Rah Rah (band)

Rah Rah

Rah Rah performing in 2009
Background information
Origin Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Genres indie rock
Years active 2006 (2006)–present
Labels Hidden Pony Records
Young Soul Records
Website rahrahband.com
Members Marshall Burns
Kristina Hedlund
Erin Passmore
Joel Passmore
Jeffrey Romanyk
Past members Leif Thorseth
Vanessa Benson
Dan Crozier
Samra Sahlu
Kyrie Kristmanson

Rah Rah is an indie rock musical group formed in 2006 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. They have toured extensively across North America and Europe. The band has released four full-length albums.

Current members

History

The group formed as a three piece in 2006 made up of Erin Passmore (drums/vocals), Kyrie Kristmanson (trumpet/guitar/vocals) and Marshall Burns (guitar/vocals). In 2006 they released the Songs for Pasquala EP independently. That same year the band performed at the Regina Folk Festival[1] as well as Pop Montreal.[2]

By 2007 Joel Passmore (formerly of Despistado and Sylvie) had joined the band on bass along with Samra Sahlu on keyboards and Kristina Hedlund on violin. The five-piece recorded their debut full length Going Steady which was released in November 2008[2] on Young Soul Records.[3] Shortly thereafter Leif Thorseth, also formerly of Despistado, joined the band on guitar.

In 2009 the band toured Canada extensively in support of the album. The group also began work on their next record with producer Kees Dekker (Plants and Animals) in Montreal. This second full-length album Breaking Hearts was eventually nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award.[4]

In late May 2009 Rah Rah's song "Duet for Emmylou and the Grievous Angel" was available for free download on iTunes for a week. Also, the song "Tentacles" was available in Starbucks stores as the free download card of the week.

The band underwent another line-up change in the fall of 2009 when Vanessa Benson (keyboards/vocals/bass) joined the group. Rah Rah was named "Best Alternative New Artist" and "Best New Canadiana Artist" on ITunes Canada's Best of 2009 list. Rah Rah headlined the Whistler Live! stage during the 2010 Paralympic Games and also performed at the Saskatchewan Pavilion.

In 2012 the group signed with Montreal's Hidden Pony Records. That year the band released their third LP, The Poet's Dead, which marked the debut of Jeffrey Romanyk on drums. The album was produced by Gus Van Go and Werner F. at the Boiler Room Studio.[5] In 2013 the album was longlisted for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize as well as nominated for a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. It also won the WCMA for Independent Album of the Year.

Also in 2013, the band, now a five piece, signed with Devil Duck Records in Europe and has toured overseas extensively ever since.

In 2015 the band released their fourth LP, Vessels again produced by the production team of Gus Van Go and Werner F.

The band has toured with such notable acts as Wintersleep, Yukon Blonde, Plants and Animals, Said the Whale, Two Hours Traffic, Land of Talk, Minus The Bear and The Elwins.

They have also performed at a number of festivals such as CMJ in New York City, NXNE and CMW in Toronto, SXSW in Austin, Texas, Reperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany, Great Escape in Brighton, England, Halifax Pop Explosion, Pop Montreal, Supercrawl in Hamilton, Ontario, BreakoutWest, JunoFest and Sled Island in Calgary, Alberta.

The group has been noted for their energetic live shows which often feature some combination of giant balloons, piñatas, robot cats, Pop Rocks candy[6] and confetti.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Remix Albums

Singles

Year Song Chart peak Album
CAN
Alt
[8]
2012 "Art and a Wife" 43 The Poet's Dead
2013 "Prairie Girl" 27
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

References

External links

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