Mobile (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Montreal , Canada |
| Products | Alternative rock music, albums, singles |
Mobile is a Canadian alternative rock ensemble originating from Montreal. The original lineup consisted of Mathieu Joly on vocals, Christian Brais handling guitar duties, Pierre-Marc Hamelin on drums, Dominic Viola playing bass, and Frank Williamson also on guitar. Their first album, titled Tomorrow Starts Today, debuted in 2006. The group earned the Juno Award for "New Group of the Year" in 2007 and garnered two additional nominations. Subsequently, Hamelin departed and was succeeded by Martin Lavallée.
Formation and early years (2000–2005)
In 2000, Dominic Viola became a member of Moonraker, a rock band from Montreal established in 1997 by Brais, Hamelin, Joly, and Williamson. After gaining early accolades, including winning CHOM L'Esprit in 2001, the band moved to Toronto in 2003. By 2005, they secured contracts with Universal Music Group Canada and Interscope Records, adopting the name Mobile.
Tomorrow Starts Today (2006–2007)
Mobile’s debut album, Tomorrow Starts Today, was released on April 18, 2006 through Universal Music Group Canada. Their single "Out of My Head" had a music video that received a nomination for Best Post Production at the MuchMusic Video Awards.
Songs from this album were featured across prominent media platforms: "Montreal Calling" appeared in the video game NHL 07, "New York Minute" was included in both FIFA 07 and an episode of One Tree Hill, while the title track was used in the Canadian movie Bon Cop, Bad Cop.
The band won the 2007 Juno Award for New Group of the Year and was nominated for Rock Album of the Year. On August 21, 2007, the album was released in the United States through The Militia Group.
Tales from the City (2007–2009)
Recording for Mobile’s sophomore album, Tales from the City, began in December 2007 with producer Jeff Saltzman. It was officially released on October 7, 2008. The first single from this album, "The Killer", came out on July 1, 2008.
During late 2008, Mobile toured across Canada to promote the album and also supported Chris Cornell on select dates during his Scream solo tour. Around this time, drummer Pierre-Marc Hamelin left to pursue a career in law; Martin Lavallée took over drumming responsibilities for the Sound of Fiction tour.
The US edition of Tales from the City featured four bonus tracks: a re-recorded version of "Dusting Down the Stars" (2008), along with "Electrolove", "The Low Road", and "Don't Wait".
Third album efforts, disbandment, and reunion (2009–2011, 2020s)
After completing their tour cycle, Mobile developed more than fifty demo tracks intended for a third studio project aiming to recapture the style of their debut album. Recording sessions were anticipated to begin in summer 2011 with hopes for a release by year-end. No touring was scheduled during this creative phase to concentrate fully on production.
Nevertheless, on March 23, 2011, Mobile publicly announced their dissolution. Lead vocalist Mathieu Joly embarked on a solo career path; plans regarding the unreleased third album remained undisclosed.
In the early 2020s, Mobile reunited with some lineup changes: Alex Dionne replaced Dominic Viola on bass while original drummer Pierre-Marc Hamelin returned to replace Martin Lavallée. Their third album titled Roadmap To Redemption was released on March 31, 2023.
Studio albums
| Album information | Highest chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|
| CAN | ||
Tomorrow Starts Today
|
10 |
|
Tales from the City
|
26 | |
Roadmap to Redemption
|
— | |
| "—" indicates that the album either did not chart or was not released in the specified region. | ||
Singles
| Year | Song title | Highest chart placements | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | CAN CHR | CAN HAC | CAN Rock | |||
| 2005 | "Montreal Calling" | 34 | — | — | 5 | Tomorrow Starts Today |
| 2006 | "Out of My Head" | 6 | 5 | 5 | 11 | |
| "See Right Through Me" | — | — | — | 21 | ||
| 2007 | "Dusting Down the Stars" | — | 31 | — | — | |
| 2008 | "The Killer" | 68 | — | — | 5 | Tales from the City |
| "Hit the Floor No. 7" | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023 | "In My Heart" | — | — | — | — | Roadmap to Redemption |