So—is it redundant to say that Wintersleep had a pretty good year? I mean, I was ass-deep in West Africa for a considerable chunk of the time and even I heard that “Weighty Ghost” was blowing up. Now the boys are getting yet another shout-out for their efforts by being nominated for the SOCAN 2008 ECHO Prize. The award is in its third year and recognizes independent Canadian songwriting from a variety of genres. Awhile ago, a group of music tastemakers from publications across the country (including our dear Coast arts editor Sue Carter Flinn) voted for a total of 30 songs, and then they narrowed ’em down to five, one of these songs being “Weighty Ghost.” The public then gets to determine the winner by going to echoprize.ca where all five songs are posted. They can then listen, enjoy, and vote. You can go online and vote for Wintersleep (or any of the other four songs, of course) until Sept 29.
This article appears in Sep 4-10, 2008.