contains flashing lights” signs placed at the front of the venue seemed very appropriate.
Overall: FEVERS are labeled everywhere as “synthpop” or “electronic”, which (though genres are in general an inadequate form of description) certainly does not do them justice. Though I was acquainted with the group and was aware of a certain strange sense about them (which I’ll try to explain momentarily), seeing them perform really reinforced the notion that there’s much more going on here than a dance group. This comes through in their general aesthetic; setup, arrangement, coordination, demeanour, but mainly in their songwriting. It is not, as with much of the genre, a means for cheap, easy relatability to an audience seeking only to gyrate, paying little attention to what is being said farther than what they can directly understand and immediately draw on for validation. They strike a balance here – more-than-faintly reminiscent of groups such as Miike Snow or Purity Ring – between a complex musical structure that happens to lend itself easily to dance and an even-more-complex lyrical and emotional structure that is very hard to come by, not only within their genre but their locale. They are a band that drips with sincerity, who have things to get out and who use their music for a means of creative expression. This starkly contrasts the majori - Scene Magazine

Fevers are a very Canadian band. They come from towns large and small, they’re bilingual, they live in the capital.
They’ve also embraced a genre of music – electro indie rock – in which Canadian bands currently thrive, though they arrived there in a roundabout way.
“For us it was totally by accident,” says guitarist/vocalist Colin MacDougall, fresh off the Fevers 24-hour album release party in Ottawa.
“I’d been playing in the rock genre for a while and I was eager to try something out, but all I knew was indie rock.” Fate had him playing on the same soccer team as British expat Jim Hopkins, now the band’s bassist and programmer, who was expert at producing beats and samples on his computer. The two “musically hit it off,” wrote a few songs and eventually took guitarist Martin Charbonneau and drummer/percussionist Mike Stauffer into the fold.
For a while it was MacDougall’s voice on the demo tracks, but the group soon realized they needed “a voice.” They found it in bilingual singer/songwriter Sarah Bradley, a Sudbury transplant, after Charbonneau met her at a Franco-Ontarian music festival. In possession of more than an ethereal, Andrea Corr-like croon, Bradley leant the group creative diversity.
“Sarah’s a great songwriter herself, so this last record was a collective process. Her songs came on and my songs came on and it all came together,” says MacDougall. Fevers, however, are very much a fivesome. For their debut LP, No Room For Light (independent), they holed up in a cottage an hour north of Ottawa to write and make working demos before linking up with producer Laurence Currie and recording in their home city as well as Toronto.
Thrilled to embrace a new-wave digital sound, the band keeps a foot in traditional songwriting, too. “It’s important that in general all the songs are able to stand alone, so you could sing them around a campfire. They still have a good song structure, a good vocal hook, a melody.”
Hence that massive Ottawa party – where the band played three shows in 24 hours, ranging from stripped-down acoustic to full-blast dance-rock. (Their album lies in the middle – nuanced indie-electro that’s dancey on one track and rock ’n’ roll on another.)
Their tour won’t be quite as intense but will have them travelling across eastern, northern and southern Ontario for six shows in eight days. “This will be our first time cramming ourselves into a van, bringing tents and sleeping on people’s lawns,” says MacDougall, before adding with a laugh, “We love each other now as a band…. We’ll see at the tail end of it.” - NOW Toronto

Fevers are a very Canadian band. They come from towns large and small, they’re bilingual, they live in the capital.
They’ve also embraced a genre of music – electro indie rock – in which Canadian bands currently thrive, though they arrived there in a roundabout way.
“For us it was totally by accident,” says guitarist/vocalist Colin MacDougall, fresh off the Fevers 24-hour album release party in Ottawa.
“I’d been playing in the rock genre for a while and I was eager to try something out, but all I knew was indie rock.” Fate had him playing on the same soccer team as British expat Jim Hopkins, now the band’s bassist and programmer, who was expert at producing beats and samples on his computer. The two “musically hit it off,” wrote a few songs and eventually took guitarist Martin Charbonneau and drummer/percussionist Mike Stauffer into the fold.
For a while it was MacDougall’s voice on the demo tracks, but the group soon realized they needed “a voice.” They found it in bilingual singer/songwriter Sarah Bradley, a Sudbury transplant, after Charbonneau met her at a Franco-Ontarian music festival. In possession of more than an ethereal, Andrea Corr-like croon, Bradley leant the group creative diversity.
“Sarah’s a great songwriter herself, so this last record was a collective process. Her songs came on and my songs came on and it all came together,” says MacDougall. Fevers, however, are very much a fivesome. For their debut LP, No Room For Light (independent), they holed up in a cottage an hour north of Ottawa to write and make working demos before linking up with producer Laurence Currie and recording in their home city as well as Toronto.
Thrilled to embrace a new-wave digital sound, the band keeps a foot in traditional songwriting, too. “It’s important that in general all the songs are able to stand alone, so you could sing them around a campfire. They still have a good song structure, a good vocal hook, a melody.”
Hence that massive Ottawa party – where the band played three shows in 24 hours, ranging from stripped-down acoustic to full-blast dance-rock. (Their album lies in the middle – nuanced indie-electro that’s dancey on one track and rock ’n’ roll on another.)
Their tour won’t be quite as intense but will have them travelling across eastern, northern and southern Ontario for six shows in eight days. “This will be our first time cramming ourselves into a van, bringing tents and sleeping on people’s lawns,” says MacDougall, before adding with a laugh, “We love each other now as a band…. We’ll see at the tail end of it.” - NOW Toronto

The Pop Band’s CD Release Gimmick is Savvy, but It’s Not the Best Thing About Them.

