Karkwa’s sales up 481% after Polaris win

Call it the Polaris bump. If you’ve ever wondered if winning a critic’s choice award matters to an indie act, wonder no longer.

Last week, Montreal act Karkwa surprised many by winning the Polaris Music Prize for their album Les Chemins De Verre. The next surprise came today, when the Soundscan figures were released and sales of their French-language album soared across english Canada to the tune of a 481% sales increase.

Digitally, the record was a top 5 seller on iTunes in the week since the announcement.

You can listen to entire Polaris gala, including Karkwa’s performance, via CBC Radio 3.

Read more: http://arts.nationalpost.com/2010/09/30/karkwas-sales-up-481-after-polaris-win/#ixzz112MT0nzN

Brad Frenette, National Post, September 30, 2010