Clues began building in secret in the summer of 2007, playing a series of un-advertised shows in small Montréal venues. Emerging above-ground in 2008, their first performances elicited passionate responses from both audiences and music media. Clues was founded by Alden Penner and Brendan Reed, both active for years in the Montréal music scene. Alden was one-half of Unicorns, a band that burned bright and fast at the beginning of the century, and Brendan has been a member of a number of groups, including the endless, Endless Forever. In 2008, CLUES recruited friends Ben Borden, Lisa Gamble, and Nick Scribner from the Montréal art & music scenes. Fully formed, CLUES began work on a debut record.

During live shows and on recordings, the band share and trade-off on their extensive collection of instruments and create a hopeful, urgent music that expands Montréal’s (already diverse) pop music lexicon, with references to post-punk and experimental music traditions. CLUES’ concerts incorporate multiple drummers, a Commodore 64, and an OLPC.

Through their founding and early work as a band, CLUES has remained close to home, dedicated to collaborating with and supporting fellow independent artists. In 2008, Reed started VillaVillaNola.com, a curated digital music store with records by artists from Montréal and beyond who have flourished underground but who otherwise receive sparse attention. Strong ties to the independent music community, together with shared ideals have led CLUES to a collaboration with Montréal’s Constellation Records, who will release the band’s debut record in May of 2009.