The WolfPack

Download high-resolution image #1: Click here

The WolfPack began playing music as a trio, with a bassist, a guitarist and a drummer, with all three of the older boys, playing gigs on Six Nations, starting in 1993.

Inspired by bands such as, Howlin' Wolf, Colin James, Jonny James, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughn, among others, the trio managed to learn and perform over 40 songs as part of a four-hour set list for the clubs.

With the band beginning to form a following, the younger brothers of the band,Jason and Troy, began to use their talents as a group with all five brothers contributing to an overall sound. At first Troy was on Keyboards under instruction from Washington Savage who is formerly of The Jeff Healey Band, who was and remains to be a big supporter and influence on the WolfPack.

Jason began, singing back-ups until he started to influence the set list with his favourite style of music R&B and Motown. Soon the brothers five, began playing songs like Stand By Me, Midnight Hour, Chain of Fools, Suspicious Minds, along with Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens songs. Soon the WolfPack was signed by an Independant Manager in 1996 and the band attempted a song in a studio, called "Love Letter" written by Darren Martin, but was never released due to financial restraints, but it did light the flame for events to come in the future.

In 1998, The WolfPack was eventually sponsored by a local business man, Curt Styres who bought all new equipment for the group, all new stage clothes, and delievered the boys into many gigs for business men around Six Nations.

The Wolfpack had bought a brand new set of equipment in 1999 but only a month later, it was stolen from a bar in the night, never to be found. Now faced with no equipment. the boys began to slow down from music, and finish school, go back into the workforce and try to take a break after five years of playing over 150 shows for about 20-25 different venues, (Festivals, Showcases, Talent Shows & bars) across Ontario, including Norm's, The Malibu Club w/ special guest Salome Bey, The Silver Dollar, East End Sports Bar and stops in Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford, Simcoe, Christian Island Blues Festival, Red, White & Blues Festival, Caledonia, Hagersville, El Mocambo, and the CBC special "Tribute To Salome Bey", The Esso Theatre-Hockey Hall of Fame, Nathan Philips Square and Canada's Wonderland.

In the year 2000, an aspiring poet, Doyle Bomberry, saught to produce a Musical Compilation CD called "The Backroads Blues Band, featuring words from his poems, and looked to all of the talent on Six Nations to be a part of it. Doyle, contacted Darren and Troy of WolfPack and asked if they would be willing to interpret one of his poems into a song, which they agreed to. After the song "Wanna Be Bad" *(featured on The Backroad Blues Band and on the Debut album by The WolfPack entitled "Every Lil' Thing" ) The CD release party was held in Brantford, Ontario, to a crowd of about 300, featuring artists such as Murray Porter, Mark Laforme, Dane Ngyhuka, and Saidah (*of Bloxom).

From that point, the WolfPack began investing into their music career again, and buying all of the equipment they needed, in order for them to start playing again, and they did. The writing began writing their debut album "Every Lil Thing", in 2002,with Jason writing the lyrics for all but three of the songs, which were written by Doyle Bomberry, and Troy Martin, while Darren Martin wrote one of the tracks entitled "Hey Hey" and co-wrote two others "She Ain't Happy" and "Wanna Be Bad". Troy, the youngest brother of the group, engineered the entire CD and wrote most of the music for the songs, while the rest of The Wolfpack played their parts and offering their take on the songs.

The Debut CD by The Wolfpack, "Every Lil' Thing" was completed in May 2003 but was semi-released in April with a dry 500 copy run, which was a preview of the cd, and was released at the annual Street Dance held at Six Nations with performers like TruRez Crew and Derek Miller. With the album getting good airplay at about 20 radio stations across North America, the brothers entered a showcase held by the Toronto Blues Society, looking for a New Blues Artists, to compete for the title of "Best New Blues Artists of The Year" in Toronto, Ontario.

The Wolfpack were one of Six Bands picked to enter the contest, according to judges who listened to hundreds of CDs, and announced the bands who would be playing at The Silver Dollar Room, for the finals, taking place over twodays,The Wolfpack were runners up in that showcase but soon had won the Grand Prize in a Talent Showcase called "APTN ONStage" that was held all across Canada. The WolfPack played two songs and were featured two times over the 16-week run, and featured many reserves across Canada, with the fans voting on the final show, with the top ten countdown, eventually choosing The WolfPack as the Grand Prize Winner.

From that show, Award-Winning Music Promoter, Elaine Bomberry, invited the boys to open up for one of her acts at the "Rez Blues" showcase, where they played to a packed house and earned a chance to come back to her "Rez Blues" showcase but, this time be the headlining act.

The WolfPack has been featured in many newspapers and radio stations, with a WolfPack perspective on "The Blues" a documentary done by CBC radio. The Wolfpack, then decided to add another bandmate to the group, to fill the void they felt was missing from the sound, which was the inspring sound of the keyboard, and brought 30 year veteran, Rob Murphy in to join the group, and also added a back-up singer as 16 year-old Faith, sister of the WolfPack brothers, joins the group.

The debut album "Every Lil Thing" was then nominated for 2 National Aboriginal Music Awards in the Category of "Best Blues Album" and "Best Group or Duo" and would eventually perform at the award ceremony.

The WolfPack eventually claimed one of the two awards, winning the "Best Blues Album" award in 2004 for their release "Every Lil' Thing" which sold an impressive 1000 units in 5 months leading up to the awards, as well as getting regular airplay on bigger and more mainstream radio, like CBC and Galaxie Satelite radio.

The WolfPack has just finished their second album entitled, "Blind Man River" with the performance of these songs being played at the 1st Annual REZStock, in Parry Sound.
WolfPack is busy scheduling their first tour an has recently performed before, Susan Aglukark at the Planet Indegenious Festival in Toronto.

For more information please contact Arlene Martin / Manager/ Tyrant lol she pushes us to be good at all times!!! Although we rarely are:

Phone: (519) 445-1623
email: snc_youth_outreach@hotmail.com