Royal Canoe: Living a Lie
Novel instrumentation adds ethereal atmosphere to a new version of a favourite by the adventurous Winnipeg band.
By Kerry Doole
Royal Canoe: Living a Lie (Paper Bag Records): This adventurous Winnipeg indie rock combo released a new, digital-only, EP, Glacial, last week, and this is the first single from it.
This past January (when live concerts were still a thing!), Royal Canoe performed "Glacial" – a concert featuring re-imagined versions of their songs using only instruments created from ice harvested from local ponds and rivers. Over two sub-zero nights, more than 5000 people showed up at The Forks in Winnipeg for what must have been a remarkable experience.
The novel instrumentation means there are no guitar solos on this track, but sounds ranging from percussive to ethereal are created by ice xylophones, a kick drum that strikes ice, and keyboard figures featuring recorded sounds played on ice. The haunting results provide an appealing backdrop for the vocals of Matt Peters.
The tune was initially on the group's 2016 album, Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit, and is given vibrant new life here.
Together for a full decade, Royal Canoe was nominated for Alternative Album of the Year at the Junos for the album Today We're Believers.
Last week, the group hosted a virtual screening party for a film that documents Glacial. View it here
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Mumford & Sons at LASSO Festival in Montreal on August 16, 2026. Lucas Domínguez / Billboard Canada