Their First Full-Length Album, No Room for Light, Speaks for Itself

Ottawa five-piece band Fevers will celebrate the release of their Laurence Currie-produced full-length album called No Room for Light this weekend with three shows in a 24-hour period.

There’s the lower-ley minimal electronic late-night set at Mugshots on Friday, followed by a disco nap for the band, then a Saturday afternoon show as part of the roving 4-in-1 Music Sessions that sees bands play in parks and office spaces. The 24-hour fever caps off with a big bender of an evening at Maverick’s on Saturday night with openers The Love Machine (who will release a new album in September).

The 24 Hour Fever idea is a nice hook for a release party, as the three shows allow the band to show off its variety of musical styles from the ambient-electro, to the acoustic, to the club-filling sonic sound-walls that are sprinkled throughout the 11 tracks on the new album. It also allows people three chances to see the band, day or night, so it’s functional in addition to being a great tactic. But the album doesn’t really need a lot of savvy promo, because it speaks for itself.

No Room for Light opens with “Autumn’s Dead,” which showcases Sarah Bradley’s beautiful pathos. By track two, called “Pray for Sound,” the band hits the disco vibe with one of the few rah-rah clubby hits on the album. If you were familiar with the band’s previous EP and its title track, “Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion),” which was a bit of dancefloor gold, you’ll find few of those Euro-dance beats on this album. No Room for Light is much darker in sound and lyrics. It’s also a much more thorough showcase of the band as a whole. We hear backing vocalist Colin MacDougal in less of a support role on this album. He and Bradley play off one another’s regret on “The Veil,” while bass player Jim Hopkins and drummer Mike Stauffer keep the low end sturdy and electronics man Martin Charbonneau lines up all the samplers and synth strokes for just the right touch of party.
The album wavers between revelry, melancholy, and back again as captured in the song “Dance, Cry, Dance” with its anthemic wail about forgetting all your problems. The full-length is a stunning, outta-the-park debut from the city’s top-shelf indie-electro band.

Fevers shows this weekend:

Fevers and Loon Choir with DJs J-Fun and Atherton: Friday, August 23, Mugshots.

Fevers, Greg McEvoy, Ilvekyo, Still Native: Saturday, August 24, Jackpine.
Fevers, The Love Machine, and Greg McEvoy: Saturday, August 24, Maverick’s. - Ottawa Magazine

Ottawa band Fevers is just gearing up for the release of their debut full-length, but their list of achievements is already growing at a steady pace. Having released an EP, Passion Is Dead, two years ago, the band has since shared the stage with a number of big-named artists including Tegan & Sara, The Joy Formidable and Dirty Projectors.

Their new album, which you can stream on MUCH now, is a dazzling collection of synth-laden dance music, but grounded in a darkness that’s mysterious and oh-so alluring. Pray For Sound shimmers in its disco glam synths while singer Sarah Bradley’s ethereal vocals soar. Another stand out is Monuments, a sparse track that would easily fit into The xx’s catalogue.

Listen to Fevers’ album No Room For Light over at MUCH’s First Spins section here! - MuchMusic

It’s a challenging thing to make a care-free dance rock album while carefully stepping through a maze of wires and cables on a studio floor. Ottawa’s Fevers has accomplished that feat on their debut album, No Room for Light (though we’re only assuming the part about the wires). The five-piece electro-rock band melds anthemic pop vocals with swirling walls of keyboards, guitar harmonics and dance beats. On the Canadian indie spectrum, it falls somewhere between Stars and Woodhands, so give it a shot. — Dave Shumka

Fevers’ No Room for Light is available Aug. 27, independent. - CBC

Here’s my gig pick for the week. Fevers are strong contenders in the battle for the pop-rock throne. They mix electronic pop, rock, disco, and pretty much everything else you can think of. The sound is very slick, and it’s incredibly well produced (and not overproduced). You can still hear some tight live instruments, and the vocals are spectacular. Fevers will host a single-release party at Ritual on May 25, and today you get to hear the single. You can also stream it on Soundcloud. - Ottawa Citizen

If you follow Canadian music at all, you likely have the work of producer Laurence Currie in your collection. He’s helmed albums by Wintersleep, In-Flight Safety, Mardeen, Inlet Sound, Amelia Curran, The Diableros, Hey Rosetta!, Holy Fuck, and Sloan as well as the classic can-rock work of The Gandharvas, among many others.

Currie plied his trade for years in Halifax, before moving to Toronto about eight years ago. This past weekend he was in the capital to record with Ottawa electro-pop quintet Fevers, working out of their studio in the Golden Triangle.

The band, which formed in 2009, is recording a full-length CD to be released in May. It will follow their debut, self-produced seven-song EP called Passion Is Dead that was released in October 2011 (you can download it for free here).

