Canadian progressive rock duo Crown Lands have earned a 2026 JUNO Award nomination for Best Instrumental Album of the Year for their album Ritual II, released this past summer via InsideOutMusic.
Comprised of vocalist/drummer Cody Bowles and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Comeau, Crown Lands pushed their creative boundaries with the ambitious instrumental companion releases Ritual I and Ritual II, expanding both the mythology and sonic scope of the Crown Lands universe.
Reflecting on the nomination, Comeau shares:
“We’re incredibly honoured to see this album recognized in this way. Ritual II was the first record we fully recorded ourselves in our own space at Chalet Studios. It took shape over two weeks of unfiltered experimentation. This is the record where we truly found ourselves—where we realized we could produce and mix everything independently, surrounded by nature.”
Bowles adds:
“I’m deeply honoured and humbled that a record we created entirely on our own has been nominated. Making music straight from the heart is a privilege. Ritual II was born out of two weeks of pure inspiration, immersed in nature. Through this process, we proved to ourselves that there are no limits to what we can achieve.
“Instrumental and world music moves my soul, and receiving this recognition feels like the highest blessing.”
Crown Lands have built significant momentum in recent years, earning widespread acclaim for their self-titled debut in 2020, followed by the JUNO Award–winning 2023 release Fearless. Now newly signed to InsideOutMusic, the duo is poised to enter an ambitious new creative chapter.
With new material already taking shape, the band is charging ahead. As Comeau explains:
“I can’t wait for what’s next for Crown Lands. Right now, we’re putting the finishing touches on our next full-length LP. It expands the Fearless chronology, exploring the great war on Fearless’ home planet centuries before the events of Starlifter. It’s some of the most ambitious music we’ve ever written.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
CROWN LANDS
- 02.28.26 — Windsor, ON @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
- 03.20.26 — Kingston, ON @ Grand Theatre
- 03.21.26 — Milton, ON @ FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton
- 03.24.26 — Ottawa, ON @ Shenkman Arts Centre
- 03.25.26 — North Bay, ON @ Capitol Centre
- 03.27.26 — Guelph, ON @ River Run Centre
- 03.28.26 — London, ON @ Wolf Performance Hall
- 03.31.26 — Richmond Hill, ON @ Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts
- 04.01.26 — Oakville, ON @ Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
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