IllScarlett

{{short description|Canadian rock band}} {{More footnotes needed|BLP=yes|date=March 2012}}  {{Infobox musical artist  | name = IllScarlett | image = Illscarlett.jpg | caption = Illscarlett performing at Carleton University during Froshweek in 2008. | image_size = | landscape = no | alias = | origin = Clarkson, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | genre = Rock, ska punk, reggae fusion, reggae rock, pop rock<ref>{{cite news |title= 16 bands who've played Supernova's Battle of the Bands |first= Mark |last= Teo |publisher= Aux. Blue Ant Media |date= 20 January 2014 |url= http://www.aux.tv/2014/01/16-bands-whove-played-supernovas-battle-bands/ |quote= Before IllScarlett became a Canada-wide force, they were a Sublime-worshipping reggae-rock act. |access-date= 4 July 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140727011457/http://www.aux.tv/2014/01/16-bands-whove-played-supernovas-battle-bands/ |archive-date= 27 July 2014 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | years_active = {{start date|2001}}–present | label = Sony Music Canada | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|illScarlett.com}} | current_members = Alex Norman Swavek Piorkowski CJ Hinds Jake Robertson | past_members = Justin Zoltek Daniel Krolikowski Pat Kennedy Will Marr }} '''IllScarlett''' (styled as '''illScarlett'''; {{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɪ|l|ˈ|s|k|ɑːr|l|ᵻ|t}}) is a Canadian rock and reggae band formed in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/ils/bio.asp |title=IllScarlett Biography |access-date=2007-11-20 |archive-date=2008-04-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419023951/http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/ils/bio.asp |url-status=dead }}</ref> Their most prominent influence is California-based band Sublime.

The band found their break when they set up their equipment (using a generator) and played for concertgoers waiting in line to enter the 2004 Vans Warped Tour venue in Barrie, Ontario. Kevin Lyman, the Warped Tour organizer and co-owner of Warcon Enterprises, noticed them and invited them to play at his personal barbecue.<ref name="Jam">{{cite web|title=illScarlett signs with Sony BMG|author=Bliss, Karen|date=2006-11-17|publisher=Canoe JAM! Music|url=http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Lowdown/2006/11/17/2391957.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111001638/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Lowdown/2006/11/17/2391957.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2016}}</ref> Subsequently, they were offered spots on the tour for the following two years.

IllScarlett has five major studio albums: ''ILLP'', ''Clearly in Another Fine Mess'', ''All Day With It'', ''1UP!'', and most recently ''illScarlett''. The album ''All Day With It'' reached gold status in Canada.

==History== illScarlett was formed by drummer Swavek Piorkowski and singer/guitarist Alex Norman, who met while attending Iona Catholic Secondary School in the Clarkson area of Mississauga, Ontario. Around the same time, Norman was working at a skateboarding shop at the local mall. Norman approached a customer named Daniel Krolikowski after mistaking Krolikowski for bassist Jason "Cone" McCaslin of the popular band Sum 41; despite the mistaken identity, Norman discovered that Krolikowski also played bass guitar. The two became friends and thereafter began jamming with Piorkowski as a trio.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundclick.com/artist/default.cfm?bandID=141163|title=illScarlett|access-date=13 September 2020|website=Soundclick.com}}</ref>

The name "illScarlett" was based on a local street called Will Scarlett Drive: the band stole the street sign as a prank and removed the "W", leaving the name "ill Scarlett Drive".

Soon after illScarlett was formed, the trio began to seek additional members. They recruited guitarist Will Marr and disc jockey Pat Kennedy. The band played its first show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario with stand-in John Doherty, son of singer Denny Doherty, on guitar (Doherty would replace Krolikowski as the band's bassist some years later).

After many performances at small venues, illScarlett went into the studio to record their first demo called the Five Dollar Demo. The demo was recorded at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. In 2004, the band released a full-length CD titled ''iLLP''. Shortly after the release of ''ILLP'', the band performed in the parking lot for the 2004 Vans Warped Tour in Barrie, Ontario. They weren't actually scheduled to play inside the venue, but they set up their equipment beside the line where people were waiting to get into Park Place for the concert, using a generator to power their equipment. IllScarlett played an hour and a half set for the concertgoers.

Within three songs, they got word from one of their friends that Sublime's old roadie who worked as tour security radioed the organizer of the Warped Tour, Kevin Lyman, telling him that there was a band sounding like Sublime playing in the parking lot powered by generators. Lyman asked the band to play at his private barbecue later that night; the band accepted his offer. After the band's performance at the barbecue, Lyman extended an invitation for the band to perform a few dates on the 2005 Vans Warped Tour.

