http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Entertainment/Ship+Shapes+soldiers/1454321/story.html

When it became obvious that having two front men was resulting in
more tension than creative energy, the six members of The Grass split
into two groups.Three of them, including songwriter Willis Ryan,
kept the name The Grass and returned from Ottawa to their hometown of
Dartmouth, N.S.The others stayed in their rented bungalow in the
Bank and Heron area and called themselves Ship Shapes. They are Lindsay
Rogers (violin, brass, keys), Nicholas Wolfe (guitars, percussion) and
the other former front man, Patrick McNally (vocals, Hammond B4,
guitars). With their self-recorded, 10-song disc called Shuffle On,
Soldier, it's clear that like The Grass, Ship Shapes keeps the focus on
rogue country-punk tunes that are big on storytelling, huge on feel and
light on technicalities.The raw sound and freewheeling vibe
extends to the stage, where they play a dirty ditty that is roughly
hewn, but soulful. "Perfect-sounding bands are a dime a dozen," Rogers
says. "I think there's some charm to having slight imperfections."Ship
Shapes' shape shifts with each performance. There have been shows with
Rogers and McNally performing as a duo; others with up to five members,
including Nick Johannes (percussion) who also plays in one-man band The
Kettle Black. (Look for a split seven-inch from that band and Ship
Shapes, sold stage-side).An elastic membership means a fresh
feel at every show, Rogers says. "Each time we give a song a new life,
and it sounds slightly different -- like something's missing, or
something's more apparent. It brings out another aspect of the song,
depending on who's there to play the part."As for The Grass: the
reformed lineup and Ship Shapes will reunite in Halifax in May, playing
a double bill. It will be the first time all six players will share the
stage since they split over a year ago. Depending on the vibe, the
bands may plan an Ottawa double bill where, as the original The Grass,
they were well received. The band played Bluesfest and released three
albums before the split. Ship Shapes play the Avant-Garde Bar, 1351/2
Besserer St., Wednesday with Husband & Knife, 9p.m., $5.