Indie rock band Alvvays was formed in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada in 2011. Founded by Molly Rankin – whose father is John Morris Rankin from Celtic Folk group The Rankin Family – the roots of Alvvays began in 2010 when she and guitarist Alec O’Hanley recorded her solo EP, She. The following year, Molly recruited O’Hanley, keyboardist Kerry MacLean, bassist Brian Murphy (replaced by Abbey Blackwell in 2021), and drummer Phil MacIsaac (replaced by Sheridan Riley in 2017) to form Alvvays. Once the original lineup was solidified, the group members moved to Toronto, Canada to integrate themselves into the city’s thriving music scene. Alvvays built up a solid live reputation, eventually signing a deal with Polyvinyl (US) and Royal Mountain in Canada. Their debut single was 2013’s “Archie, Marry Me,” followed by their self-titled debut album in 2014. While the album didn’t achieve great chart success in Billboard, it became a critical success and introduced the group to a wider audience. The critical success and word-of-mouth led to great anticipation for Alvvay’s sophomore album, Antisocialites (2017). The album was an international success, making the Top 40 in Canada and landing in the Top 30 in Scotland and the UK. Even the US showed some love when the album reached Number 82 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. Five years after the release of Antisocialites, Alvvays returned in October 2022 with their critically acclaimed third album, Blue Rev.
