Oliver Klaus

Bio: The First Indie Band

   In 1970, with no record deal and no ties to the industry machine, three young musicians from the Eastern Townships of Quebec recorded and released their own LP. Oliver Klaus was already there—the first indie band.
   “We built our own studio in a basement in Waterloo, Québec. We wired the gear ourselves, wrote the songs, recorded them, produced them, pressed the vinyl, and released the album independently. That was simply how we did things — total DIY before anyone called it that,” says Maurice Singfield, co‑founder of Oliver Klaus.
   Formed by brothers Maurice and Bryan Singfield with bassist Jerry Cushen, Oliver Klaus captured a raw, psychedelic sound that was entirely their own. The result: a self‑titled album later hailed as “arguably the first do‑it‑yourself rock and roll LP in Canada—and possibly the US.”
   As the band evolved, a rotating cast of musicians helped shape its sound, including Brian Blain, Michael Hollenbeck, Earle Jones, John Mines, Michael Burke, Yvon Grondin, Yves Grondin, Duffy Darling, Jean Wiedrick, Pierre Tremblay (Peter X Tremblay), Bob Turmel, and Maurice’s son, Julian Singfield. Each brought their own voice to the band’s expanding sonic identity.
   In 1996, Oliver Klaus released its second full-length album, Homeless—a richly textured collection of rock and folk‑infused rock. Like its predecessor, it came out on the band's own label, Capt. Moze Records, staying true to their independent spirit.
   Beyond their two LPs, the band issued several locally distributed 45 rpm singles featuring original tracks like “Long Lost Memories,” “Feeling Groovy,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and “It’s Another Weekend”—recordings that further etched Oliver Klaus into the fabric of Canada’s indie music history.
   In 2019, “Here Comes the Sun” was selected by New York‑based Anthology Records for inclusion on their critically acclaimed compilation Sad About the Times. The version featured on the album was taken directly from Oliver Klaus’s original self‑titled LP—known among collectors as the White Album—and was chosen to represent the compilation’s emotional tone. Notably, it remains the only track featured for streaming on the album’s landing page, underscoring its resonance and curatorial significance.
   Brian Blain, who co‑wrote “Forever” with Maurice and penned “The Terrace Inn”—a song later covered by the band—went on to establish a notable solo career in Canadian blues. Although “Forever” was never officially released, it became a fan favourite in the band’s live setlist and remains one of the most remembered songs from their early shows.
   In 2010, Blain rejoined Oliver Klaus (by then including Julian Singfield) for a special performance of “The Terrace Inn” at the Maison de la Culture de Waterloo. A second special performance followed in 2012 at the same venue, this time featuring both Pierre Tremblay (Peter X Tremblay) and Brian Blain in the lineup. Both “Forever” and “Magazine Queen”—the latter co‑written by Maurice and his wife Tanya—are featured on the official Oliver Klaus YouTube channel.
   Julian continued his musical journey as a solo artist, releasing Somewhere in Mexico, a record that remains a powerful testament to his artistry and personal vision. He passed away at the age of 48, but his music lives on.
   Decades after its release, the original Oliver Klaus LP was rediscovered by collectors and reissued internationally, earning the band a cult following well beyond their hometown. As It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine noted, the group was “a herald to the DIY punk rock attitude that became prevalent much later in the decade.”
   In 2026, Oliver Klaus signed a reissue deal with Guerssen Records for a new edition of the original White Album — this time with Side A finally presented in stereo. Due to a technical glitch during the original 1970 production run, the A‑side had to be pressed in mono. Thanks to modern restoration technology, the Guerssen release features a newly rendered stereo version of Side A, bringing the album closer to the band’s original vision for the first time in over fifty years.
   Still based in Waterloo, Maurice and Bryan continue to write and record—carrying forward the same defiant, homespun spirit that defined their earliest days. Maurice has been recognized by the Governor General of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts for his original compositions.