Broken Social Scene On World Cafe

Courtesy of the artist

This segment, from March 2, 2006, is part of our Vintage Cafe series, in which we revisit some of our best studio performances.

The Canadian band Broken Social Scene is composed of anywhere from 11 to 15 musicians, including members of Stars and Metric, as well as singer Feist. Since 1999, Broken Social Scene has evolved from a duo that produced a uniquely atmospheric rock sound to a sprawling, heavily orchestrated collaboration involving as many as 16 different artists. The collective, based in Toronto, has only grown in popularity since its Juno Award-winning album You Forgot It In People became a sensation.

The group was founded by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. It also includes Charles Spearin, whose work with Drew as KC Accidental has much in common with Broken Social Scene's eclecticism. Before long, the band expanded to also include Justin Perott, Andrew Whiteman, Leslie Feist, Jason Collett, Evan Cranley, Emily Haines, James Shaw, Amy Millan, Dave Newfield, John Crossingham, Ohad Benchitrit, Julie Penner and Lisa Lobsinger. It's a roster that often fluctuates, depending on the musicians' other projects.