Paper Beat Scissors

Tim Crabtree's haunting voice burns at the centre of the Paper Beat Scissors sound with an honesty and rawness that skirts discomfort. The relocated-Brit began the project following a move to Canada's East Coast and soon caught the attention of his adoptive home, recording the highly-acclaimed self-titled debut with Michael Feuerstack (Snailhouse, Bell Orchestre, the Luyas) producing and Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara mixing. Instrumentally, the palettes shift from hypnotic loops through full brass arrangements and screaming lap steel to stripped-back acoustic guitar and layered vocals. The album is filled with the finest hands and voices the Canadian music community has to offer including Pietro Amato (the Luyas), Sebastian Chow (Islands), Rose Cousins and Tanya Davis. The album, released on Forward Music in Canada and Ferryhouse in Germany, Austria, Switzerland found its way onto BBC and CBC airwaves as well as best-of the year lists in Canada, Europe and as far afield as Mexico and Japan. Paper Beat Scissors was billed as a 'must-see' act of the summer by the CBC in 2012. PBS has toured Canada and Europe, sharing the stage with the likes of Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters) and Dan Mangan. An onstage collaboration with Clogs (regular collaborators and members of the National and My Brightest Diamond) was released as a limited-edition 7" for International Record Store Day 2013. Tim is presently working with engineer Dean Nelson (Beck, Thurston Moore, Bat for Lashes) on a new album set for release in 2014.