The Provincial Archive

{{Short description|Canadian indie band}} {{Confused|Provincial Archives (disambiguation){{!}}Provincial Archives}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Provincial Archive | image = | caption = | image_size =  | landscape = | alias = | origin = Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | genre = Alternative rock, indie rock, folk rock, indie pop | years_active = {{start date|2009}}–present | label = Consonant Records, Black Box Music, Bedrooms and Basements | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|http://www.theprovincialarchive.com/}} | current_members = Craig Schram<br>Stephen Tchir<br>Bramwell Park | past_members = Dave Meagher<br>Ryan Podlubny<br>Nathan Burge }} '''The Provincial Archive''' are a Canadian indie band. Their releases have spanned genres from indie folk<ref name="nxne">[http://www.nowtoronto.com/guides/nxne/2012/story.cfm?content=187252 "NXNE 2012: The Provincial Archive"]. ''NOW'', June 14, 2012.</ref> to alt rock.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = The Provincial Archive Unveil New EP, Premiere 'Bad Connection'|url = http://exclaim.ca/music/article/provincial_archive_announce_self-titled_ep_premiere_bad_connection|website = exclaim.ca|accessdate = 2015-11-16}}</ref> Their music has been compared to R.E.M. and The Shins<ref>[http://www.clashmusic.com/news/premiere-the-provincial-archive-daisy-garden "Premiere: The Provincial Archive - Daisy Garden"]. ''Clash Magazine'', May 20, 2014.</ref> as well as early Weezer and Elliott Smith.<ref name=":0" />

==History== {{Update section|date=December 2025}}

The band released its debut album, ''Nameless Places'', in 2009 locally in the band's hometown, Edmonton, Alberta.

Their second album, ''Maybe We Could Be Holy'', followed in 2010. The band supported ''Maybe We Could Be Holy'' in part with a cross-Canada tour which included performances in the provincial archive buildings of eight of the ten Canadian provinces.<ref>[http://exclaim.ca/News/edmontons_provincial_archive_to_tour_provincial_archives_across_canada "Edmonton's Provincial Archive to Tour Provincial Archives Across Canada"]. ''Exclaim!'', April 15, 2011.</ref>

The band's third album, ''It's All Shaken Wonder'', was released in Germany in May 2014<ref>[http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/05/23/shhh-secret-tunes-from-the-provincial-archive/ "Shhh ... 'Secret' tunes from The Provincial Archive"]. ''Edmonton Journal'', May 23, 2014.</ref> and in North America on August 19, 2014<ref name=exclaimLP>[http://exclaim.ca/News/provincial_archive_reveal_its_all_shaken_wonder_lp_share_new_video "The Provincial Archive Reveal 'It's All Shaken Wonder' LP, Share New Video"]. ''Exclaim!'', June 10, 2014.</ref> on the Black Box Music label. On June 10, 2014, a four-song EP ''Hide Like A Secret'' was released via iTunes, along with a music video for the first track ''Daisy Garden''.<ref name=exclaimLP /> ''It's All Shaken Wonder'' was awarded the Edmonton Music Prize on December 1, 2014.<ref>[https://edmontonjournal.com/Edmonton+Music+Prize+goes+Provincial+Archive/10431386/story.html "Edmonton Music Prize goes to Provincial Archive"]. ''Edmonton Journal'', December 1, 2014.</ref> All work up to and including this release was self-produced by the band, and the band's primary songwriter, Craig Schram. Following this release, the project was downsized to a trio with the departure of members Ryan Podlubny in 2014, and Nathan Burge in 2015. Podlubny was replaced by Stephen Tchir, a long-time musical collaborator with both Park and Schram .

The band's fourth, self-titled, effort would be released in November 2015.<ref name=":0" /> The release was produced by Nik Kozub, and was recorded live-off-the-floor as a trio. The release has drawn early comparisons to 90s alt rock,<ref name=":0" /> and represents a departure from the band's folk and pop influenced beginnings.

Park, Schram and Tchir also perform as the singer-songwriter Charlotte Cornfield's touring band.<ref name=bernard>{{cite web|url=http://www.vueweekly.com/charlotte-cornfields-subtle-observations-of-sadness/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722064113/http://www.vueweekly.com/charlotte-cornfields-subtle-observations-of-sadness/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 22, 2017|title=Charlotte Cornfield's subtle observations of sadness|date=July 21, 2017|accessdate=August 19, 2017|work=Vue Weekly|first=Shawn|last=Bernard}} </ref>

==Band members== * Craig Schram * Bramwell Park * Stephen Tchir * Ryan Podlubny (Former) * Nathan Burge (Former) * David Meagher (Former) Based in Edmonton, Alberta, the band was formed by Craig Schram, Nathan Burge and Ryan Podlubny following the demise of earlier musical projects.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130628030447/http://vueweekly.com/music/story/no_artifacts/ "No artifacts: Provincial Archive's latest blends folk with urban sensibility"]}}. ''Vue Weekly'', September 7, 2010.</ref> The band subsequently enlisted drummer Dave Meagher, who was with the band briefly before being replaced by Bramwell Park. The project was downsized to a trio with the departure of Ryan Podlubny in 2014 and Nathan Burge in 2015. Podlubny was replaced by Stephen Tchir, a long-time musical collaborator with both Park and Schram. All of the band's current and former members are multi-instrumentalists.<ref name="nxne" />

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== * ''Nameless Places'' (2009) *''Maybe We Could Be Holy'' (Bedrooms and Basements, 2010) * ''It's All Shaken Wonder'' (Black Box, 2014) * ''Good Luck'' (Consonant, 2023)

===Extended plays=== * ''Hide Like A Secret'' (Black Box, 2014) *''The Provincial Archive'' (Consonant, 2015)

===Singles=== * "Imaginary Friends" (Consonant, 2018)

==Music videos== * "Common Cards" (2013) * "Daisy Garden" (2014) * "The Market" (2014)

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{URL|http://www.theprovincialarchive.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Provincial Archive, The}} Category:Canadian indie pop groups Category:Canadian folk rock groups Category:Musical groups from Edmonton Category:Musical groups established in 2007 Category:Canadian musical quartets Category:2007 establishments in Alberta Category:Canadian indie folk groups