Biography
The White Wires, a garage punk trio from Ottawa, blend raw guitar-driven intensity with infectious melodies that echo the glory of mid-1960s AM radio. Three veterans of the city’s underground music scene make up the lineup: guitarist and vocalist Ian Manhire, who operates the indie imprint Going Gaga Records; bassist and vocalist Luke Martin, formerly of Million Dollar Marxists and host of the club night Rock ‘n' Roll Pizza Party; and drummer Allie Hanlon, who releases music as Peach Kelli Pop while staging rock events at ad-hoc spaces. The three first connected through overlapping circles of friends and repeated encounters at local gigs. During a Rock ‘n' Roll Pizza Party event in autumn 2007, they began discussing the idea of starting a band together. By the end of December they were already performing live, quickly building a devoted audience for their gritty yet hook-filled pop/punk material.
The group recorded a self-titled album that Going Gaga issued in late 2008 as a limited run of 325 vinyl copies. Once that pressing sold out, Douchemaster Records handled a reissue. In 2009 the White Wires crossed into the United States for appearances at Gonerfest in Memphis, Tennessee, the Atlanta Messaround in Georgia, and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, while also cutting tracks that later surfaced on singles for Trouble in Mind Records and Ugly Pop Records. Dirtnap Records, which had enjoyed steady mail-order and online sales of the debut LP, contacted the band in 2010. After reaching an agreement, the label released the follow-up album II in early 2011 across CD, vinyl, and digital formats. The third album, simply titled III, arrived in mid-2012 and presented a marginally more mature and sincere version of the band’s high-octane approach.
The group recorded a self-titled album that Going Gaga issued in late 2008 as a limited run of 325 vinyl copies. Once that pressing sold out, Douchemaster Records handled a reissue. In 2009 the White Wires crossed into the United States for appearances at Gonerfest in Memphis, Tennessee, the Atlanta Messaround in Georgia, and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, while also cutting tracks that later surfaced on singles for Trouble in Mind Records and Ugly Pop Records. Dirtnap Records, which had enjoyed steady mail-order and online sales of the debut LP, contacted the band in 2010. After reaching an agreement, the label released the follow-up album II in early 2011 across CD, vinyl, and digital formats. The third album, simply titled III, arrived in mid-2012 and presented a marginally more mature and sincere version of the band’s high-octane approach.
Albums
