Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
While the Meligroves work on their follow-up album and prepare for a year of touring, Let it Grow is finding even more success in some of the most seemingly unusual places -- such as Japan, where the band has never even been. "It's so weird, man, but so cool," Rego says. "I want to go, but I have no idea what to expect. I keep thinking it's going to be like that Full House episode where Uncle Jesse goes to Japan and people are trying to tear down his door and shit. It'd be hilarious if we were this big, badass act in Japan!" - interview, Apr. 2004
With a blend of keys, heavy guitars, bass and a bit of trumpet, The Meligrove Band is a bunch of beautiful noise. Lyrically, they like to go for simple, repetitive phrases that the audience can join in on. After their own onstage hysterics, they invited former tourmates The Waking Eyes on stage for an ensemble rendition of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby." More chaos ensued... I'm completely converted. I fucking love these guys. - show review, Mar. 2004
Falsetto harmonies hitch a ride on crunch-rock riffs -- imagine The Beach Boys, with balls -- and where their 2000 debut got by on teenage kicks alone, this time the Meligroves have brought enough songwriting smarts to match their undeniable enthusiasm... A performance that'll make their heroes accept them as peers. FOUR STARS - album review, Oct. 2002
Discography
Let It Grow (2002, Endearing/MapleMusic/Universal)
Stars & Guitars (2000, Ductape/Sonic Unyon)
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
The Meligrove Band has recorded, toured and built a fanbase, largely under the radar of the Canadian music press, for years. Jason, Darcy, Andrew and Michael grew up in the same Toronto suburb as friends Death From Above 1979 and Billy Talent (of whom Andrew is a former member), learning their instruments by trying to cover Super Friendz songs as teenagers. Now 24 and 25 years old, they have played together since they were 17 – and it shows.
The band’s most recent album, Let it Grow received four-star reviews from the Montreal Mirror and Toronto’s Eye Weekly, and more from places as far away as Germany, Spain and Singapore. In 2004 alone, the album has sold nearly 1000 copies in Japan, where the band has never even been! A video for the song Before We Arrive, directed by Ante Kovac (Tragically Hip, Constantines, Thrush Hermit) achieved plays on MuchMusic’s The Wedge and light rotation on MuchMoreMusic.
Since Let it Grow’s release, the Meligroves have toured all over Canada, coast to coast from Halifax to Victoria, playing shows in every province except Newfoundland. The band has shared stages with the likes of Spoon, the Weakerthans, Mooney Suzuki, Constantines, Cuff the Duke and Sloan. Andrew, Mike and Darcy have also toured this year as members of Femme Fatale, the Waking Eyes and By Divine Right.
The Meligrove Band has been featured on CBC’s Radiosonic and NewMusicCanada, and MuchMusic’s Going Coastal. They have performed live nationally on CBC Television’s Play, and at home on CityTV. Currently, you can see them in some friends’ music videos: Joel Plaskett’s Come on Teacher, By Divine Right’s Soft Machine, and the Waking Eyes’ Watch Your Money (in which Mike plays bass). And this month, they play themselves on a new episode of the Family Channel’s Radio Free Roscoe.
Right now the Meligroves are tracking the final overdubs on a new album with friend José Contreras (By Divine Right) at the controls, for a projected early-2005 Canadian release.
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