Electronic Press Kit

Music and Live Performance Videos

“Beautifully blurring the lines between Folk and AltCountry, with that Canadian ‘edge’ and trademarked ‘cool’ that is so difficult to put into words.” — The Rocking Magpie (UK)

Bio— Long

“Beautifully blurring the lines between Folk and AltCountry, with that Canadian ‘edge’ and trademarked ‘cool’ that is so difficult to put into words.”* For over a decade and a half now, The Wanted have built a reputation for writing honest and gritty roots songs, infused with a spirit that’s darkly haunting, incisively witty, or just plain fun. It’s an approach the band has honed since their early days, cutting their teeth at storied roots venues and releasing their self-titled debut album, tallying close to a half-million Spotify streams. For Strange Flight, their new album, The Wanted enlisted Michael Timmins of the Cowboy Junkies, whose trademark sonic approach emphasizes live group chemistry. And that was indeed the result when Natalie Rogers (vocals, guitar), Jeff Rogers (vocals, guitar) and Richard Henderson (acoustic lap steel guitar, vocals) emerged from The Hangar, the Junkies’ recording studio, with Strange Flight’s 10 tracks. The Wanted forge a fresh sound by finding common ground in diverse musical influences— reconstructing roots music, one song at a time. This is full-throated, full-throttle swamp americana, with edgy licks, infectious rhythms and soaring harmonies— a “performance worthy of The Ryman on a steamy Saturday night.”*

* The Rocking Magpie (UK)

Bio— Short

“Beautifully blurring the lines between Folk and AltCountry, with that Canadian ‘edge’ and trademarked ‘cool’ that is so difficult to put into words.”* This is honest and gritty roots music— full-throated full-throttle swamp americana, with edgy licks, infectious rhythms and soaring harmonies— all infused with a spirit that's darkly haunting, incisively witty, or just plain fun. The Wanted reconstruct conventional roots genres, connecting diverse musical influences in "performances worthy of The Ryman on a steamy Saturday night.”*

*The Rocking Magpie, UK

Strange Flight— nominated for Album of the Year by Folk Music Ontario, Canada’s largest folk and roots music organization.

Downloadable Tracks

Press and Quotes

“Beautifully Blurring the Lines Between Folk and AltCountry”

“Treading the path that marks out AltCountry and Americana albeit with that Canadian ‘edge’ and trademarked ‘cool’ that is so difficult to put into words”

“Performances worthy of The Ryman on a steamy Saturday night”

“The harmonies might just send a shiver down your spine”

“A band steeped in Southern States swampy grooves”

—The Rocking Magpie (UK)

“In ‘Strange Flight’ The Wanted weave an impressive array of roots threads throughout which the overriding impression is their atmospheric melodies and harmonies.”

—Americana UK

“With this album, The Wanted firmly establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with, offering a musical experience that will appeal to fans across the roots music spectrum.”

—Roots Music Canada

“The Earshot Song Of The Day is 'Way Down In The Hole' by the Toronto alt-country group The Wanted— a raw, rootsy track compelling you to imagine hearing it during songwriter nights at Horseshoe Tavern or The Bluebird Cafe.”

—!earshot-Distro (online platform distributing music for broadcast to radio stations across Canada)

“Veteran Toronto folk-rockers, The Wanted have unveiled a lyric video for “Strange Flight”, the title track from their new album to be released on March 26, 2021.

For Strange Flight, The Wanted chose to raise their game further by enlisting production assistance from Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, whose trademark sonic approach emphasizes live group chemistry.

“The song ‘Strange Flight’ started really as a cry of frustration and anger at things in the past we can’t change,” Jeff Rogers explains. “It also came at a time when I was listening to a lot of dark, ‘60s spaghetti western-influenced guitar music. I wanted the song to have a kind of a cinematic quality, which I thought suited the song’s emotional content.””

—Canadian Beats

“The Wanted…they have a cool Tom Waits thing going on, so check them out.”

—Rachel Chlost, Adobe & Teardrops (US blog and podcast)

“This is a band making waves right now. Check out this amazing video [Stand Up]. Love Love Love this tune - everybody needs to take a few minutes out of their schedule to sit back and enjoy this one!!!!!”

—Great Dark Wonder (US blog and ezine)

“Contagious, raucous, hip swaying music…Simply irresistible!”
“Timeless songs performed by an excellent set of Canadian musicians with a passion for music and collaboration.”

—AltCountryForum, The Netherlands (translated from Dutch)

“The Wanted embrace country music, blues, bluegrass and rockabilly, combining vocal harmonies, great musicianship and original material for a fresh take on a genre that’s long overdue for a revival. Think of them as the Carter Family meets Chuck Berry. Their show will transport you to another era, so hop on board for a great ride.”

—Mariposa Folk Festival

“The Wanted delivered a solid wave of sound fusion combining folk, bluegrass, blues, country and rock, leading to a standing ovation and encores. The concert had a beautiful flow between the songwriting, singing and playing, which led to many of the audience members requesting the Oakville Centre to bring them back…soon!”

—Ronnie Brown Marketing and Development Coordinator, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

“If you want to know about roots, and some blues and rock and country and bluegrass, all rolled into one, an incredible mix, this is the band for you!”

—Hudson Music Festival, Quebec

“The Wanted performances at Mariposa Folk Festival were vibrant, engaging and fun. They collaborated in the workshop spirit and their own concerts were well-received by our audience. The Wanted embraced the spirit of Mariposa with a warm, engaging presence throughout the weekend, both on stage and off. It was really fun having them at the festival!”

—Liz Scott, Artistic Director, Mariposa Folk Festival

“...an amazing band!”

—Kathryn Terry, Artistic Director, Bobcaygeon Music Council

“The Wanted performed at Toronto Botanical Garden on July 18 – back by popular demand after appearing two years ago at our “Edwards Summer Music Series”. Our audience (usually numbering around 500) appreciate the varied programming that brings them live music played by real musicians on real instruments. Playing on a gorgeous evening in a beautiful setting, The Wanted satisfied a yearning for rootsy and real. We hope to have them back again.”

—Harry Jongerden, Garden Director, Toronto Botanical Garden

“This talented band entertained our audience with their mix of musical genres and styles with both covers and originals. There was toe-tapping, dancing, and many smiling faces. The crowd wanted to hear more at the end, and The Wanted was only too happy to deliver. Beautiful voices, accomplished instrumentalists, and top-notch musicianship. We’re so glad they came to our Concerts in the Park in Bobcaygeon.”

—Bobcaygeon Music Council, Bobcaygeon, Ontario

“We had the wonderful opportunity to host THE WANTED here at a House Concert on April 6th 2019. These folks shared their stories, original tunes, harmonies and some very cleverly re-worked favourite covers, and great humour. Our audience all went home with lighter hearts and toes still tapping. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to share an evening with The Wanted. I can’t wait to see them again.”

—Patty McLaughlin and Ginny Clements, Innisfil Live Music

“From the first time I saw this band I thought, wow, these guys are so good at what they do that I knew I “wanted” them!”

—Ronnie Brown Marketing and Development Coordinator, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

“The Wanted are my favourite band! I met my then future husband at their Hugh’s Room CD launch!”

—Treasa Levasseur- Musician, Recording Artist, Juno Nominee, Educator, Community Arts Facilitator, and Canadian Representative for Folk Alliance International

“The harmonies are fucking awesome and they touched me in places my mother has never seen and no girlfriend has ever found!!”

—Steve Rutyna- Talent Buyer

Photos

Contact

Booking:

Marion Meyers, Creative Infusion

Marion@creativeinfusion.ca

905-985-1335