The Paper Cranes

The Paper Cranes are a Canadian indie pop band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 2005 and still active. The group centres on husband and wife Ryan McCullagh and Miranda Roach, and its line-up also includes Braeden Paterson, Alex Bodman and Jeff Mitchelmore.

Origins and line-up

The band forms in January 2005 with Ryan McCullagh on vocals, guitar and keyboard, James Watson on drums, John Quissy on bass and Mark Vondrasek on guitar. Its name comes from Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. Over time the line-up changes several times, but the group remains centred on McCullagh and Roach. Roach joins on keyboard in the autumn of 2005, and McCullagh and Roach marry in December 2005.

Early recordings and label

Early on, the band records five demo songs together, including early versions of “I’ll Love You Until My Veins Explode”, “Out On The Horse Tracks” and “Deus Ex Machinegun”. These recordings circulate online but are not officially released. In summer 2005, Toronto DJ and music blogger Greg Ipp founds Unfamiliar Records and signs the band. The Paper Cranes record their untitled debut EP, usually called the Veins EP, at Mushroom Studios in Vancouver, engineered and produced by Howard Redekopp. It appears in spring 2006 as Unfamiliar Records’ first release.

First album and later releases

After opening for Wolf Parade and Pretty Girls Make Graves, the band records its first full-length album, Halcyon Days, in 2007. Braeden Paterson, Mark Lavoie and Evan Middleton join for the recording. The album is tracked at The Hive Studio in Burnaby, British Columbia, by Jessie Gander over three days, with most of it recorded live from the studio floor. Halcyon Days is released in February 2008 on Unfamiliar Records.

After that release, Evan Middleton leaves the band. Mark Lavoie continues to perform with The Paper Cranes for a time before leaving to tour with Maurice. In 2008, Alex Bodman and Jeff Mitchelmore, both from Victoria indie-pop band The Racoons, join the group. They appear on the 2009 online-only single “Telephone”. Earlier, “I’ll Love You Until My Veins Explode” and “Milkrun” from the Veins EP are issued in the UK as a double A-side single on the Longest Mile label, partly owned by Ross Millard of The Futureheads.

Recognition and appearances

“I’ll Love You Until My Veins Explode” receives a four-star review from Pitchfork. In 2008, “Rabbit in a Snare” from the Veins EP is used in a Canadian television commercial for the Nissan Rogue. In 2009, the band is voted Victoria’s Favourite Band at the Monday Magazine M Awards. Their music is also playlisted on CBC Radio 3.