In September 2006, the band played at the inaugural Virgin Festival in Toronto. By October 2006, the band had sold 15,000 copies of self-released CDs.<ref>{{cite news|title=IllScarlett Fever Runs Rampant|publisher= Chart Attack|url=http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2006/10/1807.cfm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020164103/http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2006/10/1807.cfm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=October 20, 2006|access-date=February 24, 2019}}</ref> On October 31, 2006, the band released the EP, ''EPdemic''.

In August 2007 and 2008, the band played at the Cutting Edge Music Festival in Grand Bend.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.purerave.com/events/15883|title=Cutting Edge Music Festival|website=Purerave.com|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.purerave.com/events/18192|title=Cutting Edge Music Festival 2008|website=Purerave.com|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref>

In August 2009 the band played at Cutting Edge Music Festival in Kitchener.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.purerave.com/events/19429|title=Cutting Edge Music Festival 2009|website=Purerave.com|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref>

The band finished recording their first major-label album (''All Day with It'') in Los Angeles, California under the production of Matthew Wilder, producer of No Doubt's diamond ''Tragic Kingdom'' album. The new album was released on July 10, 2007 across North America. The album includes such hit songs such as "Who's Got It?", "Paradise Burning", and "Life of a Soldier". Also on the album are redone versions of the songs "Nothing Special", "NTF" (Next Time Forever), "Clearer Now", and Pacino. IllScarlett toured Canada, Japan, Germany, the United States, and throughout Europe, promoting the album ''All Day with It''.

On September 29, 2009, the band released their follow-up album to ''All Day with It'' titled ''1UP!''. This album featured singles such as, ''Take it for Granted'' and ''Milkshakes & Razorblades''.

==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" !width="35"|'''Year''' !'''Event''' !'''Award(s) Up For''' !'''Result''' |- |rowspan="2"|2006 |CASBY Awards |Favourite New Artist |Nominated |- |CASBY Awards |Favourite New Indie Release |Nominated |- |rowspan="2"|2008 |MuchMusic Video Awards |Best Video, Best Rock Video, Best Post-Production, and Best Director: ("Nothing Special"), People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Group |Nominated |- |Juno Awards |New Group of the Year |Nominated |}

IllScarlett's song "Who's Got It" was selected as the official song for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup soccer tournament hosted in Canada.

==Members== '''Current members''' * Alex Norman – lead vocals, rhythm guitars * Swavek Piorkowski – drums * CJ Hinds – bass guitar, backing vocals * Jake Robertson - lead guitar * John Doherty – bass guitar, backing vocals

'''Former members''' * Will Marr – lead guitar * Justin Zoltek – guitar * Daniel Krolikowski – bass guitar, backing vocals * Pat Kennedy – disc jockey/turntablist

'''Touring members''' * Geoff Willingham – lead guitar (2013–2014)

==Discography== ===Studio albums=== *2003: ''Streetsville: Masonic Lodge Handout''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/illScarlett-Streetsville-Masonic-Lodge-Handout-/release/10030757|title=illScarlett - Streetsville: Masonic Lodge Handout|website=Discogs.com|access-date=13 September 2020}}</ref> *2004: ''iLLP'' *2006: ''Clearly in Another Fine Mess'' *2007: ''All Day with It'' (gold status in Canada) *2009: ''1UP!'' *2014: ''illScarlett''

===EPs=== *2006: ''EPdemic'' *2012: ''2012 EP''

==References== {{Reflist}} *[http://ampedup.tv/2011/01/episode-57-illscarellet Interview with Amped Up TV (video)] *[http://www.shavemagazine.com/entertainment/090901 Interview with Shave Magazine, Sep 2009] *[http://www.thepunksite.com/interviews.php?page=illscarlett Interview with IllScarlett (2007)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210120552/http://www.thepunksite.com/interviews.php?page=illscarlett |date=2007-12-10 }} *[http://www.torontomusicscene.ca/interviews/illscarlett-continues-to-rock-the-radio-and-m.j.html illScarlett continues to rock the radio and M.J.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011223001/http://torontomusicscene.ca/interviews/illscarlett-continues-to-rock-the-radio-and-m.j.html |date=2007-10-11 }}-From Torontomusicscene.ca *[http://www.punktv.ca/?c=105&a=2827 illScarlett are interviewed at Warped Tour 2007]

==External links== *[http://www.illscarlett.com illScarlett] Official Site (No longer active) *[http://www.myspace.com/illscarlett illScarlett] at Myspace

{{DEFAULTSORT:Illscarlett}} Category:Musical groups established in 2001 Category:Musical groups from Mississauga Category:Canadian ska groups Category:Third-wave ska groups Category:Canadian reggae rock groups Category:2001 establishments in Ontario