Canada’s top indie music artists backed by same Toronto label
Posted July 13, 2018 5:39 pm.
Last Updated July 13, 2018 5:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Tucked away on a corner in east Toronto is a musical powerhouse.
It’s in an unassuming building but once you enter, you are surrounded by Canadian indie music royalty.
From Alexisonfire to Jimmy Eat World, Dine Alone Records has an extensive and impressive roster of some of Canada’s top bands and some international treasures.
The man that started the record label? Joel Carriere.
“I had a job at the post office when I was younger, one of the many jobs that I had. I remember I didn’t want to work at the post office. So I quit, I had a cultural website where I talked about my favourite artists.” Carriere told CityNews.
One of his many jobs at the time was working at the now defunct Sam The Record Man at a local mall in his hometown of St. Catherine’s, which coincidentally is also the hometown of Dallas Green of City and Colour.
“I worked at Sam The Record Man and he worked at the movie theatre, West 49 and Sunrise Records. So we were mall kids. He had a band at the time called Helicon Blue. He said I would like them and when I went and saw them I was impressed. I think I said something to him like ‘I want to help you but I don’t know what I’m doing.’ and he said ‘sure let’s do this.”
The first albums to be released by Dine Alone over a decade ago was Green’s debut solo project apart from Alexisonfire.
It was called “Sometimes” under the name many Canadians are familiar with: City and Colour.
The album went on to win the 2007 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year and helped make Green a household name.
“City and Colour’s album was the first record we ever put out.”
From working in a tiny record store to owning one of the most successful independent record labels in Canada.
It’s been a busy time for Carriere and the Dine Alone team, and it’s only going to get busier with dozens of their artists set to release new music in the fall.
