Art & Woodhouse
Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2014
Music
Press
What began as a creative partnership between musicians Andy Delisi and Dan Sadler of Kingston, Ontario became a four-piece after the pair moved to Toronto. With the additions of Pat Daniher and Joseph Mcdonald, the band took the name Art & Woodhouse and played their first show in March of this year. A month later, they released their first EP entitled "A Sides.” Now, they're back with the five songs that make up Dream in Disguise.
The songs on the EP were primarily written by singer Andy Delisi, with the exception of "Elephants," which was written by Delisi and Dan Sadler together. Delisi also arranged the strings and extra non-band instruments that make up a lot of the ambient aspects of the music. The band recorded at their apartment in Kensington Market as well as Hive Studios and their producer's studio in Toronto.
First impressions of Dream in Disguise were that these guys have spent a lot of time listening to Paul McCartney's work with Wings. Everything from the arrangement to the orchestration in the opening track "Dream In Disguise" screams of McCartney. The band is equal parts Barenaked Ladies and the artist-formerly-known-as-Cat-Stevens in "Elephants.” The Wings comparison comes in strong again with "Goodbye, Goodnight" a song that reminds me of the feel of the London Town album. It's also the shortest song on the EP and begs to be played a few times through before moving on to the next track. "GreenHouse" is kind of more of the same as the rest of the tracks. It's more Barenaked Ladies than Cat Stevens but it still sits in that general vein and does so well. The band is anything if not focused. They close out the song with a live recording of a song called "Mrs. Stevens" which shows that the band is just as in tune with each other live as they are in the studio.
This is a very old feeling EP. The ground that Art & Woodhouse is covering is very well trodden and it's trodden by some very big shoes but the band manages to fill those shoes with a surprising amount of grace. These guys are talented and have a definite ear for what their predecessors did with music. - Dan Alcantara
Discography
A-Sides (April 2013)
- What Can You Do?
- Sudi
- Wise Woman
- 20 Years Away
- Thanksgiving Charlevoix (Live)
- Undecided Man (Live)
- Dream in Disguise
- Elephants
- Goodbye, Goodnight
- Greenhouse
- Mrs. Stevens (Live)
Photos
Bio
Andy Delisi and Dan Sadler walked similar paths before meeting in Kingston, Ontario in 2007. Theyd cut their teeth on the likes of the Beatles, Cat Stevens, Billy Joel, Phish, Simon & Garfunkel and Dave Matthews Band and performed in a variety of bands throughout their high school careers. Through countless hours of practice and experimentation, they developed a distinctive voice on their instruments that was rhythmic, intricate and striking. The stage was set. All that was needed was an introduction.
Thanks to a mutual friend, Andy Delisi and Dan Sadler were introduced to each other at Queens University and quickly got around to playing music together. They forged an immediate bond. Within the year, the two artists became serious about pursuing music and were found playing a variety of live music and open mic events around Kingston. It wasnt long before audiences realized that the two were musical sponges and the duo began performing a variety of original music in their own unique way.
In 2009, the duo was offered a weekly gig at the Ale House Canteen and began to build a dedicated following while establishing themselves as a fun, exciting live act. They continued to play weekly for the next two years throughout the Kingston area while recording full-band demos of their original music with Andy and Dan playing every instrument.
Following a brief hiatus at the end of 2011-2012, Andy and Dan moved to Toronto to form a full band and take their music to the next level. They moved into a small apartment in the Kensington Market and recruited Pat Daniher and Joseph McDonald to complete the rhythm section and started performing under the name, Art & Woodhouse. The band debuted at The Supermarket on March 13th, 2013 to an audience of over 175 eager fans. The bands first EP, A Sides, was released a month later through iTunes and Bandcamp.
Over the course of a year, Art & Woodhouse has rocked venues such as the Hard Rock Cafe, The Drake Hotel, The Pilot, The Rose and Crown, Parts and Labour, Supermarket, The Cameron House, Clinton's, and Grace O'Malley's and many more venues in the downtown Toronto area. They have released two EPs: A Sides, and Dream in Disguise, and were selected as one of the top 10 bands across Canada in Molson Canadians Live at the Lake contest.
Art & Woodhouse is Andy Delisi (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Dan Sadler (lead guitar), Micah Dubinsky (keys), David Haskett (bass guitar), and Pat Daniher (drums and percussion).
Band Members
Links
