Weeping Tile (band)

Weeping Tile
Weeping Tile, 1996. L-R: Sarah Harmer, Mary Harmer, Cam Giroux and Luther Wright.
Background information
Also known as	The Wadds
Origin	Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Alternative rock
Years active	1992–1998, 2007
Labels	Warner, Cold Snap, Seed
Associated acts	Music Maul, Luther Wright and the Wrongs
Past members	Sarah Harmer Joe Chithalen Gord Tough Chris Smirnios "Sister Mary" Harmer Sean Kelly Luther Wright Cam Giroux Rebecca "Sticky" Henderson Paul Gurnsey Chris Ward

Weeping Tile was a Canadian rock band formed in 1992 in Kingston, Ontario.

The band was started by singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer in 1992, when she was invited to fill in for the opening band at a Thomas Trio and the Red Albino concert in Ottawa. Taking the name Weeping Tile from the pipes that are placed around the foundations of homes to draw groundwater away from the building, she did the show as a duo with Joe Chithalen on bass, and later added other musicians, Gord Tough on guitar and Chris Smirnios on drums, to round out the lineup.

The band released a seven-song debut cassette in 1994, and was quickly signed to a major label. That cassette was re-released in 1995 with the title Eepee, and in 1996 they released Cold Snap, their first full-length album.

Between Eepee and Cold Snap, the band's line-up changed almost completely, leaving Harmer as the only original member. Chithalen was replaced by Harmer's sister Mary, Tough was replaced by Luther Wright, and Smirnios was replaced by Cam Giroux. Upon the departure of Mary Harmer, Spin the Susan alumnus Rebecca Henderson (a.k.a. Sticky) was brought in on bass guitar. Her presence led to the formation of The Wadds, an alter-ego band which would perform after the Weeping Tile set was completed, usually with the musicians switching instruments. This gave Harmer the opportunity to demonstrate her versatility on the drums, and showcased Sticky as a bandleader and singer. Some live recordings of these performances are extant. The Wadds also recorded five songs but they were never released.

In 1997, they released their follow-up album, Valentino. Although they were a popular draw on the live music circuit and a regular presence on campus radio, Weeping Tile never broke through to mainstream success, and in 1998 they were dropped from their record label. Later that year they recorded another independent cassette, This Great Black Night, but shortly afterward the band broke up.