The New Pornographers

The New Pornographers are a Canadian indie rock band, formed in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Presented as a musical collective and supergroup<ref name="SpinBest">Template:Cite web</ref> of singer-songwriters and musicians from multiple projects, the band currently consists of Carl Newman (vocals, guitar), Neko Case (vocals), John Collins (bass), Todd Fancey (guitar) and Kathryn Calder (keyboards, backing vocals).

The band has released nine studio albums to date and have received critical acclaim for their use of multiple vocalists and songwriters, as well as for the elements of power pop incorporated into their music.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pitchfork has described the band's sound as "peppy, gleeful, headstrong guitar pop",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while Stereogum has retrospectively praised the band's debut album Mass Romantic as "one of the greatest" power pop albums.<ref name="SpinBest"></ref>

History

The New Pornographers' name was chosen by Carl Newman, who has said that he came up with it because he was a fan of a Japanese film called The Pornographers. It was also an homage to The New Seekers and "The Pornographers," a track on bandmate Dan Bejar's first Destroyer album, We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band has released nine albums to date: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), Together (2010), Brill Bruisers (2014), Whiteout Conditions (2017), In the Morse Code of Brake Lights (2019), and Continue as a Guest (2023). A live album recorded on their 2006 tour is available only at concerts and on the band's website. In 2005, the band was the subject of Reginald Harkema's documentary film Better Off in Bed.<ref>"Harkema's road rockumentary inspired by the Rolling Stones". Edmonton Journal, July 22, 2005.</ref>

The New Pornographers' first four albums each placed in the top 40 on The Village VoiceTemplate:'s Pazz & Jop year-end poll of hundreds of music reviewers. From 2000 to 2006, either a New Pornographers' album or a solo album from one of the band's members ranked in the top 40 on the list each year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, Blender magazine ranked the New Pornographers' first album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the band's second studio album, Electric Version, No. 79 in the "100 Best Albums of the Decade".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

All of the New Pornographers' original members were prominent within the Vancouver music scene prior to forming the band. Kathryn Calder, who is also Newman's niece, joined the band in 2005 largely as a live replacement for Neko Case, whose solo career often left her unavailable to perform with the band. Calder's first lead vocals for the band were on 2007's Challengers, singing the lead on "Failsafe" and sharing the lead with Newman on "Adventures in Solitude".Template:Citation needed

In 2009, the New Pornographers contributed a cover of the Destroyer song "Hey, Snow White" to the AIDS benefit album Dark Was the Night, produced by the Red Hot Organization. The band released their fifth album, Together, on May 4, 2010, on Matador Records. The album includes collaborations from St. Vincent, Beirut's Zach Condon, and Okkervil River's Will Sheff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, the New Pornographers contributed a cover of the song "Think About Me" for the Fleetwood Mac tribute CD called Just Tell Me That You Want Me released by Hear Music. The band's sixth album, Brill Bruisers, was released on August 26, 2014.<ref name="pitchfork">Template:Cite web</ref> The album was their highest charting to date in the United States, peaking at #13 on the Billboard 200.<ref name="Billboard Charts" />

On January 26, 2017, the New Pornographers announced their seventh album, Whiteout Conditions, would be released on April 7. The album was preceded by the single "High Ticket Attractions".<ref name="whiteout">Template:Cite web</ref> The album is the first to feature drummer Joe Seiders as a full-time member after replacing drummer Kurt Dahle in mid-2014. It is also the first New Pornographers album to not feature Dan Bejar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Newman, however, went on the record to note that Bejar's absence did not mean he had left the band entirely; telling Stereogum:

On November 29, 2018, A.C. Newman announced via Twitter that he had begun work on a future New Pornographers album.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> On August 2, 2019, the band announced via Twitter that it would release its new album, In the Morse Code of Brake Lights, on September 27, and released its first single from the album, "Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile".<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In a press release for the album, Dan Bejar is described as a "former (and possibly future) member" of the band. The new press photos for the band include vocalist/violinist Simi Stone, officially inducting her into the band after being an auxiliary touring member since 2015.

