Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical artist
Grievous Angels are a Canadian alternative country band, active since 1986.<ref name=streetbeat>"Street Beat". Toronto Star, June 11, 1987.</ref> The band's name is a reference to the Gram Parsons album Grievous Angel.<ref name=roots>"Angels have Canadian roots". Edmonton Journal, February 13, 1991.</ref> Their primary leader is singer-songwriter Charlie Angus, who entered electoral politics in 2004 as the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay.<ref name=punks>"Punks in the House of Commons". The Globe and Mail, May 7, 2011.</ref>
Early yearsEdit
The group was originally formed in Toronto in 1986 by Angus, vocalist Michelle Rumball and fiddler Peter Jellard after Angus left the punk rock band L'Étranger.<ref name=tyee>"When Punks Turn into Politicians". The Tyee, December 10, 2009.</ref> They began as a collective of street buskers, and eventually began playing Toronto-area bars, specifically the old Cabana Room of the Spadina Hotel.<ref>"Grievous Angels bring gritty, blue-collar tunes to Tulip Festival". Ottawa Citizen, May 16, 2000.</ref> Tim Hadley and drummer Peter Duffin joined the band in 1987.<ref name=streetbeat/> The band quickly became a popular draw at folk festivals across Canada, and released their debut album, Toute la Gang, in 1989.<ref>"Grievous Angels: Irish jigs, a bit of zydeco, some traditional country -- and a concern for problems close to home". Ottawa Citizen, March 2, 1990.</ref>
They followed up with One Job Town in 1990, garnering national radio airplay for the singles "Gordie and My Old Man" and "Crossing the Causeway".<ref>"Broken dreams litter Angels' world; Group's Celtic-Cajun-country songs shot through with pain, loneliness". Edmonton Journal, September 16, 1990.</ref> Reviewers lauded the album, with Richard Wagamese of the Calgary Herald calling it the Canadian equivalent of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.<ref>"Recent releases". Calgary Herald, November 18, 1990.</ref> However, Rumball was suffering from voice problems at this time and did not participate in the tour to support the album, with vocals instead being performed by Lynn Simmons and Kirsti MacLeod.<ref>"Grievous Angels Band's sombre message takes wing". Waterloo Region Record, February 21, 1991.</ref> The album was nominated for Best Roots or Traditional Album at the Juno Awards of 1991,<ref>"All the nominees for 1991 Juno Awards". Vancouver Sun, February 7, 1991.</ref> and the band was nominated for Best Country Group or Duo at the Juno Awards of 1992.<ref>"Nominees a who's who of Canadian music". Halifax Daily News, February 13, 1992.</ref>
Return to Northern OntarioEdit
Around this time, Rumball left the band and Angus moved to Cobalt, Ontario. The band scaled back for a time, performing only in the Northern Ontario region as they prepared their third album, Watershed;<ref>"Grievous Angels cross watershed with third CD". Ottawa Citizen, January 27, 1994.</ref> the album was marked by Angus taking over lead vocals, and addressed the changes in his life in songs such as "Starting Over at Thirty" and "North of the Watershed".<ref>"Grievous Angels mine hard-core Canadiana Club Crawl". Toronto Star, June 23, 1994.</ref> They were named one of the hottest up-and-coming bands in Canada by Maclean's in 1994.
In 1995, Angus launched HighGrader, a magazine about Northern Ontario life and culture,<ref>"Magazine highlights Canada's rural strength; HighGrader shows depth of culture". Edmonton Journal, January 30, 1997.</ref> and joined CBC Radio One as a correspondent and commentator for its Sudbury station CBCS.<ref>"MP-elect Angus a true Northern character". North Bay Nugget, July 14, 2004.</ref>
In 1996, Grievous Angels released Waiting for the Cage, a concept album about life in Northern Ontario mining towns which also included an interactive CD-ROM feature.<ref>"Mining docu-ROM explores a tough subject superbly". Toronto Star, February 9, 1997.</ref> The CD-ROM feature won an award from the New York Expo of Short Film and Video.
