Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian

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, based in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

. They are named after a line in the prologue to

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

’s ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guitar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). They have been described as the "quintessential American ...

, but the band members tend to cite

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in Pub rock (United Kingdom), pub rock, power pop and New wave music, new wave,Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...

in 2008 for the album '' Little Jabs''. In 2013, the band performed on their final tour, disbanding afterward.

History

Founded by Liam Corcoran (lead vocals and guitar), and Alec O'Hanley (guitar, keyboards and vocals), the group added bassist Andrew MacDonald and drummer Derek Ellis to its roster in 2002 after meeting while attending the

University of Prince Edward Island The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is a public university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the only university in the province. Founded in 1969, the enabling legislation is the ''University Act, R.S.P.E.I 2000.'' H ...

. While all were age 19, the quartet recorded a demo titled ''The April Storm''. After handing a copy of the EP to Canadian musician

Joel Plaskett William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of gen ...

at one of his Charlottetown performances, a collaborative relationship formed. In 2005 the band released their full-length, self-titled ''

Two Hours Traffic Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s ''Romeo and Juliet''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band Big Star (b ...

.'' The group has performed and toured with various East Coast artists such as Plaskett himself, In-Flight Safety, and Wintersleep. The self-titled album was recognized with the group's first nomination at the 2006

East Coast Music Awards The East Coast Music Association (ECMA) is a non-profit association purposed towards supporting the music industry in the Canadian east coast, i.e., Atlantic Canada. The ECMA hosts the annual East Coast Music Awards (formerly the Maritime Music A ...

, for Rock Recording of the Year. Their videos "Better Sorry than Safe", "Stuck for the Summer" and "Jezebel" have been in rotation on

MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...

. The group released a six-song EP entitled '' Isolator'' on September 26, 2006. ''Isolator'' was also produced by Joel Plaskett. It was nominated for Alternative Recording of the Year at the 2007 East Coast Music Awards. Their second full-length album, '' Little Jabs'', produced by Joel Plaskett, was released on Bumstead Records in July 2007. Documentary film director

Ron Mann Ronald Mann (born June 13, 1958) is a Canadians, Canadian documentary film film director, director. His work includes the films ''Imagine the Sound'' (1981); ''Comic Book Confidential'' (1988); ''Grass (1999 film), Grass'' (1999) and ''Go Furt ...

directed the video for "Jezebel", Mann's first foray into music videos. ''Little Jabs'' has led to the band's most chart success to date, reaching the top ten of ''Chart'' magazine's Canadian College Radio Top 50 Chart. The band won Group of the Year and Alternative Rock Recording of the Year at the 2007 Music P.E.I. Awards. The group's songs have been featured in ''

Gossip Girl ''Gossip Girl'' is an American teen drama television series created and developed by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and based on the series of novels of the same name by Cecily von Ziegesar. It follows a group of students on Manhattan's ...

'', ''The O.C''., ''

The Secret Life of the American Teenager ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'' (often shortened to ''Secret Life'') is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It aired on ABC Family from July 1, 2008, to June 3, 2013. The series features an ensemble ...

'', '' One Tree Hill'' and ''

Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

''. Most recently their songs were featured on '' 18 to Life''. In 2008, ''Little Jabs'' was shortlisted for the

Polaris Music Prize The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label. The award was established in 2006 with a $20,000 cash prize. The prize was inc ...

. The band's 2009 album, ''

Territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

'' was produced by Plaskett as well, and mixed by Howard Redekopp. Two Hours Traffic were also winners of the 8th annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Poster (artwork by Rebecca Ford). In September 2011, it was announced that guitarist Alec O'Hanley would be leaving the band. The announcement also indicated that the band would carry on and are working on a new record for release in 2012. On January 26, 2012, the band announced that Nathan Gill would join as the new bassist, with MacDonald taking over on guitar. The band's fourth full-length album, ''Foolish Blood, ''was released on February 19, 2013 to positive reviews. Blurt Magazine praised the album saying, "Like a reincarnated Big Star, complete with sweet melodies that last for days and hooks sharp enough to piece flesh, the band's latest Foolish Blood (their seventh if you loop in EPs), is one of their strongest efforts to date". Exclaim! gave the album 8/10 and declared "Foolish Blood's low-end textures and diverse layers guarantee that the Maritime icons will remain relevant for years to come." NOW Magazine gave the album 4 stars and noted the band's "stunning pop chops". On October 28, 2013, the band announced a farewell tour to take place in the coming December, covering several Canadian cities. Corcoran clarified that a major reason for the split, despite the band's success, is that it is difficult to sustain an income in this business.Patch, Nick (November 2013).
P.E.I.'s Two Hours Traffic explain split
,

The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; , ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Press has been a privately-held company, pr ...

