By Divine Right

The band was formed in 1989 by high school friends Contreras, drummer Mark Goldstein, bass guitarist Liz Teear and guitarist Steve BermanGraham Rockingham, "Placing By Divine Right in the proper light". Hamilton Spectator, February 12, 2016. while members were attending Thornlea Secondary School in Thornhill, Ontario. The band issued a number of independent releases before signing to Squirtgun Records for their 1997 album All Hail Discordia.Nick Krewen, "Slow, sweet songs help By Divine Right". Waterloo Region Record, December 26, 1997.

Bassist Brendan Canning and guitarist Leslie Feist joined the band in 1998 in the run up to their 1999 release Bless This Mess, which was supported by a Canadian and American national tour opening for The Tragically Hip.Finbarr O'Reilly, "Band in another fine mess: These `nobodies' are still amazed they were asked to open for The Tragically Hip". National Post, February 23, 1999. Canning and Feist later left the band, and co-founded Broken Social Scene.Carl Wilson, "A confession about music's social scene". The Globe and Mail, December 12, 2002.

In 2001, the band released the album Good Morning Beautiful.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20011216030731/http://www.chartattack.com/DAMN/2001/10/0201.cfm "CD REVIEWS: By Divine Right, Garbage, Machine Head and many more"]}}. Chart Attack, October 2, 2001 In 2003, By Divine Right was one of the only Canadian bands to do a concert tour of China.Dave Bidini, [https://books.google.com/books?id=IwhTToIBzrwC&dq=Divine+Right+was+one+of+the+only+Canadian+bands+to+do+a+concert+tour+of+China&pg=PA112 Around the World in 57 1/2 Gigs]. McClelland & Stewart, 2010. {{ISBN|9781551991498}}. p. 112.

From 2001 to 2004, the band's line up consisted of Contreras, Colleen Hixenbaugh, Brian Borcherdt, John Hall and Dylan Hudecki.Maria Cranston, "The supernatural sounds of By Divine Right". Halifax Daily News, May 24, 2002. In 2004, drummer John Hall was replaced by Cam Giroux (who played on Good Morning Beautiful), while Borcherdt and Hudecki both left the band.{{cite web |last=Dix |first=Noel |url=http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=23&csid2=4&fid1=546 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801174638/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=23&csid2=4&fid1=546 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2012 |title=By Divine Right's Fresh Faces Carry the Essence |publisher=Exclaim!|date=January 1, 2006}} Hudecki was replaced by Darcy Rego and then Michael Small, both of The Meligrove Band, for tours of the United States, Canada and Britain, supporting Sweet Confusion.Mike Beggs, "Meligrove Band plans surprises; At Streetsville's Kinsmen Hall". Mississauga News, August 4, 2004. Filling in on drums for some dates was Loel Campbell of Wintersleep.

After these tours, the band's line-up changed again, to Contreras, Hixenbaugh and Small with drummer Derek Downham, followed by a September 2006 show at the Drake Hotel (Toronto) that saw the band perform all new songs with Rego, Small and Jason Nunes (The Meligrove Band) under the By Divine Right name.

By Divine Right's next live show was on December 31, 2007, at the Tranzac Club in Toronto, at which the band's new full-time line up of Contreras, Stew Heyduk (of The Golden Dogs) and Mitch Perkins (formerly of Rusty) appeared together for the first time.

In 2007, By Divine Right contributed a cover of Rheostatics' "Shaved Head" to the tribute album The Secret Sessions, with a line-up consisting only of Contreras and Julien Beillard of the band Wooden Stars.Michael Barclay, "Rheostatics Tribute: The Secret Sessions". Guelph Mercury, April 12, 2007.

In May 2008, By Divine Right opened a show for The Golden Dogs at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto with yet another new line up, consisting of Contreras, Heyduk and Darcy Rego returning on drums.

