Northern Dial Artist Profile

Odds

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Odds formed in Vancouver in 1987 around Craig Northey, Steven Drake, Doug Elliott and Paul Brennan, sharpening their songwriting while also working the local circuit as the cover band Dawn Patrol. A move through Los Angeles showcases led to a deal with Zoo Entertainment and the 1991 debut Neopolitan. The 1993 follow-up Bedbugs pushed the band further into Canadian rock radio with songs including "Heterosexual Man" and "It Falls Apart," while a touring relationship with Warren Zevon, for whom Odds served as both opening act and backing band, reflected the group's unusually strong songwriting credentials.

Good Weird Feeling became the band's commercial peak in Canada, reaching platinum status and producing a run of sharp, melodic singles, while 1996's Nest added "Someone Who's Cool" and "Make You Mad." At a time when alternative rock was often defined by heaviness, Odds leaned into power-pop economy, vocal interplay and dry humour. That made them one of Vancouver's most distinctive 1990s guitar bands and gave their songs a character that remained recognizable after the original lineup's late-decade hiatus.

Odds returned in 2008 with Cheerleader and continued releasing music, including Universal Remote and the 2023 album Crash the Time Machine. They also built a substantial parallel life in film and television music, including work connected to The Kids in the Hall and Corner Gas. The band's significance lies in that combination of craft and longevity: a deep catalogue of concise, witty rock songs that moved comfortably between radio, live performance and Canadian screen culture instead of being trapped in one 1990s moment.