Sports: The Band
Sports is a Canadian indie rock band consisting of Nathan Rekker on vocals, guitar and synthesizer, Robin Hatch on vocals and synthesizer, Michael Small on bass, and Shayne Cox on drums. The band is made up of current and former members of bands The Carnations, The Meligrove Band, By Divine Right and Polmo Polpo, among others.
History
Sports began as I'm Only Sleeping, Rekker's bedroom recording project when he and Small were roommates on Toronto's Brunswick Avenue. The band's lineup solidified in late 2006, playing their first show as Sports: The Band in January 2007. Their first tour was through Atlantic Canada in October 2008, headlining a showcase at the Halifax Pop Explosion festival. That December they released a 5-song EP produced by Peter chapman through online record shop Zunior. The CD EDition was pressed in March 2009, with a release party at Toronto's Sneaky Dee's. The front and back cover art was created by Sharon Pazner in Jerusalem and shipped to Toronto to be photographed.
Sports has performed alongside artists such as Crystal Antlers, The Meligrove Band, Julie Doiron (of Eric's Trip), Hexes and Ohs, Two Hours Traffic, The Superfantastics, and others.
Style
The 8 January 2009 issue of Toronto's Eye Weekly compared the band to a more "amiable" and "laid-back" version of The New Pornographers and Fleetwood Mac. Breasts. Halifax blog Hero Hill describes Sports as "jump(ing) effortlessly from surging, swirling synths to weightless AM pop ... even touching on more gloomy, Brit inspired sounds" while infusing some "Flaming Lips psychedelics."
Discography
EPs
- 2008: The Band