The Glorious Sons

A straightforward Ontario rock outfit reminiscent of the Tragically Hip, Big Wreck, and the Arkells, the Glorious Sons surfaced in the early 2010s by merging roots-infused alt-pop with classic Canadian working-class rock. Eight straight singles reached the Top Ten after the 2014 release of their first album, The Union, and three of them—“Everything Is Alright,” “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun),” and “Panic Attack”—topped the chart. The group earned the Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year with Young Beauties and Fools in 2017 and repeated the honor in 2019 with A War on Everything; their fourth studio set, the roots-oriented Glory, followed in 2023.

Kingston-based, the Glorious Sons assembled in 2011 with Jay Emmons, Andrew Young, Adam Paquette, Chris Huot, and Brett Emmons. Their introductory EP, Shapeless Art, surfaced in 2013 and drew favorable notices, as did the band’s vigorous concerts. Later that year they entered the studio alongside the Trews’ John-Angus MacDonald to cut their debut full-length. Issued by Black Box Recordings in September 2014, The Union featured the radio favorites “Mama,” “Heavy,” “White Noise,” and “Lightning,” then climbed to number 23 on the Canadian Albums chart. Andrew Young exited the following year and guitarist Chris Koster stepped in. Audience response remained steady: the 2017 sophomore release Young Beauties and Fools placed inside the Top 20, carried the Top 40 alternative track “Everything Is Alright,” and yielded the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart-topper “S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun).” After issuing the concert documents Little Prison City: Live at Rogers K-Rock Centre and An Unplugged Evening with the Glorious Sons: Live at Longboat Hall, the band returned in 2019 with another Mainstream Rock number one, “Panic Attack,” and the third album A War on Everything, which again captured the Juno for Rock Album of the Year. The high-octane singles “Daylight” and “Hold Steady” appeared in 2021. Two years later the group delivered Glory, a roots-rock collection that explored perseverance, personal growth, and self-acceptance.