The General Electryk
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The General Electryk

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada | SELF

Cornwall, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Band Rock Pop

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Discography

EP - General Electryk (2010)
LP- Petty Little Things (2010)

'Petty Little Things On Vinyl' to be released May 2011.

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Bio

With a mélange of rock, pop and French poésie, a couple of musicians have built a bridge between Canada and Australia.

The General Electryk is an independant band made up of singer/songwriter (Canadian) Melanie McDonald, and drummer/backing vocalist Angus James Donnelly (the Australian) and unlike most relationships these days, they didn't meet over the internet. In fact, when Melanie boarded a plane in 2003 and made her way as far away from home as she could, she had no idea what was waiting for her. Over the next eight months, she would learn to play guitar, pick it up quickly, and begin to sing in front of people like she used to do only in the shower- emotional live outbursts, calling audiences into the lyrics, down to the heart-wrenching depths of the melodies, and back up to the angelic, sometimes haunting resolve.

The summer of 2010 has been fruitful for the General Electryk. They played over 60 shows in Cornwall, Kingston, Ottawa and Montréal, to crowds up to 800 people and opened for Chantal Kreviazuk at Cornwall's largest annual festival, the Kinsmen Lift Off Hot Air Balloon Festival in July.

When you watch the General Electryk there is no doubt you are on a journey- sometimes travelling by freight-train, at other times by using your wings. Influenced by an array of female musicians, from Natalie Merchant, Holly McNarland, and Portishead, to the Dixie Chicks, The Cardigans and Tori Amos, Melanie's vocal style is an eclectic mix of blues-pop, with power and presence.
And Angus? With a drumming style compared to John Bonham of Led Zepplin, Angus brings fresh flavour from the great southern land of Australia. To compliment Melanie's charismatic vocals, Angus steers this musical juggernaut with strong left-handed funk rock rhythms. From a young age Angus was suited to a life in the
musical chair, leading numerous bands with a variety of styles (from Aussie-rock to African) as well as making a name for himself as a DJ.

This band is known for energetic live performances and flair, having formed in 2008 busking on the streets of Byron Bay Australia they still use a suitcase for their kick drum and they've got a real knack for mixing vintage with contemporary. Though they play as an acoustic duo, in Canada you can often find them accompanied by bassist Jason Ryan, lead guitarist and co-songwriter Marc D. Muir and conga player Nourddine Ismag.

Their debut EP (released July 2010) saw a limited edition run of 250 units sold in just under three weeks in Canada. By playing live shows over the last few years, they have sold over 400 units of 10-track home-recorded original CDs throughout Canada and Australia.

This debut full-length album "Petty Little Things" was recorded in Cornwall, Ontario by Glenn Forrester of Barstool Prophets fame, and includes tracks like "Grampa (He Was a Mighty Man)"- a bluegrass homage to Melanie's late grandfather, and "Brulée"- a new track, written about Melanie's long lost uncle who recently made contact with her. Like a few of its kind on the album, this tune is written in both French and English ...

Dysfunctional families, unpaid bills, hard-headedness... the album is chock full of "impossibly catchy songs", real-life lyrics, and "brilliant and simple lyrics and melodies".

Turns out, sometimes the further away from home you go, the more attached you become to it on your return.

Appropriate for all ages for festivals, outdoor patios, dinner clubs, pubs, cafes, bars, clubs as well as corporate events.

"Well written indie-pop tunes that stay in your head long after the fact, delivered with a voice that can turn from a whisper
to a growl before you know what hit you..." Graham Greer, solo artist (formerly of the Barstool Prophets)

"A powerful distinctive voice paired with quirky original pop-alt tunes..." Roxanne Delage, music journalist, Seaway News

"A hip and edgy fusion of blues, jazz and old fashioned rock 'n' roll!" Wendy Hargreaves, venue owner, Kelsey's

"Intelligent lyrics with downright funky beats... "Kathleen Hay, journalist, Standard Freeholder