Fri, Mar 7. With Plants and Animals. Criminal Records, 493 Queen W.
Free. 6pm. Also Mar 7, The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen W. $5 before
midnight, $10 after. CMW wristbands accepted. 12am.
1. They are a synth-rock outfit on the rise. After a year spent across the pond digesting British indie, the band’s lead singer, who goes by the minimalist moniker of Charles F., grew tired of his garage rock band in 2006 and turned his attention to arguably the most beloved electric piano in rock ‘n’ roll, the Wurlitzer. With a handful of promising home demos, Charles assembled a band and relocated them to a certain musical hotbed….
2. Yes, they’re a Montreal band. Get over it. “Even while I was living in England, I kept hearing about bands from Montreal,” says Charles, who describes his hometown of Quebec City as a much quieter place. “When I moved back to Canada I thought, let’s go to Montreal — everything’s happening there. We think it’s the place for us.”
3. A full-length album is on the way. After the release of their home-recorded About A Girl EP last year, Winter Gloves chose a professional studio for their full-length debut, yet they’re eager to replicate some of the charms of the home-recording process. “Sometimes my girlfriend would be washing dishes in the kitchen, and I kept (that sound), because it’s natural. We want this record to be warm. We want to keep the energy of that home-recording style.”
4. They don’t have a record deal… yet. While the album is in its final mixing stages with veteran producer Jon Drew, the band’s label status remains veiled in secrecy, principally because Charles is too polite to reveal exactly who’s courting them. “There’s a lot of interest, and I don’t want to be an asshole. I’m just taking my time,” he says. “We just want to find the right place and the right people to work with.”
5. Where you can see them play. Fri, Mar 7. With Plants and Animals. Criminal Records, 493 Queen W. Free. 6pm. Also Mar 7, The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen W. $5 before midnight, $10 after. CMW wristbands accepted. 12am.