The Elwins

The Elwins are a Canadian indie rock band from Keswick, Ontario, consisting of singer and guitarist Matthew Sweeney, drummer Travis Stokl, guitarist/keyboardist Feurd and bassist/singer Frankie Figliomeni.

The Elwins
Press Photo By Vanessa Heins
Background information
OriginNewmarket, Ontario, Canada
GenresIndie rock, surf pop
Years active2006–present
Websitetheelwins.com
Members
  • Matthew Sweeney
  • Travis Stokl
  • Feurd
  • Frankie Figliomeni
Past membersChristopher Shannon

Biography

Early Days

The Elwins started out as a duo playing original music in high school at Huron Heights Secondary School.[1] They recorded their self-titled debut EP in 2008 at Chemical Sound Studios.[2] After performing as a duo for a period of time they made the decision to expand their sound, adding long time friend, Feurd, on guitar and keyboard and Christopher Shannon on bass.[3] The band made a number of short videos and clips during this time drawing from their wide array of comedic inspirations such as Maria Bamford, John Mulaney and Nathan for You, which advertised local shows, handmade merch or their comedic chops. In November, 2011 the group released a video for their song "Help a Bro Out (M-O-V-E-M-B-E-R)" aimed at raising awareness for Men's Health.[4] The band recorded an EP titled The Elwins & Friends Volume One alongside Doctor EW and T H O M A S that was released December 25, 2011.[5]

Their first full-length album, And I Thank You, was self-released on February 21, 2012.[6] In early 2012 The Elwins embarked on their first US tour, in which they opened for Jukebox the Ghost and SPEAK. The tour consisted of 12 dates spanning much of the Southeastern United States and East Coast, culminating in a SXSW performance. The Elwins recorded a song for each city they played in on their March 2012 tour, lamenting on the cities history and serenading about how eager they were to play there, promotional videos for each song where directed by Christopher Shannon and published on the band's youtube account. The songs were compiled into a Tour Songs EP and made available on the bands' Bandcamp page.[7] In May 2012 bassist Christopher Shannon left the band to pursue other interests and was replaced by Frankie Figliomeni.

Breakthrough

The Elwins began their second major tour in September 2013, this time headlining themselves. The tour included a handful of North American dates, and included many shows across Western Europe. The tour featured over 40 dates.[8]

In October 2014, the Elwins signed with North American record label Hidden Pony. They re-released their debut album And I Thank You on October 21 and released their sophomore album Play for Keeps later the following year, February 24, 2015. The album was released in North America under Hidden Pony Records, Affairs of the Heart in Europe and Moorworks in Japan. The band supported the release with tours of Canada, the United States, Europe and Japan.[9] The first single, "So Down Low", reached No. 12 overall at alternative radio in Canada. The single charted for six months and was used in a Canada-wide advertising campaign for Fido.[10] This album saw the band move from a DIY and lo fi sound to a more polished pop driven sound.

On October 13, 2017, The Elwins released their third studio album, Beauty Community. The first single, "Hey! Ya, You", reached the top 10 on Canadian Alternative radio charts. peaking at number 6. They toured the record in late 2017 with Fast Romantics across Canada, followed by a winter 2018 support tour of Dashboard Confessional. Recording for the album took place shortly after the conclusion of their Play for Keeps tours. The album was produced by Derek Hoffman, who previously had previously collaborated with the band on their previous album. In spring of 2019, T-Mobile used the song "Never Felt So Good" for their North American Live Nation advertising campaign.

Pink Eye Recordings Era

Following 2017's Beauty Community, The Elwins left Hidden Pony and formed their own label "Pink Eye Recordings". The band began working on their fourth studio album in late 2018 inspired by 70s AM-radio pop to the mid-2000s alternative. The group released the album's first single "Take Me All The Way" on April 3, 2020. On June 26, the band released their second single from the record, "Weight of the World". The album marks a swift departure from their previous albums innocent and optimistic lyrics and takes a more somber and introspective approach.

Discography
Studio albums
  • And I Thank You (February 21, 2012)
  • Play for Keeps (February 24, 2015)
  • Beauty Community (October 13, 2017)
  • IV (September 18, 2020)
Extended plays
  • The Elwins EP (April 10, 2009)
  • The Elwins & Friends Volume One (December 25, 2011)
  • Tour Songs (March 13, 2012)
Singles
  • Countdown (Feat. Luke Lalonde)/Behind My Eyes (April 21, 2012)
  • Stuck in the Middle (April 22, 2012)
  • Forgetful Assistance/Countdown (April 3, 2013)
  • Hello (Adele Cover) (November 30, 2015)
  • Hey! Ya, You (August 16, 2017)
  • Party All the Time (June 29, 2018)
  • With All Your Friends (December 11, 2018)
  • Some Things Last a Long Time (October 12, 2019)
  • Take Me All The Way (April 3, 2020)
  • Weight of the World (June 26, 2020)

Chart Performance
Year Song Alternative Canada Billboard Canadian Rock Album
2015 "So Down Low" 12 29 Play For Keeps
"Show Me How to Move" 22 –
2017 "Hey! Ya, You" 6 19 Beauty Community
"Never Felt So Good" - 43
2020 "Take Me All The Way" 10 23 IV
"Weight of The World" – –

Awards

Juno Awards

The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame are also inducted as part of the awards ceremonies. The Juno Awards are often referred to as the equivalent of the Grammy Awards given in the United States.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2016The ElwinsBreakthrough Group of the YeartNominated

References
  1. Macchia, Amanda & Persico, Amanda. "YorkRegion Article"
  2. Marino, Dean. "Summer 2008"
  3. Garvez, Carmel. "The Singing Lamb Recommends..."
  4. Murphy, Sarah. ""
  5. ""
  6. Hudson, Alex ""
  7. Lewis, Carly.""
  8. Exclaim Canada. "The Elwins Roll Out North American and European Tour Dates, Set Sights on New Album"
  9. Murphy, Sarah. ""
  10. "Five Questions with The Elwins – see them live in Cornwall on December 4th". The Seeker Newspaper Cornwall. November 29, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
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