Comprising of Raine Maida (b. Michael Raine Maida; vocals), Mike Turner (guitar), Chris Eacrett (bass) and Jeremy Taggart (drums), Our Lady Peace were formed in Toronto, Canada, in 1992.
After meeting local producer Arnold Lanni they set about recording their first demos, which immediately attracted the attention of Sony Music Canada.
The band's debut album, Naveed, took its title from 'the ancient Middle Eastern name for bearer of good news', and featured the popular radio hit 'Starseed'. The songwriting, which was undertaken before their stage debut, evolved out of a communal musical approach, with Maida supplying lyrics. Duncan Coutts replaced Eacrett shortly after the release of the album.
Clumsy was a strong follow-up, showcasing a more mature songwriting approach which was rewarded with worldwide sales of over two million. A remixed version of 'Starseed' was featured on the following year's Armageddon soundtrack.
The band's third album, Happiness ... Is Not A Fish That You Can Catch, was recorded with Lanni at Toronto's Arnyard Studios. This album also features Elvin Jones, the legendary 74 year old jazz drummer. He was a huge part of John Coltrane's sound in the 50's.
OLP has performed with The Rolling Stones, Everclear, Third Eye Blind, Alanis Morissette ,and others.
I’ve seen them twice, once at an outdoor rock festival, and another time at the New Orleans House of Blues. They’re pretty damn good, although I prefered the HOB show. The outdoor sound equipment mangled the sound, IMHO. Maida’s distinctive vocals either work for you or they don't. Regardless, they’re a pleasing addition to the often dismal field of modern rock music.
Info adapted from muze.inc. and the OLP official site. And by /me.