Spaceland Presents: Irving [in Spaceland " Nov. 16th, 2006]

Formed initially by members Alex Church (bass), Steven Scott (guitar) and Brian Canning (guitar), Irving began as a thrown-together rock outfit to accompany a friends art opening. Within a month, Brent Turner (drums) joined, and the group began working in earnest on the songs that would eventually appear on its first album, Good Morning Beautiful. The release of GMB in 2002 showcased the bands penchant for writing witty pop songs with whimsical backup vocals and upbeat melodies. By the years end, Aaron Burrows (keyboards) signed on, and the band was back in the studio. The I Hope Youre Feeling Better Now EP, released in 2003 to critical acclaim. In the two years since the release of the EP, Irving has opened for such notables as Franz Ferdinand, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Polyphonic Spree. The bands songwriting has also taken a noticeably more thoughtful turn. While the innate pop sensibilities continue to stand out above all else, Irvings songwriting has maturedthe sounds and structures more intricate, the subject matter more thoroughly realized.