Biography of Arcade Fire

Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Richard Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Win's kid brother William Butler came together in summer 2003 to form the Arcade Fire. The experimental indie rock quintet, who hail from Montréal, began when the elder Butler spotted Chassagne singing jazz standards at a local art exhibit at Concordia University in their hometown. From there, the two became inseparable, both professionally and personally. Gathering Parry on organ, Kingsbury on bass and the younger Butler on synthesizer and percussion, the Arcade Fire fleshed out an eclectic palate of bossa nova, punk and classically-tinged songs. A self-titled EP appeared in 2003. The following year, the band signed with Merge and prepped for their first studio album. For its recording, select members of the band borrowed from their personal experiences. Chassagne's grandmother passed away in June 2003 while the Butler's grandfather, swing-era composer/arranger Alvino Rey, and Parry's aunt perished within a month of each other in spring 2004. Chassagne had also married Win Butler six months earlier. The Arcade Fire turned heartache into beauty for the aptly titled Funeral, which was issued in the fall. A headlining tour of the U.S. coincided with its release. ~ MacKenzie Wilson