Favourite local album

1. Virgo Rising - Vampyre Year

2. Amos the Kid - Enough as it Was

3. Neighbour Andy - Wild Ones

Favourite local performance

1. Virgo Rising EP release show, Oct. 13 @ Good Will

2. i am your spaniel by We Quit Theatre

3. Neighbour Andy, Aug. 24 @ The Beer Can

Sisters Jenna and Lauren Wittmann started the band Virgo Rising with Emily Sinclair in 2019.

They later welcomed drummer Isaac Tate into the group, completing their bedroom indie-pop style.

“We just started from there and were making songs the very first day we started (practising), and then we kept doing it,” Sinclair, Virgo Rising’s vocalist and guitarist, says. “And the rest is history.”

The group says their newest EP, Vampyre Year, took longer to produce than expected, but they’re all proud of the final product.

They started recording a few years ago and reworked the album until it felt right for them. Each member works toward creating music that feels true to all of the members.

“All of us have written and contributed to parts of everything that’s on the EP,” Lauren, who plays bass and keyboard, says. “There’s no one chunk that’s only one person’s doing.”

Virgo Rising launched the album on Oct. 13 at the Good Will Social Club. Jenna, the band’s violin and guitar player, says they wanted the show to be special, so they incorporated the medieval theme of the EP into their performance. They encouraged attendees to dress up.

Their merch included handmade ceramic pieces and screen-printed shirts.

Vampyre Year has a dreamy vibe with thoughtful lyrics woven between whimsical riffs.

Jenna says they’ve always felt supported in Winnipeg but that it’s flattering and “rewarding to be recognized.”

“We thank everyone for their support. It’s very sweet,” Tate says. “We like to have fun, and we’re glad that people can enjoy it and that we can share it with them.”

Published in Volume 78, Number 12 of The Uniter (November 30, 2023)