Biography
Based in Montreal, Quebec, the Sainte Catherines came together in 1999 as a French-Canadian outfit devoted to hardcore punk revival. Their sound fused driving guitar leads and gruff vocals reminiscent of Hot Water Music with a hard-hitting approach rooted in D.I.Y. ethics and activist principles. The group began under the name Concrete Fongus before adopting its current moniker in 2000. An initial release titled Those Stars Are for You moved more than 1,000 copies on an independent basis, after which the band aligned with New York-based Eyeball Records to issue the EP The Machine Gets Under Way. In 2002 the German imprint Yoyo Records handled a reissue of that debut album, and a year later Dare to Care put out The Art of Arrogance. The Sainte Catherines then signed with Fat Wreck Chords and delivered the full-length Dancing for Decadence in late March 2006. At that point the lineup consisted of vocalist Hugo Mudie, bassist Pablo Boerr, drummer Rich Bouthillier, and guitarists Marc-André Beaudet, Frederic Jacques, and Louis Valiquette, three of whom had previously played in the Montreal ska-core outfit Rollerstarter. By then the sextet had logged hundreds of shows across nine countries alongside the Dwarves, Against Me!, Strike Anywhere, Leftover Crack, and Leatherface, and after the album’s arrival they shared various dates with the Subhumans. Several members also participated in the country side project Yesterday’s Ring.