The Gertrudes

The Gertrudes were a Canadian indie folk band from Kingston, Ontario. They found significant placement on campus music charts and reached number 1 on the CBC R3-30 charts.

The Gertrudes
The Gertrudes at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival in 2010
Background information
OriginKingston, Ontario
GenresIndie folk
Years active2008 (2008)–2013 (2013)
LabelsApple Crisp Records
Associated actsPS I Love You
Websitethegertrudes.com
MembersGreg Tilson, Annie Clifford, Lucas Huang, Jason Erb, Matt Rogalsky, Josh Lyon, Pete Bowers, Chris Trimmer, Pim van Geffen, Amanda Balsys

History

The Gertrudes were formed in Kingston, Ontario in 2008.[1] The band's name was a reference to a founding member's grandmother, who the family believes to be reincarnated in his sister of the same name.[2] Musicians performing with the band varied from one show to the next, but core members included Greg Tilson (guitar, vocals), Annie Clifford (banjo, vocals), Lucas Huang (ukulele, percussion), Jason Erb (piano), Matt Rogalsky (guitar, mandolin), Josh Lyon (trumpet, piano, accordion), Pete Bowers (percussion), Chris Trimmer (theremin), and Pim van Geffen (trombone), with Amanda Balsys (violin, vocals) joining in time for their first full-length release, Dawn Time Riot in 2010. PS I Love You were guest musicians on one track of Dawn Time Riot.[3] Exclaim! called the album "a meticulously crafted spectrum of modern folk sound".[4]

Their single All the Dollar Bills Sing Hallelujah debuted at the top of the CBC Radio 3 R3-30 chart in the summer of 2013.[5] They also placed multiple albums on the !earshot campus and community music charts.[6][7] In 2012 they played during the finale of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival alongside the Tao Rodriguez-Seeger Band.[1]

After their period of regularly performing and recording, the band has occasionally reassembled to contribute to community and activist projects, including providing the score for a 2014 documentary about the closure of prison farms across Canada,[8] releasing a song critical of first Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's racist and expansionist policies in counterpoint to celebrations on his 200th birthday in 2015,[9] and in 2016 releasing a song and music video to protest a plan to extend a road through Douglas Fluhrer Park in Kingston.[1]

Discography

Singles and EPS
  • This Be Our EP (self-released, 2008) EP
  • Hard Water (Apple Crisp Records, 2009) EP

Albums
  • Dawn Time Riot (Apple Crisp Records, 2010)
  • Till the Morning Shows Her Face to Me (Apple Crisp Records, 2011)
  • Neighbourhood (Apple Crisp Records, 2013)

See also

References
  1. Kennedy, Patrick (September 29, 2015). "Silence speaks volumes". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  2. "Metro Minute with The Gertrudes at the Folk Festival". metro. July 16, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  3. Kirkpatrick, Harvey (June 10, 2010). "Six Questions for The Gertrudes". kingstonist. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  4. Tam, Whitney (October 18, 2010). "The Gertrudes - Dawn Time Riot". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  5. Williams, Rachelle (September 6, 2013). "New Album, More Charm, Can't Lose". kingstonist. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  6. "!earshot charts - december 2011 - top 200". !earshot. December 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  7. "!earshot charts - october 2013 - top 200". !earshot. October 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  8. MacAlpine, Ian (June 17, 2014). "Prison farm issue spawns film". The Kingston Whig-Standard. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
  9. Vyhnak, Carola (January 5, 2015). "Sir John A. Macdonald's birthday drives wedge through Kingston". The Star. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
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