Laura Peek and the Winning Hearts is a three-piece project featuring cat-lady-in-training Peek on piano and vocals, and moustachioed hunks Dave and Joel on drums and bass. They play quirky, literate, melancholy pop songs and wear matching outfits. They would like to bake you cookies and pet your kitties.

In April 2007, Just Friends Records released From the Photographs. This astounding LP is Laura Peek’s first full-length album and it also marks pop icon Mike O’Neill’s (The Inbreds) first venture into producing. The album features melodic pop songs with dark undertones, using a “less is more” production approach that focuses on Peek’s unique voice and songwriting. From the Photographs was engineered by Charles Austin (The Super Friendz) and features a small, tight-knit cast of musicians, including both O’Neill and Austin.

This summer, The Winning Hearts toured from the Maritimes to Ontario in support of From the Photographs. While in Toronto, the group shot a video for “Stand Right There” with Juno-winning director Ante Kovac (Joel Plaskett, Sarah Harmer). The video features a supporting cast of actor-cats in party hats. Apparently, The Winning Hearts are the first band ever to get a VideoFACT grant without having a distribution deal.

Though this is Peek’s debut album, she has been an integral part of the Halifax music scene for over five years. She has played with such bands as Brent Randall and his Pinecones, The Sweet Tenders, and the French “crazywave” outfit Le Coque et les Phoques. In the summer of 2006, she toured Canada and the United States as a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist with Buck 65.

From the Photographs peaked several times at no.1 on CKDU (Halifax), and reached no.9 on the national Earshot chart. Sneak Peek, Laura’s 2004 EP, made the CKDU chart for 11 weeks straight, peaking twice at no.1 and ranked no.7 on the station’s 2005 year-end chart. The Winning Hearts have played at Pop Montreal (2007), the Halifax Pop Explosion (2004, 2006, 2007), and North by Northeast (2005), and have been invited to appear at CMW 2008. In the last year, Peek has opened for Final Fantasy, The Besnard Lakes, Julie Doiron, The Acorn, The Meligrove Band, Bella, and Immaculate Machine.

6 Aug 2008 22:00 Tribeca Halifax
28 Aug 2008 22:00 Gus’s Pub Halifax

Little Foot Long Foot, born out of necessity. This two member Toronto-based band was conceived from a tribute act. Isaac Klein (drums) bought his second tom to bash like Bonham, and Joan Smith (guitar and vocals) did her best to carry off Plant’s feminine machismo without stuffing her pants. After discovering that the smartest business decision for a tribute band is to add as many midgets as possible, Joan accepted her inability to shred wicked solos, strapped on a fat loud guitar and dug out her originals. Isaac put away the second tom so that Joan’s amp would fit in his car, and they journeyed towards a new horizon where White Stripes comparisons were lush and unavoidable.

Being a two piece band is all Little Foot Long Foot has in common with The White Stripes – musically they couldn’t be further apart. Joan’s voice is hard to put to words, there are moments when you can picture her chugging back JD straight from the bottle, channeling Joplin herself. From a light Billie Holiday to a Dylan feel. Be sure to check this Toronto Blues-Rockn’ duo with their injections of sarcastic prose at one of these great venues.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

June 17th 9pm Mercury Lounge, Ottawa with Bible All Stars
June 18th 9pm Brasserie Lafontaine, Riviere Du Loup
June 20th 9pm The Capital, Fredericton with Chris Colepaugh
June 21st 8pm Summer Solstice Festival, Saint John’s
June 25th 10pm Tribeca, Halifax
June 28th 9pm Brennans, Charlottetown
June 30th 8pm The Mersey House, Liverpool
July 4th 8pm Chuggles, Antigonish
July 5th 8pm Seahorse Tavern, Halifax
July 8th 10pm Gus’s Pub, Halifax
July 10th 9pm The Capital, Fredericton
July 11th 8pm Duncan’s Pub, Amherst with Jon McKeil
July 12th 8pm JB’s Pub, Springhill NS with Nicknameless
July 18th 8pm A Khord, St John’s
July 19th 8pm Doc Dylans, Moncton
July 23rd 9pm Divan Orange, Montreal
July 24th 9pm The Rainbow, Ottawa
Aug 14th 8pm The Supermarket, Toronto
Aug 15th 9pm PepperJacks’s, Hamilton