Original Pairs began in 2008, in Toronto Ontario, as the love child of drummer Lisa Logan and guitarist and singer, songwriter Andrew Frontini. Frontini is perhaps best known as the bassist of The Slinks, Gord Downie’s first band. As presented in the documentary film,” No Dress Rehearsal” (2024) Frontini engineered Gord’s expulsion from the band and has been living in rock’n’roll purgatory ever since. In this time, he has performed with a dozen bands including The Filters, Sean Penitentiary (with Hugh Dillon), and instrumental art rock jazz ensemble Quadruped with Blake Howard. The good think about purgatory, is you get to take your time – listening, playing and writing.
OP is a slow-bake rock band. In their 17 year history, they have performed across the country and are preparing to release their fourth studio album of original material this summer. Today, Original Pairs are a four piece, high energy rock’ n‘ roll revival quartet. Drawing from influences as diverse as rockabilly, new wave, power pop, garage and experimental psych, the band create driving sound tracks for Frontini’s story based musings. It’s existential bar room rock for doomed lovers everywhere, played live off the floor without apology or compromise.
On their latest release “Surface Tension” Frontini’s resonant baritone sets ten musical parables in motion against the backdrop of crunchy, twangy, reverb drenched guitars and the bluesy organ and deep retro synth stylings of keyboardist Jon Loewen. The sonic interplay is buttressed by Lynda Kraar’s fat, melodic bass lines and Lisa Logan’s deftly orchestral can-bashing. Alternating between haunting reverie and savage fun, “Surface Tension” gets beneath the surface to mine the ore of experience from a life spent in rock’n’roll purgatory.
