When the Grievous Angels perform,
they conjure up the tragic beauty of life in the rough northern Canadian
shield. It comes out in the song-writing, the crafsmanship and in their
live performances.They have been described as having the edge of Steve
Earle and the warmth of Stan Rogers.
The release of their fourth recording Waiting
for the Cage, is the most ambitious project the band has undertaken.
The Grievous Angels have undergone numerous incarnations in their 10-year
journey. The group was originally formed as a street-busking operation
in downtown Toronto.
The line-up consisted of guitarist/ song-writer Chuck Angus, vocalist Michelle
Rumball and fiddler/accordionist Peter Jellard.
In 1987, stand-up bassist Tim Hadley joined the band, followed by drummer
Peter Duffin. This marked the move of the Angels to Toronto bars like the
Cabana Room and the Horseshoe. In 1988, a series of demos were put together
as the independent release Toute la Gang.
If there was a career object at the time, it was wrangling a free summer vacation by touring western Canada. On tour, however, the Angels found that their street busking past-time was winning over hardcore followers. The band was soon being featured at folk festivals in Edmonton, Calgary, Jasper, Winnipeg and Vancouver.
In 1990, the Angels seemed poised for big things. With the release of
One Job Town in Canada, Europe and Japan,
it looked as if Toronto's ragged folk band 
was about to
become a major act.
It didn't happen. Singer Michelle Rumball left the group soon after the
CD was released, and songwriter Chuck Angus moved home to northern Ontario.
Many in the music industry assumed the band was finished. They weren't.
After some experimenting with other singers, the band realized they
should stick with what they did best - creating a tight show around the
songs and voice of Chuck Angus. Band vocals were augmented by the harmonies
of the other members.
Avoiding the media spotlight the group continued to tour and work on new
material. They garnered two Juno nominations (Best Roots/Traditional album
- 1991, and Country Band of the Year - 1992).
In 1992, piano player Rick Conroy joined the band.
In 1993 the Grievous Angels released Watershed a 17 track CD.
In 1994, Macleans Magazine chose the Angels as one of the hottest up and
coming bands in the country.
In 1996 they released Waiting for the
Cage, a dark and moving portrait of life in northern mining and smelting
towns. The CD-ROM beat out entries from around the world as the top interactive
CD-ROM at the New York Expo of Short Film and Video.
The song War Down Below was used in the soundtrack to the movie Giant
Mine.
The Bill Barilko Song was used as the soundtrack for the movie The Hockey
Card.
With an arsenal of new songs and a tougher electric edge, the Grievous Angels have carved out their own space on the Canadian musical landscape.
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