Woodpigeon Explore The World Beyond Calgary

06/06/07 6:00pm

by Shannon Webb-Campbell (CHARTattack)

CALGARY — Woodpigeon are flying from their western coop out into the great unknown.

Calgary's ever-expanding rotating flock are comprised of eight key members: Kenna Burima (piano, vocals), Michael Gratton (bass), Annalea Sordi (accordion, flute, vocals), Daren Powell (drums), Peter Moersch (guitar), Foon Yap (string arrangements), AJ Benoit (vocals) and singer/songwriter Mark Hamilton.

After spending numerous years soaking up the sights and sounds of Europe, Hamilton returned to find his hometown turned into a boomtown. Calgary's consumer growth seems to have dusted off the creative cobwebs and with the likes of Chad VanGaalen making a mark, Hamilton thought he'd try his hand at songwriting.

"I don't think there was a local scene for a while, at least not when I was growing up," he says. "Now I think Calgary is the city for music."

Heavily influenced by literature and a rich film school background, Hamilton is a creative force. He modestly muses about penning nearly half-a-dozen screenplays, three unfinished novels live under his hat, and he just finished recording Houndstooth, a follow-up EP to the epic full-length, The Songbook.

The Songbook, a 14-track anthology released by Rectangle Records, is a kaleidoscopic musical voyage filled with dashes of glockenspiel, deep horns, soft vocals, acrobatic harmonies, literary lyrics and blinding moments of masterful maturity.

"Basically, the concept behind the album is a day in the life of a city," says Hamilton. "It's a cycle of a relationship which didn't end so well. The Songbook is the human condition in 14 songs."

Woodpigeon create atmospheric, epic ballads akin to Peter, Bjorn And John, with a dusting of Sufjan Stevens, a layer of Montreal's Snailhouse and speckles of Belle And Sebastian — minus the tomfoolery.

Be sure to fill your pockets with birdseed and check out Woodpigeon here:

June 7 Toronto, ON @ The Drake (Chart's NXNE showcase)
June 8 Ottawa, ON @ Gallery At Ecclesiax
June 9 Montreal, QC @ CJLO
June 10 Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee's
June 16 Edmonton, AB @ Velvet Underground
June 27-28 Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Music Festival
June 29 Calgary, AB @ The Grand w/The Dears
June 30 Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Music Festival