Jonathan Pearce (formerly of Poorfolk) and Matthew Godin craft rich and rewarding songs, not just with sound, but with open-heart narratives and melodies that offset melancholy with anthemic arcs.” – 8/10 Montreal Mirror
"This folk duo from Ottawa really knows how to cut to the bone...this is another band to add to your list of great Canadian folk acts." - Grayowl Point
"Obviously, I couldn’t help but hear the similarity between Pearce and Will Sheff‘s vocals, but what also leads to the highly complimentary Okkervil River comparison is that even though Matt and Jon start tracks using only bare bone arrangements as open as the room they were recorded in, Winchester Warm slowly and assuredly expands using energetic builds and instrumentation that give a warmth to even the most melancholic tale." - Herohill
"The surprise of the night was dynamic duo Winchester Warm. Jon Pearce (Poorfolk/Soiree) on acoustic guitar/vocals and Matt Godin on drums/vocals was all this band needed to produce a tight, full-band sound. Having only heard a couple songs online within minutes I was smitten by their tandem vocals and emotive (but not mushy) lyrical sensibilities..." Amanda Putz - CBC Radio 3
"From the heart of Ottawa's rockers Poorfolk comes Winchester Warm. With only Jon Pearce on acoustic guitar and vocals and drummer M …
Jonathan Pearce (formerly of Poorfolk) and Matthew Godin craft rich and rewarding songs, not just with sound, but with open-heart narratives and melodies that offset melancholy with anthemic arcs.” – 8/10 Montreal Mirror
"This folk duo from Ottawa really knows how to cut to the bone...this is another band to add to your list of great Canadian folk acts." - Grayowl Point
"Obviously, I couldn’t help but hear the similarity between Pearce and Will Sheff‘s vocals, but what also leads to the highly complimentary Okkervil River comparison is that even though Matt and Jon start tracks using only bare bone arrangements as open as the room they were recorded in, Winchester Warm slowly and assuredly expands using energetic builds and instrumentation that give a warmth to even the most melancholic tale." - Herohill
"The surprise of the night was dynamic duo Winchester Warm. Jon Pearce (Poorfolk/Soiree) on acoustic guitar/vocals and Matt Godin on drums/vocals was all this band needed to produce a tight, full-band sound. Having only heard a couple songs online within minutes I was smitten by their tandem vocals and emotive (but not mushy) lyrical sensibilities..." Amanda Putz - CBC Radio 3
"From the heart of Ottawa's rockers Poorfolk comes Winchester Warm. With only Jon Pearce on acoustic guitar and vocals and drummer Matt Godin on vocals as well, they offer a rich, tight, and surprisingly full live sound for only two people! Lovely lyrics and lively melodies like these don't need more than the perfect pair!" CBC Radio 2
Winchester Warm is Jonathan Pearce and Matthew Godin playing sometimes tender, sometimes raucous indie-folk. Most often performing with only an acoustic guitar, set of drums, a pair of vocal chords and no technological trickery, Winchester Warm create a sprawling, lush musical experience. Relentless acoustic guitar work is accented by interesting and off-kilter percussive threads and soaring vocal harmonies, which create Winchester Warm’s resonating and catchy sound.
While the band’s name may conjure images of the Wild West and the Winchester repeating rifle, in fact, it was borne simply of spontaneous lyrics arising from a rehearsal of Pearce’s other band, Ottawa-Montreal indie-rock mainstay, Poorfolk. While Pearce had started Poorfolk in 2002 as an outlet for his contemplative, acoustic song-writing, the band gradually evolved into a propulsive four member rock outfit. Alongside with (and perhaps even spurred on by) Poorfolk’s success, Pearce eventually followed an instinctual pull back to his singer-songwriter roots, and along with Godin, the result is the duo Winchester Warm.
Winchester Warm’s debut album, “Sky One Room” was recorded at the historic McLeod-Stewarton United Church in centretown Ottawa by Jarrett Bartlett (The Acorn, Andrew Vincent) in August 2008 and August 2009. Godin’s percussion and Pearce’s guitar work, blended with their vocal harmonies reverberate against the church walls and ceilings, capturing the ominous and beautiful acoustics of the church. On the record the core of the band is still anchored by Pearce and Godin on acoustic guitar and drums, but the songs are augmented by low piano rumblings, plaintive lap-steel swells and electric guitar sprinklings. The songs on “Sky One Room” are at once brooding and melancholic while at other times, soulful and anthemic. They whimsically laud one’s triumphs in one breath while wistfully seizing upon life’s foibles in the next.
Free from the complications of lugging the sonic and instrumental baggage that comes with playing in a rock band, Pearce and Godin revel in the fact that in Winchester Warm, they can play music as a duo, with no restriction on where they can take their live show. They can play in living rooms and concert theatres, sandboxes and art galleries.
Will Oldham, Sun Kil Moon, Great Lake Swimmers, Gordon Lightfoot, Culture Reject, Octoberman, Jim Guthrie, Sea Snakes, John Fahey, M. Ward, Giant Hand
