The Watchmen

Formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the late 1980s, The Watchmen emerged as part of the wave of Canadian alternative rock in the early 1990s, blending melodic guitars, a post-grunge edge, and lyric-driven songwriting. Built around Daniel Greaves’s vocals and Joey Serlin’s guitar work, the band later relocated to Toronto and made its name on the club and campus circuit before signing to a major label. The Watchmen released McLaren Furnace Room in 1992, followed by In The Trees in 1994, which crystallized a more direct rock sound and darker writing—a direction extended by 1996’s Brand New Day. With 1998’s Silent Radar, The Watchmen introduced richer textures and a stronger rhythmic focus, while 2001’s Slomotion pursued a more fragmented approach—mixing studio cuts and remixes—yet remained firmly rooted in rock. Songs such as All Uncovered and Stereo established the group on the Anglophone Canadian scene, bolstered by heavy touring from coast to coast. After a mid-2000s hiatus, The Watchmen gradually returned to the stage—especially in Winnipeg, Toronto, and Western Canada—balancing occasional catalogue reissues with onstage reinterpretations of a repertoire still centered on melodic alternative rock that is both straightforward and accessible.