High Holy Days

"In the realm of music, there are those who practice art and those entertainers more prone to artifice. High Holy Days are the former: practitioners of honest and heartfelt hard rock. Their legions of dedicated fans already know that there's a genuine delivery that engages the audience and draws converts at every show. Their dynamic and energetic performances have made their name in the active music fan circles across Canada." - Much Music

"High Holy Days have the passion, the work ethic, the long-term plan. Their message is to play honest rock with power and dedication. Whether on your stereo or on your stage, they deliver." -

TORONTO, Canada (www.highholydays.ca) - High Holy Days will be playing an acoustic performance on the mainstage at this years Sarnia Bayfest, on Friday, July 15th opening for Diamond David Lee Roth. Marc Arcand (vocals) and Dave Thompson (guitars) will be performing selected tracks from their debut album 'All My Real Friends' and from their forthcoming album acoustically.

High Holy Days formed in the fall of 2000 and quickly went from playing local bars around their home base of North Bay, Ontario, to clubs and festivals around the country. They have toured with Theory of a Deadman, Three Days Grace, The Headstones, Default and countless others, catching the attention of concert-goers and music industry types alike.

With a steadfast dedication to their loyal fans and to the road, High Holy Days have stayed the course, consistently touring Coast to Coast since the success of their regional indie debut, All My Real Friends. Their delivery of solid songs and captivating shows to over 200,000 Canadians since 2000 grabbed the attention of Roadrunner Records with whom the band signed in the fall of 2003. The band’s first national single, All My Real Friends, hit home with Canadians and steadily moved up the charts claiming the No 14 spot on the rock charts and No 11 on Much Music for several weeks, being the 5th most spun Canadian artist on rock radio. On the heels of their success Roadrunner Records America picked up the band for a US release slotted for Sept 28th, 2004.

High Holy Days completed work on their second video for their single The Getaway in early June 2004. Continuing in the success of All My Real Friends and catching the attention of Much Music, it debuted on the Much Music countdown at No 30 and continues to move up the charts. The fun summertime anthem showcases a day in the life of High Holy Days in Northern Ontario. The song was immediately put into heavy rotation on Much Music and Much Loud.
For more info on High Holy Days:
http://www.highholydays.ca - Top 40 Charts

High Holy Days Hits The States

July 30, 2004

High Holy Days

High Holy Days lead singer and chief song-writer Marc Arcand is bouncing off the walls, talking about how far he and his band-mates, Billy Macgregor (Guitar), Jeremy Galda (Bass) and Jason Guindon (Drums) have come from their humble beginnings jamming in his Grandma’s abandoned house in North Bay, Ontario to their newfound success at home and the prospect of international success on the horizon.

A story of talent, drive and being in the right place at the right time, High Holy Days have quickly come a long way since the band’s inception nearly four years ago. Their first Canadian single off their Roadrunner debut flew up the Canadian radio and video charts, lodging itself in the Top 20 for many weeks. This led to tours with bands like Three Days Grace, Default and labelmates, Theory of a Deadman and to sharing stages with Nickelback and Sam Roberts. Now, High Holy Days are in the throes of readying themselves for the September 28 U.S. release of All My Real Friends.

Their first single (going for adds this week), "The Getaway", is an immediate, melodic record that has the potential to blow-up at Modern Rock radio before the summer's out. It is as its title says – it’s about getting away from it all, escaping from the daily grind. The video for "The Getaway" (which was put into heavy rotation at Much Music upon receipt) depicts just such fun, as the band packs it up and heads out for a weekend road trip with a bevy of beauties and buddies in tow.

We caught up with singer Marc Arcand at a respite in his schedule in Ontario and got filled-in on all things HHD.