That debut has plenty of contemporary hallmarks that would draw fans of bands such as Stars and Young Galaxy. The title track is exuberant, yet lamenting and is hugely danceable. (Hear it here: The song kicked off our year-ender Ottawa Mix List, released in December).

For album number two, the band hopes to maintain a lot of that clubby feel, but with less choppiness than the EP. Currie is behind the board to provide an outside perspective and sonic cohesion along with the recording expertise from his portfolio of Canadian music projects.

“I think Holy Fuck was one of the bands that stuck in our minds, when we were approaching Laurence,” Jim Hopkins (bass, backing vocals), says. Fevers likes that band’s mix of indie and electro. The fact that Currie was willing to come to Ottawa and work in their basement studio was a huge plus.

“That’s an important aspect to us to keep our daytime jobs and still make the best record in the time we have,” Hopkins says.

Currie says that Holy Fuck has more of a randomness to their music making, whereas the members of Fevers craft their songs in detail with more attention to the arrangements. (At a weekend studio visit, they were making great progress. Four of 14 songs were check marked on the band’s chalkboard. Early previews of the song “Look Alive” show a penchant for soaring synthesizer tracks with a light dose of melancholy).

“The hard part is discovering what makes this band unique,” Currie says. Before they began recording, Currie pressed Fevers to get their goals down on paper. He asked the band if commercial success mattered. Do you want a radio hit? Do you consider yourself an indie rock band with electronica elements or vice-versa? “Why should somebody listen to them as opposed to another group of a similar genre?” Currie asks.

The first recording session allowed them to discover that path.

“It’s up to me to help them find their way, at least for this project,” Currie says. “It’s sort of turning into an epic, electro indie-band type feel. The keyboards are becoming a driving force, with acoustic instruments creeping in to add a nice texture and keep a toehold in the indie world.”

Fevers will play at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield on April 20 with The Goodluck Assembly. Watch for next week’s edition of Sound Seekers for more Ottawa Recording News. - Ottawa Magazine

“Indy-electro” is how Colin MacDougall describes his band, the Fevers. “We have a singer-songwriter kind of esthetic and then we just layer-layer-layer electronic stuff on top.” Asked where the name comes from, Jim Hopkins replies: “I don’t think we’ve ever had that asked before.” Adds MacDougall: “Our band name has a bit of a story. We had a bunch of songs written before we named the band.” A line in one of their songs — “Fever is all around” — repeated itself, so Jim suggested Fevers as the name. “It was already part of a theme. It has a fun, dance-y sound, plus we get sick a lot,” MacDougall says. “No joke. Every time I get a bit of a sniffle, my body shoots into fever mode. Story of my life.” ?If Ottawa comes down with a fever, the prescription might just be more Fevers. The music is, ahem, ?infectious. - Ottawa Citizen

Meet Fevers, your new favourite - and local! - electropop band, as its members blow out the very first candle on their birthday cake
Moments of serendipity call for celebration, especially if you’re a musician. Everyone knows that getting a band off the ground is a tough enough prospect, but for Ottawa’s Fevers it was the unexpected addition of lead singer Sarah Bradley in the summer of 2011 that truly launched the group’s ambitions. Until that point, singer/songwriter/keyboardist and band co-founder Colin MacDougall had already spent a year trying to sing lyrics made for electro-indie-pop anthems in an uncomfortable falsetto. Bassist, keyboardist, vocalist and co-founder Jim Hopkins was still searching for that elusive missing element in his idealized mix of contemporary electronics à la M83, Cut Copy and more traditional compositions. Nowadays, if truth be told, Fevers’ ambitions are quickly being outdistanced by reality – in a good way. Booked at various high-profile festivals (Juno Fest, Bluesfest, Tulip Fest, FeverFest) and a stream of concerts, Fevers is currently riding a wave of delirium.
"In the first recordings that Jim and I had done, you would have vocal parts with me singing one section and then again in a terribly falsetto voice," says MacDougall. "I wasn’t trying to sound like a girl, but it was clearly lacking a high feminine touch to it. I do consider Fevers, as a band, about a year old now. I don’t think we could have done anything we’ve done without Sarah."
"It’s true, the last piece of the puzzle was a year ago, pretty much to this day, when we met Sarah Bradley," adds Hopkins. "When we were writing the songs, Colin always had this idea of a female vocalist singing with him or in solo. The first time we met Sarah she just started freestyling along to the music, and it just worked perfectly. We’re so happy to have her in the band, she really is that missing piece of the puzzle."
A mélange of indie rock, electronic and other disparate influences, Fevers’ sound on their October 2011 debut EP, Passion Is Dead, is hard to quantify. While the synthesized riffs and intricate electro sounds are omnipresent, the melodies and chords are deceptively simple. MacDougall and Hopkins chalk up the synthesis to their process of writing, beginning with melodies created on acoustic guitar, before being augmented by electronics. It is an unusual marriage of sensibilities for both musicians.
"It all started after Jim and I met, and we were chatting about music, and he started sending me these 30-second little clips of beats and synth riffs that he was doing on his laptop," says MacDougall. "It wasn’t even the type of music that I had listened to too much, but I thought, Wow, this is really interesting.’"
"Colin is more a traditional songwriter, and I more work with sounds rather than traditional song structures and progressions," says Hopkins. "Before I met Colin, I would come up with these loops, but they wouldn’t go anywhere. After we had met and sat down, I guess we put together our two minds, making an electronic sound with traditional structures that finally made sense. When we decided we wanted to take it a step further and play live, however, bringing all of that on stage was pretty difficult. Then through a mutual friend we met our sampler, keyboardist, and all around genius Martin Charbonneau. We had no idea how to reproduce everything live, and Martin pretty much figured out how to do it. Then Colin contacted Mike Stauffer, who was a drummer from one of his old bands, and he immediately worked out. Finally, with the stroke of luck of meeting Sarah, Fevers was complete." - Ottawa Xpress

