Spencer Krug

Spencer Krug
File:SpencerKrug1.jpg Spencer Krug w/ Sunset Rubdown at the Hi-Dive in Denver, CO, on April 16, 2007.
Background information
Born	(1977-05-04) May 4, 1977 Penticton, British Columbia, Canada
Genres	Indie rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar, accordion, kick drum
Years active	2002 (2002)–present
Labels	Sub Pop, Absolutely Kosher, Global Symphonic, Jagjaguwar, DSA, Paper Bag Records
Associated acts	Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake, Fifths of Seven, Moonface

Spencer Krug (/ˈkruːɡ/ KROOG) (born May 4, 1977) is a Canadian musician. He is the singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the indie rock band Moonface. He has also performed with other Canadian bands including Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, Swan Lake, Frog Eyes, Fifths of Seven, and ska band the Two Tonne Bowlers, playing various instruments. His involvement in many musical acts has garnered him a noticeably high output of work, being credited on several releases a year. While his distinctive voice and singing style have drawn both praise and derision, his songwriting abilities have been much-lauded in the music press, and he has been called "arguably the most talented songwriter of this generation", according to Jeff Weiss of Stylus Magazine.

Overview

Krug was born on May 4, 1977 and raised in Penticton, British Columbia, where at age 12, he first began playing piano. Soon after, he picked up guitar, focusing on the two instruments. Upon leaving Penticton, he moved to Victoria, British Columbia where he helped found the indie rock band Frog Eyes with his then-roommate, Carey Mercer. Krug took part in a March 2001 recording session that would later become Frog Eyes' first LP, The Bloody Hand. Shortly afterwards, however, Krug left the band and moved to Montreal where he studied creative writing and musical composition at Concordia University. In April 2003 Krug formed Wolf Parade alongside fellow singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Boeckner.

Wolf Parade's first show was opening for Arcade Fire on the ’03 "Us Kids Know" tour. Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade's debut album, was produced by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock and released on Seattle indie label Sub Pop on September 27, 2005.

Also in 2005, Krug teamed up with Beckie Foon (A Silver Mt. Zion, Saltland, Set Fire to Flames, Esmerine) and Rachel Levine (Cakelk), forming the instrumental string/piano/accordion-based trio Fifths of Seven. Later that year, the band released Spry from Bitter Anise Folds.

File:Sunset Rubdown Donaufestival 09 Spencer Krug (3474059375).jpg

Krug performing in 2009 with Sunset Rubdown

As a side project to Wolf Parade, under the moniker Sunset Rubdown, Krug self-produced 5 EPs, each one focusing on specific thematic composition and instrumentation – acoustic guitar; piano and hand claps; synths and drum machines, etc. – of original songs. In the summer of 2005 selections from each of those EPs were compiled and released as the LP, Snake's Got a Leg. Originally a solo project, Sunset Rubdown expanded in the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006 to include Camilla Wynn Ingr (Pony Up!), Jordan Robson-Cramer (XY Lover, Magic Weapon, and Miracle Fortress) and Michael Doerksen. This new line-up released its first collaborative efforts: a 5 track self-titled EP, Sunset Rubdown, in January 2006, followed by the band's second LP, Shut Up I Am Dreaming, in May 2006. Sunset Rubdown's third LP, Random Spirit Lover, was released October 2007 on Jagjaguwar Records. Sunset Rubdown's fourth LP, Dragonslayer, was released in 2009 on Jagjaguwar Records.

Krug rejoined Frog Eyes as their keyboardist in the spring of 2006 and helped put out The Future Is Inter-Disciplinary or Not at All and Tears of the Valedictorian. Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes toured that year together, allowing Krug to participate in both bands simultaneously. Krug also recorded material for the indie rock supergroup Swan Lake alongside Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer and Destroyer's Dan Bejar. The group released their debut album, Beast Moans, on November 21, 2006 through Jagjaguwar.

In mid-2008, Krug toured with Wolf Parade in support of their second LP entitled At Mount Zoomer on June 17, 2008. On March 24, 2009 Swan Lake released their second album, Enemy Mine. In January 2010, Krug released Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums under the Moonface name. In June 2010, Wolf Parade released their third full album, Expo 86. A world tour supporting the new album followed, after which the band went on indefinite hiatus.

Krug's first full length album as Moonface Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped was released in August 2011. Krug then teamed up with the Helsinki-based band Siinai to record his second full length Moonface album, With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery, which was released on April 17, 2012. On June 29, 2012, Krug confirmed that Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown disbanded and would no longer be touring or releasing albums. On August 27, 2013, Jagjaguwar Records announced Krug’s third full length Moonface album, Julia With Blue Jeans On, released October 29, 2013.

Discography

Main article: Spencer Krug discography

Fifths of Seven

• Spry from Bitter Anise Folds (2005) DSA

Frog Eyes

• The Bloody Hand (2002) Global Symphonic
• The Future Is Inter-Disciplinary or Not at All (2006) Acuarela Discos
• Tears of the Valedictorian (2007) Absolutely Kosher

Sunset Rubdown

• Snake's Got a Leg (2005) Global Symphonic
• Sunset Rubdown EP (2006) Global Symphonic
• Shut Up I Am Dreaming (2006) Absolutely Kosher
• Random Spirit Lover (2007) Jagjaguwar
• Introducing Moonface (2009) Global Symphonic
• Dragonslayer (2009) Jagjaguwar

Moonface

• Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums (2010) Jagjaguwar
• Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped (2011) Jagjaguwar
• With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery (2012) Jagjaguwar
• Julia With Blue Jeans On (2013) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records
• City Wrecker (EP) (2014) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records
• With Siinai: My Best Human Face (2016) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records

Swan Lake

• Beast Moans (2006) Jagjaguwar
• Enemy Mine (2009) Jagjaguwar

Wolf Parade

• Wolf Parade (4-song EP)(2003) Self-Released
• Wolf Parade (6-song EP) (2004) Self-Released
• Wolf Parade (EP) (2005) Sub Pop
• Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005) Sub Pop
• At Mount Zoomer (2008) Sub Pop
• Expo 86 (2010) Sub Pop
• EP 4 (2016) Self-Released

Notable contributions

• In 2005, Krug contributed to the UNICEF benefit song, "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" along with Dan Boeckner.
• In 2006, Krug contributed piano and synthesizer to Islands' first album, "Return to the Sea"
• Krug played keyboard for Destroyer's European Tour of Notorious Lightning & Other Works.

External links

• Official Wolf Parade page
• Official Sunset Rubdown page
• Official Fifths of Sevenpage
• Official Swan Lakepage
• Official Moonface page