Parkside Live Presents: The Young Novelists

The Young Novelists

July 22nd, 7:00-8:00PM

​Sponsored by: Honey Choi Realty Group

Bring your blanket and lawnchairs for a magical evening of music in the garden of Redeemer Lutheran Church. A FREE/ PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN show with all concert donations supporting the Bloor by the Park Community Pantry

*In case of rain, concert will be held indoors at Redeemer Lutheran Church

JUNO nominated duo The Young Novelists have been dubbed by Exclaim! For their “unpretentious brilliance,” and have won critical acclaim across North America. Stephen Fearing described them as having “tight arrangements, great dynamics, and good songs with beautiful harmonies” and their live shows capture audiences with both barnstorming singalongs and heartbreaking folk ballads.

When they first met, Graydon James and Laura Spink had no idea that they would be married one day — much less touring the world together as The Young Novelists. Since the band’s inception in 2009, they’ve played stages across the U.S. and Canada, released three full-length albums, won numerous awards and continuous praise for their unmatched, effortless harmonies. But for their new album in city & country, the Toronto-based band decided to travel out of the city and in to small-town Ontario in order to connect the two places. After years of firsthand experience combined with historical research, James and Spink wrote over 30 songs inspired by a dozen Canadian towns. From that set, in city & country was born — a collection of ten songs that tell the universal stories of both parallels while highlighting the differences, similarities, and everything in-between.

They both grew up in Ontario; Spink in Peterborough, James in Verona, a small eastern town with a population of a mere 1,800. They both moved to Waterloo for university, where they met via community theatre; but it wasn’t until James decided to refocus his career from drummer to frontman that they combined their talent musically. “I had written a bunch of songs and recorded them in my basement, mostly for posterity,” says James, “I asked Laura to sing harmony on some of the songs and it instantly had this magical vibe.” Shortly after James released his solo album Goodnight, Young Novelist (2009), he realized that in order to perform live, he needed to assemble a band to match the record’s full sound. After recruiting some musicians he had met over the years and touring the east coast as a six-piece, the band decided to stay together, becoming Graydon James & The Young Novelists. Between 2011 and 2012, they released two albums: live at dublin st. church (2011), and in the year you were born (2012). However, it became clear that Spink was taking on more lead vocal duties. By the time they recorded their next album, made us strangers (2015), it made the most sense to simply shorten their name to The Young Novelists.

https://theyoungnovelists.com/