By Matthew Sotlar and John Ostapowicz / The Jambar
Canadian indie rock band The Strumbellas are no strangers to fame. From the band’s 2012 debut album, “My Father and the Hunter” to its breakthrough 2016 hit song “Spirits,” The Strumbellas have maintained a cult following.
Formed in Ontario in 2008, The Strumbellas were initially composed of guitarist and vocalist Simon Ward, keyboardist David Ritter, bassist Darryl James, violinist Isabel Ritchie, drummer Jeremy Dury and lead guitarist Jon Hembrey. Richie said the group is very collaborative in its musical style.
“Whether it’s me coming in and writing … string arrangements, or whether we’re writing a song altogether, that’s a really inspirational thing. Write all together [and] work together, that’s what pushes us all forward,” Ritchie said.
In addition to “My Father and the Hunter,” The Strumbellas released several albums such as “We Still Move on Dance Floors” in 2013 and the 2016 album, “Hope.” The Strumbellas third studio album, which included the track “Spirits,” peaked at No. 3 on the Canadian album charts and No. 98 on the Billboard Hot 200.
Other than international touring, the band has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers and performed at the NHL Heritage Classic. “Spirits” has also been used in a wide variety of films and commercials.
Ritchie said the band did not initially expect to take off and is thankful for its millions of listeners.
“When we started this band, we were playing at farmer’s markets,” Richie said. “It started off as something fun to do on the weekends after work, and we were pretty lucky that it pretty quickly turned into a full-time job. I don’t think we could have ever imagined being able to play to audiences all over the world and having people listen all over the world.”
Following the release and success of “Spirits,” The Strumbellas began touring regularly and did not release another album until 2019’s “Rattlesnake.” This featured the group’s moderate hit and fan favorite, “Salvation.”
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, The Strumbellas resumed touring in 2022 and released its most recent album “Part Time Believer” in 2024.
The sextet are now with new vocalist and guitarist Jimmy Chauveau, who replaced Ward in 2022, and drummer Miles Gibbons, who replaced Dury.
As of 2025, The Strumbellas have set sail on The Rock Boat XXIV, a luxury cruise that features artists and bands including Walk the Moon and Sister Hazel. Ritchie said the band was excited to appear on The Rock Boat.
“We’re super excited, we’ve never done anything like this,” Ritchie said. “It’s a really great opportunity to collaborate and meet other bands. We’re bringing our families out, so it’s really going to be a lot of fun, a big party. We’ve got three different sets we’re going to play and they’re all a little bit different.”
Following its appearance on The Rock Boat, The Strumbellas will be touring across Canada and the U.S. throughout 2025. The band’s music is also available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.