Toronto trio the O'Pears release their sophomore album Stay Warm later this week, but you can listen to the whole thing right now.
The group consists of Meg Contini, Jill Harris and Lydia Persaud, who met at Humber College, and share mutual musical influences like Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell and Sufjan Stevens.
And while their second full-length is arriving just ahead of the holiday rush, it's not your average Christmas record. There are a few classics like "Bleak Midwinter," "Silent Night" and "Carol of the Bells," but most of the songs are originals that eschew the commerciality of Christmas in favour of focusing on family reunions, new love, the serenity of winter weather and seasonal solitude.
"Stay Warm was born of a lifetime of winter and holiday experiences that didn't fit into the commercial ideal of what this time of year looks like," the band tells Exclaim! "Woven through the tinsel and holly is the truth that the winter is hard to get through, and the holidays are often full of stress and sadness. We each had stories to tell about this aspect of the season, and twining them with snippets of holiday favourites was our way of sharing a heartfelt, honest accompaniment to the winter months."
The trio of voices blend together beautifully atop rootsy instrumentation, leaving listeners feeling warmed up audibly and emotionally.
Listen to Stay Warm below. It's due out December 7.
Tour dates:
12/06 Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
12/07 Trenton, ON - Old Church Theatre
12/09 Russell, ON - House Concert
12/11Toronto, ON - The Drake Underground
12/13 Canmore, AB - Canmore Arts Place
12/14 Red Deer, AB - Knox Presbyterian Church
12/15 Sangudo, AB - Cookhouse on Main
12/17 Fernie, BC - Fernie Arts Station
12/20 Calgary, AB - Ironwood
01/12 Kitchener, ON - The Registry Theatre
01/19 Utopia, ON - Utopia Hall
01/25 London, ON - Aeolian Hall
02/01 Fergus, ON - Fergus Grand Theatre
02/02 Waterford, ON - Waterford Town Hall
The group consists of Meg Contini, Jill Harris and Lydia Persaud, who met at Humber College, and share mutual musical influences like Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell and Sufjan Stevens.
And while their second full-length is arriving just ahead of the holiday rush, it's not your average Christmas record. There are a few classics like "Bleak Midwinter," "Silent Night" and "Carol of the Bells," but most of the songs are originals that eschew the commerciality of Christmas in favour of focusing on family reunions, new love, the serenity of winter weather and seasonal solitude.
"Stay Warm was born of a lifetime of winter and holiday experiences that didn't fit into the commercial ideal of what this time of year looks like," the band tells Exclaim! "Woven through the tinsel and holly is the truth that the winter is hard to get through, and the holidays are often full of stress and sadness. We each had stories to tell about this aspect of the season, and twining them with snippets of holiday favourites was our way of sharing a heartfelt, honest accompaniment to the winter months."
The trio of voices blend together beautifully atop rootsy instrumentation, leaving listeners feeling warmed up audibly and emotionally.
Listen to Stay Warm below. It's due out December 7.
Tour dates:
12/06 Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
12/07 Trenton, ON - Old Church Theatre
12/09 Russell, ON - House Concert
12/11Toronto, ON - The Drake Underground
12/13 Canmore, AB - Canmore Arts Place
12/14 Red Deer, AB - Knox Presbyterian Church
12/15 Sangudo, AB - Cookhouse on Main
12/17 Fernie, BC - Fernie Arts Station
12/20 Calgary, AB - Ironwood
01/12 Kitchener, ON - The Registry Theatre
01/19 Utopia, ON - Utopia Hall
01/25 London, ON - Aeolian Hall
02/01 Fergus, ON - Fergus Grand Theatre
02/02 Waterford, ON - Waterford Town Hall
