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Alvvays
Alvvays performing in London, Ontario, 2014
Background information
Origin	Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Genres	Indie pop dream pop shoegaze neo-psychedelia twee pop jangle pop
Years active	2011 (2011)–present
Labels	Royal Mountain (Canada) Polyvinyl (US) Transgressive (Europe) Pod / Inertia Music (Australia)
Members	Molly Rankin Kerri MacLellan Alec O'Hanley Sheridan Riley
Past members	Phil MacIsaac Brian Murphy Abbey Blackwell
Website	alvvays.com

Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keyboards), Alec O'Hanley (guitars), and Sheridan Riley (drums). Their self-titled debut studio album, released in 2014, topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8, 2017. Their third studio album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7, 2022.

Antisocialites and Blue Rev each won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. All three of their albums were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. The song "Belinda Says" from Blue Rev was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

History

Formation and early years (2011–2015)

Molly Rankin, the group's singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin, a fiddler with the Celtic folk family collective The Rankin Family, who enjoyed international success in the 1990s. Molly would write and sing the song "Sunset" on the 2007 Rankin Family album Reunion. Rankin grew up in Mabou, Nova Scotia, writing music with her neighbour, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan. She later met guitarist and partner Alec O'Hanley at a concert. With the help of O'Hanley, Rankin quietly released a solo extended play titled She in 2010. Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin recruiting MacLellan, O'Hanley, drummer Phil MacIsaac and bassist Brian Murphy. Rankin picked the name Alvvays because it had a "shred of sentiment and nostalgia." The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.

The band members moved to Toronto and secured jobs that allowed them to tour occasionally. The group toured extensively as supporting acts for bands such as Peter Bjorn and John and the Decemberists. Their self-titled debut studio album, Alvvays, was recorded in Calgary with Chad VanGaalen in March 2013; Graham Walsh helped track the album while John Agnello helped mix it.

Alvvays were signed to Polyvinyl Records (US) on the strength of their performances at South by Southwest and online response to the demo of their single "Adult Diversion". The album Alvvays was released by Royal Mountain Records (Canada), Polyvinyl Records (US) and Transgressive Records (Europe) in July 2014. Simon Vozick-Levinson, writing in Rolling Stone, called the album an "indie-pop wonder". Alvvays went to #1 on US college charts on August 5, 2014; in November that year they performed in Los Angeles with another Canadian band, Absolutely Free.

"Archie, Marry Me" became a minor hit. The single for "Archie, Marry Me" featured the B-side "Underneath Us" which was recorded after the eponymous album.

The group toured heavily in support of their debut, including slots at Glastonbury 2015 and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016.

The debut album was nominated to the shortlist of the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. They performed at that year's gala with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. At the Juno Awards of 2015, the band was nominated as Breakthrough Group of the Year, and Alvvays was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year.

Antisocialites (2016–2018)

Alvvays began recording and writing their second studio album in 2015. Several new original songs had been performed throughout 2014 and 2015, including "Your Type" (often the opening song of the show), "New Haircut" (later retitled "Saved By A Waif") and "Hey". In 2016 they added "Not My Baby" and "Dreams" to their performance repertoire.

Following the addition of new songs such as "Plimsoll Punks" as part of live shows in spring 2017, Alvvays released a teaser clip of a song called "In Undertow" from their second album, Antisocialites. Along with songs performed at previous shows, new songs for this record included "Already Gone", "Forget About Life", "In Undertow", "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" and "Saved by a Waif". The album was released on September 8, 2017. A North American and European tour in support of the album was announced for autumn 2017. In 2016, Phil MacIsaac left the music industry for a career in graphic design; he was replaced by Sheridan Riley. A second UK tour in spring 2018 was announced in September 2017.

On September 16, 2017, at a show in Antwerp, a male audience member jumped on stage and attempted to kiss singer Molly Rankin. Ken Veerman, the director at Trix, the show’s venue, apologized on Facebook.

In 2018 the band received a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination for the song "Dreams Tonite", and Antisocialites was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. At the Juno Awards of 2018, Alvvays was nominated as Group of the Year and Antisocialites won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.

