Patrick Watson (musician)
Encyclopedia
Patrick Watson is a Canadian
singer-songwriter
, and the name of the band which he fronts, whose blend of cabaret
pop
and classical music
influences with indie rock
has been compared to Rufus Wainwright
, Andrew Bird
, Nick Drake
, Jeff Buckley
and Pink Floyd
for their experimental musicianship.
and raised in Hudson, Quebec
, Watson attended Lower Canada College
. While living in Hudson, Quebec, Watson worked as a pool and hot tub water analyst at Piscines et Spas Hudson. He began his musical career in high school as a member of a ska
band called Gangster Politics.
Watson co-wrote and performed on several songs on The Cinematic Orchestra
's 2007 album Ma Fleur including the opening track "To Build a Home". His "Missing You" remix of Champion's "Guy Doune", from Champion's 2006 album The Remix Album
, reached #1 on CBC Radio 3
's R3-30
chart in early 2007.
In 2008, Watson composed the entire soundtrack for the French-Canadian film, C'est pas moi, je le jure!. The soundtrack features collaborations by Elie Dupuis
and the star of the movie, who was 12 years old at the time.
Watson has toured with several artists, including John Cale
, The Cinematic Orchestra
, Cold War Kids
, Amon Tobin
, The Dears
, Feist and James Brown
. He was Starbucks "Pick of the week" free download in September 2009.
In an interview, Watson said regarding his band: "So we as a band are called Patrick Watson. How it started was that originally, some years ago, we were asked to do some music to accompany a book of photography. Having built a CD to go with all these images we thought it would be fun to do it live and it worked really well and people freaked. We didn't really think we were gonna be a band at that point but over a period of five or six years we got to a point where it became very difficult to change the name. It was difficult to find a name that suited us especially as we had such an eclectic music style. The second album was a kind of middle point, and now here we are at this third album which is much more song orientated."
The song "The Great Escape" was featured on episode 16 of the third season of Grey's Anatomy
, which aired on February 15, 2007, on a Tropicana
Canada commercial and in the movie One Week
starring Joshua Jackson
. The song was also used for the finale of the television show ReGenesis
.
The band received a nomination for New Artist of the Year
at the 2007 Juno Awards
.
On July 10, 2007, Close to Paradise made the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize
. It was announced as the winning album on September 24. Their 2009 album Wooden Arms
was a finalist for the 2009 prize
.
Watson has been known to use unusual objects to make sounds for his music. For example, he "played" a bicycle in the studio for the song "Beijing". Also, in the opening of the song "Man Like You" the drummer uses two spoons to create a tremolo picking effect on an acoustic guitar. He is further credited with the invention of the musical atomic clock, currently held at the University of Iowa
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, and the name of the band which he fronts, whose blend of cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
influences with indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
has been compared to Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird is an American musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.- Early life and the Bowl of Fire :...
, Nick Drake
Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
, Jeff Buckley
Jeff Buckley
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley , raised as Scotty Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the son of Tim Buckley, also a musician...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
for their experimental musicianship.
Early history
Born in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and raised in Hudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec
Hudson, Quebec, Canada, is a town with a population of 5,088 on the south-west bank of the lower Ottawa River, in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Regional County Municipality. Situated about west of downtown Montreal, many residents commute to work on the Island of Montreal.- Location and...
, Watson attended Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College of Montreal is an elementary and secondary level private school.The college was founded by the Church of St John the Evangelist in 1861 as St. John's School and changed its name to Lower Canada College in 1909, replacing an older school by that name that was founded in...
. While living in Hudson, Quebec, Watson worked as a pool and hot tub water analyst at Piscines et Spas Hudson. He began his musical career in high school as a member of a ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band called Gangster Politics.
Solo career
After leaving Gangster Politics, he released a debut solo album entitled Waterproof9 in 2001.Watson co-wrote and performed on several songs on The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...
's 2007 album Ma Fleur including the opening track "To Build a Home". His "Missing You" remix of Champion's "Guy Doune", from Champion's 2006 album The Remix Album
The Remix Album (Champion album)
The Remix Album is an album by Champion, released in 2006 on Saboteur Records. The album collects remixes by various Canadian musicians of tracks from Champion's 2004 debut album Chill'em All....
, reached #1 on CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a radio station that consists of two parts devoted to Canadian arts and music: a radio service which is available on Sirius Satellite Radio and streaming audio, and several daily and weekly podcasts from the CBC Radio 3 website...
's R3-30
The R3-30
The R3-30 is a weekly record chart show on CBC Radio 3, which counts down the week's top indie rock singles as determined by airplay , listener feedback , and other criteria . The show, hosted by Craig Norris and produced by Pedro Mendes, airs at 11 a.m Eastern time The R3-30 is a weekly record...
chart in early 2007.
In 2008, Watson composed the entire soundtrack for the French-Canadian film, C'est pas moi, je le jure!. The soundtrack features collaborations by Elie Dupuis
Élie Dupuis
Élie Dupuis is a rising musical and film star from the Canadian province of Quebec, best known for playing a major acting role and performing music in the movie Maman est chez le coiffeur . He was born 8 September 1994 and lives in Repentigny, Quebec...
and the star of the movie, who was 12 years old at the time.
