Sunparlour Players Ride Wave

07/08/09 3:26pm

by Travis Persaud (CHARTattack)

Sunparlour Players are riding the wave right across the country.

The eclectic three-piece recently released their sophomore album, Wave North, which has received glowing reviews. And now the Toronto trio want to give back to their people.

"We've had such a strong response in Canada touring for the last year and a half, we really want to honour that with this record," says lead singer Andrew Penner. "This summer we're just doing festivals in Canada and then this fall a full-on sweep of the country."

Penner says it's a heartfelt expression of their gratitude to tour the album across Canada for most of the year.

"Even with people losing their jobs, they keep coming out. We were in Windsor [Ontario] recently and I think they have the highest unemployment rate in the country and I thought, 'Shit. We have a full room.' Stuff like that means a lot."

As yet another tease, Sunparlour Players are planning a seven-inch split with another band. But, of course, nothing can be said about it right now, except that it's in the works.

Afterwards, their focus will turn to the giant market south of the border. The band have been in talks with a few different labels to get their album in the States and Europe, but nothing concrete has come about yet.

"The States are huge," Penner says. "We don't want to go down there just to go. We want to find a label that really knows how to position us. Not like, 'Hey, we'll put you on our label.' We'd just be a name on a website somewhere.

"We just feel good about what we've made, that we want to share it. I'm really proud of [debut full-length] Hymns For The Happy and I'm so proud of this one. Every record we put out feels like our first one."

Upcoming Sunparlour Player tour dates:

July 8 Parry Sound, ON @ The Stockey Centre
July 9 Huntsville, ON @ Algonquin Theatre
July 12 Ottawa, ON @ LeBreton Flats (Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest)
July 17 Sudbury, ON @ River And Sky Festival
July 18 Sault St. Marie, ON @ Rotaryfest
July 24-26 Guelph, ON @ Guelph Lake Island (Hillside Festival)
Aug. 14 Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall
Aug. 15 Alymer, ON @ Fred Eaglesmith Charity Picnic
Aug. 16 Essex County, ON @ Farm Concert