The existence of Canada’s City and Colour is something of a happy accident. Ontario native Dallas Green started his career in hardcore bands. He was fronting Alexisonfire when he decided to release his solo, acoustic recordings under the City and Colour moniker, selling his EP, The Death of Me, at his shows. The response was enthusiastic enough that he recorded a full album, 2007’s Sometimes, which become his breakout, being certified platinum in 2006 and winning a Juno Award (Canada’s highest musical honors) for Best Alternative Album in 2007.

Like many artists, Green became an overnight success after many, many years of work. He began writing songs in his teens, some of which would later make it to his solo albums. He had his first No. 1 album in Canada with 2011’s Little Hell. In 2012, he disbanded Alexisonfire to focus solely on City and Colour. That decision clearly paid off as evidenced by Dallas’ recent strong performance at the Warner Theatre in DC.