From Shed to Stage: Pith Celebrates "Guinevere" Vinyl Release at Happy Goat Laurel

Emily McQuarrie, Cole Emberley, Sarah Bartlett, and Chrissy Love of Pith. Photo by Sandra Bartlett

As the Ottawa summer fades to a whisper, local legends Pith invite you to form some golden-core memories at the Guinevere vinyl release show on Saturday, September 20th at Happy Goat Laurel. Their fourth LP is out now on Bandcamp and all streaming platforms — but this time, it finally exists in physical form, with just 50 copies pressed for the occasion.

The “cosmic country freak-folk” troupe have been slow-roasting the record since lead singer-songwriter Chrissy Love moved back to Ottawa. What started in “the shed” as a cottage-country confessional eventually blossomed, thanks to the interplay of Sarah Bartlett’s smooth guitar and featherlight harmonies, Cole Emberley’s nimble drumming, and Emily McQuarrie’s shrewd bass undercurrent.

Pith by Rob Coslett

While select tracks were soft-launched via Live from the Shed parts 1 and 2, Guinevere pushes things further into studio territory: arrangements layered with additional bass, tighter drum programming, and added textures from Rhodes piano and a swirl of tenor sax. The result—fortified by the efforts of Jake Cataford, Eric Massoud, and Tim Zurakowski—feels expansive without overshadowing the band’s signature whimsy. Across its eight tracks, the record wanders through loneliness, connection, and the transitions in between. Then, just to throw you off balance, Bartlett closes things with “Wednesday Night” – a tongue-in-cheek, bossa nova-tinged anthem about garbage collection. What’d I tell you about whimsy?

Guinevere vinyl release show poster by Chrissy Love

Saturday’s release show at Happy Goat will be rounded out by post-punk shredders Scrip Issue and pop polymath DJ Hibo Lagerfeld, ensuring something for every stripe of Music Enjoyer. Doors open at 8:00 PM, tickets are $10, and if you want vinyl, bring cash and move quickly.

Don’t miss your chance to traverse the sonic plains of Pith and round your summer out, Ottawa-style.

In the meantime, enjoy Pith’s fourth LP Guinevere—and get tickets to the vinyl release show—below!

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Guinevere

out now

1. Biology Drone

2. Party in the Underworld

3. When I Look in Your Eyes

4. I Love You So Much I Could Cry

5. When I'm Not with You

6. Escalator

7. Guinevere

8. Wednesday Night (Sarah Bartlett)

Pith is: Chris Love, Sarah Bartlett, Cole Emberley, Emily McQuarrie

Additional musicians on this album: Jake Cataford (Tenor sax), Eric Massoud & Tim Zurakowski (Additional bass)

All songs written by Chris Love & composed by Pith, except track 8 written & composed by Sarah Bartlett

Special thanks to Andrea Finlay

Cover art: Gerald Trottier, "Canadian Art '59 Cover" 1959 © CARCC Ottawa 2024

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Pith

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the Editorial & Operations Lead of Also Cool Mag. She is currently based in Ottawa.

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PREMIERE: Pith Unveils a New Freak-Folk Chapter With "Live from the Shed 2"

Chrissy Love, Sarah Bartlett, Cole Emberley, and Emily McQuarrie of Pith. Photo by Jasmine Kelly

Months ago, in the placid snowy lands of Lanark County, Ottawa’s beloved Pith were toiling away at what would become the Live from the Shed 2 EP – out now.

Pith’s newest offering follows last year’s Live from the Shed, successfully continuing their thread of endearing folk ballads that meander through the depths of human emotion. On part deux, Pith demonstrates their sonic cohesion, navigating devotion and personal identity with sensorial lyricism and unfiltered fervour. By “Escalator,” Live from the Shed 2’s sentimental conclusion, the group has risen to a searing crescendo.

Pith by Curtis Perry

Pith has undergone a near-constant evolution since their debut LP Song of the Neverending Ugly Lizard, both in personnel and location. Most recently, lead singer-songwriter Chrissy Love, lead guitarist and backup vocalist Sarah Bartlett, and drummer Cole Emberley have welcomed bassist Emily McQuarrie (Napster Vertigo, DJ Smoke Weed Guy) to the ensemble. But Love notes the symbiosis of this roster, offering the impression that Live from the Shed 2 marks a fruitful beginning:

“So insanely blessed to have these bandmates; I am like a stray dog who has found its forever home. The luxury of 3 dear friends who are willing to be a part of a project, lend their time and talent to it, and accept payment largely in disgrace and crumpled twenties is literally the DIY dream.”

If the new EP wasn’t enough to satisfy, there’s plenty more on the horizon: “hot Pith summer” commences with a local show on May 31 (ask a punk), before other gigs strung throughout Ottawa, Hull, and St. John’s, Newfoundland. Pith’s fourth full-length LP, Guinevere, is also set to drop this season, including a handful of what you know and love from both Live from the Shed and its successor.

Experience the rowdy charm of Live from the Shed 2, captured on-site by Evelynn McKay, below!

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Pith

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Pony Girl Cements Their Legacy at Club SAW

Pascal Huot of Pony Girl performing at Club SAW

The Ottawa music community holds its own close, so it should come as no surprise that Pony Girl’s album release party at Club SAW was a dazzling affair. Marking ten years since their debut record, Pony Girl has stepped into a complex new chapter with their latest album Laff It Off.

The night began with a charming set from Luella, the musical project of Kingston’s Liv Whitfield. Although her debut album Luna was released just one year ago, Whitfield carried a seasoned air of confidence throughout her performance. Whether she was behind the keys or crooning into a telephone, her dreamy indie-pop melodies wafted through the air, matched with playful lyrics on love (or a lack thereof). 

Leading up to Pony Girl’s set, attendees shuffled in the glow of a custom Laff It Off neon sign, feet surrounded by smiley-face balloons – an inviting scene, complementary to the album’s disposition. The room began to swell with anticipation.

Laff It Off sign for Pony Girl’s album release tour

Pony Girl emerged on-stage to a sea of applause, with band member Yolande Laroche sporting a Luna T-shirt. Within minutes, the audience was swept up in Laff It Off’s lucid narrative, swaying and screaming the words we all know to be true: “I don’t want to be working every day, I don’t want to be working every day.”

The art-pop group has garnered acclaim for their layered approach to experimentation, and even further acclaim for the way that translates so harmoniously into their live performances. The arresting vocoder yelps of Laroche and bandmate Pascal Huot, the mesmerizing proficiency of Mili Hong on the drums – it’s a thrilling experience to watch all the pieces of their puzzle fall into place.

But for a band that has seen so much recent success, including a record-high of five nominations at last year’s Capital Music Awards, Pony Girl has not compromised what it means to be vulnerable. Huot meandered through the crowd during “Wannabe,” illuminating his visage while mutedly pondering his—and our—roles as entertainment. “Age of Anxious,” the standout track from Pony Girl’s previous release Enny One Wil Love You, reverberated with conviction as its distressed musings on the grip of technology rang true.

As Pony Girl continues to find their place in these convoluted times, one thing is certain: Ottawa will be listening.

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Pony Girl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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