The Rough Sea was founded by Justin Hess and Christina Laurin. They started out as buskers, on the streets of Ottawa. They have recently included long-time friend Ted Hall to the group as bassist and banjo player.

It’s been a long haul for these kids, their first tour found them homeless, hitchhiking across the country playing a few house shows, bars, and a lot of street corners. Struggling to survive out on the road, they would play their music anywhere and everywhere for enough money to get by. Their songs reflect all of this, made up of metaphorical stories from these journeys they still live.

Since the first trip in 2007, they have done three Canadian cross – country tours, as far out there as the Yukon Territory, and they were invited to the 2008 and 2009 North by North East festivals in Toronto, ON, and the 2009 Cisco Ottawa Blues Festival, where they received an overwhelming positive response, from packed venues.  They have shared the stage with great Canadian acts, Cuff The Duke, The United Steel Workers of Montreal, The Tom Fun Orchestra, Zeus and dear friends Hollerado, as well as up and coming American Folk/Country performers Austin Lucas and Mike Hale. Their first performance of the New Year   is with The United Steel Workers of Montreal and Washboard Hank, followed by performances with Clues (mbrs of Arcade Fire/Unicorns), and opening for Woodpigeon at The Blacksheep Inn.

Their second release, EP, Drawn in Crayon: a tale, has been receiving great, positive reviews from across the country, even making it onto the campus radio charts. The title track, Drawn In Crayon, was named “CBC Radio 3 Song of the Day”. They have released the EP onto iTunes, through the help of John Kastner and Cobraside Distribution. Most recently, The Rough Sea filmed a piece for AUX TV, set to air in early 2010.

With hundreds of shows under their belts so far, there is no sign of this ride ending anytime soon. Their newest release, GRIM, is a 7 song demo EP of home recorded songs.

Their upcoming full-length album, CANKTANKEROUS, produced by Menno Versteeg of Hollerado, will be released in February 2010 and followed up with a two month, coast to coast Canadian tour, with plans of heading to the USA, Europe, South America in 2010.

From the street corners to packed venues and festivals, for these kids, no stage or crowd is too small.