Meet Fevers, your new favourite - and local! - electropop band, as its members blow out the very first candle on their birthday cake
Moments of serendipity call for celebration, especially if you’re a musician. Everyone knows that getting a band off the ground is a tough enough prospect, but for Ottawa’s Fevers it was the unexpected addition of lead singer Sarah Bradley in the summer of 2011 that truly launched the group’s ambitions. Until that point, singer/songwriter/keyboardist and band co-founder Colin MacDougall had already spent a year trying to sing lyrics made for electro-indie-pop anthems in an uncomfortable falsetto. Bassist, keyboardist, vocalist and co-founder Jim Hopkins was still searching for that elusive missing element in his idealized mix of contemporary electronics à la M83, Cut Copy and more traditional compositions. Nowadays, if truth be told, Fevers’ ambitions are quickly being outdistanced by reality – in a good way. Booked at various high-profile festivals (Juno Fest, Bluesfest, Tulip Fest, FeverFest) and a stream of concerts, Fevers is currently riding a wave of delirium.
"In the first recordings that Jim and I had done, you would have vocal parts with me singing one section and then again in a terribly falsetto voice," says MacDougall. "I wasn’t trying to sound like a girl, but it was clearly lacking a high feminine touch to it. I do consider Fevers, as a band, about a year old now. I don’t think we could have done anything we’ve done without Sarah."
"It’s true, the last piece of the puzzle was a year ago, pretty much to this day, when we met Sarah Bradley," adds Hopkins. "When we were writing the songs, Colin always had this idea of a female vocalist singing with him or in solo. The first time we met Sarah she just started freestyling along to the music, and it just worked perfectly. We’re so happy to have her in the band, she really is that missing piece of the puzzle."
A mélange of indie rock, electronic and other disparate influences, Fevers’ sound on their October 2011 debut EP, Passion Is Dead, is hard to quantify. While the synthesized riffs and intricate electro sounds are omnipresent, the melodies and chords are deceptively simple. MacDougall and Hopkins chalk up the synthesis to their process of writing, beginning with melodies created on acoustic guitar, before being augmented by electronics. It is an unusual marriage of sensibilities for both musicians.
"It all started after Jim and I met, and we were chatting about music, and he started sending me these 30-second little clips of beats and synth riffs that he was doing on his laptop," says MacDougall. "It wasn’t even the type of music that I had listened to too much, but I thought, Wow, this is really interesting.’"
"Colin is more a traditional songwriter, and I more work with sounds rather than traditional song structures and progressions," says Hopkins. "Before I met Colin, I would come up with these loops, but they wouldn’t go anywhere. After we had met and sat down, I guess we put together our two minds, making an electronic sound with traditional structures that finally made sense. When we decided we wanted to take it a step further and play live, however, bringing all of that on stage was pretty difficult. Then through a mutual friend we met our sampler, keyboardist, and all around genius Martin Charbonneau. We had no idea how to reproduce everything live, and Martin pretty much figured out how to do it. Then Colin contacted Mike Stauffer, who was a drummer from one of his old bands, and he immediately worked out. Finally, with the stroke of luck of meeting Sarah, Fevers was complete." - Ottawa Xpress

Ottawa electro-pop unit Fevers have released their debut video today (May 11) for the band's upbeat single "Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)."

Approached to make a clip two months ago, the group launched a funding campaign that saw local businesses and music enthusiasts contributing to get the project off the ground. The results gained the band access to a studio and crew, and the result is a simple, but fun, visual introduction to Fevers.

You can watch the video for "Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)" below, or stream and download the EP of the same name on Bandcamp. - Exclaim!

Fevers, the Ottawa-based “purveyors of independent electronic pop” perked my attention when I first heard their track “Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)” a while back. And for reasons I can’t quite recall, I didn’t post about the track, but am glad the band got back in touch today.

The group have now released their debut video for the song, also launching the single edit of the track (which you can download either below or at their bandcamp).

Look for this band to have a busy year, with numerous upcoming shows include headlining the TFO stage at The Canadian Tulip Festival on May 12, 2012 and an appearance at the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest on July 5, 2012. Fevers are also working on new material, which is due to be released in 2012. - Aux.tv

It should be fairly obvious from the outset that the name of this album/EP (I’m never sure of the distinction when a recording is seven tracks) is ironic. No band in their right mind (at least, not an indie band) would make such a bold statement. In fact, Fevers, an Ottawa group that blends electronics and indie-rock sounds, are actually full of passion.

