Artist · chart history
The Strumbellas
Band Lindsay Canada Formed 2008
The Strumbellas formed in 2008 in Lindsay, Canada. The Strumbellas has 27 chart appearances on 24 radio countdowns from 17 stations on RockLists, spanning 2016–2026. The most successful song on radio countdowns is “Spirits”, which appears on 19 lists with a best position of #7. The station that charted The Strumbellas most often is WYEP (Pittsburgh, PA), with 4 appearances. The artist’s biggest year on year-end countdowns was 2016.
The Strumbellas got going with a Craigslist ad. Songwriter Simon Ward had a core of fellow Lindsay, Ontario, natives in Jon Hembrey on lead guitar, Darryl James on bass and Jeremy Drury on drums, and when he posted a call for more players, David Ritter answered on vocals and keys and Isabel Ritchie on violin. That was 2008, and writers have been reaching for labels ever since: alternative country, indie rock, even gothic folk.
A self-titled EP in 2009 drew a stack of good notices, and a video for "Southern Souls" shot by Mitch Fillion got the bloggers talking and landed them a Monday night residency at Toronto's Cameron House. By 2010 they were playing Yonge-Dundas Square, the Horseshoe Tavern and the Peterborough Folk Festival, and their first full-length, My Father and the Hunter, came out on their own dime in 2012. A Juno Award followed in 2013.
Then came Hope in 2016 and "Spirits", a stomping singalong built for a whole festival field to shout back, bright and big-hearted with a hook that sticks after a single spin. They were still at it in 2021 with "Greatest Enemy".
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs by The Strumbellas on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirits | 19 | #7 | – | 2016 | |
| 2 | We Don't Know | 5 | #32 | – | 2016 | |
| 3 | Greatest Enemy | 1 | #70 | – | 2021 | |
| 4 | You And Wild | 1 | #85 | – | 2017 | |
| 5 | Skin Of My Teeth | 1 | #1053 | – | – |
Albums with charting songs
Where each song was first released, from MusicBrainz.
Year-end chart timeline
Combined year-end countdown points per year. Taller bars mean more songs placing higher across more stations.
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