Arcade Fire facts for kids

This page is about the band. For the EP from the band, see Arcade Fire (EP).

Quick facts for kids Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire performing live in 2017
Background information
Origin	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres	Indie rock art rock dance-rock baroque pop
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Sonovox Columbia Merge DFA Rough Trade City Slang Spunk Mercury Virgin EMI

Members	Win Butler Régine Chassagne Richard Reed Parry Tim Kingsbury Jeremy Gara

Past members	Josh Deu Adam Etinson Myles Broscoe Brendan Reed Dane Mills Tim Kile Howard Bilerman Sarah Neufeld Will Butler

Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band. They are from Montreal, Quebec. The band includes husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne. Other members are Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. When they tour, Sarah Neufeld, Paul Beaubrun, and Dan Boeckner also join them.

The band started in 2001 with Win Butler and Josh Deu. They became very popular in 2004 with their first album, Funeral. Their second album, Neon Bible, won awards in 2008. Their third album, The Suburbs, came out in 2010. It was a huge success and won many awards, including a Grammy for Album of the Year.

In 2013, Arcade Fire released Reflektor. They also created music for the movie Her. In 2017, they released Everything Now. Their sixth album, We, came out in 2022. Their newest album, Pink Elephant, was released in May 2025.

All their studio albums have been nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album. Many music critics consider Funeral one of the best albums of the 2000s. The band has also been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize three times.

The band's music is often called indie rock, art rock, dance-rock, and baroque pop. They play many instruments, like guitar, drums, piano, violin, and accordion. The band members often switch instruments during their live shows.

Band History
Helping Others
- Supporting Haiti
Band Members
Music Albums
Concert Tours
See also

Band History

How Arcade Fire Started (2001–2003)

Win Butler and Josh Deu formed Arcade Fire in Montreal around 2001. They met in high school. Their musical ideas grew while they were in college. They met Régine Chassagne, a music student, and asked her to join.

In 2001, the band included Butler, Chassagne, Deu, Tim Kile, Myles Broscoe, Dane Mills, and Brendan Reed. They even recorded a Christmas album for friends.

In 2002, the band went to Butler's family farm in Maine to record their first EP, Arcade Fire. During this time, Richard Reed Parry joined the band. Josh Deu left to continue his studies but still helped with the band's artwork. In 2003, some members left the band. Butler's brother Will Butler and Tim Kingsbury joined to keep the band going.

Howard Bilerman became the drummer in 2003. The new band started playing shows and recording their first album, Funeral. Their live shows were so good that they signed with Merge Records, an independent record label.

People often ask if the band's name comes from a fire in an arcade. Win Butler said it's based on a story someone told him. He believed it was real at the time.

Funeral Album Success (2004–2006)

Funeral was released in September 2004 in Canada. It came out in February 2005 in Great Britain. The album's title refers to the deaths of several family members of the band. These events created a serious mood that influenced songs like "Une année sans lumière" and "Haïti."

The album received great reviews from critics. It appeared on many "best album" lists for 2004 and 2005. NME magazine named Funeral the second-best album of 2005.

Funeral was very successful for an independent band. It became Merge Records' best-selling album at that time.

Arcade Fire performing in May 2005

The band first booked small clubs for their 2004 tour. But interest grew quickly, so they played in much larger venues. The tour continued into 2005 across North America, Europe, and Japan. They also played at major music festivals like Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Lollapalooza.

The song "Wake Up" became very popular. It was used in advertisements and played before U2 concerts. David Bowie even joined them on stage to perform "Wake Up" and other songs.

Funeral was nominated for a Grammy for Best Alternative Rock Album. On April 2, 2006, Arcade Fire won the Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year. This was for three songs from Funeral: "Wake Up", "Rebellion (Lies)", and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)". The band was also nominated for three BRIT Awards.

Neon Bible and Touring (2006–2010)

Arcade Fire performing in support of Neon Bible in May 2007

Between albums, the band bought an old church in Quebec. They spent early 2006 turning it into a recording studio. This is where they recorded Neon Bible.

The first song from Neon Bible was "Intervention". It was released in December 2006. The money from this song went to Partners in Health, a charity. The album was officially released in March 2007. Neon Bible quickly reached number one on the Canadian and Irish album charts. It also reached number two in the US and UK. Critics praised the album.

Arcade Fire performed on Saturday Night Live in February 2007. During the show, Win Butler broke his guitar. He had written "sak vide pa kanpe" on it, a Haitian saying meaning "An empty sack cannot stand up." This was a reference to poverty in Haiti, Régine Chassagne's home country.

Arcade Fire in July 2007

Neon Bible was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize in 2007. The band continued touring for Neon Bible until February 2008. They played 122 shows in 19 countries. They donated money from ticket sales to Partners in Health.

