Music

The Tragically Hip Announces Astonishing Book and Record Boxed Set, “This Is Our Life”

Mar 28, 2024

Here, finally, is the ultimate record of The Tragically Hip, their official anthology published as a Deluxe hand-crafted book and record boxed set, limited to only 1,000 numbered and signed copies. It’s available now through Genesis Publications.

The definitive account of their incredible journey, This Is Our Life is told in The Hip’s own words. Alongside their commentary, a wealth of photography spans the decades, offering a visual chronicle of The Hip’s evolution, on and off the stage. Adding an extraordinary layer to the narrative, the band has opened their archives for the first time, revealing a trove of rare and previously unpublished material.

As a mark of authenticity and approval, each numbered copy in this historic edition is individually hand-signed by Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair.

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THE ARCHIVE

THIS IS OUR LIFE

A wealth of photography spans the decades, offering a visual chronicle of The Tragically Hip’s evolution, on and off the stage. Adding an extraordinary layer to the narrative, the band has opened their archives for the first time, revealing a trove of rare and previously unpublished material.

From the most iconic shots taken of the band to unseen rarities and outtakes, This Is Our Life features more than 300 pages of photographs many drawn from the group’s personal collections. Captured on stage, on the road, and in the recording studio, the making of all The Hip’s albums are covered extensively.

‘Gord was particularly good at picking up and telling little Canadian stories. He was almost obsessed with getting to the bottom of certain stories. And if he could find a way to get them into a song, he was certainly going to try.’ – PAUL LANGLOIS

This selection of photographs is accompanied by an immense collection of ephemera sourced from the band’s archives, published here for the first time. Including Gord Downie’s handwritten lyrics, rare posters, tickets and tour passes, instruments, album artwork, clothing and much more, This Is Our Life affords the most highly intimate experience the band have ever allowed.

‘I could hear the influence of all of us in every song that we were doing. It was a really organic, cooperative approach to writing.’ – GORD SINCLAIR

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THE MANUSCRIPT

THIS IS OUR LIFE

Meticulously curated, This Is Our Life draws from hundreds of hours of interviews, not only with the band but also with fellow musicians, producers, and the dedicated crew that helped shape their story.

This Is Our Life begins in Kingston, Ontario, where all five band members attended the same high school. From here the group retrace their steps: from the intimate settings of college bars and downtown dives to the pinnacle of success, culminating in the incredible, bittersweet 2016 concert held in their hometown, broadcast live in Canada for an estimated audience of 11.7 million people.

‘It’s hard to say why the country embraced us the way it did. We just came at it with as honest an approach as we could. We never tried to jam it down anyone’s throat. You either liked us or you didn’t.’ – JOHNNY FAY

Allowing readers a first-hand account of their musical odyssey, driven by the poetic genius of lead singer Gord Downie, the band offers an unprecedented insight into their creative process as they reflect on iconic live shows and the dynamics that defined their enduring bond. Told in an original manuscript of over 130,000 words and filled with highs and lows, The Hip’s incredible, prismatic story is unlike any other.

‘I got to live the dream I’d been pursuing since I was ten years old. I made a life out of writing music and playing songs with my best friends in the world.’ – ROB BAKER

THE AUTHORS

THIS IS OUR LIFE

Critically acclaimed for almost four decades, The Tragically Hip have been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking an emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled.

A five-piece group of friends who grew up in Kingston, Ontario – Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar), and Gord Sinclair (bass) – The Hip have achieved both mass popularity as well as peer recognition. They have sold more than 10 million albums in Canada and received 17 Juno Awards, including the Humanitarian Award in 2021 for artists or industry leaders whose humanitarian contributions have positively enhanced the social fabric of Canada and beyond.

Their studio catalogue includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021).