Rich Aucoin
Rich Aucoin is a Canadian indie rock musician, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[1] He is the younger brother of Paul Aucoin of Hylozoists.[2] He performs and records both as a solo artist and as a collaborator and guest musician in Hylozoists.[2]
Rich Aucoin | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Genres | Indie rock, indie pop, experimental music |
Years active | 2006–present |
Labels | Indie MTL |
Associated acts | The Hylozoists |
Website | richaucoin |
Members | Rich Aucoin Joel Waddell Erik VanLunen Darryl Smith |
History
Aucoin released his first EP, Personal Publication, in 2007. The album was designed as an alternative soundtrack to How the Grinch Stole Christmas.[2] He supported the release by undertaking a cross-Canada tour traveled entirely by bicycle, to raise money for Childhood Cancer Canada;[2] when that tour was completed, he went on another tour with Hylozoists, but subsequently faced a health crisis when his sudden shift from regular exercise during the bicycle tour to virtually no exercise at all during the Hylozoists tour triggered an iron deficiency.[2] After recuperating, he undertook another solo tour, running partial marathons between stops to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.[2]
During both tours, he also recorded material across Canada with a wide variety of musicians, friends and fans for what would become his debut full-length album, 2011's We're All Dying to Live; in total, the album features over 500 guest musicians,[2] including Jay Ferguson of Sloan, Becky Ninkovic of You Say Party, Michael Small of The Meligrove Band, and Rae Spoon.[1] The album's release party, held at the 2011 Halifax Pop Explosion festival, featured over 80 musicians onstage.[2]
The album appeared on the !earshot Campus and Community National Top 50 Albums chart in January, 2012.[3] and was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize in June of that year.[4] The video for "Brian Wilson Is A.L.I.V.E." won the Prism Prize in 2013.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
- We're All Dying to Live (2011)
- Ephemeral (2014)
- Release (2019)
- United States (2020)
EPs
- Personal Publication (2007)
- Public Publication (2010)
- Hold (2018)
Gallery
- Performing in Sydney, Nova Scotia at the gala concert of the 2010 East Coast Music Awards
References
- "Rich Aucoin doesn't know when to quit". Postmedia News, November 7, 2011.
- "Rich Aucoin’s CD captures joie de vivre and desperation of youth". The Globe and Mail, November 9, 2011.
- "The National Top 50 For the Week Ending: Tuesday, January 3, 2012". !earshot.
- "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star, June 14, 2012.
- "Rich Aucoin Wins First-Ever Prism Prize". Exclaim!, March 24, 2013.