Behind Sapphire is an acoustic band based out of Vancouver B.C. Their live performance consists of singer Grant Cassell, guitarist Matthew Mazankowski, drummer Steven Ward and occasional violinist Jeremy Ferland. Matthew and Grant have been writing music together for five years and are in the midst of finishing up their first full length album with Producer/Engineer Tom Dobrzanski (Hey Ocean!, Said The Whale, Lotus Child, We Are The City), which will be released sometime in Spring 2010. These young, heartfelt and entertaining boys have influences ranging from old Disney Soundtracks and composer Yann Tiersen to The Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald. Behind Sapphire has a friendly, uniquely melodic sound that strikes a distinct homely feeling. Singer Grant Cassell's velvety voice is full of character and poise with distant reminders of Jason Mraz, Sting and Louis Armstrong. Furthermore, Matthew Mazankowski, Steven Ward and Jeremy Ferland create encompassing instrumentation and orchestration to support and brighten their genre- defining sound. Behind Sapphire provides a unique variety of melodic pop, crooning jazz, country swing and honest folk; borrowing the best parts from each genre. In December, Grant and Matthew released their first EP entitled "Lest Ye Stay," featuring four originals and an a cappella cover of "The First Noel." In the past few months Behind Sapphire have been busy: performing many shows in the Vancouver area, having a small tour to Alberta and sharing about their gentle music and kind hearted spirits. Recently, the boys appeared in Vancouver's Forty-Four Magazine, who quoted their sound as "magical," and in Surrey's Leader Newspaper. You can check them out on myspace (www.myspace.com/behindsapphire) or hit up their homepage (www.behindsapphire.com). Spread the joy!

Nice things  by nice people:

"Since they started playing together about five years ago, Mazankowski’s guitar skills have “improved tenfold,” while the xylophone-like glockenspiel has become the “weapon of choice” for Cassell." - Boaz Joseph [The Leader Newspaper](http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/entertainment/63133782.html)                                                                    

"...they will make your heart feel happy and you will catch yourself humming their tunes for the rest of the day (if not longer)." - How I Killed The Scene (www.howikilledthescene.com/2009/09/dismantling-band.html)

"...their sound was, for lack of a better word, magical." - Forty Four Magazine (www.fortyfourmagazine.com)