Based in Calgary, Alberta, indie folk quartet Reuben and the Dark formed after the release of bandleader Reuben Bullock’s first solo album, Pulling Up Arrows, in 2010. Bullock was already performing with his brother Distance Bullock (percussion, cello), and was searching for like-minded musicians to help interpret his intense, brooding folk songs on-stage. They were joined by multi-instrumentalist Shea Alain and bassist Scott Munro and began performing together under the name Reuben and the Dark. Using this new ensemble, he recorded 2012’s Man Made Lakes, which boasted a fuller sound thanks to the added group harmonies of his bandmates. Although it was billed as Bullock’s second solo album, it was recorded as a band, and they hit the road together touring Western Canada. Following a trip to Mexico, where Bullock performed a handful of solo shows, he caught the attention of Mairead Nash, owner of London’s Luv Luv Luv Records (Florence + the Machine, Blood Orange). A trip to England followed, and Bullock recorded several demos with producer and Florence + The Machine drummer Christopher Hayden. As the project took hold, it blossomed into Funeral Sky, the first proper album under the banner Reuben and the Dark, released in May 2014 by iconic Canadian label Arts & Crafts. Amid heavy touring, the band recorded a stand-alone single, “Heart in Two,” which topped CBC Radio 2’s Top 20 chart in February 2016. Reuben and the Dark’s full-length follow-up, Arms of a Dream, appeared in the spring of 2018.

~ Timothy Monger, Rovi