Folk Music totally re-vamped! Quartet with acoustic instrumentation
& hard hitting, high energy, dazzling 4-part harmonies. A smart
Pop mentality drives hip Bluegrass, Celtic, Gospel & Canadiana
flavours that spring from an Old-Time Mennonite family tradition.
Dan
Wiebe, sister Rebecca Harder, and husband Matthew Harder compose and
perform as only a family does, with uncanny unity and cohesion. The
entire Wiebe family has been singing together since early childhood
where they first began to hone their craft as Sunday morning vocalists
in a Mennonite congregation. House of Doc was born after Matthew
Harder, already a professional musician, clearly saw the potential in
this remarkable family of musicians. Though only 5’ 6” Matthew has
used his strength as a performer, composer and guitarist to help drive
the group from the status of gifted amateurs to serious entertainment
up and comers, and he hasn’t needed to stand on an apple box to do it.
Dan Wiebe, the baby of the group, is a serious up & coming
songwriter, but is also a gifted composer and arranger of classical and
choral music, a multi-instrumentalist, and a remarkable vocalist.
Big
sister Rebecca Harder has extensive experience not only in flutes,
whistles, accordion, and of course vocals but is also a highly regarded
music educator.
Jesse Krause is the newest member of the Docs,
having replaced former member (and brother) David Wiebe who left the
group late in 2005. His remarkable multi-instrumental capabilities, as
well as intricate musical imagination have helped propel the Docs to a
new level of achievement.
Background
Named after their
family home, presided over by Grandfather David ‘Doc’ Schroeder, Ph.
D., House of Doc family history in Canada dates back to the late
1800s. Infusing musical inspirations such as Gordon Lightfoot, Simon
& Garfunkel & Spirit of the West with intricate harmonies,
sophisticated counterpoint and a rocking, down-home delivery, the band
has captured its story with a rich and sensitive attention to detail.
“…We
come from a pretty broad musical background.” says Matthew Harder.
Daniel Wiebe explains, “We have a pretty large instrumental capability,
flutes, whistles, harmonicas, bouzoukis, bassoons, piano, guitars,
squeezeboxes, and we’re not afraid to use it. I’ve played bassoon with
the Winnipeg Symphony; besides playing guitar Matthew’s also a concert
pianist. As a group we’ve got a lifetime of singing Sacred music -- a
cappella and in choirs …It’s just a great big smorgasbord of sounds and
influences…A huge palette for a composer / arranger.”
"East of West" -- The New Album
Listeners quickly realize, as soon as they’ve heard ‘East of West’, that House of Doc wants to revamp Folk music.
They
begin by putting their best foot forward in the form of superb 4-part
vocals. But dazzling instrumental capabilities covering everything
from drums to piccolo, with a few detours along the way to places such
as bass recorder & bassoon makes it apparent that House of Doc is
so much more than just a singing group.
Their 2005 effort was
named ‘Prairiegrass’ – a tip of the hat to the band’s Bluegrass
background, but with ‘East of West’, the group’s third CD, they have
pulled out the stops and removed all firewalls. House of Doc’s musical
imagination hits a new stride; and though the touchstones of Bluegrass
& Gospel are still visited they are reinvented and energized.
Stylistic limitations have gone the way of the Do-Do.
From
stripped-down, a cappella ‘Simple Times’, recorded in one pristine
take, to the unapologetically epic ‘Summerstone’, replete with full
orchestra (performed entirely by House of Doc) ‘East of West’ a very
rich & deep collection of songs about family, love, loss &
life. Included also is a timely and vibrant cover of ‘Sweet City
Woman’, originally recorded by the Stampeders in 1971 -- ripe for a
revisit and sounding new again.
Produced by Vince R. Ditrich
(Spirit of the West) and recorded at the old and rambling ‘Bath House’
belonging to The Tragically Hip, the month-long residential session
brought out the very best in House of Doc and steeped their recordings
with a mood & atmosphere that makes itself felt from the very first
notes.
Instrumentation Matthew Harder -- Guitars, Bouzouki ,Piano, Vocals
Rebecca Harder -- Flutes, Whistles, Accordion, Banjo, Vocals
Dan Wiebe -- Guitars, Mandos, Vocals, harp, etc.
Jesse Krause -- Bass, Vocals and all things with strings
Discography 'Sacred Blue' -- Independent -- 2003
'Prairiegrass' -- Maplenationwide -- 2005
Extensive
Campus radio, CBC features galore, excellent support from CKUA and the
like. Repeated attention from Jurgen Gothe, Shelagh Rogers, Tom
Coxworth, Terry David Mulligan, and many others.
'East of West' -- Pacific/Warner -- 2007
Advances to radio in mid-September 2007.
