Spencer Krug ( ) (born May 4, 1977) is a Canadian musician. He is the singer, songwriter and keyboardist for the

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band

Wolf Parade Wolf Parade is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 2003 in Montreal. The band released three full-length albums before taking a five-year hiatus in 2011. They announced their return in 2016, releasing a self-titled EP in May of that year, and ...

and has recorded solo under both his own name and the name Moonface. He has also performed with other Canadian bands including

Sunset Rubdown Sunset Rubdown is a Canadian art rock music group from Montreal. The band began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who released his debut, '' Snake's Got a Leg'', in early 2005. By the next year the project expanded to become a f ...

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...

Frog Eyes Frog Eyes are an indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada fronted by Carey Mercer. Their 2010 album ''Paul's Tomb: A Triumph'' was a longlisted nominee for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize. They have released ten albums and two EPs ...

Fifths of Seven Fifths of Seven was a Canadian instrumental string/piano/accordion trio based in Montreal, Quebec. The band members were Spencer Krug, Beckie Foon, and Rachel Levine (Cakelk). The group's instrumental music combined elements of pop, classical and ...

, and ska band the Two Tonne Bowlers, playing various instruments. His involvement in many musical acts has garnered him a noticeably high output of work, being credited on several releases a year. He is known for his distinctive voice and songwriting abilities.

Overview

Krug was born on May 4, 1977, and raised in

Penticton, British Columbia Penticton ( ) is a city in the Okanagan, Okanagan Valley of the British Columbia, Canada, situated between Okanagan Lake, Okanagan and Skaha Lake, Skaha lakes. In the 2021 Canadian Census, its population was 36,885, while its Census geographic un ...

, where at age 12, he first began playing piano. Soon after, he picked up guitar, focusing on the two instruments. Upon leaving Penticton, he moved to

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Gre ...

, where he helped found the indie rock band

with his then-roommate, Carey Mercer.Soft Abuse Records
"Frog Eyes: Biography"
, Softabuse.com. Retrieved January 16, 2008. Krug took part in a March 2001 recording session that would later become Frog Eyes' first LP, '' The Bloody Hand''. Shortly afterwards, however, Krug left the band and moved to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

where he studied creative writing and musical composition at

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

. In April 2003 Krug formed

alongside fellow singer-songwriter/guitarist

Dan Boeckner Dan Boeckner (; born 5 February 1978) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, guitarist and podcaster. He is best known as one of the frontmen of Wolf Parade, which he helped found in 2003. Since 2013, he has also been a member of the Montreal-based ba ...

.Sub Pop Records
"Wolf Parade: Biography"
Subpop.com. Retrieved January 16, 2008. Wolf Parade's first show was opening for

Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...

on the ’03 " Us Kids Know" tour. '' Apologies to the Queen Mary'', Wolf Parade's debut album, was produced by

Modest Mouse Modest Mouse is an American rock music, rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members were lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock (musician), Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and ba ...

frontman

Isaac Brock Major-General Sir Isaac Brock KB (6 October 1769 – 13 October 1812) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Guernsey. He is best remembered for his victory at the Siege of Detroit and his death at the Battle of Quee ...

and released on Seattle indie label

Sub Pop Sub Pop is an independent record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana (band), Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the gru ...

on September 27, 2005. Also in 2005, Krug teamed up with

Beckie Foon Rebecca Foon (born 13 December 1978) is a Canadian cellist, vocalist, and composer. Foon currently records under her own name, as well as the alias Saltland, and is a member and co-founder of the modern chamber ensemble Esmerine. Summary of c ...

(

A Silver Mt. Zion A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

Saltland Rebecca Foon (born 13 December 1978) is a Canadian cellist, vocalist, and composer. Foon currently records under her own name, as well as the alias Saltland, and is a member and co-founder of the modern chamber ensemble Esmerine. Summary of c ...

Set Fire to Flames Set Fire to Flames was a Canadian instrumental music ensemble consisting of 13 musicians from Montreal, Quebec.

Esmerine Esmerine is a Canadian modern chamber music group that incorporates genres such as post-rock, drone music, post-punk, and Turkish folk. Founded in Montreal in 2000 by Bruce Cawdron (drums) and Beckie Foon (cello), the band has released six albu ...

