Biography

Purity Ring is a Canadian electronic music duo formed in 2010 and originally from Edmonton, Alberta. The band consists of Megan James (vocals) and Corin Roddick (instrumentals).

Background and history

Both grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. James played piano and Roddick played drums prior to the band's inception, however neither currently play them as their primary instrument for Purity Ring. During live shows, both wear clothes custom designed and sewn by James, and Roddick uses a custom-built, tree-shaped instrument to drive both live sound and lighting. James uses written work which she originally did not intend to release to the public for many of the band's lyrics.

2010–13: Formation and Shrines

The duo were originally members of the band Born Gold (previously called Gobble Gobble). While on tour with Gobble Gobble, Roddick began experimenting with electronic production and beat-making. James was asked to sing on a track called "Ungirthed", thus forming Purity Ring. The song was released in January 2011.

On April 3, 2012, it was announced that Purity Ring were signed by record company 4AD worldwide and Last Gang Records in Canada. Later the same month the band released their first official single "Obedear", along with the announcement of their debut album, Shrines, to be released July 24, 2012.

On June 20, 2012, Purity Ring released the second single from the album titled "Fineshrine". The song later became known in the UK for its use on a very.co.uk advertisement.

On October 9, 2012, Purity Ring released a sequel to their song, "Belispeak," titled "Belispeak II" as a collaboration with rapper Danny Brown.

On February 11, 2013 the duo released a cover of Soulja Boy's "Grammy" as a free download in celebration of the opening of their official online store. Fan reaction to the release was so strong that it crashed the website servers due to too many requests to download.

In July 2013, their studio album Shrines was short listed for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize.

In August 2013 British electronic musician Jon Hopkins released the single for "Breathe This Air" with vocals from Megan James and a remix of the band's song "Amenamy".

In September 2013, Purity Ring released a remix of Lady Gaga's "Applause" for the song's digital remix EP.

2014–present: Another Eternity

In 2014 Purity Ring produced the song "God's Reign" for rapper Ab-Soul's album, These Days....

In February 2014, the duo announced they were working on a second studio album. This was the first album they recorded entirely in the studio together. The duo collaborated with rappers like Danny Brown and Angel Haze. On December 3, 2014, they released the first single from the album, "Push Pull". On January 13, 2015 the second single from the album, "Begin Again" was released, along with the formal reveal of the album's title, Another Eternity, as well as the album's cover and track listing. A third track from the album, "Repetition", was premiered on February 4 on BBC Radio 1's Huw Stephens' show. On February 26, Another Eternity became fully available to hear online via NPR Music's First Listen. The album was released in the United States on March 3, 2015. On January 19, 2016, the band performed live on Conan. In June 2016 they also performed at Coachella in Indio, California.

On April 30, 2017 while performing at Fortress Festival, it was announced that the band will be taking a break from touring to record new material.

The duo co-wrote and produced three songs on Katy Perry's 2017 album, Witness.

On July 24, 2017, on the 5th anniversary of their debut album Shrines, Purity Ring released their new single "Asido". According to Purity Ring, this song is "a standalone offering", suggesting that it won't be featured on their possible new record.

Discography

Main article: Purity Ring discography

• Shrines (2012)
• Another Eternity (2015)