In July 2021, the band announced a North American tour where they would play Mass Romantic and Twin Cinema in full across simultaneous nights, as well as a reissue of Mass Romantic on vinyl. This announcement also confirmed the return of Bejar to the band, as well as the departure of both Thurier and Stone.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On January 9, 2023, A.C. Newman announced via Twitter that the band had moved to a new label, Merge Records, alongside announcing the band's ninth album Continue as a Guest, a single from the album, "Really Really Light", and a tour starting in April. The band's press photos confirmed Bejar's second departure from the group – although he has a co-writing credit on "Really Really Light".<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On April 17, 2025, drummer Joe Seiders, who had been with the band since 2014, was arrested in California on child pornography charges, leading to the band to immediately fire him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2025, the band confirmed that they would be continuing, and would tour North America in 2026.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an interview with Rolling Stone, Newman also confirmed that Seiders' drum parts for the band's forthcoming tenth studio album, slated for release in 2026, had been scrapped. Charley Drayton overdubbed new drum parts onto the album, although he is "unlikely" to tour with the band going forward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Members

Current members

Members' other projects in brackets

• Neko Case – vocals (solo artist, Maow, The Corn Sisters, Cub) (1997–present)
• John Collins – bass (the Evaporators, Destroyer, Thorsen) (1997–present)
• Carl Newman – vocals, guitar (solo artist (as A.C. Newman), Superconductor, Zumpano, Thee Crusaders) (1997–present)
• Todd Fancey – lead guitar, backing vocals (solo artist (as Fancey), Limblifter) (2003–present)
• Kathryn Calder – keyboards, backing vocals, guitar (solo artist, Immaculate Machine, Frontperson) (2005–present)

Current touring musicians

• Nora O'Connor – backing vocals, percussion (The Flat Five) (2021–present)
• Adam Schatz – saxophone, synthesizer (Japanese Breakfast) (2023–present)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Former members

• Fisher Rose – drums (Destroyer, A.C. Newman) (1997–1999)
• Kurt Dahle – drums, backing vocals (Limblifter, the Age of Electric) (1999–2014)
• Simi Stone – violin, backing vocals, percussion (solo artist, Suffrajett) (2019–2021; touring musician 2015–2019)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Blaine Thurier – keyboards, synthesizer (independent filmmaker, Thee Crusaders) (1997–2021)
• Dan Bejar – vocals, guitar (Destroyer, Swan Lake, Hello, Blue Roses) (1997–2017, 2021–2022)
• Joe Seiders – drums, backing vocals (Beat Club) (2014–2025)

Former touring musicians

• Lindsay "Coco" Hames – backing vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar (The Ettes) (2014)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:100 top:0 right:15 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1997 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1997 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1997

Colors =

id:vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals
id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals,_percussion
id:guitar value:green    legend:Guitar
id:bass   value:blue   legend:Bass
id:drums  value:orange      legend:Drums
id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards
id:violin  value:drabgreen   legend:Violin
id:studio  value:black    legend:Studio_album

LineData =

color:studio layer:back
at:11/21/2000
at:05/06/2003
at:08/23/2005
at:08/21/2007
at:05/04/2010
at:08/26/2014
at:04/07/2017
at:09/27/2019
at:03/31/2023