The EP’s opening track, “Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion)” is a swirling landscape of electronics, and you’re hit immediately with a huge wave of sound. At times the use of synths reminded me of something Crystal Castles might do, but the two bands aren’t even remotely compatible. The vocals from Sarah Bradley are more like the vocals of Denise Nouvion of Memoryhouse. As Bradley sings “Passion is dead, long live fashion” you’ll understand the irony of the album title.

“Straighter Line” features Bradley’s vocals closely tied with another group member, making for a great intro. Midway through the songs, the electronics start to get really heavy, but the band manages to steer itself away from falling onto the cheesy electronics you hear in mainstream pop nowadays.

“The Rapture” begins with some heavy drumming and guitar which may fool listeners, because shortly afterward the synthesizers come in and change up the game. The vocals here are slightly distorted, and the accompanying music could possibly be called “sunny.” Later the song goes into an extended “jam session.”

One of the strongest songs on the recording, “End of Love Song,” is next. It’s an intensely emotional and heavy song. There was something about the way that Bradley sang “All my atoms sing out loud” that evoked an emotional response from me. As well, the high-pitched sound of what I think is a guitar adds to the prettiness.

Then there’s the verbosely-titled “My Heart is in a Basket on the Front of Your Bicycle” which is actually a more straightforward pop-rock number, made very pleasant again by Bradley and featuring little electronics.

“Sugar Rush,” despite its name that would imply energy, is actually a darker, more atmospheric tune. The contrast was definitely intended. Finally, the EP ends with the seven-minute “Sort It Out” which more or less has two parts. The first half is a slowed-down, emotional melody with very little musical accompaniment. About halfway through, as I expected, the dynamics suddenly go way up for a long jam session to end the EP.

Fevers have definitely got something good going here. They’re planning to release something new in 2012 so I hope they can hold onto their momentum. - Grayowl Point

Fevers has taken big spacious electronic club pop and done it right. They’re sound is so full and well developed that it’s amazing this band isn’t more well know.

Sounds like: being lost in the night. - Alan Cross

Peu de choses, vraiment, ont permis de faire de Fevers l’une des formations locales les plus en vue du moment. Son fort réjouissant maxi Passion Is Dead a précédé un effet boule de neige qui se poursuit toujours, des mois après sa parution.
Lancé gratuitement sur la Toile l’automne dernier, Passion Is Dead, premier maxi du quintette ottavien Fevers, a vite créé un engouement manifeste dans la blogosphère. Si les pièces de Passion zigzaguent joyeusement entre l’électro dansant de la chanson-titre, le côté épique de Sugar Rush et l’indie pop de The Rapture, sa réalisation, sa fougue et son côté DIY ont rapidement séduit. "En ce qui concerne la composition, on a appris sur le tas. C’est sans doute pourquoi les sonorités sur l’album sont si différentes", avance le bassiste et claviériste Martin Charbonneau.
Il faut dire aussi que la gratuité du maxi a permis à ses airs de se frayer un chemin plus facilement. "On dépense tellement quand on entame un projet comme celui-là, avance le guitariste Colin MacDougall dans un français impec. C’était logique de voir les sous dépensés dans la création de Passion Is Dead comme un investissement et non comme quelque chose qui va nous rapporter instantanément."
Un peu comme une poignée d’autres formations canadiennes analogues (Young Empires, Rococode), l’esthétique adoptée par Fevers se hasarde avec doigté entre les afflictions qui évoquent un certain marasme générationnel sur des musiques qui incitent à l’hédonisme. "Les émotions fluctuent constamment; il y a les hauts, il y a les bas. Il ne faut pas nécessairement utiliser une ballade triste pour parler de sujets plus difficiles. L’humeur des gens varie sans cesse, alors pourquoi pas dans la même chanson?"
Alors que le train de l’autopromotion file à vive allure (un clip est d’ailleurs en postproduction), les musiciens tenteront dans les prochaines semaines d’exporter leur Passion Is Dead hors de la capitale nationale. "On est pas mal excités de faire notre premier show à Montréal [le 6 avril, à L'Esco] quelques jours après notre showcase du JUNOfest. Puis, on tentera de se mettre à l’écriture du premier album complet", conclut MacDougall. - Voir

Ruby a rencontré trois des membres du groupe électropop ottavien Fevers chez Vertigo, disquaire indépendant de la rue Rideau. - TFO

Ruby a rencontré trois des membres du groupe électropop ottavien Fevers chez Vertigo, disquaire indépendant de la rue Rideau. - TFO

Fevers is a five piece independent electro-band from our great northern neighbors. Their sound bumps with excitement and love, and while the title of this track may claim otherwise, you can feel plenty of passion mixed in as well. Currently in the process of producing their debut LP expected to be released later this year, check out Fevers “Passion is Dead” for a taste of what’s in the works. - Our Vinyl

