EUREKA, the third studio album from Canadian avante pop quintet MOTHER
MOTHER, is the band's most tenacious and undaunted record to date. Slated for a Last Gang Records worldwide
release on March 15, 2011, EUREKA offers up eccentric, hook laden
pop-meets-rock songs housed in creative arrangements with clever lyrics and
intricate harmonies.
Produced by Mother Mother's own Ryan
Guldemond and mixed by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Franz Ferdinand, Elvis Costello), the
12 new tracks that comprise the album surpass their predecessors with a greater
sense of cohesion, exuberance and overall sonic depth. Guldemond, the group's chief songwriter
and front man describes the album as "a vivid depiction of where the
band's at right now, which is the height of our musicianship, song writing and
strength as collaborators".
In the signature Mother Mother animal
themed vein, EUREKA's cover art portrays a techni-coloured Lion, baring
its teeth. Female vocalist / synth
player, Molly Guldemond (she and Ryan are siblings), is the resident artist in
charge. "Our new songs are
bolder and more animated, so I chose to use vibrant neons and brighter colours
than ever before," the multi-talented artist/musician reports. "The word 'eureka' suggests
epiphany and exciting discovery. The lion represents the animal instinct in us
to pursue these breakthroughs; a predatory sense to hunt for deeper
truth".
Although principally an upbeat
…
EUREKA, the third studio album from Canadian avante pop quintet MOTHER
MOTHER, is the band's most tenacious and undaunted record to date. Slated for a Last Gang Records worldwide
release on March 15, 2011, EUREKA offers up eccentric, hook laden
pop-meets-rock songs housed in creative arrangements with clever lyrics and
intricate harmonies.
Produced by Mother Mother's own Ryan
Guldemond and mixed by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Franz Ferdinand, Elvis Costello), the
12 new tracks that comprise the album surpass their predecessors with a greater
sense of cohesion, exuberance and overall sonic depth. Guldemond, the group's chief songwriter
and front man describes the album as "a vivid depiction of where the
band's at right now, which is the height of our musicianship, song writing and
strength as collaborators".
In the signature Mother Mother animal
themed vein, EUREKA's cover art portrays a techni-coloured Lion, baring
its teeth. Female vocalist / synth
player, Molly Guldemond (she and Ryan are siblings), is the resident artist in
charge. "Our new songs are
bolder and more animated, so I chose to use vibrant neons and brighter colours
than ever before," the multi-talented artist/musician reports. "The word 'eureka' suggests
epiphany and exciting discovery. The lion represents the animal instinct in us
to pursue these breakthroughs; a predatory sense to hunt for deeper
truth".
Although principally an upbeat
collection of songs, the dark lyrical tone, a signature element of the MM
package, is alive and well in the album's wordplay. "The Stand”, EUREKA's
incredibly addictive lead off single is an urban hip hop tinged tale of a
"misanthrope who corrupts the minds of two young school girls" as
described by Ryan, who wrote most of the song in his head as a "silly rap
style thing to bide time in transit".
The album's first track, “Chasing It Down”, laments the demise of
the newness in things, while wearing the skin of an epic, Deep Purple-esque
rocker, complete with a formidable organ hook. The quintessential slow song, “Born In A Flash”, might just be the band at its most haunting and
morose ever as this piano driven heavyweight marches through a versatile
landscape of lush strings, choral beegees, and a killer back beat and bass line. “Simply
Simple” is just that, a perfect advocacy of the 'less is more' doctrine,
while the dreamy “Getaway”, with
Molly singing lead in her unique, gentle timbre, is the plight of an
escapist.
With the release of EUREKA,
Mother Mother is definitely poised to reach ground breaking heights and
milestones, but that isn't to say an impressive legacy of international acclaim
and accolades have not already been sung.
Their quirky, experimental debut, TOUCH UP, although not a
mainstream success, perked the ears of many and marked the band as one to
watch. O MY HEART, the
band's stellar sophomore release, was a more focused effort which received rave
reviews, strongly securing Mother Mother as a relevant act in North America and
abroad. Coming in at #1 in campus radio in Canada for 6 weeks straight, OH
MY HEART was also rated the top 5 best overall album of 2008 on iTunes
Canada, not to mention the 6th most added album on CMJ's Top 20 on release
week.
Their first brush with mainstream
radio success was that of the single “Body
Of Years” which came in the top 10 at Canadian Alternative Rock and Modern
Rock radio, and also landed them two 2009 Casby Award Nominations and a 2010
Canadian Radio Music Award Nomination.
Across the pond, critics and radio programmers alike continued in the
trend of Mother Mother fandom. The
band's title track and first UK Single “O
My Heart” went as far as capturing Record Of The Week on BBC Radio 2’s
Radcliffe & Maconie Show, subsequently garnering much support from Radio 2
and Radio 6 in the UK as well as inclusion in Q Magazine’s Q50 for July 2010.
“Musically fearless, melodically
inspired Canadians at their envelope-pushing best", says Q. The notable Spin Magazine wrote
"Mother Mother coos lovely boy-girl harmonies, masking their dire lyrics
while slyly exulting in the cleansing blaze."
Mother Mother's notoriety stems not
only from their knack at making great records, but also due in large part to
their remarkable live show. On
stage, this group of five delivers a big sound, executing pristine vocal
harmonies while utilizing a variety of multi-instrumental talents. Ryan, wielding rhythm and lead guitar,
sings lead in his unique, brazen falsetto, while the flanking vocal support of
Jasmin Parkin and Molly, who both take on key and synth duties, complete the
front line. Jeremy Page on bass
and horns, and Ali Siadat on drums and electronics round out the rhythm section
to provide the music with an unbending backbone and multidimensional
soundscape.
No stranger to life on the road,
Mother Mother’s relentless touring has built a large and dedicated fan base. They've graced the stage with such
artists as Weezer, Pearl Jam, Tokyo Police Club, The Decemberists and Spoon. They’ve toured with Canadian rock
institutions Sam Roberts and Matthew Good, and have performed on a diverse
array of festival/showcase stages including SXSW, CMJ, The Great Escape,
Liverpool Sound City, Pop Montreal, V-Fest, Ottawa Blues Fest, Ed Fest,
Rifflandia Music Festival, both the Vancouver and Montreal International Jazz
Festivals, and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games concert series LiveCity.
Since the band's conception as an
acoustic folk trio in 2005, they've since become a force to be reckoned with, reputed
as an act who challenges the conventions of popular music, cultivating a sound
all their own. With substantial
headway made in the US and Europe, Mother Mother continue to build on that
momentum with EUREKA. Keep
an eye out for them in early 2011, it's going to be a big year for Mother Mother.