BarData =

bar:Newman  text:"Carl Newman"
bar:Case text:"Neko Case"
bar:Bejar text:"Dan Bejar"
bar:Fancey text:"Todd Fancey"
bar:Thurier  text:"Blaine Thurier"
bar:Calder text:"Kathryn Calder"
bar:Collins text:"John Collins"
bar:Stone text:"Simi Stone"
bar:Rose  text:"Fisher Rose"
bar:Dahle text:"Kurt Dahle"
bar:Seiders text:"Joe Seiders"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
bar:Newman   from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:vocals
bar:Newman   from:01/01/1997 till:06/01/2014 color:keyboard width:3
bar:Newman   from:06/01/2001 till:06/01/2014 color:guitar width:7
bar:Newman   from:06/01/2006 till:06/01/2014 color:bass width:5
bar:Newman   from:06/01/2014 till:end        color:guitar width:3
bar:Case     from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:vocals
bar:Case     from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:bvocals width:3
bar:Bejar    from:01/01/1997 till:01/01/2017 color:vocals
bar:Bejar    from:01/01/1997 till:06/01/2001 color:guitar width:7
bar:Bejar    from:01/01/1997 till:06/01/2001 color:keyboard width:3
bar:Bejar    from:11/01/2004 till:06/01/2014 color:guitar width:7
bar:Bejar    from:11/01/2004 till:06/01/2014 color:keyboard width:3
bar:Bejar    from:07/13/2021 till:12/17/2022 color:vocals
bar:Fancey   from:01/01/2003 till:end        color:guitar
bar:Fancey   from:01/01/2003 till:11/01/2004 color:keyboard width:3
bar:Thurier  from:01/01/1997 till:07/13/2021 color:keyboard
bar:Calder   from:03/01/2005 till:end        color:keyboard
bar:Calder   from:03/01/2005 till:end        color:bvocals width:3
bar:Calder   from:01/01/2017 till:end        color:guitar width:7
bar:Collins  from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:bass
bar:Collins  from:06/01/2001 till:06/01/2014 color:keyboard width:7
bar:Collins  from:06/01/2001 till:06/01/2014 color:guitar width:5
bar:Collins  from:06/01/2001 till:06/01/2014 color:bvocals width:3
bar:Rose     from:01/01/1997 till:07/21/1999 color:drums
bar:Dahle    from:07/21/1999 till:09/14/2014 color:drums
bar:Dahle    from:07/21/1999 till:09/14/2014 color:bvocals width:3
bar:Seiders  from:09/15/2014 till:04/17/2025 color:drums
bar:Seiders  from:09/15/2014 till:04/17/2025 color:bvocals width:3
bar:Stone    from:08/01/2019 till:07/13/2021 color:violin
bar:Stone    from:08/01/2019 till:07/13/2021 color:bvocals width:3

</timeline>

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions

Title	Details	Peak chart positions
		CAN <ref>Peak position for Challengers on the Canadian Albums Chart: Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Billboard Charts">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	AUS Hit. <ref>Peaks on the ARIA Hitseekers chart: Together: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore Brill Bruisers: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore Whiteout Conditions: Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref>	SCO <ref name="Scottish-Albums">Peaks on the Scottish Albums chart: "Brill Bruisers": Template:Cite web</ref>	UK <ref name="UK">Template:Cite web</ref>	UK Indie <ref name="UK-IndieA">Peaks in UK Independent Albums Chart: Challengers: Template:Cite web Together: Template:Cite web Brill Bruisers: Template:Cite web Continue as a Guest: Template:Cite web</ref>	US <ref name="billboard-200">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Indie <ref name="billboard-indie">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Rock <ref name="billboard-rock">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Mass Romantic	Released: November 21, 2000 Label: Mint Formats: CD, LP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Electric Version	Released: May 6, 2003 Label: Mint/Matador Formats: CD, LP	—	—	—	—	—	196	12	—
Twin Cinema	Released: August 23, 2005 Label: Mint/Matador Formats: CD, LP	—	—	—	—	—	44	5	—
Challengers	Released: August 21, 2007 Label: Matador Formats: CD, LP	20	—	—	156	13	34	4	10
Together	Released: May 4, 2010 Label: Matador Formats: CD, LP	14	16	—	168	18	18	2	5
Brill Bruisers	Released: August 26, 2014 Label: Matador Formats: CD, LP, cassette, streaming	14	3	94	132	32	13	2	3
Whiteout Conditions	Released: April 7, 2017 Label: Concord Records Formats: CD, LP, streaming	82	17	—	—	—	35	—	6
In the Morse Code of Brake Lights	Released: September 27, 2019 Label: Concord Records Formats: CD, LP, streaming	—	—	—	—	—	144	—	26
Continue as a Guest	Released: March 31, 2023 Label: Merge Records Formats: CD, LP, streaming	—	—	—	—Template:Efn	45	—Template:Efn	—	—
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

• Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) (2005)
• Live! (2006)
• LIVE from SoHo (iTunes Exclusive) (2008)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions

