The Paper Cranes

Artist Information

Biography

The Paper Cranes are a husband and wife indie-pop duo from Victoria, British Columbia whose specialty is crafting infectiously melodic pop songs with heart-wrenching lyrics that make you want to dance until you pass out and cry into your pillow at the very same time. The domestic duo is comprised of multi-instrumentalist, Ryan McCullagh and his wife, Miranda Roach.

In the 4 years that The Paper Cranes have been active they have supported bands like Pretty Girls Make Graves, Wolf Parade, Islands, and The Walkmen amongst many others and have been showcased at Pop Montreal as well as Toronto's North by Northeast Music Festival. Their single, " I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode" was given a four star rating by Pitchforkmedia.com and the CBC named them one of the 10 bands to watch in 2008 alongside Crystal Castles and Tokyo Police Club. Their 2008 full-length album, Halcyon Days, has enjoyed a considerable run on college radio charts and songs from the album have been featured prominently in episodes of the Comedy Network series, House Party. Their song, "Rabbit in a Snare" has also been featured in a Nissan television commercial.

On their latest offering, Chivalry's Dead the Paper Cranes are once again doing what they do best--writing captivating pop songs that are nearly impossible to get out of your head, however, this time around there is a new level of depth to the songs. The Cranes experiment with a myriad of differing styles from eerie psychedelic waltzes to orchestral post-punk to rollicking northern soul to effervescent synth pop to create an album that is diverse, musically complex, lyrically poignant, and endlessly listenable.

Instrumentation

Ryan McCullagh -- Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Miranda Roach-McCullagh -- Piano, Organ, Synth, Sequencer

Discography

Veins Ep.
Unfamiliar Records
Released: 03.04.06

I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode
7" Single
Longest Mile Records (UK)
Released 03.07

Halcyon Days LP
Unfamiliar Records
Released 03.11.08

Chivalry's Dead
Unfamiliar Records
Released 08.18.09

Official Website

http://www.myspace.com/thepapercranes

Audio

• Chivalry's Dead
  Listen   Download
• Telephone
  Listen   Download
• I'll Love You Till My Veins Explode
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Telephone
• I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• The Paper Cranes: [+ Show ]
  

  Turns out Hot Hot Heat weren't the only ones buying Cure records in Victoria, British Columbia 10 ye...Turns out Hot Hot Heat weren't the only ones buying Cure records in Victoria, British Columbia 10 years ago; the Paper Cranes' Ryan McCullagh was surely standing next to them in line. But instead of dressing up his heart-attack yelp in white belts and poofy hair, McCullagh opts for seaside music-hall melancholy: bouncing-ball piano lines, sock-hop clap-along rhythms, and a barely there background chorus of "oooh ooohs," all the more joyously inappropriate to accompany a song that, as per post-punk tradition, venerates the power of love in the most threatening, despairing terms. If you're not afraid to admit your favorite Cure song was "Love Cats"; if you think Paul Weller hasn't written a classic song since "A Town Called Malice"; or if your favorite part of Funeral is the last minute of "Wake Up" where the Arcade Fire go all northern soul, then the Paper Cranes could be your new favorite band. [Stuart Berman]
  
  (Four out of Five Stars)

• The Paper Cranes - Veins EP -- Rating NNNN [+ Show ]
  

  Victoria, BC's the Paper Cranes have a thing for melody. I'm talkin' big coursing lines of tune that...Victoria, BC's the Paper Cranes have a thing for melody. I'm talkin' big coursing lines of tune that sound like they were written on huge sheets of paper in thick permanent ink, steered by equally assertive four-on-the-floor drums (James Watson) and bright piano fills (Miranda Roach-McCullagh). They've got some clear Smiths/Cure influences, and singer/guitarist/songwriter Ryan McCullagh often delivers the same urgent quaver as Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade. (For proof, check their single I'll Love You Til My Veins Explode.) But this EP is optimistic and spirited to such a degree that you'll happily shrug off the similarities. New Pornos/Tegan 'n' Sara producer Howard Redekopp and the Rapture collaborators Run-Roc raise the production bar on a promising debut.
  
  The Paper Cranes swoop into the Comfort Zone Friday (March 3) as part of NExT.
  

• This Week's Feature: The Paper Cranes [+ Show ]
  

  This week's feature: The Paper Cranes The Paper Cranes, Halcyon Days (Unfamiliar) WHO Poppy...This week's feature: The Paper Cranes
  
  The Paper Cranes, Halcyon Days (Unfamiliar)
  
  WHO
  
  Poppy Victoria quintet.
  
  DISCOGRAPHY
  
  Veins (Unfamiliar, 2006)
  Halcyon Days (Unfamiliar, 2008)
  
  IN A NUTSHELL
  
  Halcyon Days starts off with a smash-in-waiting, and then follows it up with nine more of them.
  
  THE STORY
  
  My initial reaction to Halcyon Days was that it showed The Paper Cranes to be the gutsiest band in Canada. After all, it took a lot of courage for them to kick off their debut full-length with "I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode", the song that was the unquestionable highlight of their debut EP, Veins, and a big reason for why the band has earned rave reviews from some pretty impressive quarters.
  
