The Somnambulants

Broken Social Scene operates simultaneously as an indie rock band and a creative collective, this Toronto-based group relying on a changeable roster that has drawn in numerous standout and widely recognized players from the local alternative music scene. The ensemble surfaced in 2001 via Feel Good Lost and has since produced a wide-ranging catalog that spans film scores and ambient minimalism to lushly arranged Baroque pop, whether the membership numbered just two or reached 15. Standout releases include the Juno Award-winning You Forgot It in People from 2003, the self-titled Broken Social Scene in 2005, and the chart-topping Hug of Thunder in 2017. Artists and projects linked to the collective encompass Feist, Metric, Do Make Say Think, Amy Millan, Stars, Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton, Jason Collett, K.C. Accidental, and Apostle of Hustle.

Kevin Drew from K.C. Accidental and Brendan Canning from By Divine Right established Broken Social Scene in 1999 to work together on fresh material. Following two years of refining their pieces, the pair issued the debut album Feel Good Lost in 2001. Primarily an instrumental effort performed by Drew and Canning, it incorporated contributions from Evan Cranley of Stars, Bill Priddle from K.C. Accidental, Anthony Seck of Shalabi Effect, Charles Spearin of Do Make Say Think, and vocalist Leslie Feist. Justin Peroff, who handled drums during those sessions, soon became a core member, while live performances regularly featured Andrew Whiteman of Stars, Emily Haines of Metric, James Shaw of Metric, John Crossingham of Raising the Fawn, Amy Millan of Stars, and Jason Collett.

Drew, Canning, Peroff, and Spearin formed the center of the expanded 11-member lineup that recorded the 2002 follow-up You Forgot It in People, which added Cranley, Crossingham, Feist, Haines, Priddle, Shaw, and Whiteman. The album marked the group's breakthrough, drawing strong critical praise and securing a Juno Award for Best Alternative Album. In 2003 Broken Social Scene issued the interim compilation Bee Hives, which collected B-sides and remixed material. The self-titled third album arrived in 2005 with an even larger configuration that now incorporated Ohad Benchetrit of Do Make Say Think, Torquil Campbell of Stars, and Martin Davis Kinack alongside the prior participants. Like its predecessor, the record earned another Juno for Best Alternative Album, prompting an international tour; the band also stepped in as last-minute headliners at Toronto's 2006 Virgin Festival after Massive Attack faced visa delays in the U.K.

Once the touring cycle for the self-titled album concluded, the collective entered a hiatus while members focused on solo endeavors. Kevin Drew issued the 2007 solo set Spirit If … under the “Broken Social Scene Presents” banner, followed by Brendan Canning’s 2008 release Something for All of Us, both relying heavily on input from fellow members. Drew additionally put out four “Broken Social Scene Presents” EPs that same year. Author Stuart Berman released the band-authorized book This Book Is Broken in 2009. The following year saw the documentary This Movie Is Broken, a romantic comedy directed by Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald and set during a Broken Social Scene concert in Toronto.

The collective resurfaced in 2010 with the expansive Forgiveness Rock Record, tracked across Toronto, New York, and Chicago and featuring 28 musicians that included members of Pavement and Death from Above 1979. Pre-order customers received the ten-song digital EP Lo-Fi for the Dividing Nights, while seven remixes of “All to All” also appeared. Another critical favorite, the album earned a Polaris Music Prize nomination and reached number one on the Canadian sales charts, peaking at 34 in the United States despite its independent status.

Broken Social Scene entered another hiatus after late 2010 yet reunited for select concerts and festivals; in 2013 the group organized a literary contest soliciting short stories inspired by tracks from You Forgot It in People, with the 13 finalists collected in the volume The Broken Social Scene Story Project: Short Works Inspired by You Forgot It in People. The full 15-member configuration reconvened to record the fifth album Hug of Thunder, issued in July 2017. In January 2019 the band released the single “All I Want” ahead of the February arrival of the Let’s Try the After – Vol. 1 EP.