About The Paperboys
The Paperboys are a Canadian folk music band from Vancouver that formed in 1991. The Paperboys blend Celtic folk with bluegrass, Mexican, Eastern European, African, zydeco, soul and country influences. The band has had a variety of members and line-ups since its original formation, with Landa remaining as the sole founding member, although veteran banjoist/bassist Cam Salay often returns as a guest performer. Known for consistently creating pop songs with melodic hooks, their music has been called versatile, with a wide range of influences, melding diverse musical influences more successfully than some other Irish rock bands have previously.
The Paperboys first studio album, Late As Usual, was released on their own record label Stompy Discs in 1995. They also created Stomp Productions to produce and market their work themselves. Their first three studio albums have received Juno Award nominations, with 1997's Molinos winning for the Roots and Traditional Album of the Year category. They also won a West Coast Music Award the same year.
Their album Postcards won a West Coast Music Award in 2000.
After the untimely death of drummer Paul Lawton, The Paperboys helped to finance a scholarship in his name. The band has also appeared in and scored award-winning international films. They are noted for their version of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower", which was part of a tribute album for Dylan's 60th birthday. Their most recent release, and seventh album, was 2014's At Peace With One's Ghosts.
A staple at folk, roots, and bluegrass festivals in North America and Europe, The Paperboys have extensively toured both continents, performing in England, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Austria. Frequently featured on Canadian national television, The Paperboys have said in the past, "We get paid for the travel time, but play for free."
The Paperboys were originally formed in 1991 by bassist Christopher Jonat and Tom Landa on acoustic guitar and vocals, with Jeremy Hughes on accordion and vocals, Kevin Ball on fiddle, and Dave Plenkovich on drums. This early version of the band was very popular with the Vancouver college crowds, but after creative discrepancies Landa kept the Paperboys name, and all the other remaining band members reformed as The Clumsy Lovers.
Tom Landa was born in Mexico to a Canadian mother of Irish ancestry and a Mexican father, and later moved from Mexico City to Vancouver, British Columbia. Initially, Landa discovered Celtic music via the Canadian band Spirit of the West, whose flautist and co-vocalist was Geoffrey Kelly. Kelly would later produce half of The Paperboys' first studio album Late as Usual with Colin Nairne and eventually end up joining the band full-time.
Map & Directions To Venue
