A roots music loving band, Hopelessly stuck somewhere between America and Japan
Pirates Canoe, a group of somewhere 5-6 members.who began performing together in the summer of 2009 in the Kansai area of Japan. With members from all sorts of genres (Irish, jam, soul, rock, etc.), a healthy love of the old, and self-penned songs, the band manages to create a traditional but fresh sound.
Bio
Rolling Stone on Pirates Canoe
"Even the hippest of SXSW hipsters probably haven't heard of Pirates Canoe, but with a sound that's Alison Krauss-meets-Ry Cooder-meets Alan Toussaint, they're the skinny jeans from Japan that are destined to be fashionable stateside soon. The sometimes trio, other times sextet, mixes a dollop of Irish folk with a helping of fiddle, mandolin, guitar and percussion that beautifully complement — but never overwhelm — the singers' ethereal harmonies. Though based in Japan, the members met in a very Amer...
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A roots music loving band, Hopelessly stuck somewhere between America and Japan
Pirates Canoe, a group of somewhere 5-6 members.who began performing together in the summer of 2009 in the Kansai area of Japan. With members from all sorts of genres (Irish, jam, soul, rock, etc.), a healthy love of the old, and self-penned songs, the band manages to create a traditional but fresh sound.
Bio
Rolling Stone on Pirates Canoe
"Even the hippest of SXSW hipsters probably haven't heard of Pirates Canoe, but with a sound that's Alison Krauss-meets-Ry Cooder-meets Alan Toussaint, they're the skinny jeans from Japan that are destined to be fashionable stateside soon. The sometimes trio, other times sextet, mixes a dollop of Irish folk with a helping of fiddle, mandolin, guitar and percussion that beautifully complement — but never overwhelm — the singers' ethereal harmonies. Though based in Japan, the members met in a very Americana way; the story of Pirates Canoe's inception involves a bar, a violin case and a few adult beverages. That's not to say that the band has completely shucked its Asian roots for Nashville though. Consider "Gull Flying North," an uptempo mandolin romp that has just enough delicate tones to bring the Far East to mind.
--- SXSW 2015: 21 Country-Music Artists You Need to See
Esquire on Pirates Canoe
Because who knew that an Americana act from Kyoto, Japan, looks significantly odder on paper than it sounds in practice? Half a song in and it's not the novelty, but the songcraft and playing that grabs and holds your attention. If only half of what East Nashville is churning out right now seemed this authentically heartfelt.
--- 10 Bands You Need to Know from SXSW 2015
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