Title	Year	Peak chart positions						Album
		CAN Rock <ref name="CAN-Rock-singles">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	AUT <ref name=AUT>Template:Cite web</ref>	US AAA <ref name="US-AAA-singles">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Rock Air <ref name="Rock-Air">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	MEX Air <ref name="Mexico-Ingles">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	UK <ref name="UK" />
"Letter from an Occupant"<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Deadlink</ref>	2002	—	—	—	—	—	139	Mass Romantic
"High Art, Local News"<ref name="TNP-Matador" />	2005	—	—	—	—	—	—	Twin Cinema
"Twin Cinema"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Use It"<ref name="TNP-Matador" />		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Sing Me Spanish Techno"<ref name="TNP-Matador" />		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Challengers"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2007	—	—	—	—	—	—	Challengers
"My Rights Versus Yours"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"The Spirit of Giving"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—	Template:Non-album single
"Myriad Harbour"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2008	—	—	—	—	—	—	Challengers
"Mutiny, I Promise You"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Hey, Snow White"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2009	—	46	—	—	—	—	Dark Was the Night
"Your Hands (Together)"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2010	43	—	—	—	16	—	Together
"Crash Years"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Togetherness"<ref name="TNP-Matador">Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—	Template:Non-album single
"Moves"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2011	—	—	—	—	—	—	Together
"Up in the Dark"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Brill Bruisers"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2014	24	—	—	—	—	—	Brill Bruisers
"War on the East Coast"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Dancehall Domine"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Champions of Red Wine"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2015	—	—	—	—	—	—
"High Ticket Attractions"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2017	27	—	5	49	—	—	Whiteout Conditions
"This Is the World of the Theatre"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Whiteout Conditions"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	24	—	—	—
"Falling Down the Stairs of Your Smile"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2019	—	—	12	—	—	—	In the Morse Code of Brake Lights
"The Surprise Knock"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"One Kind of Solomon"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Really Really Light"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2023	—	—	24	—	—	—	Continue as a Guest
"Angelcover"		—	—	–	—	—	—
"Pontius Pilate's Home Movies"		—	—	–	—	—	—
"—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Contributions with non-LP songs

• FUBAR: The Album (2002) – "Your Daddy Don't Know"
• Matador at Fifteen (2004) – "Graceland"
• Dark Was the Night (2009) – "Hey, Snow White"
• Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe (2011) - "Hey, Snow White"
• Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac (2012) – "Think About Me"

Other contributions

• Queer as Folk (2000) – "Mass Romantic"
• Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001) – "Letter from an Occupant"
• Men with Brooms (2002) – "Mass Romantic"
• CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Vol. 1 (2004) – "The Fake Headlines"
• Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2004) – "Mass Romantic"
• The Office (Season 2, Episode 7: "The Client") (2005) – "Use It"
• Weeds (2005) – "The Laws Have Changed"
• Waiting... (2005) – "Electric Version"
• Gilmore Girls (2004) – "The Laws Have Changed"
• Gilmore Girls (2005) – "Twin Cinema"
• The Hour (Main Title Theme Season 3) (2006) – "Use It"
• Chuck (Season 1, Episode 2: "Chuck Versus the Helicopter") (2007) – "Challengers"
• Heroes (Season 2, Episode 6: "The Line") (2007) – "All for Swinging You Around"
• Rock Band (2007) – "Electric Version", "Use It", "All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth" (DLC)
• University of Phoenix commercial (2007) – "Bleeding Heart Show"
• Stone of Destiny (2008) – "Mutiny, I Promise You"
• NBA playoffs (2008) – "Use It"
• Numb3rs (2008) – "Challengers"
• Secret Diary of a Call Girl (Series 2, Episode 2) (2008) – "Adventures in Solitude"
• Management (2009) – "Adventures in Solitude", "All the Old Showstoppers"
• Ugly Betty (2010) – "Adventures in Solitude"
• The Good Wife (Season 2, Episode 13) (2011) – "Testament to Youth in Verse"
• Amazon Kindle commercial – "Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk"
• T-Mobile commercial (2011) – "Moves"
• Hyundai commercial (Canada) – "Moves"
• Go On (opening credits) (2012) – "Moves"
• Between (Season 1, Episode 1) (2015) – "Moves"
• Speechless (Season 1, Episode 22: "M-A-- MAY-JAY") (2017) – "Dancehall Domine"
• Blindspot (Season 3, Episode 1) – "The Bleeding Heart Show"
• Daybreak (Season 1, Episode 9) – "Adventures in Solitude"

See also

• Canadian rock
• List of bands from British Columbia
• Music of Vancouver

External links

• Official site
• Matador Records label website