  By the time you reach the third or fourth song, however, it becomes apparent that the band aren't just trying to start off on the right foot. Rather, "I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode" is there because the band want to show that it's no fluke, that they're more than capable of following up with nine other songs that are just as strong.
  
  Luckily for The Paper Cranes, it's a move that pays off. Over the half hour, they show consistently that they have the songwriting chops to both recapture the Cure-via-Hot Hot Heat (circa Make Up The Breakdown, of course) vibe of "Veins Explode", and take it in exciting new directions. Songs like "Rabbit In A Snare" and "100 Years War" are irresistably catchy, upbeat pop songs that do a great job of combining post-punk rhythms with breezy piano and frontman Ryan McCullagh's Robert Smith-influenced vocals, while songs like "Cobwebs" and "Milkrun" show a slightly darker side (but not so much so that it becomes possible to easily shake either song from your brain).
  
  There's no question that Halcyon Days would've been a spectacular disaster if The Paper Cranes hadn't been able to follow "I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode" with at least a few more songs of that calibre. Few, however, would've anticipated that the band had it in them to surpass that standard to such an amazing degree. The Paper Cranes have loads of talent, and it's all on display here.

• The Paper Cranes/Halcyon Days Review [+ Show ]
  

  The Paper Cranes / Halcyon Days (Unfamiliar) I'd almost forgotten that I reviewed the Paper Crane...The Paper Cranes / Halcyon Days (Unfamiliar)
  
  I'd almost forgotten that I reviewed the Paper Cranes' debut EP Veins a couple years ago, though re-reading that piece doesn't do much to remind me what I thought of it. I seemed rather fixated on singer Ryan McCullagh's yelping and while yes, his vocals on the full-length will be a comfort for those who seek no cure for clapping hands, saying yeah or shouting out loud, they're no longer the object of fixation for me. Maybe I've grown, maybe he's grown, but either way it's the songs and not the singing that stuck in my head this time around. They're no longer easily pigeonholed as new wave or post-punk or whatever label jaggy guitars and, um, yelpy vocals usually garner - they're still obviously children of the '80s but there's a melodic sophistication that mines a more timeless vein of pop songcraft.
  
  The Paper Cranes play the Wrong Bar this Thursday night, March 6. Yes, it's during Canadian Music Week. No, it's not a Canadian Music Week show. And no, this is not the same band that's opening for R.E.M. at SxSW next week - that's a different Papercranes. Oh the difference a space makes.

• The Paper Cranes/Halcyon Days Review [+ Show ]
  

  The Paper Cranes Halcyon Days By Travis Richey One year after the release of their self-titled... The Paper Cranes
  Halcyon Days
  By Travis Richey
  
  One year after the release of their self-titled EP, Victoria’s the Paper Cranes are certainly ushering in a golden age. The band’s efforts to date have paid off, making them a vital part of Victoria’s 100-mile musical diet. Having toured and landed favourably in towns and cities all across Canada, the ripple effect can be seen in their growing fan base. The Crane’s latest release, Halcyon Days, finds the band in fine form, comfortable with their sound but expanding their horizons just enough to keep things exciting. The promising debut features “I’ll Love You Until My Veins Explode,” which is still catchy as hell a year after it’s initial release, a few other re-recorded gems and several new tracks all jockeying for a position on a favourites play list. The sun never sets on cool and the Cranes are currently one of the island’s finest exports. Maintaining that cool, however, will be a full-time job. Here’s hoping that more shows and exposure will keep the Paper Cranes sufficiently ablaze in the light of day. (Unfamiliar)

• Disc-overy of the Week [+ Show ]
  

  The Paper Cranes: Halcyon Days BY Sarah Liss November 01, 2007 Paper Cranes singer Ryan McC...The Paper Cranes: Halcyon Days
  
  BY Sarah Liss November 01, 2007
  
  Paper Cranes singer Ryan McCullagh has a clipped yelp of a voice, a quivering hiccup straight from the Robert Smith School of Lovesick Mania. “I’ll Love You Till My Veins Explode,” which leads off the Victoria quintet’s solid Halcyon Days LP, matches McCullagh’s proclamations of monumental desire — couched in terms of a thousand-strong flock of origami birds or battles of Homeric proportions — with taut 4/4 piano chords and sharp, silvery guitar lines that make it hard not to write off his band as a well-meaning bunch of Cure acolytes. But the Paper Cranes’ debut full-length for Greg Ipp’s Unfamiliar label gathers depth and momentum after the first few tracks. The whoa-oh-oh chorus and grainy organs on “Milkrun” hint at ‘60s soul, while the stumbling, bluesy piano that supports McCullagh’s cleaned-up vocals make “Lover’s Leap” sound like Elton John binging on art rock. And while Howard Redekopp’s thoughtful production helps prevent even the poppiest songs from sounding too saccharine, the most interesting tune here is the least melodic — the curious “Horse Track,” a relentless tangle of sharp riffs and mournful melodica reminiscent of Q and Not U’s Power.

Setlist

Milkrun
Rabbit in a Snare
I'll Love You Until My Veins Explode
Middle Class Guilt
Cobwebs
Applecore Manticore
Hundred Years War
Chivalry's Dead
Telephone
Black Centipedes
Occidental Accidents
Thorazine Shuffle

Our sets are usually 1 Hr Long

Basic Requirements

Calendar