Carnelian isn’t known as the singer’s stone for nothing.
Student band Carnelian have started their school year strong. From performing at the Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Mystery Concert for thousands of first years and headlining their first ever show at The Mansion on Oct. 3, ed by Jinx and Colour Theory, the four-piece have solidified their mark on the Queen’s music scene.
Balancing their musical pursuits alongside their studies, Greyson Martyn, Sci ’25, Duncan MacLaren, Sci ’25, Ryan Ross, Comm ’25, and Angus Carter, BMus ’25, are excited for what this new phase has in store.
Carnelian spoke to The Journal about their journey so far, and their hopes for the school year after starting the semester with a bang.
The band plays comfortably together, with Martyn on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Maclaren on guitar, Ross on bass, and Carter holding down the drums. The group is known for their tight covers and intriguing originals, with their friendship off-stage visible through their connection while performing. The four are firm friends, certainly not just colleagues.
Being in a band was always something Martyn had hoped for. “I saw some bands getting started—I watching Kings of Queens and Girldad, and thinking—man, that looks like a lot of fun,” Martyn said. This spurred him to reach out to the other that summer, though the group didn’t get together until September 2023.
The group was able to strengthen existing friendships, making it easier to find their groove. “Sure, we weren’t all super close, but we’d all hung out before […] we weren’t super tight, but there was already that foundation, which was perfect,” Martyn said.
After winning last year’s Clark Hall Pub Battle of the Bands, Carnelian earned the title of the pub’s house band, an opportunity that afforded them invaluable performance time. Having their first practice as a group mere days before their winning performance, they managed to secure the crown through the votes from their dedicated friends.
“Our hopes were that we would be ready for the battle of the bands at Clark Hall […] we had three days to really get together a small set and to start playing. And we did that. It was really exciting,” Carter said in an interview with The Journal.
“It was our first show, and we had a lot of friends who were really excited . That’s something I think we’re so grateful for, is our friends that have always continuously ed us, and they’re the reason we’ve gotten as far as we have,” Martyn shared.
Inspired by a friend in geo-engineering with an impressive knowledge of rocks, the group settled on the name Carnelian. “It clicked, the name, it just sounded great,” Ross added.
Considering the rock’s supposed properties, it seems to be a good fit for the musically inclined. “It’s supposed to bring confidence, and it’s known as the singer’s stone,” Martyn said.
Carnelian’s residency at Clark allowed the band to tighten their performance skills, and find their synergy as a band, qualities that’ve helped them to evolve as musicians. “I can tell our confidence has grown a lot to the point where we’re having so much fun up there, and it’s awesome to see, and be a part of,” Ross said.
This confidence was exactly what the band needed while playing at this year’s ORT Mystery Concert to a crowd of first-years. “I think our main goal going up there was to make the stage our own, and I think we did a good job with that. I was walking as far as my [microphone] cord would take me,” Martyn said. “We just wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time,” he added.
Playing their first headlining show on Oct. 3 alongside Jinx and Colour Theory, Carnelian has high hopes for the future. The group released their first single “Lines” this March, and hope to release more music before the end of the year.
“We want to do more shows, we want to do bigger shows, we want to get more music out. We want to do shows outside of Kingston. We want to grow as much as we possibly can in the time that we have left [at university] and really just give this our best shot,” Martyn said. “We just want to give it everything now while we still can, and see how it goes,” he added.
Grateful for their fan , and focused on the future, who knows what the rest of the year has in store for Carnelian.
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Rue
Such a good artist profile!