“In the new release from Combine the Victorious, the band delivers a lush set of textures and a ton of character for you to latch onto and get down with coupled with a colorful approach and an almost youthful energy that brings on a pop-rock undertone, but a reggae rhythm and those two attributes come together with such a smooth and seamless feel that this track is completely addicting from beginning to end.”
Combine the Victorious
a brief history
Combine the Victorious is the sublime blend of a David Lynch movie, Eurythmics and Portishead. Beautiful melodies with thoughtful lyrics and arpeggiated notes written from the rain soaked streets of Vancouver, Canada.
Combine the Victorious formed in Vancouver in 2007, growing from a spirited collaboration between husband and wife: producer Mark R Henning, formerly of 90’s alt-rock band Pure, and fashion designer Isabelle Dunlop.
Already independently successful in their chosen fields, their instinct for collaboration was soon realized on their debut full-length, The World Over (2007). The record received both critical and popular praise, including inclusion on compilations as far afield as Toronto and the Czech Republic. The first song the duo wrote together, Blue Kitchen, went on to become the theme song for the television series "About A Girl" (Brightlight Pictures) - one of 8 songs licensed from the debut record.
Subsequent releases, Disagreements (2008) and Crumbling Hearts (2012) saw the band refining their musical identity, distilling a powerful evocative essence, perfectly captured on the standout track Glasgow, where sumptuous guitars weave in and out of Mark's wily groove, a perfect backdrop for Isabelle's melancholy lyric and heart-breaking melody. Glasgow was later licensed to the Netflix series "The Order" as well as the Canadian documentary "15 Minutes of Reality."
Over the years Combine has been primarily a studio project though their rare live performances have always been well received including European appearances in 2012. They have released two EPs, three full length albums and a series of singles. To date they have licensed 21 songs for television productions and independent films. In 2022, Thorvald Records released the "Paros" anthology, a collection of songs spanning the Crumbling Hearts EP, the 2015 album Autonomous and a handful of new unreleased songs, singles and remixes.
From the summer of 2022 Mark and Isabelle have been joined by longtime friend Daniel Clement. With Dan's influence the sound has rapidly progressed from the electronic / indie trip hop stylings of Crazy Story to their latest single "I Really Like Your Style" a Bond meets Blondie pop number that is finding its way onto playlists all over the world. Now, as a three piece Combine the Victorious is quickly writing new material for release in early 2024.
“If you dare to dream Combine the Victorious' "Thunder" will leave you thinking better days are ahead” - Mike Usinger
“Married in both life and art, the duo formed in 2007 has maintained a steady output of recordings, including two EPs, three full-length albums and regular singles” - Stuart Derdeyn
Colin Goldie photography
Photos
