Rah Rah

Rah Rah, an indie rock outfit from Regina, Saskatchewan, initially channeled the expansive, emotionally direct approach of Canadian predecessors Neil Young and Arcade Fire through sweeping indie folk arrangements. Erin Passmore, handling drums, keyboard, and bass, joined forces with guitarist Marshall Burns to launch the group; the pair alternated lead vocals while Joel Passmore on bass, Jeffrey Romanyk on drums, keyboard, and guitar, Vanessa Benson on keyboard and bass, and Kristina Hedlund on violin, accordion, and keyboard completed the roster. That original configuration issued the 2006 EP Songs for Pasquala, then the late-2008 full-length debut Going Steady, and the 2010 follow-up Breaking Hearts. Their soaring harmonies, propulsive drive, and alternating male-female vocals echoed the interplay heard in Arcade Fire and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, with subtle synth-pop textures gradually surfacing. Those electronic leanings surfaced clearly in the 2011 free remix collection Rahmixes. After signing with the Canadian imprint Hidden Pony in 2012, the band delivered The Poet’s Dead, helmed by producers Gus Van Go and Werner F of the Stills, Hollerado, and Priestess; the album earned a long-list nomination for the Polaris Music Prize, ultimately awarded to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. September 2015 brought Vessels, their most cohesive integration of contrasting approaches to date—an arena-scaled indie rock sound fused with sleek, slinky synth pop.