Hometown: Keswick, Ontario
If 2012’s And I Thank You got The Elwins’ metaphorical foot in the door, then their latest long-player, 2015’s Play for Keeps, is the boys blasting it wide open. And then having a party.
Even before dropping And I Thank You, their full-length debut, The Elwins – vocalist/guitarist, Matthew Sweeney; drummer, Travis Stokl; guitarist/keyboardist, Feurd; and bassist, Frankie Figliomeni – were one of Toronto’s much-hyped hopefuls to fly the upbeat indie pop flag forward.
Since its release, they’ve done the rounds at the major festivals, performed alongside some of the world’s biggest bands like The National and St. Vincent, and been trumpeted by media and industry tastemakers as a (sometimes the) band to keep an eye on. To those that listened, Play For Keeps is what you were watching for.