Mainstage Tent, Sackville NB, July 29

--taken from: Exclaim!

by Cosette Schulz

Ending off the night right was TUNS, a trio composed three of the best Canadian songwriters from the '90s: Mike O'Neill (Inbred),  Sloan's Chris Murphy on drums and Matt Murphy of the Super Friendz. Walking on stage with pink electrical tape on their shirts (Both Murphys with an "M" and O'Neill with an "O," perhaps this show was dedicated to mothers?), they battled with a bit of feedback before settling in.

After a board member's quick reminder to SappyFest goers to not camp in Memorial Park ("people get annoyed"), executive director Lucas Hicks gifted the band with vintage leather jackets that had "TUNS" patched on the back and something to banter about for the rest of the night. "It's gonna be really hot with this jacket," said Matt Murphy while putting it on. "Wear it for one song!," added Chris Murphy. "I want this jacket to be garbage by the end of the set."

TUNS couldn't be more happy-go-lucky if they tried, as song after song overflowed with shimmering, sticky melodies, some with "la la las," others with excellent vocal harmonies, including both publicly released songs, "Throw It All Away" and "Mind Over Matter."

"We'd like to present Matt with a hat and a scarf — a TUNS hat and a Dow Tech scarf," joked drummer Murphy. TUNS kept it light, easy and fun, with guitarist Murphy hamming up tight solos,  wild leaps off of the bass drum and ending songs with zealous kicks in the air. Drummer Murphy hit hard, and O'Neill had a real George Harrison feel to him, as he sweetly sang.

"That's all the songs we know, unless you want to hear an awful Beatles cover? This is called 'Revolution 9,'" said drummer Murphy, before the band amusingly went into an awfully delightful cover of "There's A Place." TUNS house a Beatles quality to their sound, light and bright rock'n'roll, heavy on the harmony and melody, and focusing mostly on themes of love and lack thereof.

Despite their debut not being out yet, it was clear that TUNS delighted the audience with their saccharine stylings.

--taken from: Exclaim!

Highlights from a hot Hillside

--taken from: Guelph Mercury Tribune (read more here)

by Vish Khanna

I couldn’t wait to see TUNS again. The trio is comprised of Chris Murphy (Sloan), Matt Murphy (the Super Friendz), and Mike O’Neill (the Inbreds), a Halifax/Toronto supergroup of hyper-talented musicians, singers and songwriters. Their debut record is out Aug. 26 but, lucky to have an advance copy, I sang along to every one of their sunny songs about friendships and time. Just amazing. It was cool to see Chris Murphy sing “Coax Me” with the spirited Choir! Choir! Choir! later on, which takes the notion of building a ‘musical community’ to heart. All I could really do in this regard was help Kid Koala find a downtown restaurant still open at midnight on a Sunday to feed his whole crew and other Hillside visitors (thanks Fat Bastard Burrito).

--taken from: Guelph Mercury Tribune (read more here)

Sappyfest fans ready to descend upon Sackville

--taken from: Sackville Tribune-Post (read more here)

by Katie Tower

Highlights this year include Dilly Dally, TUNS, Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars, Little Scream, Cakes Da Killa, She-Devils, Nap Eyes, Ought, By Divine Right, and Partner.

“This year we’re really excited about TUNS,” said Hicks.

Said to be Halifax’s latest “supergroup,” the band includes Sloan's Chris Murphy on drums, Super Friendz/Flashing Lights' Matt Murphy on guitar and theInbreds' Mike O'Neill on bass. They will hit the stage on Friday night.

Hicks said this year’s schedule features “something for everybody” with a diverse range of musical styles, from French Acadian to hip hop, folk and electronic.

--taken from: Sackville Tribune-Post (read more here)

Stories Behind A New Canadian Supergroup

--taken from: FYI Music News

by Kerry Doole

The term supergroup is an over-used one, but in terms of Canadian rock in the ‘90s especially, the newly-formed The Trans-Canada Highwaymen can justifiedly be given that tag. The combo comprises Chris Murphy (Sloan), Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness), Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) and Craig Northey (Odds).

They played a gig together at The Jackson-Triggs Winery in Niagara last weekend, one described to FYI by Northey as “over the top”, in terms of fun for the band and audience like. News that this will be more than a one-off occasion will certainly please fans of all four members.

Northey tells us that the idea of this collaboration “came when Steven, Chris and I were talking a couple of years ago then Moe and our friend Jim Millan came to us all with a multi-media interpretation of the same idea (which we're working on) so we thought "this must be a good idea". If Moe Berg wants to rock you don't get in his way, you just say, "let's go".