What:
An electro five-piece with ambition as huge as their keyboard collection.
Who: Sarah Bradley (vocals, keys), Martin Charbonneau (keys, guitars and vocals), Jim Hopkins (bass and vocals), Colin MacDougall (guitar, vocals and keys), Mike Stauffer (drums, sampling)
About: Though Fevers didn’t expect "any reaction at all," according to Sarah Bradley, after they released the Passion Is Dead EP on their Bandcamp page, the quintet sure have made quite the impact locally since its release last fall. Recorded in a DIY manner over the last year (”with limited resources – laptop, cheap mikes and instruments," explains Hopkins), Passion Is Dead, comprised basically of Hopkins- and MacDougall-penned songs, adopts the same aesthetics as other bands in the quite vast "electro-indie-pop" spectrum. "The sound is really a function of how our songs are written. It starts with a melody on the acoustic guitar, and then we dress them up with keyboards and synths and see where they go," clarifies MacDougall. This year will see Fevers embarking on the train of self-promotion. "We’ll try to write and release a new album, book more Ottawa shows, attempt to branch out to play other cities, and film a video!" says MacDougall about the band’s first video, directed by Bryan McNally, which will be for Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion), a song that topped the Hot Tracks chart at music blog aggregator elbo.ws last December.
Download: Passion Is Dead EP (2011), free of charge @ www.fevers.bandcamp.com
Live: @ Café Dekcuf, January 24 w/ Nightbox - Ottawa XPress

3. Fevers, Passion Is Dead
I don't think I heard another album this year that made its presence felt so quickly: I was hooked on Passion Is Dead right from the very first song, and there wasn't a moment when I was listening to the album where I didn't feel like I was hearing something special. Fevers' debut showed them to be a glorious mixture of Stars and Young Galaxy, and I really can't wait to hear what they do next. - i(heart)music

2. Fevers, "Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)" (from Passion Is Dead)
I've never been big into dancing in public or going to clubs -- shocking, I know -- but if I did either of those things, I like to imagine that this would be the song that would soundtrack the perfect night out. It's just so joyful, and the music so epic, that I can't help but feel swept away every time I hear it. - i(heart)music

3. Fevers, Passion Is Dead (Indie)
Surprise! Fevers have produced a terrific slice of electro-indie-pop completely off our radar. Stars and Young Galaxy should have them as friends. Look out for them. - Ottawa XPress

Fevers' debut full-length (which is currently free via Bandcamp) is a wonderful blend of disco-pop and ambient Stars/Young Galaxy-style space-rock. This song, the title track from the album, falls firmly into the former category. It's five and a half minutes of a glorious, life-affirming, wave-your-arms-in-the-air anthem, and it sets the stage for one of the best albums of the year. - Guardian (UK)

Last Friday I was able to catch Fevers at Cafe Dekcuf. I was a little nervous going to the show as I have developed a real love for their recent release Passion Is Dead. However, all of my fears were quickly put to rest halfway through their first song. It was quite evident that they were going to be able to reproduce the magic I had heard on the album.

Despite this only being their second show ever, the bar was packed, the crowd was dancing, and Fevers delivered. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about this band. They are definitely worth checking out live if you get the chance. In the meantime, grab the free download of Passion Is Dead.

Distractor, an indie rock band from Montreal, was on stage ahead of Fevers. It was the first time I have heard them. They also played a fun set that had the crowd dancing along. Definitely worth checking out as well. - Spotlight Ottawa

Last Friday I was able to catch Fevers at Cafe Dekcuf. I was a little nervous going to the show as I have developed a real love for their recent release Passion Is Dead. However, all of my fears were quickly put to rest halfway through their first song. It was quite evident that they were going to be able to reproduce the magic I had heard on the album.

Despite this only being their second show ever, the bar was packed, the crowd was dancing, and Fevers delivered. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about this band. They are definitely worth checking out live if you get the chance. In the meantime, grab the free download of Passion Is Dead.

Distractor, an indie rock band from Montreal, was on stage ahead of Fevers. It was the first time I have heard them. They also played a fun set that had the crowd dancing along. Definitely worth checking out as well. - Spotlight Ottawa

You feeling sick and tired? Ottawa’s Fevers have just the cure: straight-up, fist-pumping electro pop to warm your chilly bones and get your blood flowing. The band just released a new EP, Passion Is Dead, but that title is a misnomer; this is frenzied, fantastic pop by a band who’ve done their homework. They take cues from the like of M83 and Passion Pit and turn it into their own unique brand of modern pop. Epic, and endlessly enjoyable, the seven-song EP is just what the doctor ordered.
You can pick up Passion Is Dead for naught at Fevers’ Bandcamp page. Watch for new material coming soon. - Quick Before It Melts

New band out of Ottawa, Canada called Fevers. Cut from the same cloth as M83 and The Postal Service, the band does well by mixing electronic dance music with indie rock hooks. Download their EP “Passion Is Dead” here. Looking forward to hearing more from this band very soon. Enjoy! - New Dust (Dallas)

Fevers are an Ottawa quintet who are making some infectious and trippy electronic pop music. They've recently released a new EP, Passion Is Dead.

My favorite track is "My Heart Is In a Basket On the Front of Your Bicycle", partly for the title and partly because it proves that electronic music can still be fun. - Snob's Music

The name ‘Fevers’ really suits this band because after listening to this album I had a fever for some music I would normally never listen too. I had to get some synth oriented music and fast, something about a properly written synth line used in the right place just makes the ears tingle. To feed my fix of synth I did the only logical thing to do; listen to the album again and again.

