The Dears

History

The Dears came together in 1995 and put out their debut album, End of a Hollywood Bedtime Story, in 2000. Their orchestral, dark pop sound and dramatic live shows made them a key part of the emerging Canadian indie renaissance. In October 2001, they shared a Toronto stage with Sloan. Over the next two years, they issued the EPs Orchestral Pop Noir Romantique and Protest, plus a collection of unreleased tracks called Nor the Dahlias.

Their second LP, No Cities Left, arrived in 2003, and a series of performances at SXSW in 2004 kicked off their international career. They toured heavily across Canada, the U.S., the UK, Europe, Japan, and Australia behind that album, then went back to the studio in 2005. Gang of Losers came out in 2006 to positive press. The band has opened for Sloan, The Tragically Hip, Keane, The Secret Machines, and Morrissey.

On July 10, 2007, Gang of Losers was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. The follow-up, Missiles, was released in the UK on October 20, 2008, and in North America the next day. Their fifth album, Degeneration Street, dropped on February 15, 2011, and earned a longlist nomination for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.

Awards and nominations

The Dears' album No Cities Left was a finalist for the 2016 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize, covering the years 1996 to 2005. Their 2011 release Degeneration Street made the long list for that year's Polaris Music Prize.

Gang of Losers, from 2007, was a Polaris shortlist pick and earned GAMIQ nominations for International Career, Best Indie Rock Album, and Best Concert. In 2004, No Cities Left was a first-round contender for the New Pantheon Music Award and received Juno and CMW Canadian Independent Music Award nods. The same album was up for the 2003 CASBY Award for Favourite Indie Release.