The Bills
| The Bills | |
|---|---|
| Origin | West Coast of Canada |
| Genres | Folk |
| Labels |
Red House Records Borealis Records |
| Website | thebills.ca |
| Members |
Marc Atkinson Richard Moody Chris Frye Adrian Dolan Scott White |
The Bills are a high impact, acoustic folk music quintet from the West Coast of Canada. They have developed a unique sound, blending traditional influences from around North America and the rest of the globe in crafting their own vocal and instrumental music. Formed in 1996 (as The Bill Hilly Band), they have performed extensively throughout North America and Europe. Most recently, in 2012/2013, the band has embarked on tours in North America to support their 2012 release (2013 in the US), Yes Please.
Though the lineup has had a few changes since the band first formed, the present-day Bills include:
- Marc Atkinson - mandolin, guitar, vocals
- Richard Moody - violin, viola, vocals
- Chris Frye - guitar, lead vocals
- Adrian Dolan - fiddle, piano, accordion, vocals
- Scott "Grampa Bill" White - upright bass, vocals
The group has also toured and recorded with both Joey Smith and Nick Mintenko on bass, and Glen Manders ("Reverend Bill Bass") was the bassist and key part of their early success from 1998 to 2008.
The Hamilton Spectator said "The Bills represent everything that is good about roots music in Canada". The Boston Globe wrote "Their sound is panoramic, mischievous, fiercely unpretentious - and musically splendid". And to top it all off, in honour of their legendary live shows and inventive rootsy style, the UK press proclaimed "The biggest blast of fresh air to come out of Canada since The Band" (Glasgow Herald) and "Probably the best live act I have ever seen" (Maverick Magazine).
The Bills have their strongest followings in Western Canada, the Western US (particularly Northern California), Ontario and the UK.
Awards
In 2006, The Bills won a Western Canadian Music Award for Entertainer of the Year. They were also nominated for Video of the Year. The Bills received two Juno Award nominations in the "Roots and Traditional Album of the Year - Group" category for both 2003 and 2005.
Discography
- Albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Bill Hilly Band | Independent |
| 2002 | All Day Every Day | Borealis |
| 2004 | Let Em Run | Borealis |
| 2005 | Let Em Run (US Release) | Red House |
| 2012 | Yes Please | Independent |
- Contributing artist
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Rough Guide to the Music of Canada | World Music Network |