. Reprinted in '' Truro Daily News'', November 19, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013. In 2025 they reunited to record and release new music, beginning with the single "Keep It Coming" in January, leading to the release of the EP ''I Never See You Anymore'' in May. The new recordings included a cover of

's "Deny, Deny, Deny" for the Plaskett tribute album ''

Songs from the Gang ''Songs from the Gang'' is a compilation album, released on April 11, 2025, as a tribute to Canadian singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett. Released one week before Plaskett's 50th birthday on April 18, 2025, the album was in production for a year prev ...

''.Allie Gregory
"Sloan, the Sheepdogs, City and Colour, Bahamas Wish Joel Plaskett Happy Birthday with 'Songs from the Gang' Covers Album"
''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'', April 11, 2025.

Other projects

Liam Corcoran is active as a solo artist. Alec O'Hanley is part of

Alvvays Alvvays (pronounced "always") is a Canadian indie pop band formed in 2011, originating from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and subsequently based in Toronto, Ontario. It consists of Molly Rankin (vocals and guitar), Kerri MacLellan (keybo ...

. Andy MacDonald and Derek Ellis are part of Charlottetown band Golden Cinema.

Nominations and awards

"Polaris Music Prize" 2008 - Short List Finalist ("Little Jabs") 2008 - Long List ("Little Jabs") "'East Coast Music Awards (ECMA)'" 2014 - Album of the Year ("Foolish Blood") - Nominated 2014 - Pop Recording of the Year ("Foolish Blood") - Nominated 2011 - Fan's Choice Video Of The Year - Nominated 2010 - Group Recording Of The Year ("Territory") - Nominated 2010 - Pop Recording Of The Year ("Territory") - Nominated 2008 - FACTOR Recording Of The Year ("Little Jabs") - Nominated 2008 - Pop Recording Of The Year ("Little Jabs") - Won 2008 - Video Of The Year ("Jezebel") - Nominated 2007 - Alternative Recording Of The Year ("Isolator") - Nominated "'Music Prince Edward Island (MPEI)'" 2014 - Pop Recording of the Year ("Foolish Blood") - Nominated 2014 - Group Recording of the Year ("Foolish Blood") - Nominated 2013 - Entertainer Of The Year - Nominated 2013 - SpinCount Touring Artist Of The Year - Nominated 2013 - Video Of The Year ("Amour Than Amis") - Nominated 2011 - Video Of The Year ("Noisemaker") - Nominated 2010 - Songwriter Of The Year ("Noisemaker") - Nominated 2010 - Group Of The Year - Nominated 2010 - Album Of The Year ("Territory") - Nominated 2010 - Pop Recording Of The Year ("Territory") - Nominated 2007 - Group Of The Year - Won 2007 - Alternative Rock Recording Of The Year - Won

Discography

* 2003: ''The April Storm'' (EP) * 2005: ''

'' * 2006: '' Isolator'' (EP) * 2007: '' Little Jabs'' * 2009: ''

'' * 2012: ''Siren Spell'' (EP) * 2013: ''Foolish Blood'' * 2025: ''I Never See You Anymore'' (EP)

Founding members

Image:Liam Corcoran at NXNE 2007.JPG, Liam Corcoran
lead vocals Image:Andrew MacDonald at NXNE 2007.JPG, Andrew MacDonald
bass guitar Image:Derek Ellis at NXNE 2007.JPG, Derek Ellis
drums Image:Alec O'Hanley at NXNE 2007.JPG, Alec O'Hanley
guitar

References

External links

Two Hours Traffic
official site
Two Hours Traffic
at

MapleMusic Recordings Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic Recordings, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Two Hours Traffic Musical groups established in 2000 Musical groups from Charlottetown Canadian indie rock groups Canadian power pop groups Musical groups disestablished in 2013 2000 establishments in Prince Edward Island 2013 disestablishments in Canada Musical groups reestablished in 2025