The band also recorded the song "Lenin" for the album Dark Was the Night. Sales from this album raised over $850,000 for AIDS charities. $300,000 of this went to Partners in Health.

Win Butler supported Barack Obama during his presidential campaign. Arcade Fire played free concerts for Obama in 2008. In January 2009, they performed at the Obama Campaign Staff Ball.

A new version of "Wake Up" was used in the trailer for the movie Where the Wild Things Are in 2009. The band donated the money from this to Partners In Health.

The Suburbs and Major Awards (2010–2012)

On May 27, 2010, Arcade Fire announced their new album, The Suburbs. It was released in August 2010. Markus Dravs produced the album, who also worked on Neon Bible. The album was released with eight different covers.

The band played new songs from The Suburbs at the Reading and Leeds Festivals in August 2010. They also broadcast their August 5 concert at Madison Square Garden live on YouTube. The video was directed by Terry Gilliam.

Arcade Fire performing at Madison Square Garden in August 2010

The Suburbs received excellent reviews worldwide. It debuted at number one in the US, UK, and Canada. In August 2010, Arcade Fire and Google released an interactive music video for their song "We Used to Wait." This video used HTML5 and Google Chrome.

The album won Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammy Awards. It also won Best International Album at the 2011 BRIT Awards. At the 2011 Juno Awards, it won Album of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. In 2011, it also won the Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album.

In March 2011, Arcade Fire won Group of the Year and Songwriter of the Year at the Juno Awards.

In April 2011, a special edition of The Suburbs was released. It included a short film called Scenes from the Suburbs, directed by Spike Jonze. It also had two new songs.

Arcade Fire recorded a song called "Abraham's Daughter" for The Hunger Games movie soundtrack. This song was played in the movie's end credits. The band also helped create the movie's original score. They composed the anthem for the fictional Capitol, called "Horn of Plenty."

Reflektor and Film Music (2013–2015)

Arcade Fire confirmed they would release a fourth album in late 2013. Their manager said they were working with producers Markus Dravs and James Murphy. The album was released on October 28, 2013.

While making the album, Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett wrote the music for Spike Jonze's 2013 movie Her. They also wrote the song "Supersymmetry" for the film. Will Butler and Pallett were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for their work on Her.

In August 2013, rumors spread that the album would be called Reflektor. This was because of street art using the name. Arcade Fire confirmed this with a billboard in New York City.

Arcade Fire performing in June 2014

English rock musician David Bowie sang backing vocals on the title song, "Reflektor." When Reflektor was released, it received positive reviews and sold well. Pitchfork named it one of the 100 best albums of the decade.

Arcade Fire was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in September 2013. They also had a special TV show on NBC called Arcade Fire in Here Comes the Night Time. Many famous actors made guest appearances. The band performed live at the YouTube Music Awards in November 2013.

At the 2014 Juno Awards, Reflektor won Album of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. It was also nominated for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize.

A documentary film about making the album, called The Reflektor Tapes, was released in September 2015. It was shown at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. A special edition of the album with unreleased songs came out the next day.

Everything Now (2016–2019)

Arcade Fire in July 2016, during their first full-band show in two years in Barcelona

In May 2016, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne played a surprise show outside the Louvre museum. They performed a new song. In July 2016, the band played their first full concert in two years in Barcelona, Spain.

In January 2017, the band released a new song called "I Give You Power." It featured singer Mavis Staples. The money from the song was donated to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Arcade Fire performing in July 2017

Arcade Fire signed a new recording contract with Columbia Records in May 2017. On May 31, they released a new single, "Everything Now." A day later, they announced their fifth studio album, Everything Now, which was released on July 28, 2017. In July 2017, "Everything Now" became their first single to reach number one on a Billboard chart.

In March 2018, the band released a short film called "Money + Love." It included two of their songs, "Put Your Money On Me" and "We Don't Deserve Love." Arcade Fire also performed on Saturday Night Live for the fifth time. For the 2019 Disney movie Dumbo, Arcade Fire performed a version of "Baby Mine" for the end credits.

We and Recent Tours (2020–2024)

In October 2020, Win Butler said the band had been writing for their sixth album before the COVID-19 lockdown. He continued writing during lockdown. In April 2021, the band released a 45-minute instrumental piece called “Memories of the Age of Anxiety” on the Headspace meditation app.

In March 2022, fans received postcards with the band's logo. These hinted at a new album. On March 14, the band announced a new song, "The Lightning I, II." They also played concerts to benefit the Plus 1 Ukraine relief fund.

On March 17, 2022, Arcade Fire announced their album would be titled We. It was released on May 6, 2022. Shortly after, Will Butler announced he had left the band.

After We was released, Arcade Fire announced the "WE" Tour, their first world tour since 2018. They performed on Saturday Night Live again in May 2022.

