Manitoba Music

Les Jupes is the songwriting outlet for Winnipeg-based producer/musician Mike Petkau. He is currently joined by Jesse Warkentin (Mahogany Frog) and Dave Meagher (Edmonton's Five O'Clock Charlie).

Past members and album contributors include Patrick Keenan, Ian La Rue and Jeff Peters. Alexa Dirks (Chic Gamine) sings on the new single. Matt Peters (The Waking Eyes) and Demetra also lend their voices to the album.

These are soundscapes and songs about long-dead Russian...

Les Jupes is the songwriting outlet for Winnipeg-based producer/musician Mike Petkau. He is currently joined by Jesse Warkentin (Mahogany Frog) and Dave Meagher (Edmonton's Five O'Clock Charlie).

Past members and album contributors include Patrick Keenan, Ian La Rue and Jeff Peters. Alexa Dirks (Chic Gamine) sings on the new single. Matt Peters (The Waking Eyes) and Demetra also lend their voices to the album.

These are soundscapes and songs about long-dead Russian prime ministers, ghosts, spiritual rebellion, your brother, and broken promises. They are made with flutes. With lyres. And with heart. These are Les Jupes.

The new single If This Is The Light was written and recorded in a span of 7 frantic hours while Mike was supposed to be mixing another band's album. There are three accompanying remixes by Oldfolks Home, Joe Silva and Blunderspublik. All part of the launch of Head In The Sand's snazzy new website January 5, 2010.

A debut album is currently being recorded with Silver Starling's Marcus Paquin. He lives in Montreal, is a great friend, is really really tall, and may just front the best band you don't know you're in love with yet. And our album will have to wait for a while longer because he's currently recording the new Arcade Fire record. Pretty rad.

In the past couple years, Les Jupes have showcased at Sled Island, written and performed a new score to the classic French/Czech animated film Fantastic Planet and recorded The Mathematics EP live off the floor. The EP is available in limited quantities at live shows only.

When Mike isn't writing Jupes music, he plays guitar in The Liptonians. He also produced and co-wrote the groundbreaking Record Of The Week Club, nomimated for Pop Recording Of The Year at the 2009 Western Canadian Music Awards - where Mike was also nominated for Recording Engineer Of The Year. (He has recorded albums for Paper Moon, Twilight Hotel, Mahogany Frog, Todd Hunter and many more...)

Lastly, Mike did the sound design and co-wrote the score (w/ D.Rangers' Jaxon Haldane) for Cattle Call. Directed by Matthew Rankin and Mike Maryniuk, this irreverent and romping short film won Best Experimental Film @ SXSW 2009.

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