You guys came together about four years ago…

Yep, but one of our founding members bailed on us not too long ago. Besides that, we’ve been a four-piece for probably a year. We met up in Ontario. I was home schooled most of my life when I was younger. Me and my brother were American, and spent a lot of time in Albuquerque, Mexico, Florida, and places like that. It was in high school that I formed a lot of bands whenever I could on the side. Brett (who left the band) and I started this band originally with founding member Jay on the drums -- the other two guys came later. That was right out of college. I left high school to be a core driller for a bit on the rigs and earn some money, buy a car. Then I screwed around for a bit, and decided to go back to college. I started a band on the side and it wasn’t too long before we cut a demo and ended up on our local radio station. Finally, it got to the point where we wanted to cut a record, a really good record. I never thought we’d get signed, and I knew we’d never get signed if we didn’t make our own record first and get on the radio, because there’s way too much competition. So we just did it from that angle. We borrowed money from everybody and made it happen. We actually signed our record deal in the green room at a gig in downtown Toronto, just before we hit the stage opening up for The Headstones.

Tell me a bit about the video. Looked like a pretty good time. Water skiing, sing-a-longs at the cottage on the lake, and of course, supermodels.

Yeah, right?! It was basically almost our idea exactly. The girls were all models that the filmmakers knew, so they made us go out with them the night before and get hammered up so that we’d look like we knew each other when we shot the video.

Poor guy…

Ha! Ha! It didn’t take us very long really. We were all great friends by day two. I guess they had no problems getting right down to the bikinis and running around drinking all day. They just kept feeding us booze for three days, and they’d follow us around with a camera. Every once in a while they’d say, "Okay, we gotta do this because it’s a planned idea." I have to say it was one of the better video, TV, - anything - experiences so far.

So, you were a core driller at one point? What the hell does that entail?

We were doing exploration drilling in a mine. There were hundreds of acres of perspective nickel mining territory. We ran a drill that was about four or five stores high, and drilled up to 10,000-feet into the ground and took core samples all the time. They’d take that back to a lab and decide whether or not we’re hitting pay dirt around there or not. Obviously, it’s a lot cheaper to drill a little hole in the ground than it is to open up a mine and find out what’s what. That was my job. I operated this rig. It was a lot of work – but this is better!

You think? How have things progressed with the popularity of the band in Canada?

We’re just going onto our second single and "The "Getaway" is going to hit at the same time in the States. This is the second time we’ve actually gone all the way from Vancouver back to Ontario. It’s our second cross-country tour. The first time we played on our own, there were gigs where nobody was there. This time around we’re packing rooms all over the place. It’s been a really great experience so far, and I can’t wait to hit the States!

Click here to go to RoadRunner Records and see High Holy Days' "The Getaway". - FMQB - Friday Morning Quarterback

“North Bay's High Holy Days may be busy in their studio working on their sophomore album, but this weekend they're going to be taking a break to play and party. The band have been nominated for Best New Group at this year's Canadian Radio Music Awards and will be performing at the Xtreme Band Slam as part of CMW.” -

"Nickelback, Default, Theory Of A Deadman and all the rest of you long-haired alt-rock boys with (or without) attitude, watch out. High Holy Days have arrived." -

"All My Real Friends showcases song craft that is organic and straightforward, with big riffs and unforgettable hooks. The explosive first U.S. single, “The Getaway”, is an infectiously catchy rock song that is both modern and classic, its driving beat and sweet chorus are tailor made for a Summer road trip – top down, music blasting, wind-in-the-hair fun. The song, just like the title says, is about getting away from it all, escaping from the daily grind. The video for “The Getaway” (which was put into HEAVY rotation at Much Music upon receipt) depicts just such fun, as the band packs it up and heads out for a weekend road trip with a bevy of beauties and buddies in tow." -

"I saw them for the same tour. and when they sang this song (All my Real Friends) I almost fainted, they are the most underrated Canadian band of all time!" -

“'Over 4,000 people packed Goulard Park in Sturgeon Falls last night to hear rock bands Trooper and High Holy Days at a free concert presented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Called Rock for Public Services, the event was the first of a series of rock concerts that CUPE Ontario has planned in cities across the province to celebrate and bring home the public services."” -

