Jon and Roy (CA)

About

Jon and Roy are a three piece folk rock and reggae band from Victoria, British Columbia, and one of their early breaks came in an unlikely way: the title track of their 2008 album Another Noon ended up in a Volkswagen TV commercial that ran for nine months across the United States, putting them on a lot more radars. The YouTube clip "Little Bit of Love" from the same record also found a life of its own online. The band formed around guitarist and singer Jon Middleton and percussionist Roy Vizer, who met at the University of Victoria, and later brought in multi instrumentalist Dougal Bain Mclean. Their sound tends toward breezy acoustic textures with a reggae influenced swing, and their 2010 album Homes drew comparisons to music that makes you want to step outside and forget about everything. A placement in a Scotiabank ad campaign helped that one reach even wider ears. Their fifth LP By My Side, from 2014, came out of informal jams at Roy Vizer's house, giving it a loose, lived in feel. They have kept busy since, with albums including The Road Ahead is Golden in 2017 and Restore in 2024.