A no-frills, everyman Canadian rock unit in the vein of the Tragically Hip, the Headstones, the Arkells, and the Trews, Kingston, Ontario's the Glorious Sons formed in 2011 around the talents of Jay Emmons, Andrew Young, Adam Paquette, Chris Huot, and Brett Emmons. Specializing in a winning blend of rootsy alt-pop and Canadian blue-collar trad rock, the band issued a debut EP (Shapeless Art) in 2013 -- the EP garnered positive reviews, as did their energetic live shows. The following year saw the Glorious Sons head into the studio with the Trews' John-Angus MacDonald and record their debut long-player. The resulting Black Box Recordings-issued The Union, which featured the radio hits "Mama," "Heavy," "White Noise," and "Lightning," arrived in September 2014 and climbed to number 23 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. The following year, Andrew Young parted ways with the band and was replaced by guitarist Chris Koster. Fans didn't seem to mind; the Glorious Sons' sophomore effort, 2017's Young Beauties and Fools, included the Top 40 alternative song "Everything Is Alright" and landed in the Top 20. ~ James Christopher Monger