) and Rachel Levine (Cakelk), forming the instrumental string/piano/accordion-based trio

. Later that year, the band released '' Spry from Bitter Anise Folds''. As a side project to Wolf Parade, under the moniker

, Krug self-produced five EPs, each one focusing on specific thematic composition and instrumentation – acoustic guitar; piano and hand claps; synths and drum machines, etc. – of original songs. A handful of the songs from those EPs have been released on Spencer’s Patreon. In the mid-2005 selections from each of those EPs were compiled and released as the LP, '' Snake's Got a Leg''. Originally a solo project, Sunset Rubdown expanded in the late 2005 and early 2006 to include Camilla Wynn Ingr (

Pony Up! Pony Up is an all-woman Canadian indie pop band based in Montreal, Quebec. They are known for their guitar-and-keyboard based upbeat music and their personal and sometimes sexually suggestive lyrics. History Pony Up! was formed on New Year's Ev ...

), Jordan Robson-Cramer (XY Lover, Magic Weapon, and

Miracle Fortress Miracle Fortress is a Canadian indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. The band's studio work is primarily a solo, project of songwriter Graham Van Pelt, who is accompanied by the rest of the band during live shows. Band history Van Pelt, a m ...

) and Michael Doerksen. This new line-up released its first collaborative efforts: a 5 track self-titled EP, ''

'', in January 2006, followed by the band's second LP, '' Shut Up I Am Dreaming'', in May 2006. Sunset Rubdown's third LP, '' Random Spirit Lover'', was released October 2007 on

Jagjaguwar Jagjaguwar is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana. History In 1996, in Charlottesville, Virginia, University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public resear ...

Records. Sunset Rubdown's fourth LP, ''

Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classifica ...

'', was released in 2009 on Jagjaguwar Records. Krug rejoined

as their keyboardist in early 2006 and helped put out '' The Future Is Inter-Disciplinary or Not at All'' and '' Tears of the Valedictorian''. Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes toured that year together, allowing Krug to participate in both bands simultaneously. Krug also recorded material for the indie rock supergroup

alongside Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer and

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

Dan Bejar Daniel Bejar ( ; born October 4, 1972) is a Canadian singer and musician from Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the frontman of Destroyer, and was a member of indie rock band the New Pornographers. Overview In 2006, he joined with Carey Merc ...

. The group released their debut album, ''

Beast Moans ''Beast Moans'' is the debut album by Canadian indie rock supergroup Swan Lake, released in November 2006 on the label Jagjaguwar. It was recorded at Dead Wood Studios in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia as well as at a house in Victoria, Briti ...

'', on November 21, 2006, through Jagjaguwar. In mid-2008, Krug toured with Wolf Parade in support of their second LP entitled ''

At Mount Zoomer ''At Mount Zoomer'', the second full length LP from the Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade, was released on June 17, 2008.Wolf Parade Discography"''At Mount Zoomer'' - SP720" ''Sub Pop Records'', retrieved April 29, 2008. Album title The album ...

'' on June 17, 2008. On March 24, 2009, Swan Lake released their second album, '' Enemy Mine''. In January 2010, Krug released ''Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums'' under the Moonface name. In June 2010, Wolf Parade released their third full album, ''

Expo 86 The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication, or simply Expo 86, was a world's fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from May 2 until October 13, 1986. The fair, the theme of which was "Transportation and Communicatio ...

''. A world tour supporting the new album followed, after which the band went on indefinite hiatus. Krug's first full-length album as Moonface, '' Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped'', was released in August 2011. Krug then teamed up with the Helsinki-based band Siinai to record his second full length Moonface album, '' With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery'', which was released on April 17, 2012. In a June 2012 interview, Krug stated that Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown had disbanded and would no longer be touring or releasing albums. On August 27, 2013, Jagjaguwar Records announced Krug's third full length Moonface album, '' Julia With Blue Jeans On'', which was released on October 29, 2013. Krug once again collaborated with Siinai for the fourth Moonface album, ''My Best Human Face'', which was released on June 3, 2016. Wolf Parade reunited in 2016, releasing a self-titled EP that May. The band's fourth album, '' Cry Cry Cry'', followed on October 6, 2017. Krug's fifth full-length release as Moonface, a double album entitled ''This One's for the Dancer & This One's for the Dancer's Bouquet'', was released on November 2, 2018, after which Krug retired the Moonface alias, citing a desire "to get personally behind is workin a more literal and meaningful way" by releasing music under his own name. Wolf Parade's fifth album, ''

Thin Mind ''Thin Mind'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock band Wolf Parade. It was released on January 24, 2020 through Sub Pop. Background ''Thin Mind'' is Wolf Parade's fifth studio album and their first to be released since the departure ...

