Richard Laviolette

Richard Andrew Laviolette (born August 22, 1982) is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Guelph, Ontario.[1] Exclaim! has described Laviolette as an "old soul", with a voice that "can swing from a delicate whisper to a guttural bark in the same breath".[2] The Record in Kitchener has said Laviolette is on "the cutting edge of the local scene", along with James Gordon's son Geordie Gordon.[3] He has released material under a variety of band names, including Mary Carl, Richard Laviolette and His Black Lungs, Richard Laviolette and the Oil Spills, Richard Laviolette and the Hollow Hooves and "Richard Laviolette and the Glitter Bombs".

Richard Laviolette
Richard Laviolette performing live.
Background information
Birth nameRichard Andrew Laviolette
Born (1982-08-22) August 22, 1982
OriginTara,[1] Ontario, Canada
GenresAcoustic rock
Alt country
Folk rock
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, record label owner
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, percussion
Years active2003–present
LabelsBurnt Oak Records, You've Changed Records
Associated actsBrides
Elbow Beach Surf Club
Tasseomancy
Chris Yang
Ryan Newell
Households
Jenny Omnichord
WebsiteRichard Laviolette @ Sonicbids.com

Formative years

Laviolette grew up on a small hobby beef farm west of Tara, Ontario. In his youth, he learned to play several instruments, including the mandolin and guitar, from his father, becoming proficient in traditional folk and country mandolin styles. In an interview with the Queen's The Journal, he says his family played an important role in fostering an appreciation for music.[4] Growing up, he did not have much exposure to non-mainstream music, but his family would regularly play music together.[4]

When Laviolette entered high school, he was introduced to musicians that did not receive much mainstream exposure, such as Hayden and Elliott Smith.[4] During his teenage years, he played in several bands throughout the Tara, Chesley and Owen Sound areas of Ontario. Along with Matt Gowan and some of his family members, he formed the band Sharp Pointy Stick, which played a number of high school and bar gigs in the Southwestern Ontario area.

Laviolette attended the University of Guelph with the intention of becoming a teacher.[4]

His debut album was begun in autumn 2003 under the name Mary Carl, while he was still a student at Guelph.[4] Mary Carl, the person whom the band was named after, reportedly resented the name. The album was recorded in the bedroom of friend Adam Scott, with Michelle Dyck contributing additional vocals. Incorporating guitar, cello, harmonica, piano, accordion, and floor tom, Mary Carl was released on April 1, 2005.

His second album, A Little Less Like a Rock, a Little More Like Home, released on Burnt Oak Records in August 2006, reached spot 127 on the campus/community radio airplay charts in November 2006.[5] He followed up with the albums Aging Recycling Plant in 2009 and All of Your Raw Materials in 2010.

He has performed at such music festivals as Pop Montreal and the Hillside Festival.[6][7] In late September 2007, Laviolette and label-mate Kit Wilson-Yang made a seven-week tour of the United States and Canada.[8]

Discography
  • Mary Carl (2005)
  • A Little Less Like a Rock, a Little More Like Home (2006)
  • Hands and Feats (with Kit Wilson-Yang) (2007)
  • Aging Recycling Plant (2009)
  • All of Your Raw Materials (2010)
  • Soundtrack to the Life of a Car Nearly Driving into the Pacific (2010)
  • Over the Roar of the Engine (Richard Laviolette and the Glitter Bombs, 2013)
  • Taking the Long Way Home (2017)

References
  1. Profile at Rotary's Seminar for Tomorrow's Leaders Archived March 13, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Khanna, Vish (October 2006). "Wood, Wires & Whiskey". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  3. Schneider, Jason (August 2, 2007). "Kazoo makes some big noise in Guelph". The Record. Kitchener: Torstar. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2008. Although most bands will probably be unfamiliar to listeners, some notable names like Geordie Gordon of Guelph's Salt Lick Kids, and singer-songwriter Richard Laviolette, represent the cutting edge of the local scene.
  4. Raham, Lauren (January 2, 2007). "Laviolette's label more like a home". The Journal. Kingston: Queen's University. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  5. "!earshot charts – November 2006 – top 200". !earshot charts. Canada: Exclaim!. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  6. "Richard Laviolette". Pop Montréal website. Archived from the original on July 29, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  7. Reid, Robert (July 1, 2007). "It's High Time For Hillside". The Record. Metroland Media Group. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
  8. Raham, Lauren (September 2, 2007). "Laviolette takes a chance, makes friends and music". The Journal. Kingston: Queen's University. Archived from the original on June 19, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
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