The group of musicians that eventually formed the Clumsy Lovers didn't really intend to start a band. They'd just play out around their home base of Vancouver, spinning their folky, often riotous take on rock in pubs, basements, and backyard parties. But people noticed and starting clamoring for more than just the weekend gigging, and the band was officially born. Between 2000 and 2002 the Clumsy Lovers self-released a series of recordings that blended their Celtic, bluegrass, and rock influences. Still, they were primarily a live band. That changed with 2004's After the Flood, which they made in a studio for a label (the Canadian powerhouse Nettwerk). The similarly studio-crafted Smart Kid followed a year later, and the Clumsy Lovers supported it with a lengthy tour schedule. By that point the band's lineup had solidified around vocalist and bassist Chris Joad, flame-fingered fiddler Andrea Lewis, guitarist and harmonica player Trevor Rogers, banjoist Jason Horney, and drummer Gord Robert. ~ Johnny Loftus