'', was released on January 24, 2020; however, the album's accompanying tour was cut short by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Krug's first album under his own name, ''Fading Graffiti'', was announced in March 2021 and released the following month. It served as the first release on Krug's personal record label, Pronounced Kroog. His two subsequent solo albums, ''Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty One'' and ''I Just Drew This Knife'', followed in June 2022 and October 2023 respectively. After a 13-year hiatus, Sunset Rubdown announced their reunion in December 2022, and embarked on a North American tour in the spring of 2023. On February 4, 2024, the group announced via Instagram that they had recorded a new album. Called ''

Always Happy to Explode ''Always Happy to Explode'' is the fifth studio album by the Canadian art rock band Sunset Rubdown. Released September 20, 2024, it was the band's first studio album in 15 years and the first released on band member Spencer Krug's record label Pro ...

'', the nine-song album released on September 20, 2024.

Personal life

Krug has lived in the Cowichan Bay area on

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest ...

since 2016. He and his wife had their first child, a son, in April 2020.

Discography

Fifths of Seven

*'' Spry from Bitter Anise Folds'' (2005) DSA

Frog Eyes

*'' The Bloody Hand'' (2002) Global Symphonic *Emboldened Navigator EP (2003) Soft Abuse *'' The Future Is Inter-Disciplinary or Not at All'' (2006) Acuarela Discos *'' Tears of the Valedictorian'' (2007) Absolutely Kosher

Sunset Rubdown

*'' Snake's Got a Leg'' (2005) Global Symphonic *'' Sunset Rubdown EP'' (2006) Global Symphonic *'' Shut Up I Am Dreaming'' (2006) Absolutely Kosher *'' Random Spirit Lover'' (2007) Jagjaguwar *'' Introducing Moonface'' (2009) Global Symphonic *''

'' (2009) Jagjaguwar *''

'' (2024) Pronounced Kroog

Moonface

*'' Dreamland EP: Marimba and Shit-Drums'' (2010) Jagjaguwar *'' Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I'd Hoped'' (2011) Jagjaguwar *'' With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery'' (2012) Jagjaguwar *'' Julia With Blue Jeans On'' (2013) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records *''City Wrecker (EP)'' (2014) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records *''With Siinai: My Best Human Face'' (2016) Jagjaguwar/Paper Bag Records *''This One's for the Dancer & This One's for the Dancer's Bouquet'' (2018) Jagjaguwar

Swan Lake

*''

'' (2006) Jagjaguwar *'' Enemy Mine'' (2009) Jagjaguwar

Wolf Parade

*'' Wolf Parade (4-song EP)''(2003) Self-Released *'' Wolf Parade (6-song EP)'' (2004) Self-Released *'' Wolf Parade (EP)'' (2005)

*'' Apologies to the Queen Mary'' (2005, reissued 2016) Sub Pop *''

'' (2008) Sub Pop *''

'' (2010) Sub Pop *'' EP 4'' (2016) Self-Released *'' Cry Cry Cry'' (2017) Sub Pop *''

'' (2020) Sub Pop

Solo albums

*'' Fading Graffiti'' (2021) Pronounced Kroog *'' Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty One'' (2022) Pronounced Kroog *'' I Just Drew This Knife'' (2023) Pronounced Kroog

Notable contributions

* In 2005, Krug contributed to the

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

benefit song, " Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" along with

. * In 2006, Krug contributed piano and synthesizer to Islands' first album, "

Return to the Sea ''Return to the Sea'' is the first studio album by Islands. It was released by Equator Records on 4 April 2006. "Rough Gem" was released as a single from the album. The remastered version of the album was released on 11 November 2016. Critical r ...

" * He appears as a collaborating musician on "Certain Father", a track from July Talk's 2023 album '' Remember Never Before''.David Kennedy
"July Talk on Collaborating with Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade"

CIND-FM CIND-FM (88.1 MHz), branded as ''Indie88'', is an FM radio station in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The station, which broadcasts an adult album alternative format, had its "soft launch" on July 31, 2013, and had its official launch on September 3, ...

, January 19, 2023.

References

External links

Official Wolf Parade page

Official Sunset Rubdown page

Official Fifths of Seven page

Official Swan Lake page

Official page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krug, Spencer 1977 births Living people People from Penticton Canadian indie rock musicians Musicians from British Columbia Concordia University alumni Paper Bag Records artists 21st-century Canadian male singers Canadian male singer-songwriters 21st-century Canadian singer-songwriters Jagjaguwar artists