We also reached Moe Berg yesterday for his take. He confirmed that “The idea was presented by Jim Millan who is a theatrical director/producer/writer. He is responsible for the most recent Kids In The Hall tour, also The Mythbusters stage production, Alton Brown, Penn and Teller etc. etc. He sees it as a theatrical, multi-media production more than just a concert or ‘songwriters in the round’. So that is in the process of being worked out and shows are booked for April 2017. However, the show at Jackson Triggs was more like an impromptu concert with the four of us, kind of to get our feet wet.”

To Berg, this first gig “was a real blast. We had an extraordinarily enthusiastic crowd who really seemed to enjoy the opportunity to see the four of us together as well as the off the cuff delivery of the show. The venue, The Jackson Triggs Amphitheater, is spectacular."

The paths of all four have intersected in many ways over the years, and Northey and Page have been working together extensively, as on Page’s most recent solo album, Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct. To Northey, “I love and respect all these guys and we have only good memories of our times together over the years. Most of our common language is in the form of jokes and arcane pop culture references. I look forward to any chance I get to see any of them.”

Berg is also part of the mutual admiration society. “I was very familiar with the other guys material. I am a big fan of all of their music and have a deep respect for them as writers and musicians.”

The concept behind The Trans-Canada Highwaymen is for the band only to perform songs the members wrote for their original group. “We still had to practice a couple of times although we were all familiar with each other's tunes,” says Northey. “We're all switching around on instruments so there were things to get used to."

According to Berg, “the idea was to play your hits. So everyone picked the four songs of theirs they thought were most recognizable.”

It seems like rehearsals were a blast. Berg explains that “getting together with the guys for rehearsals and for the show was more fun that I even thought it would be and I thought it would be pretty great. All the guys, besides being wonderful people, are super hilarious. So it’s been fun and I am looking forward to having more fun. We’d all known each other from the past, so the chemistry was pretty immediate and the rehearsals were half story telling, half actually practicing the songs.

The name is a punning reference to country supergroup The Highwaymen. Northey explains that “I suggested we do 'The Highwayman' by The Highwaymen and I believe Steven emailed that name back as an answer to that proposal. The next email contained an attachment from Chris with the logo and T-shirt concept. Moe could be heard chortling in a further email attachment.”

Upcoming shows are expected to be in a theatre setting, and will include anecdotes based around their classic material. Given the genuine wit of all four members, that’s sure to be a winning proposition. Northey and Berg both give April 2017 as a potential time setting for more shows.

All the members remain active with other projects too. Tickets for a Steven Page solo show at Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on Nov. 18 went on sale today (Friday), with Northey in his band. He (Northey) explains that “Odds are doing dates this summer and starting another batch of songs. Rob Baker [The Tragically Hip] and I have a big chunk of a Strippers Union record written, and I'll be touring the States with the Art of Time Ensemble in October.”

Chris Murphy has another ‘supergroup’ project in motion, TUNS (with Matt Murphy and Mike O’Neill), and they will be releasing a self-titled debut album on August 26 through Royal Mountain Records. They play a free show at Mill Street Brewery in Toronto on Monday.

Berg is busy on the production side, telling FYI that “a record I recently produced by a wonderful songwriter named Taylor Holden was just released. Another great songwriter that I had that good fortune of working with named James Clark will be releasing his record in the fall. I am currently in the pre-production stage with a very talented singer named Tam Heart.”

--taken from: FYI Music News

Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize Concert Lineup Announced

--taken from: A Journal of Musical Things

by Nerhys

The Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize concert lineup has been announced. The tribute to four albums that won 2015 Heritage Prize awards will feature Peaches, Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson from Sloan, The Weather Station, Tanika Charles, Amelia Curran, Michelle McAdorey and more. All the acts will be backed by the Massey Hall Band, a 15-piece alternative big band.

The four albums that won the inaugural Polaris Heritage Prize include: Joni Mitchell’s Blue, The Trinity Session by the Cowboy Junkies, Sloan’s Twice Removed, and The Teaches of Peaches by Peaches.

“The idea behind the Heritage Prize – our version of a Hall of Fame – is to spur discussion and discovery of timeless recorded art from our history,” says Polaris Founder and Executive Director Steve Jordan. “Combining Massey Hall Band’s interpretations of the Prize-winning classics and the contributions of the special guests will make for an exciting, inventive and suitably musical tribute for these albums”.

--taken from: A Journal of Musical Things

Peaches, Sloan, the Weather Station to Honour Polaris Heritage Prize Winners at Toronto Tribute Show

--taken from: Exclaim!

by Sarah Murphy

Last year, the Polaris Music Prize introduced the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, paying homage to Canadian albums from the decades before the annual honour was handed out. Now, last year's winners are set to be given a further tribute thanks to a new live show extravaganza.

Last fall, Joni Mitchell's Blue took the top spot for the '60 and '70s category, while the Cowboy Junkies won the '80s round with The Trinity Session. Sloan's Twice Removed triumphed in the '90s category, and of Peaches' The Teaches Peaches took home the prize for albums released between 2000 and 2005.

