Built around the evocative vocals and songwriting of
Brad Barr and the sturdy and studious drumming of his brother
Andrew, Montreal-based Americana/folk-rock quartet
the Barr Brothers were formed in 2006 after the dissolution of the siblings' avant-rock trio
the Slip. Originally based out of Boston, Massachusetts, the
Barrs spent the bulk of the '90s touring with
the Slip before calling it quits in 2004. Upon relocating to Montreal, the duo hooked up with classically trained harpist
Sarah Page and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial and began operating under the
Barr Brothers moniker. The newly minted quartet's eponymous debut album was issued in 2011 via Secret City Records, and elicited positive reviews which helped land the group some television work, including an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. The band's sophomore long-player,
Sleeping Operator, arrived in October 2014 to critical accolades eventually earning them a Juno nomination for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. While touring North America and Europe,
the Barr Brothers recorded a handful of tracks in Iceland with producer
Valgeir Sigurösson (
Björk,
Sigur Rós) which were released in 2015 as the
Alta Falls EP. The band's third full-length,
Queens of the Breakers, arrived in October 2017 via Secret City Records. ~ James Christopher Monger