Consisting of an unconventional 8-10 piece line up, this Saskatoon-based indie rock band brings together electronics with harp, viola, a 3-piece brass section, five vocalists and a miscellany of other instruments such as dobro, steel drum, melodica and mandolin, on top of a standard rock rhythm section. Songs range from quiet country gems to raging psych-rock experiments to triumphant pop symphonies. This group started as a duo (of Teargas Recording Tree co-founders Jim Ginther and Steve Reed) under the name Awkward Silence in 2002. The band slowly expanded, growing out of it’s minimalist roots to its current state as an 8-10 member pop orchestra with members joining from classical orchestras, jazz ensembles and, of course, lo-fi indie rock bands. The current lineup is: Steve Reed, Jim Ginther, Zach Low, Toby Bond, Brian Cochrane, Sarah Rutley, Tyson McShane, Mairin Loewen, Alex Loewen & Alison Whelan. Having spent much of 2005 and 2006 writing, recording, and performing new material in Saskatoon, it’s with great anticipation that Carbon Dating Service releases their self-titled debut album on June 30th, 2006. With the release comes an inaugural Western Canadian tour taking the band from Saskatoon to Victoria and back. Further touring is planned for Fall 2006. In the past, Carbon Dating Service has shared the stage with artists ranging from local electro-pop wonderkid Maybe Smith, to West Coast popsters The Winks and Immaculate Machine, to prairie powerhouses Novillero and Sylvie.