Debs and Errol
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Defunct | 2015-01-15 |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, webcomics |
Debs & Errol was a comedic musical pair from Toronto, consisting of Deborah Isaac on guitar and ukulele, alongside Errol Elumir on piano. Their niche was geek music, creating both original compositions and parodies inspired by franchises such as Totoro, Star Wars, Star Trek, Sherlock, and others within similar fandoms.
Their music received attention through exposure on Wired and gained further recognition when their track "Geek Love Song" aired on CBC Radio's Here and Now (Toronto), boosting their profile within specialized communities.
History
The collaboration began after each artist was individually invited to perform at a geek-themed theatrical event. Rapidly, they established an online footprint by launching a website, social media accounts, and merchandise within a single week. Their songwriting predominantly embraced witty, geek-related themes.
On 15 January 2015, Debs & Errol publicly announced the conclusion of their partnership.
Public Performances
Their appearances were frequent at pop culture conventions like Ottawa Comiccon. They were honored as guests at Orycon 35 and also performed at the Ohio Valley Filk Festival. Beyond standard concert settings, they engaged audiences through improv shows and geek theatre presentations, expanding their reach.
Daily Webcomic
Debs & Errol maintained a daily webcomic series (excluding Sundays). According to Errol, this project originated unintentionally as a strategy to maintain audience engagement during the production of their CD. He utilized characters designed for their logo to motivate fans to visit regularly until the album’s completion.
NaNoWriMo
The pair’s initial connection was through National Novel Writing Month, an event they continue to actively support. They composed a musical centered on NaNoWriMo themes, while Errol produces the NaNoToons webcomic affiliated with the organization.
In 2012, Debs & Errol created a Project for Awesome video promoting NaNoWriMo, which earned first place in the competition.
Crowdfunding
Their debut album, Songs in the Key of Geek, was financed successfully via crowdfunding in 2012.
The following year, an Indiegogo campaign supported the production of their EP CTRL+ALT+DUETS.
Albums available on CD
- Songs in the Key of Geek (April 2012)
Online-only releases
- CTRL+ALT+DUETS (October 2013)
- NaNoMusical 2012 Soundtrack (EP) (November 2012) – Composed by Debs & Errol but performed by others