In November 2022, Arcade Fire was announced as a headliner for the 2023 Kalorama festival in Lisbon. They also headlined the Cala Mijas festival in Málaga. In April 2023, they joined Pharrell Williams' festival Something in the Water. In June 2023, Arcade Fire was a headliner for Mexico City's Corona Capital festival. They also headlined Lollapalooza editions in South America in 2024, and festivals like Shaky Knees in Atlanta.

Pink Elephant (2025-present)

In March 2025, Arcade Fire members performed at Luck Reunion in Austin. They played new songs from their upcoming album, including "Pink Elephant" and "Year of the Snake." On April 4, the band shared a teaser video online. They also released a mobile app called Trust, where they shared video clips and a song called "Cars and Telephones."

On April 7, Win Butler and Régine Chassagne announced their new album, Pink Elephant. It was released on May 9, 2025.

The band played live previews of the album on a tour called 'Don't Think About Pink Elephant.' The tour started on April 22 in Mexico City and ended on May 14 in London. Richard Reed Parry was not on this tour because he and his wife were expecting their first child.

On May 10, 2025, Arcade Fire was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live for the seventh time. They performed "Year of the Snake" and "Pink Elephant."

Helping Others

Supporting Haiti

Régine Chassagne's family is from Haiti. Arcade Fire works to help the people of Haiti. They raise awareness about the country's challenges and history. Their song "Haiti" highlights this.

2004: Arcade Fire played two shows in Haiti. All money raised went to a hospital there.
2005–present: Arcade Fire has donated money from every ticket sold on tour to Partners In Health and Kanpe.
2006: Money from their song "Intervention" went to Partners in Health.
2009: Arcade Fire recorded "Lenin" for "Dark Was the Night." This raised money for AIDS relief, with a large part going to Partners in Health.
2010: The NFL used "Wake Up" for the Super Bowl XLIV. All money went to Partners in Health.
AF ♥ Haiti campaign: This campaign trained many volunteers to help fans learn about Partners in Health's work.

Band Members

Win Butler
Régine Chassagne
Richard Reed Parry
Tim Kingsbury
Jeremy Gara

Current Members

Win Butler – sings, plays guitar, piano, keyboards, bass, mandolin (2001–present)
Régine Chassagne – sings, plays accordion, piano, keyboards, hurdy gurdy, recorder, drums, percussion (2001–present)
Richard Reed Parry – plays guitar, bass, double bass, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, organ, celesta, accordion, drums, percussion, backing vocals (2003–present)
Tim Kingsbury – plays bass, guitar, double bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2003–present)
Jeremy Gara – plays drums, percussion, guitar, keyboards (2004–present)

Current Touring Musicians

Sarah Neufeld – plays violin, piano, keyboards, synthesizers, tambourine, xylophone, backing vocals (touring member 2013–present; core group member 2003–2013)
Paul Beaubrun – plays keyboards, guitars, congas, djembe (2022–present)
Dan Boeckner – plays guitars, synthesisers, various instruments (2022–present)

Former Members

Will Butler – played synthesizers, bass, guitar, percussion, sitar, panpipes, trombone, omnichord, musical saw, double bass, concertina, clarinet, gadulka, backing vocals (2003–2021)
Josh Deu – played guitar (2001–2003)
Brendan Reed – played drums, percussion, sang (2001–2003)
Dane Mills – played bass, drums, percussion (2001–2003)
Tim Kile – played guitar (2001–2003)
Myles Broscoe – played bass (2002–2003)
Howard Bilerman – played drums, percussion, guitar (2003–2004)

Former Touring Musicians

Owen Pallett – played violin, keyboards, backing vocals (2004–2005, 2010–2011, 2013–2016)
Pietro Amato – played horn (2004–2005)
Mike Olsen – played cello (2004–2005)
Colin Stetson – played horns (2007–2008)
Kelly Pratt – played horn (2007–2008)
Marika Anthony-Shaw – played viola, backing vocals (2007–2011)
Alex McMaster – played cello (2011)
Diol Edmond – played percussion (2013–2016)
Matt Bauder – played saxophone and clarinet (2014–2016)
Stuart Bogie – played saxophone, clarinet, flute, keyboards (2014–2018)
Tiwill Duprate – played percussion (2013–2018)
Eric Heigle - played percussion, keyboards, accordion (2022)

Timeline

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Funeral (2004)
Neon Bible (2007)
The Suburbs (2010)
Reflektor (2013)
Everything Now (2017)
We (2022)
Pink Elephant (2025)

Soundtracks

Her (2021)

Concert Tours

Funeral Tour (2003–2005)
Neon Bible Tour (2007–2008)
The Suburbs Tour (2010–2011)
Reflektor Tour (2013–2014)
Post-Reflektor Tour (2016)
Infinite Content Tour (2017–2018)
Everything Now Continued (2018)
The "WE" Tour (2022–2024)
Real Fun (2024)
Don't Think About Pink Elephant Tour (2025)