High Holy Days




Formed in the rock culture of North Bay, Ontario Canada, lead singer Marc Arcand started the band in the year 2003. With regional success, the band was signed to RoadRunner Records/Universal Music for the release of High Holy Days/All My Real Friends. The album enjoyed success with two Much Music/MTV Canada video releases and a top ten single in Canada. Their second single also found it's way onto British and American airwaves. The band toured Canada for over a year in support of the album. After over a year off, dedicated to writing and recording demos, as well as membership changes, the band was ready to get back on tour and road-test their new material. In the late summer of 2005, the band embarked on their first international tour. In early 2006, High Holy Days (Marc Arcand, Bill MacGregor, Brian Bird, Chris Amey), along with former member and co-writer Dave Thompson, began recording their second album in the english country-side of Wigan UK with engineer John Kettle, returning to Canada to co-produce with producer/engineer Russ Mackay in Toronto. The band is currently writing songs, demoing, and working towards another new album that reflects the evolution of the sound and musical inspiration behind High Holy Days - Metalworks Studios

A bit back, Roadrunner Records signed another act from the great land of Canada, this one called High Holy Days. How did it happen? Why? Their A&R rep from the country writes the following:

It's finally happening. Fuck I'm excited! The best rock band in Canada - HIGH HOLY DAYS - will be releasing their debut album 'All My Real Friends' through Roadrunner Records in March 2004. It's been a long time coming for these guys...man, and this disc couldn't represent great rock music any better. Start to finish 'All My Real Friends' is a rock-out disc. And the live show, man, forget about it. HIGH HOLY DAYS lives and dies on the stage. Dudes, I'm a punk A&R brat, and I don't EVER sing lyrics at shows (it's not fawwwk'in cool ya know?), but I SING these lyrics. I can't help it. So now to stop being so gushy and shit, here's how it came to be...

I first heard the disc through my good friend Mike who came by and literally told me, “YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS. YOU HAVE TO HEAR HOW GOOD THIS IS.” So we sat down and listened and within 30 seconds I wasn't thinking 'I have to hear this,' I was thinking, 'I HAVE TO SEE THIS.' Mike and I figured out how to make it happen as fast as possible, got in a car, and headed 5 hours into Northern Ontario for what was to be my favorite show ever. These dudes had a bar filled with 300 people, from a town who's population is only like 50,000, and on a fuck'n Monday night, no less. Not many indie bands can do that in Toronto... Sufficed to say they kicked my ass and the crowd soaked me in beer. The feeling was undeniable – it was pure rock energy. The singing man… I could go on about the singing. Marc Arcand's voice is the strongest, most powerful voice in rock today. And dude, Billy MacGregor's riffs kill it. You've got to see Billy play. Bass? Want to talk Bass? My man Jeremy Galda whacks out those bass strings like their dental floss, and Jay 'The Man In Black (gloves)' Guindon beats a set of drums like he's summoning the gods.

The gods must have been summoned because luckily after a few (hundred) beers with the guys that night we managed to become great friends and work together this past year to make sure their music and this record gets out the public. It's a great album from a band who give it their all every second they play, even though their talents come as naturally as waking up in the morning (well, for some people, anyway). The first single, also entitled “All My Real Friends,” will be hitting Canadian Rock radio in late January 2004, and on the shelves in March 2004. International release dates (US included) are yet to be confirmed. But keep your eyes peeled because HIGH HOLY DAYS will be passing through your town more than once this year and leaving a serious impression on your eardrums.

- Jamie Milligan
A&R Roadrunner Records

High Holy Days, welcome aboard. - Roadrunner & Artist News

High Holy Days are heading to Wigan, England to record their much anticipated follow-up to All My Real Friends, with brit-rock producer John Kettle. But they won’t depart before throwing a live concert for their hometown. After over a year of writing and production work with artists as diverse as Jeff Martin (ex-Tea Party frontman), KC Marshall and Joey Serlin (Watchmen) High Holy Days chose John Kettle (Marble Index, MOCO) as the main producer for the recording. They are heading back to England this month where they will play some European dates and hit the studio to record their sophomore record in Wigan, UK.

Tickets are $10 with a canned good donation to the North Bay food bank; $12 without. Tickets are available at MudShark Media, 155 Main St East or at Cecil’s, corner Main and Wyld Streets. Phone orders by calling 472-7510. - BayToday

High Holy Days formed in the rock culture of North Bay, Ontario Canada. Lead singer Marc Arcand started the band in the year 2003. With regional success, the band was signed to RoadRunner Records/Universal Music for the release of High Holy Days/All My Real Friends. The album enjoyed success with two Much Music/MTV Canada video releases and a top ten single in Canada. Their second single also found it’s way onto British and American airwaves.

