Adam and the Amethysts are a Canadian indie rock band formed in Montreal in 2004. The band is fronted by Adam Waito, a former member of Miracle Fortress and illustrator. The band have released two albums and have toured mostly around North America.
History
Waito was born in Manitouwadge, Ontario, raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario and moved to Montreal in the early 2000s. He co-founded Telefauna in 2004, an indie-pop band whose that played the Pop Montreal festival three times. They released Their 1st EP in 2005 and a single "Under the Underground Water" b/w "Bamboo Shoot" in 2007 before going on hiatus. Waito's side project, Adam and the Amethysts was launched with the release of Amethyst Amulet 10 June 2008 on Pome Records. The album was an ode to Waito's home town, referencing 60s pop, Neil Young as well as contemporary indie rock. The album was championed by the National Post, Toronto Star and Now. Adam and the Amethysts were also launched as a live band with a variety of members. Waito joined Miracle Fortress after the release of that band's first CD, Five Roses. Waito also takes an interest in vintage Canadian Psychedelic rock. He has also spoken on a panel on songwriters at Pop Montreal's Symposium along with Canadian psych-folk songwriter Elyse Weinberg. Waito is also a visual artist who is primarily known for his Montreal gig poster art. After the release of Amethyst Amulet the band underwent some lineup changes while continuing to play shows and festivals in North America including Pop Montreal, Canadian Music Week, South by Southwest, as well as opening slots for Land of Talk, Mew, and Chad VanGaalen. The band's second album, Flickering Flashlight, was released on 4 October 2011, on Kelp Records. The song "Prophecy" from this album was featured on the soundtrack of Curfew, which won the 2012 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. In 2013 Lessard and Waito formed the duo Silverkeys. In 2014 Waito joined Ohara Hale and Jeremy MacCuish to form the trio Nancy Pants.
