Christian Hansen & The Autistics

Christian Hansen is a musical group out of Edmonton, Alberta. Formed late in 2007, the band consists of Christian Hansen and Molly Flood. The band describes themselves as "the dazzle of disco mixed with the immediacy of punk rock."

Christian Hansen
Also known asCHATA
OriginEdmonton, Alberta, Canada
Genres
  • Alternative pop
  • dance
  • disco
Years active2007 (2007)–present
Websitechristianhansenband.com
MembersChristian Hansen
Molly Flood

Early years

In 2007, Christian Hansen and Molly Flood formed a band with the name Christian Hansen and The Autistics. They built up a local following in Edmonton before beginning a cross-Canada tour and gaining radio play on CBC radio. In March 2009, they were awarded a $10,000 development grant for Edmonton artists from Rawlco Radio (Rawlco Communications). This grant lead to the band's first full-length album Power Leopard.

Power Leopard

In March 2009, the group released their debut full-length album Power Leopard, produced and recorded by Doug Organ of Edmontone Studio. Power Leopard gained recognition with the singles "Cocaine Trade" and "Pump It", which were put into rotation on Edmonton's Sonic 102.9FM (CHDI-FM) and XM Satellite Radio. The album received numerous accolades[1] and "Cocaine Trade" became the 4th most requested song of the year on Sonic 102.9. Power Leopard reached number 5 on Megatunes' Top 30 record sales for the week of 10 September 2009. A four-song EP, Swans, was released on 4 June 2010 and, that year, the band played Calgary's Sled Island Music & Arts Festival, New Music West, the Boonstock Music Festival in Penticton, and the North by Northeast (NXNE) festival in Toronto.

Relocation and second album

Hansen and Flood relocated the band to Toronto in 2011. The band's live line-up changed in spring 2011, with the addition of a rhythm section--Doug Organ on drums and Doug Hoyer on bass. In April 2012, due to the change in musical style and personnel, the band officially changed their name to Christian Hansen Band.

In October 2012, the band released their second full-length album, C'mon Arizona, emphasizing the guitar-based rock esthetic that had been hinted at on the first two releases. 2012 also saw the addition of Dustin Hawthorne (formerly of Hot Hot Heat) on bass and Al Boyle (of You Say Party) on drums.

Discography

Albums

YearAlbum DetailsChart Peak Positions
2009Power LeopardN/A
2012C'mon ArizonaN/A

EPs

YearAlbumDetails
2008Power Leopard3 Song EP
2010Swans4 Song EP
2014Small Fry4 Song EP

Singles

Members
  • Christian Hansen: Vocals/Guitar
  • Molly Flood: Keyboard/Vocals/Dance moves

Awards

Voted one of SEE Magazine's Favourite Edmonton Bands, 2009.
Nominated for Best New Artist by XM Satellite Radio.
Music critic Stuart Derdeyn (The Province) included them in his Top 10 Performances of 2009.

Miscellaneous

Both members of the band are University of Alberta alumni, graduating with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama. Christian Hansen and Molly Flood were married 5 September 2009. The band's name has been a controversial topic but the band has maintained a positive outlook towards their name saying they are paying homage to Autism and the people it affects.[2] In 2009, Hansen told an interviewer, "People have thought that we're making fun of autistic people, but nothing could be further from the truth. The name is an absolute tribute." 2009 was also the same year Christian Hansen won an award for Support Worker of the Year from the Autism Society of Edmonton for his actions working with autism and other conditions.

References

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