The Waking Eyes

The Waking Eyes were a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg and Steinbach, Manitoba.[1]

The Waking Eyes
OriginWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
GenresRock
Years active2002–2010
LabelsWarner Music Canada
MembersMatt Peters
Joey Penner
Steve Senkiw
Rusty Matyas
Past membersMyron Schulz
Russ Dufault

History

The band formed after the break-up of two other Manitoba bands, The Pets from Steinbach and Novillero from Winnipeg.[2] In 2002 The Waking Eyes released a full-length album, Combing the Clouds.[3]

In 2004 The Waking Eyes followed up with a second album, Video Sound.[4] The album won a 2005 Western Canada Music Award.[5] Shortly before the album was released, bassist Russ Dufault left the band, temporarily replaced by The Meligrove Band's Michael Small (for a short tour and the "Watch Your Money" music video), before Joey Penner was introduced.

The band went on several tours, traveling across Canada, as well as into the United States and to overseas locations including Germany for POPKOMM's "Kick it like Canada". In 2005 the group was nominated for a Juno Award for New Group of the Year but lost to Alexisonfire.[6]

The Waking Eyes spent the better part of 2006 holed-up in their Winnipeg jam space, writing and demoing songs for an album. Pre-production took place in Winnipeg during February 2007.

The band recorded the follow-up to Video Sound in a Winnipeg studio in May 2007 with producer/engineer John Paul Peters (formerly of The Undecided).

The Waking Eyes' record, Holding on to Whatever It Is, was released digitally via iTunes in July, 2008. The band released the record on vinyl in September, and CD copies became available in November.[7] The album won a Western Canada Music Award for best independent album.[8]

Hiatus

In July 2010, The Waking Eyes went on hiatus, allowing the members of the band to concentrate on other musical projects. Matyas formed a soul-pop band, Imaginary Cities, with Winnipeg singer Marti Sarbit;[9][10] he also performed solo as Terrier and with Ewan Currie as The Mothers Brothers Band.

Peters' 2010 album by his band, Royal Canoe, titled "Co-Op Mode," included collaborations, co-writes and performances with all of the members of The Waking Eyes. Peters continues writing, recording and/or producing in the Winnipeg area for/with The Liptonians, Slattern, Demetra, Ruth Moody,[11] This Hisses and Triunfo do Gato. Milk is a joke hip-hop act featuring Matyas and Peters, and Racket (pronounced "Racket in Brackets" is a Ratatat-like dance act fronted by Peters.


Discography

Music videos
  • "Watch Your Money"
  • "The Beginning"
  • "On a Train"
  • "But I Already Have It"
  • "Taking the Hard Way" (With scenes showing their live shows)
  • "All Empires Fall"
  • "Wolves at the Door"

Radio singles
  • "Watch Your Money"
  • "Beginning"
  • "On a Train"
  • "If You Know Why"
  • "All Empires Fall"

See also

References
  1. "Biography". thewakingeyes.com. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  2. "Waking Eyes Ditches The Psychedelia For Riffage". Georgia Straight, by Shawn Conner on December 2, 2004
  3. "Waking Eyes Combing the Clouds". Exclaim!, By Chuck Molgat, Feb 01, 2002
  4. "If rock 'n' roll is a sin, call Waking Eyes guilty". Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, September 4, 2004, page 29
  5. "Local acts shine at WCMA". Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. October 24, 2005, page 33
  6. Larry LeBlanc (5 March 2005). "Coalition Entertainment manages Canadian success". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 56–57. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. "The Waking Eyes sing the praises of vinyl". Georgia Straight, February 18th, 2009. by John Lucas
  8. "Doc Walker's Beautiful Life tops WCMA event". CBC News, Sep 21, 2009
  9. "Waking Eyes Offshoot Imaginary Cities Set Up for NXNE". Exclaim!, Alex Hudson. Jun 15, 2010
  10. "Indie rock and Motown meet in Imaginary Cities". Georgia Straight, by Alex Hudson on July 13th, 2011
  11. "The timing was right for Ruth Moody's solo debut". Georgia Straight, by Tony Montague on November 3rd, 2010
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