Chore
Biography Chore
Chore
was formed in the town of Dunnville, ON in late 1994, by brothers Mike (Bass) and Chris Bell (Guitar, Vox) and David Dunham (drums). Fellow Dunnvillian, Brian Pettigrew was later recruited as a second bassist, at which point Mike transitioned to guitar and bass, employing a double-necked instrument comprised of both. This lineup released Another Plebeian (1997) and Take My Mask and Breathe (1999) through Hamilton, ON’s flagship indie label, Sonic Unyon. Chore toured Canada numerous times in support of each record, building a niche audience as they went. Shortly after Mask’s release, Pettigrew was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Mitch Bowden (also a fellow Dunnvillian) with Mike returning his focus to bass guitar. Their subsequent videos for “General Warning” and “Aloha” received numerous airings on MuchMusic, with the former being featured on the ‘Best of 1999’ episode of The Wedge, the station’s flagship alternative program, gaining some traction for the band. Chore mark II released The Coastaline Fire in 2002 to critical acclaim. Tours of Canada and the US followed, accompanied by a video for the album’s lead-off and most popular track, “The Hitchhiker”. They amicably dissolved in 2004 but resurfaced briefly in 2010 for a short run of live performances around Southern Ontario. The original core trio of the Bell brothers and Dunham reconvened in 2017 to begin writing again, resulting in the 2025 release of their fourth LP, Oswego Park.