On August 3, the Massey Hall band will breathe new life into the winning records at a concert at the Great Hall in Toronto. In addition to the 15-piece alternative big band, the show will also feature performances from winners Peaches and Sloan's Chris Murphy and Jay Ferguson, as well as the Weather Station, Tanika Charles, Amelia Curran, Michelle McAdorey and more. The show will be hosted by CBC's Rich Terfry (a.k.a. Buck 65).

"The idea behind the Heritage Prize – our version of a Hall of Fame – is to spur discussion and discovery of timeless recorded art from our history," Polaris founder and executive director Steve Jordan said in a statement. "Combining Massey Hall Band's interpretations of the prize-winning classics and the contributions of the special guests will make for an exciting, inventive and suitably musical tribute for these albums."

--taken from: Exclaim!

Chris Murphy Introduces His New Supergroup the Trans-Canada Highwaymen

--taken from: Exclaim!

by Gregory Adams

Chris Murphy's TUNS project with Super Friendz leader Matt Murphy and the Inbreds' Mike O'Neill will be issuing their self-titled debut next month, but that's not the only outside dream team the Sloan founder is showcasing away from his full-time gig. This past weekend marked the live debut of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, a supergroup that also features members of the Pursuit of Happiness, Odds and Barenaked Ladies.

The quartet played their first show last Saturday (July 16) at the Jackson Triggs Winery in Niagara Peninsula, ON. The lineup includes Murphy, Odds guitarist Craig Northey, former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page, and the Pursuit of Happiness's Moe Berg. For Murphy, Berg's participation is the biggest coup.

"That was the big get for us," Murphy tells Exclaim! "I don't mean to say that we're dragging Moe Berg out of retirement, or something, but I know he doesn't play very much. He was into the idea, so that was the most fun part of it, playing 'I'm an Adult Now.' It's exciting!"

The outfit haven't written any originals, choosing instead to pool together a 16-song set consisting of highlights from each of their respective projects. The caveat is that these have to be pieces they themselves wrote. This means the Highwaymen did not put a spin on Sloan's Patrick Pentland-penned "Money City Maniacs," which the moonlighting Murphy believes is his main band's biggest hit.

"It was basically 'bring your four most popular songs that you wrote'," Murphy says, noting Sloan songs performed included his "Coax Me," "The Other Man," "The Rest of My Life" and "Underwhelmed."

Also tackled by the Trans-Canada Highwaymen were Barenaked Ladies tracks "Jane," "Brian Wilson" and "It's All Been Done Before." Grilled over whether he helped deliver the half-rapped verses of BNL's massive 1998 hit "One Week," Murphy quips: "I didn't have to get into Chinese chicken of any kind."

Though there aren't any other Trans-Canada Highwaymen performances coming up in the immediate future, Murphy said there are plans to develop a theatre-style show for 2017 that will incorporate storyteller segues surrounding the material. He adds that this approach will help differentiate Highwaymen shows from his regular gig with Sloan, "so I'm not completely competing with myself."

"My world is basically Canada and maybe a dozen shows in the states. I don't command an audience in Istanbul, or wherever. I don't want to cannibalize my already pretty small world," he said, reiterating that he's basically just playing Sloan songs with a different group of guys.

Even so, it's a different experience for Murphy, and a welcomed one.

"I enjoy playing in Sloan still, but it's fun to play with different people. I've really not done a lot of it. I'm also playing with Matt Murphy and Mike O'Neill in TUNS, [but] I've never really cheated with my wife, as it were. I've basically been in Sloan this whole time."

Sloan, meanwhile, have another round of 20th anniversary tour dates behind their One Chord to Another, while the first TUNS full-length sees release August 26 through Royal Mountain Records.

For now, watch some fan-captured footage of the Trans-Canada Highwaymen below.







--taken from: Exclaim!

Tuns to perform at Mill Street on July 25

--taken from: Toronto Star

Tuns is a dream mashup of your favourite 90s acts, including Chris Murphy (Sloan), Matt Murphy (Super Friendz, Flashing Lights) and Mike O'Neill (Inbreds).

Indie supergroup Tuns will perform songs from their brand new, self-titled album as part of the Toronto Star Newsroom Concert Series.

Canadian indie supergroup Tuns will be performing songs from their self-titled album at Mill Street Beer Hall in the Distillery District on Monday, July 25. Fans are invited to watch the performance, which will be filmed as part of the Toronto Star’s Newsroom Concert Series.

The group is a dreamy mashup of your favourite 90s acts. Count ‘em: Chris Murphy (Sloan), Matt Murphy (Super Friendz, Flashing Lights) and Mike O’Neill (Inbreds). The trio recently released their debut single “Mind Over Matter” with Royal Mountain Records.

