Treble Charger is a Canadian rock band formed in 1992 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Greig Nori, vocalist and guitarist Bill Priddle, bassist Rosie Martin and drummer Richard Mulligan. They began with a melodic

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

style but evolved into more of a

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...

band after signing to a major label in 1997. They disbanded in 2006 and reunited in 2012. Between 1996 and 2016, Treble Charger was among the Top 150 selling Canadian artists in Canada.

History

Early years (1992–1996)

Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the band consisted of Nori, Priddle, Rosie Martin and

Morris Palter Morris Palter is a Canadian drummer/percussionist who specializes in contemporary/classical chamber and solo percussion music. He also plays novelty ragtime xylophone and drum kit, and is also a composer, and university professor who was a fou ...

and was named NC-17 (after the movie rating) until 1994 when an American band with the same name threatened to sue. They adopted the name Treble Charger, but named their debut album '' NC17''. ''NC17'' was released independently at first by Smokin' Worm in 1994, but it was a hit on

campus radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produc ...

MuchMusic Much (an abbreviation for its full name MuchMusic) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. MuchMusic launched on August 31, ...

, and CFNY when it was re-released by

Sonic Unyon Records Sonic Unyon Recording Company is an independent record label based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Their former retail store was located on Wilson Street near James Street North. The label has put out releases by bands including Tristan Psion ...

in 1997. In 1995, the band released ''

Self Title ''Self Title'' (styled as ''self=title'') is Treble Charger's EP originally released in February 1995. It was re-released by RCA on November 26, 1996, and BMG in 1997. The album was nominated for " Best Alternative Album" at the 1997 Juno Awa ...

'', which included a CD-ROM track promoting 30 of Treble Charger's favourite Canadian indie bands, including

The Inbreds The Inbreds were a Canadian alternative rock band formed in 1992. Originally from Kingston, Ontario,"Kingston's Inbreds don't need guitars". ''Toronto Star'', July 8, 1993. the band relocated to Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1996 and remained based there ...

, Change of Heart, By Divine Right, Hayden and

Thrush Hermit Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and unpredictable performances," as quoted by Vice News. History Thrush Hermit was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1992 by J ...

Shift to pop punk (1997–2006)

Guitarist Bill Priddle. 1997's '' Maybe It's Me'' was the band's major label debut. Palter recorded drums for only a few tracks, and, after Nori considered recording the rest of the drums himself, session drummer Mike Levesque stepped in. The album featured a more polished, commercial sound than the band's earlier albums, and launched the hit " Friend of Mine". Soon afterward, Trevor MacGregor joined as the band's drummer. That lineup, along with several of their songs from this album, were also featured in the 1999 film ''Mr. Music''. The band played the role of an 'undiscovered' indie band that gets discovered and helps to turn fictional Tone Records around from its slump. '' Wide Awake Bored'', released in 2000, completed the band's evolution to a pop-punk style. This album also featured the hit singles "

American Psycho ''American Psycho'' is a novel by Bret Easton Ellis, published in 1991. The story is told in the first person by Patrick Bateman, a serial killer and Manhattan investment banker. Alison Kelly of ''The Observer'' notes that while "some countri ...

" and "Brand New Low". In 2001, Treble Charger performed at the Snow Jam festival in Halifax. In 2002, the band released '' Detox'', featuring hit single " Hundred Million" and "Don't Believe It All". Priddle, identified with Treble Charger's early indie rock direction rather than the later pop-punk, left the band in 2003. Initially, it was said he was taking a break from the group, but it later came out the departure was permanent, and Nori had asked him to leave sooner than Priddle had intended.

Kelly Osbourne Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born 27 October 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, model, and fashion designer. The daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, she appeared on the reality show ''The Osbournes'' (2002–2005) wit ...

guitarist Devin Bronson filled in for Priddle for the rest of the ''Detox'' tour. Priddle continued his collaborations with

Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed by Kevin Drew (vocals, guitar) and Brendan Canning (vocals, bass) in 1999. Alongside Drew and Canning, the othe ...

and is a member of his new band The Priddle Concern. By this time, their work with and the success of their proteges

Sum 41 Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. Originally called Kaspir, the band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Dave Baksh (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason "Cone" McC ...

, whom Nori produced, had started to eclipse Treble Charger's own career. In late 2004, it was reported that Treble Charger itself was on hiatus, but an animated version of the group, including Priddle, would appear, with Sum 41, on

The Comedy Network CTV Comedy Channel (often shortened to CTV Comedy and formerly known as The Comedy Network) is a Canadian English-language specialty channel owned by Bell Media which focuses primarily on comedy programming. The channel first launched on Octobe ...

series '' Kevin Spencer''. However, a message posted on July 20, 2004, on their official website said they were continuing to record and the band was still together. But on September 1, 2005, Nori said in an interview: :''"Thanks for all the amazing support you have given us. It seems like we're bigger now then we have ever been. I only wish more people had caught on to our music sooner so that we could have had an easier time at being a band. I'm not saying it's over yet but I am saying that right now I need to focus on other things. Maybe in a while I will get the urge to write a new TC album but right now my heart's not in it. Thanks for enjoying our music." The hits "American Psycho" and "Brand New Low" were featured in

EA Sports EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...

Hockey game '' NHL 2002'' and "Hundred Million" was used in '' NHL 2003'' and in Splashdown: Rides Gone Wild. EA also used "Wear Me Down" and "Business" from the ''Wide Awake Bored'' album in Triple Play 2002. "American Psycho" was used in promotional advertisements for the

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

movie '' American Pie: Band Camp'' and featured in the movie ''

Dude, Where's My Car? ''Dude, Where's My Car?'' is a 2000 American stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner. The film stars Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott as two best friends who find themselves unable to remember where they parked their vehicle after a n ...