In 1999, Angus was presented the Jackie Washington Award, for his contributions to Northern Ontario's cultural life, by Sudbury's Northern Lights Festival Boréal.<ref>"Music, art combine to make NLFB a success". Sudbury Star, July 18, 1999.</ref> The band also released 22 Trailer Park that year.<ref>"Northern lights; Cobalt's Grievous Angels keep Canadiana alive, fresh". Waterloo Region Record, May 12, 2000.</ref>
In the summer of 2000, Duffin retired from the band, and Hadley accepted a gig touring with Stompin' Tom Connors. Duffin was replaced by Dave Patterson. Drummer Al Lamore also joined the band. During this era, Angus became involved in political activism in the campaign against the proposal to ship Toronto's garbage to the abandoned Adams Mine in Kirkland Lake.<ref>"Mine protesters derailed but undeterred; Holiday feast turns on a spit as displaced dump opponents watch trains pass". Toronto Star, October 9, 2000.</ref>
The band released Hanging Songs in 2003.<ref>"The favourites of the people behind live music". Ottawa Citizen, December 27, 2003.</ref> The album included a song about the Adams Mine campaign.<ref>"Striking a chord in the North". Sault Star, April 13, 2002.</ref>
HiatusEdit
The following year, Angus ran for the New Democratic Party nomination in Timmins-James Bay;<ref>"Timmins-born author seeking federal NDP nomination". Timmins Daily Press, April 5, 2004.</ref> he won the nomination and used his musical background as part of his campaign, most notably performing Stompin' Tom Connors' "The Hockey Song" and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" as duets with Jack Layton when Layton made a visit to Timmins.<ref>"Layton sings Charlie's tune". Timmins Daily Press, June 4, 2004.</ref> He won the seat in the 2004 election.<ref>"A few new faces will be seen in Parliament". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, June 30, 2004.</ref> He kept a previously-booked engagement at the Northern Lights Festival Boréal the following week<ref>"New MP hits the stage in Sudbury". North Bay Nugget, July 5, 2004.</ref> before the band went on hiatus; however, Angus continued to use music as part of his political career, sometimes performing songs at political rallies and meetings.<ref>"Voice of the North; New Democrat MP and rocker Charlie Angus has turned his songs into his work". Toronto Star, August 21, 2004.</ref>
The band returned to recording in 2011 with a single, "Diamonds in the Snow", recorded with Angus' former L'Étranger bandmate Andrew Cash.<ref>"Charlie Angus se lance dans la course à la direction du NPD". Ici Radio-Canada, February 26, 2017.</ref> Cash was by this time also a Member of Parliament, and he and Angus jointly led a number of NDP caucus singalongs, including "Bud the Spud" upon the death of Stompin' Tom Connors, and "Four Strong Winds" upon the Alberta New Democratic Party's victory in the 2015 Alberta general election.
In 2013, the band released the album Great Divide.<ref>"The only band that matters: Can Charlie Angus rock-and-roll his way to the NDP leadership?". National Post, November 24, 2016.</ref> The song "Four Horses" was influenced by the book Clearing the Plains, and was made into a video with the University of Regina Press.
The band have also returned to playing select folk festival dates.
In 2021, the band released the album Summer Before the Storm, their first new album in eight years.<ref>Kerry Doole, "NDP MP Charlie Angus' Songwriting Remains Potent on Grievous Angels' 'Summer Before the Storm'". Exclaim!, January 13, 2021.</ref> The lineup saw Angus, Jellard, and Hadley joined by new members Janet Mercier on vocals, Ian McKendry on guitar, and Nathan Mahaffy on drums. Skydiggers vocalist Andy Maize contributes guest vocals on several tracks.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 2024 they released Last Call for Cinderella, their eighth album.<ref>John Emms, "Grievous Angels latest release Last Call for Cinderella a true gem". Timmins Daily Press, May 6, 2024.</ref>
DiscographyEdit
- 1989: Toute la Gang
- 1990: One Job Town
- 1993: Watershed
- 1996: Waiting for the Cage
- 1999: 22 Trailer Park
- 2003: Hanging Songs
- 2013: Great Divide
- 2021: Summer Before the Storm
- 2024: Last Call for Cinderella