Album titles can be tricky and elusive things, but for the Toronto quintet Tin Star Orphans and their new disc, Yonder, the answer was obvious: just title the album after the former the name of the band. “When we decided to change our name to Tin Star Orphans, we were worried that all the work we’d done to build up the name Yonder would be lost,” says front man Zachary Bennett. “This solved that problem, and it’s also a nice salute to our long-time friends and supporters.”
Their previous album, which critics compared to everyone from grandiose indie-rockers Arcade Fire to alt-country veterans Wilco, was recorded at Chemical Sound in Toronto, a studio co-owned and operated by producer Dean Marino (Born Ruffians, Ruby Coast, Tokyo Police Club). After working with them as co-producer on the 2005 Jesus Freaks EP, Marino joined the live incarnation of Tin Star Orphans as the band’s lead guitarist. The band’s current lineup also includes bassist/vocalist Travis Ferris, drummer Johnny Rowe, and multi-instrumentalist Todd Harrison. Featuring string and horn sections, pedal steel, banjo, harmonium, and even a musical saw, their music is a blend of acoustic-driven romps and sonically gripping love songs. Using a volatile mixture of both humour and humility, Bennett’s songs paint a stark and sometimes frightening portrait of life, love and loss, while blurring the line between reality and fiction.
Tin Star Orphans have shared the stage with such artists as Rock Plaza Central, Mandibles, Key Witness, and Boys Who Say No, as well as Bry Webb of The Constantines. Tin Star Orphans are excited to hit the road in 2009 and bring yonder and its songs to more towns across the country. |
