Alvvays, with singer-songwriter Molly Rankin (front centre) and keyboardist/backing vocalist Kerri MacLellan (front left), both of whom have Judique roots. Photo from Alvvays website.
November 15, 2023
-by April MacDonald
On November 10th, the 2024 Grammy nominations were announced and to the delight of Inverness County indie rock band Alvvays earned their first Grammy nomination for their song Belinda Says in the Best Alternative Music Performance category.
Belinda Says comes for the band’s third album, Blue Rev, which hit No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart this year. They have to contend with Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, Paramore, and boygenius, who are all up against them.
Molly Rankin, the group’s singer-songwriter, is the daughter of John Morris Rankin, beloved member of the Rankin Family, who died well before his time in a tragedy that rocked their family and the entire county.
Molly Rankin grew up in Judique, and began writing music with her neighbour, (keyboardist) Kerri MacLellan. Rankin later met guitarist and partner Alec O’Hanley at a concert. With the help of O’Hanley, Rankin quietly released a solo extended play titled She in 2010.
Alvvays was formed the following year, with Rankin recruiting MacLellan, O’Hanley, drummer Phil MacIsaac, and bassist Brian Murphy. Rankin picked the name Alvvays because it had a “shred of sentiment and nostalgia.” The spelling of the band name was due to the fact that there was already a band named Always signed to Sony.
Alvvays is based out of Toronto.
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2014 and topped the US college charts. Their second studio album, Antisocialites, was released on September 8th, 2017.
Their third album, Blue Rev, was released on October 7th, 2022.
Antisocialites and Blue Rev each won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. All three of their albums were shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize.
Rolling Stone calls the band an “indie-pop wonder.”
The single for Archie, Marry Me featured the B-side Underneath Us which was recorded after the eponymous album. The group toured heavily in support of their debut, including slots at Glastonbury 2015 and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016.
In 2015, they performed at a gala with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. At the 2015 Juno Awards, they were nominated as Breakthrough Group of the Year, and Alvvays was also nominated for Alternative Album of the Year.
In 2018, the band received a SOCAN Songwriting Prize nomination for the song Dreams Tonite, and Antisocialites was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.
At the Juno Awards of 2018, Alvvays was nominated as Group of the Year and Antisocialites won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.
Between 2019 and 2022, members of Alvvays largely stayed out of the public eye, rarely posting on social media. The radio silence led to memes and rumors the band had disbanded. Bassist and founding member Brian Murphy left the band in 2021.
Alvvays released Pharmacist, the first single from their third album Blue Rev, on July 6th, 2022. Blue Rev was released on October 7th, 2022.
Belinda Says, the third single from Blue Rev, is the one nominated for Best Alternative Music Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.
Alvvays’s music has been described as “jangle pop” by the music press and its members.
Jangle pop is a subgenre of pop rock or college rock that emphasizes jangly guitars and 1960s-style pop melodies. The term originated from Bob Dylan’s song Mr. Tambourine Man, whose 1965 rendition by the Byrds is considered one of the genre’s representative works.
According to Rankin, the band’s emphasis is primarily on strong melodies rather than for a specific genre.
While the band does not have an overt Celtic music sound, Rankin acknowledges that she was immersed in the genre from childhood, and it has a discernible influence on the way she sings and writes melodies.
We will be cheering on our hometown singer-songwriter at this year’s 66th Grammy Awards show on February 4th.
Alvvays’s current members:
Molly Rankin – vocals, rhythm guitar (2011–present), bass guitar (2022–present);
Kerri MacLellan – keyboards, backing vocals (2011–present);
Alec O’Hanley – lead guitar (2011–present);
Sheridan Riley – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2017–present);
Abbey Blackwell – bass guitar (2021–present).
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