The World Provider sows delight and confusion, continuing to fine-tune the irresistible combination of catchy tunes and over-the-top theatrical performance.
The superheroic alter ego of mild-mannered writer/filmmaker Malcolm Fraser, the WP got started in Toronto in 1999, born of the same scene that spawned Feist, Peaches, Gonzales and Mocky. First seen onstage as a touring keyboardist for Feist and dancer/backup vocalist/hypeman for Peaches, the WP self-released the debut The Elements of Style in 2000. When the whole gang moved on to Europe and varying degrees of fame, the WP, in a misguided display of non-conformity, stayed on these shores, relocating to Montreal. 2004 saw the release of Enabler on Montreal’s Ta-Da Records.
In 2005, The World Provider was expanded to a full band with the addition of drummer Olga Goreas (of The Besnard Lakes) and keyboardists Kara Blake and Stacey DeWolfe. The all-girl crew’s matching gold outfits, occasional bursts of choreographed dance, and unlikely toy-keyboard rock assault solidified the WP experience into Entertainment Gold.
The WP went on to release the Lost Illusions EP (2006) on Ta-Da and the self-released Hard Feelings (2008). After Olga left the fold to focus on the Besnards, a duo version featuring Malcolm and Stacey toured Canada, the US and Europe in 2008-2009, including opening slots for Peaches, Jamie Lidell, Stars, The Dears, Kevin Blechdom and puppet hip-hop crew The Puppetmastaz.
Then began the recording of History of Pain, the new WP opus, produced by The Dears frontman Murray Lightburn. With the WP's vintage cheap keyboard not quite surviving the European tour, it was time for a different approach, and the new album sharpens the WP's focus into pure anthemic pop heaven.
Recorded in Lightburn’s home studio over the course of a year, History of Pain features Stacey on drums and longtime WP cohort Steve Raegele (known for his work as a sideman with many of Montreal's top acts across all genres, as well as his own album Last Century on the Songlines label) on lead guitar. With Kara busy pursuing her career as a (Juno Award-winning) filmmaker, a newly revamped lineup with Malcolm, Stacey, Steve and new keyboardist Gordon Allen hits the road in celebration of the new album in September 2011.