'' On February 3, 2006, Nori disbanded Treble Charger, ending their 14-year career.

Post-breakup activity (2006–2011)

Nori has stopped managing Canadian band

, although he now manages other bands. He is currently a "musical guru" for the Canadian reality show '' disBAND'' (since renamed ''Much Discovered'') on

. Priddle pursues a solo career in Toronto, and released a solo album in 2008 with his new band The Priddle Concern. MacGregor currently writes music for TV and film. Palter went on to pursue degrees in contemporary percussion performance and continues to perform solo and chamber music of contemporary composers all over the world. Treble Charger was one of the inaugural inductees into the Sault Ste. Marie Walk of Fame on September 30, 2006 during the grand opening weekend of the Steelback Centre, the city's new sports and entertainment arena. Nori produced Organ Thieves' first full-length studio album '' Somewhere Between Free Men and Slaves'', which was recorded between 2010–2012 and released on April 3, 2012.

Reunion and upcoming sixth studio album (2012–present)

On January 15, 2012, a

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

account was opened for the band, with the opening tweet saying "Wow - it's been a while. Might be time to knock the dust off...", which led to speculations about the band reuniting, also following Nori's tweet "Thinking I should probably call Bill, and maybe pick up some new guitar strings, hmmmm." On January 20, 2012, it was confirmed that the band will reunite (without Martin and MacGregor) and has announced plans to play a reunion show at The Indie Awards in Toronto as part of

Canadian Music Week Canadian Music Week (or CMW) is an industry conference and music festival held over ten days in Toronto and Ontario, Canada. History Canadian Music Week began in 1981 and has grown to become one of Canada's largest and most influential media a ...

. Another show was confirmed for March 21, 2012 in Toronto, with the band playing alongside Organ Thieves. The band played three more Canadian festival shows, in June, July and November. In 2013, the band played one headlining show on July 12, in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...

, with support from The Trews and

Neverending White Lights Daniel Victor (born September 20, 1979) is a Canadian recording artist and producer from Windsor, Ontario, best known for the collaborative music project Neverending White Lights, which features instrumentation performed mostly by Victor, wit ...

. Nori and Priddle entered the studio to record new music in September 2014. During a 2018 headlining of the Rotaryfest, the band mentioned the possibility of a new album.

Band members

Current line-up

* Greig Nori –

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of th ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

(1992–2006, 2012–) * Bill Priddle –

, co-lead vocals (1992–2003, 2012–) *Rosie Martin –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gu ...

(1992–2006, 2018-) *Richard Mulligan –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

(2013-)

Former members

* Jason Pierce –

(2012–2013) *

–

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

(1992–1997) * Mike Levesque –

(1997) * Trevor MacGregor –

(1997–2006) * Devin Bronson –

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

(2003–2004) * Dave McMillan –

(touring) (January – July 2012) * Darcy Yates –

(touring) (2012–2018)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:800 height:200 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:50 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Drums value:purple legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Releases Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1992 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1992 LineData = at:07/04/1994 color:black layer:back at:01/01/1995 color:black layer:back at:05/13/1997 color:black layer:back at:07/25/2000 color:black layer:back at:08/20/2002 color:black layer:back BarData = bar:Nori text:"Greig Nori" bar:Priddle text:"Bill Priddle" bar:Bronson text:"Devin Bronson" bar:Martin text:"Rosie Martin" bar:MacMillan text:"Dave MacMillan" bar:Yates text:"Darcy Yates" bar:Palter text:"Morris Palter" bar:MacGregor text:"Trevor MacGregor" bar:Pierce text:"Jason Pierce" bar:Mulligan text:"Richard Mulligan" PlotData= width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:Nori from:01/01/1992 till:02/03/2006 color:Vocals bar:Nori from:01/01/1992 till:02/03/2006 color:Guitar width:3 bar:Nori from:01/14/2012 till:end color:Vocals bar:Nori from:01/14/2012 till:end color:Guitar width:3 bar:Martin from:01/01/1992 till:02/03/2006 color:Bass bar:Martin from:06/16/2018 till:end color:Bass bar:MacGregor from:05/13/1997 till:02/03/2006 color:Drums bar:Priddle from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/2003 color:Guitar bar:Priddle from:01/01/1992 till:01/01/2003 color:Vocals width:3 bar:Priddle from:01/14/2012 till:end color:Guitar bar:Priddle from:01/14/2012 till:end color:Vocals width:3 bar:Bronson from:01/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:Guitar bar:Palter from:01/01/1992 till:05/13/1997 color:Drums bar:MacMillan from:03/01/2012 till:07/17/2012 color:Bass bar:Yates from:07/18/2012 till:06/16/2018 color:Bass bar:Pierce from:01/14/2012 till:08/10/2013 color:Drums bar:Mulligan from:08/10/2013 till:end color:Drums

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

References

Citations

External links

Treble Charger
Official website
Treble Charger
at ViK. Recordings
Treble Charger
at urArtist Network * {{DEFAULTSORT:Treble Charger Canadian indie rock groups Canadian pop punk groups Canadian punk rock groups Musical groups established in 1992 Musical groups disestablished in 2006 Musical groups reestablished in 2012 Musical groups from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario 1992 establishments in Ontario 2006 disestablishments in Ontario 2012 establishments in Ontario Sonic Unyon artists Nettwerk Records artists