Going through the album for the first time I instantly thought of a “band” that I love to hate, by that I mean I hate how terrible and catchy the music they write is – Blood on the Dance Floor. The synth lines in several of the ‘Fevers’ songs instantly remind me of that electro-pop and techno/house/trance sound (then again what fast bumping synth doesn’t?). The music on this album is actually quite hypnotic and I believe that’s due to Sarah Bradley’s vocals (she also plays synth and piano). Filling the rest of the faces are Colin MacDougall – vocals and guitar, Jim Hopkins – bass, samples and vocals, Martin Charbonneu – synth, vocals and guitar, Mike Stauffer – drums and vocals.

If you’re a fan of electro-pop, indie, or just some cool tracks then this isn’t a bad choice by any means. There’s something on this album for anyone. - Noisography

Fevers’ first effort comes as a personal breath of fresh air. Passion is Dead is loveable shiny pop that isn’t overly original, but is well-executed. This first EP is inconsistent, at times but we never get the feeling that this is for any other reason than inexperience. The album’s seesawing between electronica/electronic pop and indie rock does take away from the listening experience, but what’s good here is very good.

The two major things that Fevers do well are their vocals and their electronic arrangements. Sarah Bradley channels at some times Amy Millan, at others Karen O. When the more thoughtful pieces come, one hears Karen O., while the lighter pieces bring up memories of Millan. On arrangements, Martin Charbonneau creates ebullient hooks that plant themselves deep in your cortex. Indeed, the electronic side of Fevers is very interesting and incredibly addictive. One or two listens will suffice to get these babies jammed real deep.

It is in this electronica side of “Passion is Dead (Long Live Fashion),” “Straighter Line,” and “End of Love Song” that Fevers are at their best. In these three songs, their lineage from M83 is apparent. These songs are very good, and the title track is actually one of the best “first official songs” by a band I’ve heard in a long time. I think that there are few better ways to put yourself out there than by going big, and that is exactly what they do here. The rock part here goes, and leaves only massively enjoyable dance beats. “Passion” is a song that needs to be listened to over and over again, preferably at a very high volume.

“Straighter Line” is of a similar build. Though darker than the initial track, and owing some of its ambiance to some of Stars’ better songs, this one sounds like a million bucks. Musically more interesting, “Straighter Line” really pulls it all together: the vocals, beautifully chorused and overlapping, with a more complex electronic track that really brings it home. The song’s more organic guitar and drums make it punch even harder. At two-minutes-fifty, the song really soars when three vocal tracks coalesce and lift off. It is a truly superb one-two punch to begin the album.

The electronic pop part of their album, directly influenced by Passion Pit is nowhere more evident than on “The Rapture.” The song, to say the least, sounds a lot like “Kingdom Come” off of Passion Pit’s 2009 album Manners. But Fevers, it appears, possess more depth or less apparent frivolity than their forebears, and while “The Rapture” is nowhere near bad, it nevertheless isn’t at the level of the best songs of this album.

No, the more boring parts on Passion is Dead lie with those tracks on which they sound more like an everyday indie rock band. This isn’t bad music; it’s just not very original. If “The Rapture” sounds like Passion Pit, well, let’s just say that if Stars ever run out of inspiration, I’m pretty sure they could play most of “My Heart Is In A Basket On The Front Of Your Bicycle” without anyone ever knowing this wasn’t one of theirs. I say most, because Fevers’ electro-driven finale makes it diverge. A good thing too, since that last part saves what would otherwise be an unremarkable pop ditty. “Sugar Rush” is their attempt at a deeper, more reflexive track. But for a band that does so well the lighter, aerial side of electronic indie pop, I wonder why they chose this particular track for this EP. Finally, Fevers attempts their “Wake Up” (Arcade Fire’s of course, not Rage Against the Machine’s) moment with “Sort it Out.” The song’s grand finale works, and does look promising live. On the album though, it sounds like something we’ve heard before.

One song does stray more from the beaten path. “End of Love Song” feels like a saner version of a Micachu song, or maybe a crazier version of a Stars track. The song’s initial ukulele-driven intro is quickly followed by staccato electronic beats that give the song a remarkable rhythm structure. The end’s more overtly aerial synth really pops, and launches this track right at the top of my playlist. This is where they actually manage to combine their primary influences, overt electronica and indie rock, in the best manner. The song initially feels like a Stars song, then switches rapidly to something else, yet still maintains its indie rock vibe. When said vibe is then layered by delicious little electro beats, it makes for a very good sonjg. This is the most original track here, and the one that opens a window into the possible potential Fevers possess. More of this is definitely desirable.

What we end up with here is an enjoyable album with three, maybe four standout tracks out of seven, which is very good for a first EP. Let’s remember, this isn’t even considered by the band as a full album. I think Passion is Dead really does make the case that any successful initial release needs to make: This band deserves your attention. - Audio Suede

Fevers is a five-piece Ottawa band.
Their music is considered indie synth pop electro-rock.
Just think of Stars, Mother Mother, The Postal Service and Yeah Yeah Yeahs all mixed into one.
I haven’t seen them live yet but we’ve been twittering once and awhile on what shows happened in Ottawa.
Well the band just dropped their album called Passion Is Dead which is free to download on Bandcamp.

