Wintermitts | fr

Wintermitts, whose name is a nod to a Julie Doiron song, have gained fans across Canada since forming in 2005. Their last album, Cascadia Fault (2007), was released independently in Canada and they have shared the stage with Julie Doirion, You Say Party!We Say Die! and Laura Barret. They completed a national summer tour in 2007 and were featured at Sackville, New Brunswick’s SappyFest. In Autumn 2008, they continue their path of merrymaking, as featured artists at the Western Canadian Music Association Showcase and traveling on a cross-country tour promoting their new album, Heirloom.

Boasting a bilingual set and a “musical chairs” approach to instrumentation, Heirloom was produced by Shawn Cole (You Say Party!We Say Die!) and co-produced by Futcher (The Be Good Tanyas). Live or recorded, Lise Monique intertwines English and French lyrics with the ease of elementary school girls braiding each other’s hair in Canada’s schoolyards, while music pulls you to your feet or keeps your eyes on the stage. Listeners beware: some tracks on this latest Wintermitts effort will cause a head-nodding hypnosis while others still will leave you wishing you understood French, or with the desire to plant a tree in your front yard.

Heirloom’s CD packaging is green-friendly designed like a seed packet.

Making sure your love for this band will keep growing long after your first listen, Wintermitts have included a seed packet for Heirloom tomatoes in with their CD. “We wanted to help show people how easy it is to start growing their own food,” Lise Monique says. No pressure, though; with this musical science project there is no danger of a failing grade. “We just really love tomatoes,” Shane admits, “they’re just really, really good.”



They wear different styles of underwear, but are willing to share handclaps and gang vocals and plates of fries. Keep an eye on them, as if they were a kaleidoscope; on stage or under spotlights, Wintermitts are a sight to behold.


Wintermitts are:

Trevor Dunnett –trumpet, vocals

David Thomas Manzl – accordion, bass, guitar, vocals

Swann Barrat – glockenspiel, drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals

Shane McMillan – guitar, drums, melodica, vocals

Lise Monique Oakley – guitar, bass, flute, melodica, glockenspiel, vocals .