Was it the walrus?
Burlington, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2016 | SELF
Music
Press
Was it the Walrus, a pop-alternative band originally from Montreal, is currently in studio recording their debut album, which is set to be released this spring. With a sound reminiscent of Weezer, Sloan, The Ramones and Sonic Youth, this high energy band was once named one of Montreal’s most pretentious bands, alongside top Canadian acts like Arcade Fire. After a long hiatus, Was it the Walrus has paired up with top producer, Jon Drew, who has worked with such bands as Tokyo Police Club, to create their album. I caught with the boys of Was it the Walrus in studio to discuss their plans for 2016 and to get a preview of their single, Indie Girls. Be sure to follow Was it the Walrus on social media to stay informed about news of their upcoming album and upcoming concert dates. - Canadian Beats
Most Pretentious Local Act
1. Arcade Fire
2. The Stills
3. Simple Plan
4. Island City Monsters
5. AIDS Wolf
6. The Dears
7. Wolf Parade
8. Jonas
9. godspeed you! black emperor
10. Was It the Walrus?
There was a time when godspeed dominated this category. How the mighty have fallen. What’s notable is how similar this list is to that of “Best Musical Act,” above, which suggests that many readers understand “pretentious” as meaning, “Exponentially more popular than my band/my boyfriend’s band/my roommate’s band.” A new name on the list—and a particularly pretentious one, given that it’s an obscure Salman Rushdie reference—is Was It the Walrus?, the soft-touch, brain-bending art rock efforts of Jason Norris and his rotating collaborators.
- The Best of Montreal Mirror Magazine
Toronto, ON., 06/03/2015 — After a 7-year hiatus, Canadian indie band Was it the Walrus? is set to finally record their debut album this month for release in September of this year on Whiskey & Wine Records.
Jason Norris (vocals, guitar) formed Was it the Walrus? in 2006 after the break-up of his previous band, The Rhythm Section (Menno Versteeg from Hollerado was in that band) along with multi-instrumentalist Jean-Sebastien Villeneuve. In Late 2006 the band relocated to Montreal.
The band immediately started generating buzz around Montreal which was mostly due to the fact that they had members from other local indie bands. Furthermore, The band initially received attention after being named one of Montreal’s “most pretentious bands” by Mirror magazine alongside indie rock favourites Arcade Fire and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
In 2007, the group planned to enter the studio to record their debut album, which was going to be produced by Vincent Gallo, however contractual agreements were never finalized and plans to record fell through which sent the band into an "indefinite hiatus".
The band has since relocated to Toronto and are currently recording what will be their debut album at the Lincoln County Social Club recording studio. -
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Suburban. Party. Band. Three words that precisely capture the essence of Was It the Walrus, a pop-alternative rock band from Burlington, ON. that write irresistibly catchy, riff-heavy songs, dripping with energy and wrapped in the essence of mid 90’s indie rock.
High-on-life, and ambitious-as-hell, these guys spent the past year quickly gaining a reputation for their rambunctious live shows complete with explosive gang vocals, airtight hooks, and unbridled enthusiasm.
Jason Norris (lead vocals, guitar) started plotting the beginnings of the band back in 2006 but it was in 2015 when life was breathed into the band to make it the beast that it is today. Since reforming, in a matter of months, Was It the Walrus has catapulted itself into the music scene with confidence and tenacity. Their first single, “Indie Girls” had over 7000 plays on SoundCloud within 60 days of its release. The band performed as a headliner in the Burlington Sound of Music Festival Club Series and successfully packed the venue with more spectators than it had ever previously seen. In august, 2016 the band has been recognized as one of the Top 10 Finalists for “Best Local Band” by the 2016 Hamilton Spectator Readers Choice Awards from a list of nearly 265 nominees.
The band released a 3-song demo on all digital streaming outlets, and more recently, “Rebellion”, the first single from their upcoming debut EP, Aboulomania. The songs were all produced by JON DREW (Tokyo Police Club, The Arkells, Fucked up) at Taurus Studios in Toronto. In September 2016 , the band is set to finish recording the album at none other than The Orange Lounge Recording Studio (Toronto) with Spencer Sunshine (PUP) as the producer, and it will be mixed by Phil Ek (Father John Misty, The Paper Kites, Modest Mouse, Band of Horses).
Was it the Walrus is Jason Norris, Alex Bussieres, Julien Michaud, Simon Outhit and Nathan Stock
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PRAISE FOR "WAS IT THE WALRUS"
"…a perfect blend of early weezer, ramones and sloan!" –Canadian Beats
" …90’s driven guitar riffs and hooky harmony-laden pop melodies" – Filler Magzine
"Was it the Walrus is taking the local music scene by storm, with record-setting attendance at shows " –Burlington Post
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CONTACT INFO: Lavinia - mgmt@wasitthewalrus.com
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