In 2009, Mutant Message, the band's first album since 2004's Sweet Confusion, was released in Canada on the Toronto Arts imprint Hand Drawn Dracula. labelNicole Villeneuve, [https://torontoist.com/2009/12/sound_advice_mutant_message_by_by_divine_right/ "Sound Advice: Mutant Message by By Divine Right"]. Torontoist, December 8, 2009. The album has José Contreras, Stew Heyduk and Darcy Rego with guest vocals by Jason Nunes and Lily Frost, and features "Que Paso", the first song Contreras wrote and sung in Spanish despite his longtime fluency in the language.Ian Gormely, "Mastermind of By Divine Right marks 25 years with a top 5". Toronto Star, July 1, 2015. By Divine Right's first tours since 2005 followed, with a new drummer, David Joseph, and bass guitarist, Michael Milosh.Mike Doherty, "One-Man Band; By Divine Right has had 28 members over 20 years, but founder Jose Miguel Contreras keeps the course". National Post, December 8, 2009. Music videos were released for the songs "I Love a Girl", "Cupid in Oilskins" and "I Will Hook You Up". The band's line up changed again after these tours, with Dylan Hudecki and Darcy Rego each filling in before Geordie Dynes and Alysha Haugen joined in late 2010.Sandra Sperounes, "'High maintenance' Contreras brings latest band to Saskatoon". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, July 18, 2013.

In 2013, By Divine Right released its ninth album, Organized Accidents.Natalie Zina Walschots, [https://torontoist.com/2013/07/sound-advice-organized-accidents-by-by-divine-right/ "Sound Advice: Organized Accidents by By Divine Right"]. Torontoist, July 31, 2013. In 2016 they released Speak & Spell, a track-for-track cover of Depeche Mode's 1981 album Speak & Spell.Kate Robertson, [https://nowtoronto.com/Album-premiere-by-divine-right/ "Album premiere: By Divine Right covers Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell in its entirety"]. Now, May 26, 2016.

Contreras has also released two solo albums, José Contreras (2014)Ken Kelley, "Jose Contreras, Jose Contreras (Aporia)". Here, July 17, 2014. and At the Slaughterhouse (2019).Allie Gregory, [https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jos_contreras_of_by_divine_right_announces_new_solo_record "José Contreras of By Divine Right Announces New Solo LP 'At the Slaughterhouse'"]. Exclaim!, August 14, 2019.

In 2022, By Divine Right released the single "St. Leons" as a preview of the album OTTO MOTTO, which was released on September 23, 2022, through Fortune Stellar Records out of Toronto.Dave Bidini, [https://wepnewsletter.substack.com/p/fuzzy-empire "West End Phoenix: Fuzzy Empire"]. West End Phoenix, March 18, 2023.

• José Miguel Contreras (1989–present)
• Alysha Haugen (2010–present)
• Colin White (2023–present)

• Mark Goldstein (1989–2000)
• Steve Berman (1989–1991)
• Elizabeth Teear (1989–1993)
• Rob Carson (1992–1994)
• Scott Maynard (1993–1996)
• Cam Bull (1996–1997)
• Brendan Canning (1998–2000)
• Leslie Feist (1998–2000)
• Brian Borcherdt (2001–2004)
• Colleen Hixenbaugh (2001–2006)
• Dylan Hudecki (2001–2004, 2005, 2010)
• John Hall (2001–2004)
• Cam Giroux (2001, 2004–2005)
• Darcy Rego (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010)
• Loel Campbell (2004)
• Michael Small (2004-2006)
• Derek Downham (2005–2006)
• Jason Nunes (2006)
• Julien Beillard (2007)
• Mitch Perkins (2007–2008)
• Stew Heyduk (2007–2008)
• Michael Milosh (2009–2010)
• Dave Joseph (2009–2010)
• Geordie Dynes (2010–2023)

• Buffet of the Living Dead – 1992 (independent cassette)
• By Divine Right – 1995 (Kinetic)
• Some – 1996 (four-song EP cassette)
• All Hail Discordia – 1997 (Squirtgun)
• Bless This Mess – 1999 (Nettwerk)
• Good Morning Beautiful – 2001 (Linus)
• Hybrid TV Genii – 2004 (Linus/spinART)
• Sweet Confusion – 2004 (Linus/spinART)
• Mutant Message – 2009 (Hand Drawn Dracula)
• Organized Accidents - 2013 (Hand Drawn Dracula)
• Speak & Spell US - 2016 (Headless Owl Records)
• OTTO MOTTO - 2022 (Fortune Stellar)

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• [http://www.bydivineright.ca By Divine Right official website]

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Category:Musical groups established in 1989

Category:Canadian indie rock groups

Category:Musical groups from Toronto

Category:1989 establishments in Ontario