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Flotilla

Montreal, Quebec

http://www.myspace.com/flotillamontreal

Flotilla is at the top of Exclaim's "Artists to Watch in 2009" list, in anticipation of the new album, "One Hundred Words for Water", coming out this spring. Critics praised the band's first album "Disaster Poetry" for its “combination of humane introspection and sophisticated songwriting”, and previews of the sophomore effort have already given a strong hint that Flotilla is breaking ground on new musical territory.

From the very beginnings of Flotilla, classical training and a love of pop and rock music united these musicians and made for fresh songwriting and arranging. Veronica’s lilting melodies and inventive guitar work, Eveline’s skillful harp playing, and Geof’s chops as a composer/arranger all complimented each other. In 2006, they released their debut album, "Disaster Poetry", recorded in Ottawa at Little Bullhorn Studios by producer Dave Draves. Charnley’s lyrics, filled with imagery, were inspired by “anything from family history, photos by Gregory Crewdson, Italian films and writers such as Hanif Kureishi and Sylvia Plath.” Musically, Flotilla has been compared to Stereolab, Kate Bush, and The Wooden Stars.

Since the release of their debut, the band has toured internationally sharing stages with the likes of Ohbijou, Alex Lukashevsky, Culture Reject, David Martel, 101 Crustaceans, and Hexes and Ohs. They’ve received international radio play on college radio and CBC. A stop animation video for the song "Secret Love", made by Ottawa filmmaker Pixie Cram, continues to receive regular rotation at film festivals in Ontario.

In early 2007, Flotilla took on Benoit Monière as their drummer, who evens up the anglophone/francophone demographic of the band, and whose creative style has adds a freshness and playfulness to their performances. Their soon-to-be-released second full-length includes arrangements for French horn, trombone, kalimba, autoharp, and electronics, in addition to the core instrumentation. “The songs are darker on this album, though they’re mostly love songs when you get down to it,” Charnley says.

This winter, Geof and Veronica held a month-long creative residency at The Banff Centre for the Arts. The beautiful setting inspired new material for Flotilla to share on their upcoming tours.