The New Cities
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec , Canada |
| Products | Albums, singles, music videos |
Number of employees | 6 |
The New Cities is a Canadian band originating from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, now operating out of Montreal, Quebec. The group, recognized with nominations for both the Juno Award and ADISQ Award, comprises members David Brown, Christian Bergeron, Nicolas Denis, Francis Fugere, Philippe Lachance, and Julien Martre.
Early years
Formed in early 2006, the band recorded their initial EP alongside producer Steve Nadeau in Montreal, releasing it independently under the title "The New Cities EP" while embarking on a Canadian tour. By spring 2006, they began collaborating with producer Greig Nori, a partnership that culminated in securing a contract with Sony Music Canada in October 2008.
Lost In City Lights
Following their signing with Sony Music Canada, The New Cities launched their first full-length album, Lost in City Lights, in May 2009.
The album’s lead track, "Dead End Countdown", achieved a peak position of No. 16 on the Canadian Hot 100, garnered the 2010 SOCAN Pop/Rock Music Award, and received two nods at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Its accompanying music video was also nominated at the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards.
The follow-up single "Leaders Of The Misled" was featured in the television film Degrassi Takes Manhattan, part of Degrassi: The Next Generation Season 9. Additionally, the song "Lost in City Lights" was included in the third season of Gossip Girl.
To support Lost in City Lights, The New Cities toured alongside notable acts such as Simple Plan, Hedley, Marianas Trench, and Carly Rae Jepsen. They also served as opening performers for prominent artists including The Black Eyed Peas, Katy Perry, NIN, Sum 41, and Metric. Their international touring schedule featured two UK visits and a French tour during the winter months of 2009–2010.
Kill the Lights
The band’s sophomore album, Kill the Lights, was released on September 27, 2011. Its lead single "Heatwave", co-written with production team The Matrix, premiered on June 16, 2011.
After releasing this album, The New Cities supported Avril Lavigne on her 2011 Canadian leg of the Black Star Tour in October. Significant performances in 2012 included appearances at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas and the Bamboozle festival held in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Current members
- David Brown - Lead vocals (2005–present)
- Julien Martre - Backing vocals, Bass guitar (2008–present)
- Christian Bergeron - Guitar (2005–present)
- Francis Fugere - Drummer (2007–present)
- Nicolas Denis - Synthesizer (2005–present)
- Philippe Lachance - Synthesizer (2005–present)
Albums
| Album | Release Date | Label |
| The New Cities EP | March 2006 | Independently released |
| Lost in City Lights | May 5, 2009 | Sony Music Canada |
| Kill the Lights | September 27, 2011 | Sony Music Canada |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions |
Album | Certification (CRIA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | ||||
| 2009 | "Dead End Countdown" | 16 | Lost in City Lights | Gold |
| "Leaders of the Misled" | 99 | |||
| 2010 | "Hypertronic Superstar" | 58 | ||
| 2011 | "Heatwave" | 38 | Kill the Lights | |
| "The Hype" | 55 | |||
| 2012 | "Mugshot" | |||
| 2013 | "The New Rule" |
Compilation appearances
| Album | Release Date | Label | Song(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juno Awards 2010 | March 30, 2010 | Sony Music Canada | "Dead End Countdown" | |
| NRJ Hit Liste 2010 | April 6, 2010 | Sony Music Canada | "Leaders of the Misled" | |
| 10 Dollar DJ - Canada Day* | November 2, 2010 | Sony Music Canada | "Dead End Countdown" | Exclusive release on iTunes in Canada. |
Music videos
| Title | Album | Release Date | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Dead End Countdown" | Lost in City Lights | April 17, 2009 | Jodeb |
| "Leaders of the Misled" | August 18, 2009 | Jodeb | |
| "Hypertronic Superstar" | February 1, 2010 | Frank Borin | |
| "Looks Minus Substance" | December 13, 2010 | Jodeb, David Brown |
| Title | Album | Release Date | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Heatwave" | Kill the Lights | July 26, 2011 | John Poliquin |
| "The Hype" | October 11, 2011 | John Poliquin | |
| "Mugshot" | March 19, 2012 | Colin Minihan | |
| "The New Rule" | February 19, 2013 | MatCyr |
The video for "Dead End Countdown" premiered in March 2010 across the UK and Ireland. It received rotation on prominent music television networks such as Kerrang! TV, Scuzz TV, NME TV, Chart Show TV, and The Box, significantly boosting the band's visibility within these international territories.
Appearances in other media
- 2009. The track "Lost in City Lights" was featured in Season 3 of Gossip Girl.
- 2009. "Dead End Countdown" was showcased in Season 2, Episode 4 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
- 2010. The song "Hypertronic Superstar" appeared during Season 3, Episode 5 of So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
- 2010. "Leaders of the Misled" was part of the soundtrack for the movie Degrassi Takes Manhattan.
Awards and nominations
|-
| 2012 || "Heatwave" || MuchMusic Video Awards
Award for "Post-Production of the Year" ||
|-
| 2010 || "Dead End Countdown" || SOCAN
Recipient of the "POP/ROCK music award" ||
|-
| || "The New Cities" || JUNO Canada's Music Awards
Nomination for "New Group of the Year" ||
|-
| 2010 || "Lost in City Lights" || ADISQ
Honored as "Album Anglophone de l'année" ||
|-
| 2010 || "The New Cities" || Canadian Radio Music Awards
Recognized as "Best New group or solo artist of the year (HOT AC)" ||
|-
| 2010 || "The New Cities" || Canadian Radio Music Awards
Awarded "Best New group or solo artist of the year (CHR)" ||
|-
| 2009 || "Dead End Countdown" || MuchMusic Video Awards
Winner of "Post-Production of the Year" ||
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