Weird how they call it an EP since I feel it is mostly an LP. (In my opinion if it’s passed 30 minutes then it’s considered an LP).
Passion Is Dead is seven tracks of good ol’ indie synth pop and electro dance rock tunes.
The title track is one big electro-dance pop tune which gets you dancing on your feet.
End Of Love Song reminds me of a Stars influenced track, if that band went electro-pop.
Sort It Out just ends in one big epic post electro-rock tune.
Best tracks:

Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)
Straighter Line
End Of Love Song
My Heart Is In A Basket On The Front Of Your Bicycle
Sort It Out
I’d give Passion is Dead 8.8/10. - Photogmusic

WHO
Ottawa Disco-rock quintet.

DISCOGRAPHY
Passion Is Dead (Self-released)

IN A NUTSHELL
Remember when I wrote a few weeks ago that there was some outstanding music coming out of Ottawa right now? Fevers are Exhibit #1A.

THE STORY
If my own experience is anything to go by, your perception of Fevers' debut album, Passion Is Dead, will depend largely on how you listen to it. Listen on ear buds or head phones, and you're likely to think the band follows in the footsteps of Stars or Young Galaxy. Alternatively, crank the album through some proper speakers, and you're more likely to think of it as a dance party waiting to happen.

Whichever way you choose to experience it, though, one thing is clear: it's an amazing album.

And, of course, there's really no reason why it can't be both of those things at once. After all, both Stars and Young Galaxy have shown, at various points in their careers, that they're good for both upbeat dance-pop and space-y rock, so that Fevers are able to have moments of both isn't exactly a groundbreaking achievement.

Of course, the fact they're able to have those two sounds sitting alongside each other so comfortably speaks to how incredibly talented they are as a band, and how outstanding their debut album is. Passion Is Dead starts off with a disco anthem ("Passion Is Dead (Long Live Fashion)") and winds up just over half an hour later with a slow-moving epic ("Sort It Out") -- and the impressive thing is, the five songs in between make that transition seem perfectly natural.

Normally, I'd try and balance my enthusiasm with some kind of words of criticism, however small. In Passion Is Dead's case, though, I don't think that's possible.The vocals are great, the beats are big, the melodies are catchy...really, everything that could possibly have gone right for Fevers on their debut did, and the end result is an album that's not to be missed. - i(heart)music

So when you think Ottawa – musically speaking – you don’t necessarily think haven for emerging electronic music. But there’s a band here in town that wants to change that perception.

That’s where Fevers comes into play. Fevers are an Ottawa-based five-piece unit that call refer to themselves as the purveyors of independent, electronic pop but with their own unique take on the genre. Their unique modern sound comes from combining indie rock and electronic music. - Ottawa Tonite

I have a fever and the only prescription is...uh, more Fevers?

If what ails you is a lack of catchy pop and sublime vocal delivery of that pop, I've got the cure! I can't believe this band isn't already topping the R3-30 or in heavy rotation on the CBC...whatever in hell that really means. (To quote another Ottawa songwriter.) I hope this will change that.
You can download their incredible album Passion Is Dead for FREE right here. It's the best music deal of the year even if you had spent actual money, let alone the fact you won't. Get the word out, spread the Fevers! (Give it to your friend for Christmas, they won't know you didn't spend a dime and they'll love you for it.)

At the time I wrote this post the superbly crafted tune "My Heart is in a Basket on the Front of Your Bicycle" had zero plays. Let's pass it around to get to 100 listens by Friday! - CBC Radio 3

They’re a five-piece playing dance music that is honey in the headphones and lovingly familiar. Fans of Stars and Young Galaxy will want to tune into Fevers. The band plays indie-dance-rock that has all the contemporary hallmarks: pent-up beats, stargazing vocal tones, and dramatic, declarative song titles (“Passion Is Dead” and “My Heart Is In a Basket on the Front of Your Bicycle”) — plus that synthesizer worship that is characteristic of those who didn’t live through the 1980s. The band — comprising students, civil servants, and a UK transplant — formed two years ago after meeting through mutual friends. They honed and sculpted songs until they felt ready to jump in front of a live audience.

The Fevers’ live set-up — multiple synthesizers, a pile of pedals, samplers, and snaking patch chords a-plenty — is indicative of what the players are producing: a huge sound that is exuberant with a few ambient detours. - Ottawa Magazine

Taking the resurgence of Canadiana electropop (Young Galaxy, Austra) as foundation, here comes Fevers, the Ottawan answer to the synth-driven ruminative pop that has been flourishing on music blogs and that is now ubiquitous in trendy hipster boutiques. On their fine debut, Fevers manage to sit their sound comfortably between the euphoria of an ecstasy-fuelled dance party and the speculations of its morning after. Valiantly produced and sung, none of the seven songs found on Passion Is Dead are devoid of enthusiasm, a few standouts being the anthemic title track and the final slow-burning epic Sort It Out. Fevers would eventually gain in synthesizing their ideas at some point, since some of the songs drag after four minutes, however Passion Is Dead is all killer, no filler. Fevers: Ottawa’s premiere electro band? Damn right. - Ottawa XPress