Music critic Ben Rayner will host the show and ask the band questions in a Q&A session. He recently wrote about the band for the Toronto Star.

Previous guests of the Star’s Newsroom Concert Series include The Sheepdogs, Metric and Francesco Yates.

--taken from: Toronto Star

Canadian rockers come together for Rootstock

--taken from: Niagara This Week

Canadian rockers come together for Rootstock
Rootstock, the annual singer-songwriter event held as part of Jackson-Triggs’ summer concert series returns to the vineyard amphitheatre this Saturday night. Featured guests this year include, clockwise from top left, Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Steven Page, and Craig Northey of Odds.

by Scott Rosts

While they may not have crossed paths on the stage before, four Canadian rockers who came up through the ranks around the same time, making their way from indie rock stages to headlining gigs, will be coming together on stage this Saturday to perform each other’s songs and share stories from the road.

Jackson-Triggs’ summer concert series’ popular Rootstock event is back for its 2016 installment, bringing together four singer-songwriters from a transformative era in Canadian rock, the ‘90s.  Moe Berg of The Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan, Craig Northey of Odds and Steven Page, formerly part of the Barenaked Ladies, will come together under the stars on Saturday night for a special performance where they’ll collaborate and interact in an intimate setting, allowing the audience to lose themselves in the music and storytelling.

Speaking to The Crier in advance of Saturday’s show, Murphy said he’s long been a fan of the musicians he’s about to share a stage with and he’s looking forward to playing the hit songs they’ve written. In fact, that may have been the reason behind him signing on for this in the first place.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said, adding he’s not too sure what to expect about the night. He’s been preparing for the evening by rehearsing the other musician’s songs, and the group has been communicating through email and phone in advance of the show but he said when the group comes together on Saturday night, it’s going to be pretty fresh.

“It’s going to be an interesting evening,” he said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve done my homework. I’m excited to play their songs - I just mean, it’s going to be interesting getting together and seeing how those guys work on stage. They’re all musical heavyweights so I’m sure it’ll be a great time.”

While the whole concept of participating in a singer-songwriter showcase doesn’t usually appeal to him — Murphy admitted he feels more comfortable playing as part of a band — the idea of being able to perform alongside Northey, Berg, and Page is the draw for him.

“When Moe (Berg) gets up there to  play ‘I’m an Adult Now’, I don’t want to just sit and watch him play it as an acoustic song, I want to play it with him as a whole band,” he said. “I  think the audience will enjoy that more as well.”

While Murphy may be new to the songwriter’s circle format, Page is a veteran. He’s performed at a number of Rootstock events over the years, sometimes acting as host and other times appearing as one of the featured musicians. For him, Rootstock has always been a great time.

“It’s fun to get up on stage with these musicians, ones I came up in the industry with, and be able to share our music and our stories from life on the road,” he said. Page noted the musicians have crossed paths many times over the years and will have lots of great stories to share with the audience through the series’ trademark onstage banter.

The intimate environment of the amphitheatre, he said, makes it a great venue for this type of event. He said it allows fans to see the musicians in a different context than they may be accustomed to seeing them.

Saturday’s show will mark Page’s­ second appearance on the amphitheatre stage this summer, he appeared earlier in the season doing a solo appearance.

As for the foursome, Saturday will mark their first appearance together but it won’t be their last. The group will be embarking on a limited engagement tour with select dates. Murphy said for those who enjoy off-the-cuff performances filled with spontaneity, this will be the performance to attend.

“As we do it more, we’ll get into a routine. This will definitely be the most spontaneous,” he said.

--taken from: Niagara This Week

Dresden event to take place Saturday

--taken from: Chatham Daily News

by Trevor Terfloth

An iconic Canadian rock band marking a milestone for one of its hit albums will headline the third annual Kinstock on Saturday.

Sloan will perform as part of its 20th anniversary 'One Chord to Another' tour at Kinsmen Park in Dresden.

The 1996 album featured the singles “The Good in Everyone,” “Everything You've Done Wrong” and “The Lines You Amend.”

Christal Wills, who is helping organize the event, said there has been much interest so far.

“We're in pretty good shape,” she said Monday. “Tickets are starting to move really well this past week.

“We've had a really good response from everyone … We're really excited to bring Sloan here.”

Also slated to play are Walkin’ 47, Face 4 Radio, Jessika Rabbit Band, Round House and Jacklyn Wills.

It will be an all-ages event, with proceeds supporting the Kinsmen Club and cystic fibrosis research and support. There will be a beer garden with food vendors on site.

Wills said there will also be a guitar draw as well as a 50/50 draw.

She said in previous years the event was held with only local bands, but that the club will gauge the success of this concert and decide what to do next year.

Wills noted the aim was to keep ticket prices reasonable for families.

“We upped the budget this year,” she said. “We're just hoping that people come out and support it.”

--taken from: Chatham Daily News