Land of Talk

Land of Talk
Land of Talk performing at Barrymore's in Ottawa, Ontario, 2006
Background information
Origin	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Indie rock
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Dependent, One Little Indian, Saddle Creek, Secret City
Website	www.landoftalk.com
Members
Elizabeth Powell Joe Yarmush Andrew Barr
Former members
Mark "Bucky" Wheaton Chris McCarron Eric Thibodeau Timothy Kramer

Land of Talk is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec. The band consists of singer and guitarist Elizabeth Powell, bassist Joe Yarmush and drummer Andrew Barr.

History

Before becoming the front-woman for Land of Talk, Elizabeth Powell performed as a solo artist as well as in many bands, at one point performing under the name ELE_K*. She began writing music at the age of fourteen while she grew up in Guelph, Ontario. She enrolled in the jazz program at Concordia University where she met Chris McCarron and Mark Wheaton with whom she formed Land of Talk.^[1] Eric Thibodeau replaced Wheaton on drums in May 2007 to complete a new lineup.^[2]

Land of Talk has received funding from agencies such as the Canada Council Funding for the Arts (FACTOR).^[3]

Applause Cheer Boo Hiss

The band released its debut EP, Applause Cheer Boo Hiss, April 4, 2006 on Dependent Music. The single "Summer Special" reached #1 on CBC Radio 3's The R3-30 the week of February 15, 2007. This track deals with the damaging nature of intra-female conflict and the sadness of losing oneself by way of buying in to the damaging stereotypes of femininity. Powell commented in an interview about what inspired her to write "Summer Special" and how it compared to her life growing up as a tom-boy.

Another stand-out track from the album is "Speak to Me Bones", which also deals with the theme of relational conflict. This track exemplifies their use of soft vocals and gritty rock sounding musical arrangements. The music video for "Speak to Me Bones" was directed by a former Concordia school mate, Jeff St. Jules. The concept of the video was kept simple, shot in black and white staying true to the band's no-frills style.

Some Are Lakes

Land of Talk released their first full-length album, Some Are Lakes, on Secret City Records in Canada and Saddle Creek Records in the US. The album was released on October 7, 2008. Drums on the album are performed by Andrew Barr of The Slip.^[4] Elizabeth Powell announced during a performance that the band would be going on hiatus after their tour with Broken Social Scene. The band did not in fact go on hiatus, but instead Chris McCarron left (amiably) to play guitar for The Dears. He was replaced by Joe Yarmush, and the band announced a West Coast tour for 2009.

Fun and Laughter EP

Land of Talk released their most recent EP Fun and Laughter October 27, 2009 on Saddle Creek. Via Saddle Creek: "Land of Talk have announced a west coast tour beginning October 27th in San Diego, and running through November 7th in Vancouver B.C.. To complement to tour, the band will be releasing an EP with four new songs and three videos, entitled 'Fun and Laughter'."^[5].

Discography

EPs & Singles

• Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (2006)
• L'aventure Acoustique (2008)
• The Man Who Breaks Things - Single (2008)
• Young Bridge - 7" Vinyl Single (2008)
• Speak to Me Bones - 7" Vinyl Single (2008)
• Fun and Laughter (2009)

Studio albums

• Some Are Lakes (2008)

References

External links

• Land of Talk official website
• Land of Talk at One Little Indian Records
• Land of Talk at MySpace
• Interview with Elizabeth Powell for Showcasing Obscurity

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