Album Notes

“The next 12 months could prove to be the year of Spiral Beach. Too much hype can be a dangerous thing for an up-and-coming group, but anything less than shouting praise for these wunderkids from downtown rooftops wouldn’t do them justice.”
- Eye Weekly

“Outta-control art rock threats are on a collision course with success. They have the ambition and ability to explode big, and an unself-conscious spark that makes you want to covet the band as your own personal diamond-in-the-rough discovery.”
- NOW Magazine

“It’s colourful” says drummer Daniel Woodhead. “It jumps out at you, catches you off guard and takes you to other places.” Toronto’s Spiral Beach have certainly been drawing much attention lately to their strange and dynamic energy, and will certainly be catching the ears of many with the release of their album “Ball” October 16th on Sparks Music.

“We’ve been together with these four members the whole way so far, and have made every decision ourselves, so why throw that power away? There’s a whole lot more we can do together.” Daniel and his brother Airick form the songwriting core of the band, which started backstage at folk songwriting festivals around Ontario where bassist David Woodhead was a constant presence. At their parent’s annual New Years Day party they befriended fellow folkie offspring Maddy Wilde, and in February 2003 a permanent lineup was solidified with bassist Dorian Wolf, a transplant from New York City and school friend of Daniel’s.

Ball’s release comes on the heels of the band’s first cross-Canada tour, a journey that Daniel describes as “mind-expanding”. However, this isn’t the band’s first major outing, as they’ve already toured in the United States with fellow Torontonians the Hidden Cameras last November, and again with Sloan this past spring.

These successes on the road haven’t kept the band from finding a place for itself in Toronto’s thriving music community, where their shows have become notorious for the raw energy and surprising musical ability that seemed to draw both young and old crowds. “Definitely playing Elvis Mondays was a really important step for us” Daniel recalls, referring to the free Monday nights at the Drake held by longtime Toronto music maverick William New. The band played his shows weekly surrounding the release of their 2005 independent self-titled debut. They drew bigger and more energized crowds with the visuals that now form an important part of their stage show, as well as introducing chaotic improvised sections into their sets, a move that never ceases to startle audiences into further appreciation of these young players’ natural charisma and enthusiasm onstage.

In December of 2006, the band was featured on the cover of NOW Magazine, and has enjoyed the favour of music critics across Canada, with feature reviews in Exclaim, Eye Weekly, the Ottawa Express and popular music BLOG I (heart) music. A last-minute appearance on MTV Canada Live in July 2007 received praise for the band’s apparent disregard for the show’s sterile aesthetic, bringing a vibrant and much-needed splash of excitement to the typically tame studio taping.

After spending much of the fall and winter on the road, Spiral Beach relocated to a converted barn outside Hamilton in February 2007 to record the material they had been touring, recruiting Hidden Cameras cellist Mike Olsen to co-produce and engineer. The well-rehearsed material was recorded live off the floor. “It was like a document of what the band actually sounded like at that moment - we just wanted to perfect the sound we already had” says Daniel. After a week in New York City mixing with Medeski Martin & Wood producer Scotty Hard, the band literally went broke, returning to Toronto to let Airick and Daniel finish the project themselves.

BALL is a collection of songs that musically reflect the kaleidoscopic live show full of ideas and textures, that the band translates to the stage with expertise. The visual and sonic aspects of the band compliment each other perfectly. A genuine air of excitement surrounds this band, and their ambition and potential seems limitless.