Genres Indie rock Genre Indie rock | Years active 1989 (1989)–present | |
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Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada Associated acts Broken Social Scene
The Meligrove Band
Wooden Stars
Feist
Wintersleep
Holy Fuck
The Golden Dogs Website www.myspace.com/bydivineright Past members Mark Goldstein
Brendan Canning
Leslie Feist
Brian Borcherdt
John Hall
Dylan Hudecki
Darcy Rego
Cam Giroux
Loel Campbell
Derek Downham
Colleen Hixenbaugh
Michael Small
Jason Nunes
Stew Heyduk
Julien Beillard
Scott Maynard
Rob Carson
Rob Higgins
Cam Bull
Mitch Perkins
Elizabeth Teear
Rob Covens
Michael Milosh
Dave Joseph Albums Mutant Message, Organized Accidents, Divine Right Record labels Hand Drawn Dracula, Linus Entertainment Members Feist, Brendan Canning, Brian Borcherdt Profiles | ||
By Divine Right is a Canadian indie rock band led by the guitarist and vocalist José Miguel Contreras.
Contents
History
The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bass guitarist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve Berman. They issued a number of independent releases before signing to Squirtgun Records for their 1997 album All Hail Discordia. This recording was re-released by Squirtgun/Nettwerk. Bass guitarist Brendan Canning and guitarist Leslie Feist joined the band for their 1999 release Bless This Mess. Canning and Feist later left the band, and have both been involved with Broken Social Scene.
In 2003, By Divine Right became one of the only Canadian bands to do a concert tour of China.
From 2001 to 2004, the band's line up consisted of Contreras, Colleen Hixenbaugh, Brian Borcherdt, John Hall and Dylan Hudecki. In 2004, drummer John Hall was replaced by Cam Giroux (who played on Good Morning Beautiful), while Borcherdt and Hudecki both left the band. Hudecki was replaced by Darcy Rego and then Michael Small, both of The Meligrove Band, for tours of the United States, Canada and Britain supporting Sweet Confusion. Filling in on drums for some dates was Loel Campbell of Wintersleep.
After these tours, the band's line up changed again, to Contreras, Hixenbaugh and Small with drummer Derek Downham, followed by a September 2006 show at the Drake Hotel in Toronto that had the band performing all new songs with Rego, Small and Jason Nunes (the entire Meligrove Band) under the By Divine Right name.
By Divine Right's first live show since 2006 was on December 31, 2007, at the Tranzac Club in Toronto, at which the band's new full-time line up of Contreras, Stew Heyduk (of The Golden Dogs) and Mitch Perkins (formerly of Rusty) appeared together for the first time.
In 2007, By Divine Right contributed a cover version of Rheostatics' "Shaved Head" to the tribute album The Secret Sessions, with a line up consisting only of Contreras and Julien Beillard of the band Wooden Stars.
In May 2008, By Divine Right opened a show for The Golden Dogs at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto with yet another new line up, consisting of Contreras, Heyduk and Darcy Rego returning on drums.
Mutant Message, the band's first album since Sweet Confusion in 2004, was released in Canada in 2009 on the Toronto Arts imprint Hand Drawn Dracula label. The album has José Contreras, Stew Heyduk and Darcy Rego with guest vocals by Jason Nunes and Lily Frost. By Divine Right's first tours since 2005 followed, with a new drummer, David Joseph, and bass guitarist, Michael Milosh. Music videos were released for the songs "I Love a Girl", "Cupid in Oilskins" and "I Will Hook You Up". The band's line up changed again after these tours, with Dylan Hudecki and Darcy Rego each filling in before the current members Geordie Dynes and Alysha Haugen joined in late 2010.
By Divine Right’s ninth album, Organized Accidents, was scheduled for release on May 7, 2013, by Hand Drawn Dracula.
In 2014 José Contreras released his debut solo album via Squirtgun Records.
Discography
Current members
Former members
Songs
Come for a RideBless This Mess · 1999
I Will Hook You UpMutant Message · 2009
Hugger of TreesGood Morning Beautiful · 2001