Sloan

Sloan

Sloan. Alternative pop/rock band, formed in 1991 in Halifax, NS by Jay Ferguson (guitar/vocals), Chris Murphy (bass/vocals), Patrick Pentland (guitar/vocals) and Andrew Scott (drums/vocals). All four members write and sing their own songs and sometimes swap instruments during concerts.

The group's independently released Peppermint EP made a stir with its "Underwhelmed" single and led to Sloan's signing with the Los Angeles-based Geffen label in the summer of 1992. Its Smeared debut album was certified gold in Canada for sales of more than 50 000 copies and was ranked 86th in Bob Mersereau's 2007 book, The Top 100 Canadian Albums. The Twice Removed power pop follow-up received a best alternative album Juno Award nomination in 1995 and was named "Best Canadian Album of All Time" in 1995 and 2005 polls conducted by Chart magazine.

The Beatles-influenced One Chord to Another was released by Sloan's Murderecords label, was certified gold, won the best alternative album Juno in 1997 and ranked 34th in Mersereau's book. Navy Blues followed in 1998 and showed Sloan's heavier side and its members' appreciation of 1970s rock. It was also certified gold, was nominated for a best rock album Juno and set the stage for the band's first live album, the two-CD, 28-song 4 Nights at the Palais Royale. Sloan closed the decade with Between the Bridges, its first album to feature three songs by each of the four members.

Pretty Together followed in 2002 and earned the band its fifth and sixth Juno nominations (for best rock album and best single (for Pentland's "If It Feels Good Do It"). After 2003's Action Pact, two new songs were recorded for the 2005 compilation, A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005. Among the 14 hits included in the collection were "Coax Me," "The Good in Everyone," "Money City Maniacs" and "If It Feels Good Do It." The ambitious and Juno-nominated Never Hear The End Of It crammed 30 songs, including lead single "Who Taught You To Live Like That," into 71 minutes. Parallel Play was also nominated for a best rock album Juno and was about half the length. That 2008 album was followed by an even shorter release, the five-song Hit & Run EP. B-Sides Win: Extras, Bonus Tracks and B-Sides 1992-2008 was only made available online in 2010. Sloan's 10th and most recent studio album, The Double Cross, came out in 2011 and marked the group's 20th anniversary. It received a Rock Album of the Year Juno nomination. A deluxe edition of Twice Removed was released in 2012 and supported by a North American tour where the band played the album in its entirety and another set of catalogue favourites.

Sloan's Murderecords label has released records from the likes of Jale, Eric's Trip, Hardship Post, Thrush Hermit, The Super Friendz, The Local Rabbits, Pony Da Look and Will Currie & The Country French in addition to the group's own music.