Biography
Formed in 2010, Sheer Agony took shape as a Montreal-based duo devoted to new wave and vintage jangle pop when Jackson MacIntosh and Christian Simmons, both formerly of Play Guitar, began developing their own home studio and chose to lay down MacIntosh’s angular, power poppy material there. Early 2011 saw the release of their single Hungry, Why Wait, after which they started performing live with assistance from bassist Markus Lake of Silver Dapple. Once Lake joined on a permanent basis, the trio self-issued the four-song EP The Unruly Sisters in early 2012, followed later that year by a self-titled 7" on Fixture Records. They kept up a schedule of shows while Simmons split time among Each Other, Hand Cream, and Lantern and MacIntosh contributed to projects by Jef Barbara and Homeshake; drummer Greg Napier of Think About Life was subsequently added to the lineup. The group placed the track “Those Who Wait” on the 2014 Montreal-artist compilation Meet the Factory issued by Plastic Factory Records, all while maintaining an active touring routine and developing a full-length album. Couple Skate Records eventually signed the band, resulting in the late-2015 appearance of their debut LP, the cheekily titled Masterpiece.
Albums