The Luyas

Experimental Canadian indie rock ensemble the Luyas make arty, atmospheric pop. Formed in Quebec in 2006, the band centers around lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jessie Stein and also features keyboardist/French horn player Pietro Amato, drummer Stefan Schneider, and organist Mathieu Charbonneau. The band self-released an EP in 2008 and followed it with the full-length Faker Death in 2009. The Luyas then signed to Dead Oceans and released the album Too Beautiful to Work in February of 2011. In January of 2012, Schneider left the band and was replaced by former Land of Talk drummer, Mark Wheaton. Shortly afterwards the band began work on their third album Animator, which saw release on Dead Oceans in the fall of 2012. Work on this album were heavily impacted by the death of a close friend of the band's during the time of it's recording.