Cupla

Cupla are twin brothers. So yeah…duh… the name fits. But there is another reason. I discovered it the first time I heard their single I’m Going. They have managed to twin music from the past with the modern to come up with a sound that is uniquely Cupla. And it fucking works! I love these guys!….and a gal!

Well I was destined to love these guys..and a gal…let’s face it, my youngest sons are twins and are musicians, one plays drums and the other plays electric guitar. Hmm, just like Bobby (guitar) and Billy (drums). You think I might be able to relate to these young men? I’m even a fucking Gemini! Seriously, how could I not love everything Cupla? And the vocals! The vocals are a blast from my past. Take Patti Smith, Deborah Harry (Blondie), Carole Pope (Rough Trade) and roll them all together and you get the low breathy vocals of Tricia McAloney!

Letters Home is Cupla’s first project and since it’s recording the band has gone through a couple of changes. Travis Rankin has joined the band, playing bass and Andrew Venning replaces Ken Li who plays lead guitar on Letters Home. Ken left the band for personal reasons and though Billy, Bobby and Tricia were sorry to see him leave, they are thrilled to have Andrew on board. They felt a connection to the guitarist right away. Andrew, as well as having a number of the same musical influences as the rest of the band, also appreciates where the band has been and the direction it’s going.
I love…and I mean I fucking love the guitar on the Letters Home album. I hear Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and Neil Young in the bluesy rock riffs of the songs White Queen, Lateral Line and Blacktop Blues. And damn I think I hear a little Deep Purple in Blacktop Blues too. Then there’s Rise Up and Have Mercy on Me that I also hear Lynyrd Skynyrd and Metallica in those sexy blues rhythms. The best fucking part is that the music doesn’t sound borrowed or ripped off. In my opinion…Bobby McAloney is a hell of a music writer, oh screw that…Guitar God!

The lyrics of Letters Home are mournful. Full of pain and raw emotion. There is also an honesty in the lyrics that makes my heart hurt for what these boys must have gone through to bring such expression out. My favorite song on the album is Rise Above. Even if my heart hurts for them a little, it’s through this song that I know that they’re okay. It’s a song that speaks to the very expression of which I was speaking. Because music gives them a release, gives them something to love, something to count on as always being there, they can, have and will continue to Rise Above. Fucking A!

I’m looking forward to hearing what Cupla is going to produce in the future and I am looking forward to hearing how they evolve with their new members. For right now I understand that they are playing a number of shows. If you happen to be within 100 km of Vancouver, check out one of Cupla’s shows. I definitely will when I get the chance
- Support Kick Ass Music

Vancouver’s Cupla are making waves among the indie scene in the downtown core. They’ve just finished recording for their new CD (entitled Letters Home) and they’ve sent me a preview song to review called “I’m Going”. The song is 3:15 and is very well mixed. The drumming Bill lays down is hard and consistent through the song and the guitars (by Ken and Bobby) sound well blended and well paced (in the bridge the guitars go off in two distinct directions and then come back together and lock in to each other). Tricia has great vocals that are monochromatic which works well with the melody, and I have a feeling that more is yet to come from this talented vocalist. The only downside is that I really couldn’t hear the bass that Travis grooves on very well on this mix as it is buried by the layers of the song. However, I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars because of the steady flow of the song, the melody and how well the vocals match the melody. And, I’m looking forward to hearing new songs by this undiscovered and talented band. The lyrics for the song speak of a bad relationship and needing to break free of that and make a new start.

Cupla will be hosting a CD release party on Saturday November 26, 2011 at The Troubadour in Langley BC. Letters Home was recorded at Greenhouse Studios with Chris “Hollywood” Holmes producing.
- Jade Sperry

(Nashville, TN – March 28) After several months of discussions the rock group, Cupla (pronounced koop-luh), is signing a management agreement with Janet Hansen.

Branding themselves as an old-fashioned rock group with heart, identical twins, Bill and Bob McAloney launched Cupla as a two-man project. Looking for a lead vocalist to complement their music and reach their fan base, they found a beautiful voice close to home in Tricia McAloney. Lead guitarist, Andrew Venning and bass player, Travis Rankin round out the group who perform original material appealing to a broad demographic. Rock music is loved universally by people of all ages due to the prolific amount of work produced since the term rock and roll was coined in the 1950s by Alan Freed.

The word Cupla is the Irish definition for twin, and the McAloney boys work hand-in-hand to bring their music to fans on both sides of the aisle. They have a loyal following in Vancouver, B.C. and have captured the attention of several music insiders to lift their career to a level beyond what they can handle themselves.

Hansen is well-established in the indie music business and agreed to expand her agency to include management responsibilities for Cupla. Considerable expansion is on the drawing board within Hansen’s company and she is in negotiations with legendary indie division heads and agents to open more channels for artists with proven track records.

For more information about Cupla, please visit their website at http://www.cupla.ca.
- Janet Hansen