Watson has toured with several artists, including John Cale
John Cale
John Davies Cale, OBE is a Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer who was a founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground....
, The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...
, Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids are an American indie rock band from Long Beach, California. Band members are Nathan Willett , Jonnie Russell , Matt Maust , and Matt Aveiro .-History:...
, Amon Tobin
Amon Tobin
Amon Adonai Santos de Araújo Tobin , known as Amon Tobin, is a Brazilian musician, composer and producer of electronic music. He is described as a virtuoso sound designer and is considered to be one of the most influential electronic music artists in the world...
, The Dears
The Dears
-History:The band formed in 1995 and released their first album, End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story, in 2000. Their orchestral, dark pop sound and dramatic live shows cemented The Dears at the foundation of the then-emerging Canadian indie renaissance...
, Feist and James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
. He was Starbucks "Pick of the week" free download in September 2009.
Eponymous band
After creating music and releasing albums in various styles, Watson put together a four-piece band that performed with artists like James Brown, The Dears, Philip Glass and the Stills. The band consists of Patrick Watson as lead singer, Simon Angell, Robbie Kuster, and Mishka Stein.In an interview, Watson said regarding his band: "So we as a band are called Patrick Watson. How it started was that originally, some years ago, we were asked to do some music to accompany a book of photography. Having built a CD to go with all these images we thought it would be fun to do it live and it worked really well and people freaked. We didn't really think we were gonna be a band at that point but over a period of five or six years we got to a point where it became very difficult to change the name. It was difficult to find a name that suited us especially as we had such an eclectic music style. The second album was a kind of middle point, and now here we are at this third album which is much more song orientated."
The song "The Great Escape" was featured on episode 16 of the third season of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, which aired on February 15, 2007, on a Tropicana
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products is an American based company, and was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.-Anthony T. Rossi:...
Canada commercial and in the movie One Week
One Week (2008 film)
One Week is a 2008 Canadian film directed by Michael McGowan and starring Joshua Jackson, Liane Balaban, and Campbell Scott. The film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, 2008 and was released theatrically on March 6, 2009....
starring Joshua Jackson
Joshua Jackson
Joshua Carter Jackson is a Canadian American actor. He has appeared in primetime television and in over 32 film roles. He is best known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks film series, Pacey Witter in the television series Dawson's Creek and Peter Bishop in the television series...
. The song was also used for the finale of the television show ReGenesis
ReGenesis
ReGenesis is a Canadian television program produced by The Movie Network and Movie Central in conjunction with Shaftesbury Films. The series, which ran for four seasons, revolves around the scientists of NorBAC , a fictional organization with a lab based in Toronto...
.
The band received a nomination for New Artist of the Year
Juno Award for New Artist of the Year
The Juno Award for New Artist of the Year has been awarded since 1974 as recognition each year for the best new artist/musician in Canada. The category was originally divided by separate awards for men and women...
at the 2007 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2007
The Juno Awards of 2007 were hosted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada on the weekend ending 1 April 2007. These ceremonies honoured music industry achievements in Canada during most of 2006...
.
On July 10, 2007, Close to Paradise made the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label...
. It was announced as the winning album on September 24. Their 2009 album Wooden Arms
Wooden Arms
Wooden Arms is the third album by Patrick Watson, released April 28, 2009 on Secret City Records. The album's first single, "Tracy's Waters", was released on March 5 and the group performed a new song, "Beijing", on CBC Radio's Q radio show on April 6...
was a finalist for the 2009 prize
2009 Polaris Music Prize
The 2009 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 21, 2009 in Toronto at the Masonic Temple and broadcast live online for the first time in its short history...
.
Watson has been known to use unusual objects to make sounds for his music. For example, he "played" a bicycle in the studio for the song "Beijing". Also, in the opening of the song "Man Like You" the drummer uses two spoons to create a tremolo picking effect on an acoustic guitar. He is further credited with the invention of the musical atomic clock, currently held at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
.
Band
- Just Another Ordinary DayJust Another Ordinary DayJust Another Ordinary Day is the first album by Patrick Watson, released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Just Another Ordinary Day"#"Woods"#"Mary"#"Silent City"#"Shame"#"Brigette's Theme"#"Gealman"#"Fall"#"Sunday"...
(2003) - Close to ParadiseClose to ParadiseClose to Paradise is the second album by Patrick Watson, released on September 26, 2006. On September 24, 2007, the album won the Polaris Music Prize, after reaching the finals alongside such other albums as Neon Bible , Ashtray Rock , Woke Myself Up , and The Reminder .- Track listing :# "Close to...
(2006) - Wooden ArmsWooden ArmsWooden Arms is the third album by Patrick Watson, released April 28, 2009 on Secret City Records. The album's first single, "Tracy's Waters", was released on March 5 and the group performed a new song, "Beijing", on CBC Radio's Q radio show on April 6...
(2009)