Blue Rev (2021–present)

Between 2019 and 2022, members of Alvvays largely stayed out of the public eye, rarely posting on social media. The radio silence led to memes and rumors the band had disbanded. Bassist and founding member Brian Murphy left the band in 2021. Alvvays released "Pharmacist", the first single from their third album Blue Rev, on July 6, 2022. Blue Rev was released on October 7, 2022. "Belinda Says", the third single from Blue Rev, was nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Musical style and influences

Alvvays' music has been described as jangle pop by the music press and its members. According to Rankin, the band's emphasis is primarily on strong melodies rather than for a specific genre. The band has been compared to Camera Obscura; Rankin noted she shared vocalist Tracyanne Campbell's "fondness for the pathetic perspective." Rankin sought inspiration from Stephin Merritt, frontman of the Magnetic Fields, appreciating the honest but lighthearted nature of his lyrics. Rankin's personal influences include The Magnetic Fields, Teenage Fanclub, Dolly Mixture, The Smiths, Celine Dion, Pavement, The Primitives, Oasis and Australian indie-pop group The Hummingbirds. While the band does not have an overt Celtic music sound, Rankin acknowledges that she was immersed in the genre from childhood, and it has a discernible influence on the way she sings and writes melodies.

Members

Current members

• Molly Rankin – vocals, rhythm guitar (2011–present), bass guitar (2022–present)
• Kerri MacLellan – keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)
• Alec O'Hanley – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present)
• Sheridan Riley – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2017–present)

Past members

• Phil MacIsaac – drums (2011–2016)
• Brian Murphy – bass guitar (2011–2021)
• Abbey Blackwell – bass guitar (2021–2024)

Past touring musicians

• Lukas Cheung – bass guitar (2024)

Discography

Albums

Singles

Music videos

• 2013: "Adult Diversion"
• 2014: "Archie, Marry Me"
• 2014: "Next of Kin"
• 2017: "In Undertow"
• 2017: "Dreams Tonite"
• 2022: "Pharmacist"
• 2022: "Easy On Your Own?"
• 2022: "Very Online Guy"
• 2022: "Belinda Says"
• 2022: "After the Earthquake"
• 2022: "Many Mirrors"

