13 Engines
Canadian alternative rock band active from 1985 to 1997.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
13 Engines were a Canadian alternative rock band who started out in the mid-1980s and called it quits in 1996. The group got its start in 1985 when four York University students—vocalist John Critchley, guitarist Mike Robbins, bassist Jim Hughes, and drummer Grant Ethier—formed a band called The Ikons. After releasing a self-titled cassette in 1986, they changed their name to 13 Engines, a nod to the auto industry in Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, where they first found an audience. The band spent considerable time in Michigan and cut their first two albums, *Before Our Time* (1988) and *Byram Lake Blues* (1989), for the Canadian label Nocturnal Records. A track from the latter, "Beached," became a college radio hit, leading to a deal with SBK Records in the U.S. and EMI in Canada in 1990.
Their major-label debut, *A Blur to Me Now*, arrived in 1991, produced by David Briggs and John Hanlon, and yielded the singles "King of Saturday Night" and "Big Surprise." SBK soon dropped the band but issued an EP called *Ignition* featuring tracks from *A Blur to Me Now* and earlier material. That album, 1993's *Perpetual Motion Machine*, was produced by Critchley and released on EMI Music Canada in Canada and on the band's own label in the U.S. It became the band's Canadian breakthrough, spinning off the hits "More," "Bred in the Bone," and "Smoke & Ashes," and landing them a slot on The Tragically Hip's Another Roadside Attraction tour. They also played festivals and shared bills with Blind Melon, The Watchmen, Moist, and The Tea Party.
The follow-up, 1995's *Conquistador*, gave them another hit in "Beneath My Hand" and is often considered their finest work, though it didn't sell well. In 1996, Nocturnal Records put out a compilation, *Perfect Largeness: The Nocturnal Years*. The band played NXNE in June 1997, performing songs from a finished album that never saw release, and broke up later that year. In 2017, Artoffact Records released *Brave New Waves Session*, an EP culled from a live radio performance.
After the split, Critchley released a solo album, *Crooked Mile*, in 2000, and moved into production work. Ethier continued as a drummer, while Hughes pursued other musical endeavors.
- formed
- 1985
- origin
- Canada
- genre
- Alternative rock
- years_active
- 1985–1996
- label
- Nocturnal Records (Canada), SBK Records, EMI Music Canada
Lore & Background
13 Engines began as The Ikons in 1985, a quartet of York University students: vocalist John Critchley, guitarist Mike Robbins, bassist Jim Hughes, and drummer Grant Ethier. They released a self-titled independent cassette in 1986 before renaming themselves 13 Engines, a reference to the automobile industry in Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan, which were the first markets to embrace the band. The band spent considerable time in Michigan and released their first two albums, *Before Our Time* (1988) and *Byram Lake Blues* (1989), on the Canadian label Nocturnal Records. The song 'Beached' from *Byram Lake Blues* became a college hit, leading to a signing with SBK Records in the United States and EMI in Canada in 1990.
Their major-label debut, *A Blur to Me Now* (1991), was produced by David Briggs and John Hanlon and yielded singles 'King of Saturday Night' and 'Big Surprise.' After SBK dropped the band, they released an EP called *Ignition* featuring tracks from *A Blur to Me Now* and earlier material. That album, *Perpetual Motion Machine* (1993), was produced by Critchley and released on EMI Music Canada in Canada and on the band's own label in the U.S. It became the band's Canadian breakthrough, spinning off the hits 'More,' 'Bred in the Bone,' and 'Smoke & Ashes,' and landing them a slot on The Tragically Hip's Another Roadside Attraction tour. They also played festivals and shared bills with Blind Melon, The Watchmen, Moist, and The Tea Party.
The follow-up, *Conquistador* (1995), gave them another hit in 'Beneath My Hand' and is often considered their finest work, though it didn't sell well. In 1996, Nocturnal Records put out a compilation, *Perfect Largeness: The Nocturnal Years*. The band played NXNE in June 1997, performing songs from a finished album that never saw release, and broke up later that year. In 2017, Artoffact Records released *Brave New Waves Session*, an EP culled from a live radio performance.
After the split, Critchley released a solo album, *Crooked Mile*, in 2000, and moved into production work. Ethier continued as a drummer, while Hughes pursued other musical endeavors.
Reader's Guide
13 Engines holds a modest but distinct place in Canadian alternative rock history, particularly for their 1993 album Perpetual Motion Machine, which brought them mainstream attention in Canada and a spot on The Tragically Hip's Another Roadside Attraction tour. Their sound, rooted in the alternative rock of the late 1980s and early 1990s, earned them college radio play and a loyal following. Though they never achieved lasting commercial success, their 1995 album Conquistador is regarded by some as their best work. The band's legacy is preserved through compilation appearances and the 2017 release of a live session EP. Their story reflects the challenges faced by Canadian bands navigating the U.S. and Canadian music industries in the 1990s.
Did You Know?
- The band originally formed in 1985 under the name The Ikons.
- Their name 13 Engines references the automobile industry in Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.
- The song 'Beached' from Byram Lake Blues became a college hit.
- After the breakup, Critchley, Ethier, and Hughes all pursued careers as producers.
More in Alternative rock groups from Toronto 1-24
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