The band toured Canada for over a year in support of the album, before taking time off to build a tracking studio, and record demos for a followup album.

After over a year off, dedicated to writing and recording demos, as well as membership changes, the band was ready to get back on tour and road-test their new material. In the late summer of 2005, Marc Arcand, Dave Thompson, Brian Bird and Chris Amey embarked on their first international tour, England and Wales, playing colleges, universities and clubs dates for three months leading up to winter of 2005

In early 2006 the band began recording their second album in the English country-side of Wigan England with producer John Kettle, returning to Canada to co-produce with renowned mixer/ engineer Richard Chycki. The album is over two years in the making and reflects the evolution of the sound and musical inspiration behind High Holy Days. It will be released in the late fall of 2006. - Last FM

A GANG of Canadian rockers are to release their debut album – recorded in Wigan.

High Holy Days, from Ontario, descended upon John Kettle’s Jaraff House recording studio in Platt Bridge last summer.

Now, the fruits of their labour are ready.

Entitled It’s Not OK, the album has been two years in the making and is described as a hard-nosed pure rock record. High Holy Days – Marc Arcand, Bill MacGregor, Chris Amey and Brian Bird – saw their first single hit the top 10 in Canada. - Wigan Today

See the CMW -CHART ATTACK interview with Marc HERE MARCH 2005.

High Holy Days will be performing at this year’s Canadian Music Week festival as special guests at the Xtreme Band Slam. High Holy Days were the first winners of the band competition when it started in 2001. This years finals will take place at Montana ’s ( 145 John St ) and will feature performances by the regional winners of the Xtreme Band Slam from across Canada including performance by HHD friends Defined and Tupelo Honey. HHD will headline the event, rockin' out @ 11:30 Friday March 4 @ 12:00 a.m

High Holy Days will be hanging out at this Canadian Music Week Radio & Music Awards -Marcch 5. The band has been nominated for Best New Rock Group along with fellow rockers The Trews, Finger Eleven, Thornley, Stabilo and The Waking Eyes. - geocities

North Bay's High Holy Days may be busy in their studio working on their sophomore album, but this weekend they're going to be taking a break to play and party. The band have been nominated for Best New Group at this year's Canadian Radio Music Awards and will be performing at the Xtreme Band Slam as part of CMW. - Chart Attack

High Holy Days is a Canadian post-grunge music group formed in North Bay as the Arcand Band in 1998. In 2000 their name was changed to High Holy Days. The band currently consists of vocalist Marc Arcand, guitarist Bill MacGregor, guitarist Brett Hind, bassist Chris Amey, and drummer Brian Finner. Former members of the band include Dave Thompson (guitarist), Jeremy Galda (bassist), Brian Bird (drummer), and Jason Guindon (drummer).

The band released their debut album All My Real Friends independently, and subsequently signed to Roadrunner Records in 2003. Roadrunner re-released that album in March 2004. This album subsequently spawned the Canadian hit singles "All My Real Friends", "The River of Styx" and "The Getaway". The album was also released in the United States in the fall of 2004. In Canada MuchMusic aired the videos for All My Real Friends and The Getaway. In the United States the video for The Getaway aired on Fuse (then mmusa).

In April 2006, as reported in the Wigan Evening Post, the band was in Platt Bridge, Wigan, working on their next album. They wanted to get away from Canada and work somewhere quiet, where they were relatively unknown. Whilst working in the studio in Platt Bridge they played gigs in Leigh and in The Tavern in Wigan.

This album was released on their new website in January 2012. According to this website they are working on a third album.

Albums[edit]


Release Date

Country

Title

Label

February 22, 2003 Canada All My Real Friends Aleithia Records/AMG (Independent)
March 23, 2004 Canada All My Real Friends Universal Music Group
September 28, 2004 United States All My Real Friends Roadrunner Records
January 2012 "It's Not O.K." Independent

Singles[edit]


Year

Song

2003 "The River of Styx" (album version)
2003 "Living in your Head"
2004 "All My Real Friends"
2004 "The Getaway" - Wikipedia