Notes

1. Alvvays did not enter the US Billboard 200, but peaked at number 12 on the US Heatseekers Albums Chart.

Awards and nominations

References

1. Goodrich, Matthrew (September 7, 2017), "Anti-Social Antisocialites: Alvvays On Their Sophomore Record", Brooklyn Magazine, retrieved October 3, 2017
2. Terich, Jeff (November 19, 2014). "Alvvays keep jangle-pop alive". San Diego City Beat. Archived from the original on December 17, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
3. "The NACC Charts for October 24". October 24, 2017.
4. "2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List | GRAMMY.com". www.grammy.com}. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
5. "John Morris Rankin Obituary". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
6. Lucas, John (November 26, 2014). "Alvvays's Molly Rankin broke with family tradition". The Georgia Straight. Overstory Media Inc.
7. ^ Brad Wheeler (July 29, 2014). "Alvvays: 'Nobody talks about the adventurous kind of love'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
8. ^ Hannah Ghorashi (November 23, 2013). "Discovery: Alvvays". Interview. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
9. ^ Kerr, Scott. "Alvvays: Biography & History". Allmusic. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
10. ^ Schiller, Rebecca (November 21, 2014). "Alvvays Singer Molly Rankin on Starting a New Band, Chad VanGaalen's 'Weird' Studio". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
11. ^ Ilana Kaplan (March 11, 2015). "SXSW Lone Stars: Alvvays on Archie's Identity and Scot-Pop". Spin. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
12. Cosores, Philip (July 22, 2014). "Alvvays: The Best of What's Next". Paste. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
13. "The Decemberists + Alvvays: 6 April 2015 – Beacon Theatre, New York". popmatters.com. PopMatters. April 13, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
14. "Alvvays, Next of Kin, Mohawk Patio at SXSW, Austin, 19.3.15". youtube.com. YouTube. March 23, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
15. Alvvays: "Archie, Marry Me". Stereogum.
16. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (July 14, 2014). "Alvvays 'Alvvays' Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
17. "CMJ Charts: August 5, 2014". CMJ. Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2014.
18. "Live Review: Alvvays at Acerogami in Pomona (11/26)". Consequences of Sound, by Philip Cosores, on November 27, 2014
19. Blog, N. M. E. (July 9, 2014). "Track Premiere – Alvvays, 'Underneath Us'". NME. Retrieved October 1, 2022.
20. ^ Adrian Spinelli (September 21, 2015). "Catching Up with Alvvays". Paste. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
21. "Past Nominees & Winners". junoawards.ca. Juno Awards. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
22. "We need to talk about these new Alvvays songs". DIY. April 21, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
23. Sturgeon, Nathalie. "'A case of the empties'". cbc.ca. CBC News. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
24. "An Interview with Sheridan Riley". Movement Drum Company. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
25. "2018 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Nominees Revealed". Exclaim!, May 24, 2018.
26. "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List". Exclaim!, July 17, 2018.
27. "Junos 2018: the complete list of winners". CBC News, · March 25, 2018
28. Hayhoe, Beau (September 6, 2022). ""Pharmacist" Signals an Impressive, Long-Awaited Return for Alvvays". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
29. Tenreyro, Tatiana (October 7, 2022). "Alvvays Faced Down Challenges (and Came Out Better for Them) to Make Blue Rev". Spin. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
30. Brodsky, Rachel (July 6, 2022). "Alvvays Announce New Album 'Blue Rev': Hear "Pharmacist"". Stereogum. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
31. ^ Corcoran, Nina (February 4, 2024). "Paramore Win Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Rock Album at 2024 Grammys". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
32. Xiao, Alison (December 11, 2023). "How an 80s Sydney band inspired Canadian indie pop darlings Alvvays". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
33. Weekes, Jabbari (August 5, 2014). "Toronto's Alvvays welcome you to the jangle on their debut album". Aux. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014.
34. "Alvvays-- Lollapalooza Interview, 2017". Soundcloud.com. Retrieved October 10, 2017.
35. "Alvvays – Chart History: Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
36. Peaks on the ARIA hitseekers chart:
    • Antisocialites: "ARIA Report: Issue 1438" (PDF). ARIA. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
    • Blue Rev: "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 17 October 2022". The ARIA Report. No. 1702. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 17, 2022. p. 24.
37. "Alvvays - Blue Rev - dutchcharts.nl". Dutch Charts. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
38. "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 18, 2017. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
39. Peaks in Scotland:
    • Antisocialites: "2017-09-15 Top 100 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/.
    • Blue Rev: "2022-10-14 Top 100 Scottish Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
40. Peaks in the UK:
    • For all except noted: "Alvvays full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
    • For Alvvays: "2.08.2014 (wk30)". zobbel.de.
41. Peaks on the UK Independent Albums Chart:
    • Alvvays: "2014-07-27 Top 50 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
    • Antisocialites: "2017-09-15 Top 50 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
    • Blue Rev: "2022-10-14 Top 50 Independent Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. officialcharts.com/. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
42. "Alvvays – Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
43. "Alvvays – Independent Albums Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
44. "Alvvays – Top Rock Albums Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
45. "Alvvays – Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
46. "Alvvays: Canada Rock". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
47. "Alvvays: Adult Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
48. ^ "Canadian certifications – Alvvays". Music Canada. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
49. "American certifications – Alvvays". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
50. Vlessing, Etan. "Junos 2015: Kiesza, the Weeknd Win Big at Canada's Music Awards". Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
51. "A2IM Names Libera Indie Music Award Nominees". HypeBot. May 5, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
52. "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2015 Short List". Exclaim!, July 16, 2015.
53. "2018 Juno Awards Nominees". Junoawards. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
54. "Polaris Music Prize Reveals 2018 Short List". Exclaim!, July 17, 2018.
55. "Here are all the 2023 Juno nominees". CBC Music, January 31, 2023.
56. Aswad, Jem (March 22, 2023). "Wet Leg Leads Nominations for A2IM's Indie Libera Awards". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
57. "Here's the 2023 Polaris Music Prize short list". CBC Music, July 13, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• Alvvays at AllMusic
• Alvvays discography at MusicBrainz
• Alvvays discography at Discogs
• Alvvays at IMDb

• Canadian indie pop groups
• Canadian dream pop musical groups
• Jangle pop groups
• Musical groups from Toronto
• Musical groups established in 2011
• 2011 establishments in Ontario
• Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year winners
• Musical groups from Charlottetown
• Female-fronted musical groups
• The Rankin Family
• 2011 establishments in Prince Edward Island