Menno Versteeg

Menno Versteeg, also known as Mav Karlo, is a Canadian musician, best known as the frontman for indie rock group Hollerado.^[1] Versteeg received a nomination for Recording Package of the Year at the 2014 Juno Awards for his work on Hollerado's White Paint.^[2]

Menno Versteeg
Versteeg in 2016
Background information
Also known as	Mav Karlo
Origin	Ottawa, Ontario
Occupation	Musician
Labels	Royal Mountain Records
Spouse	Annie Murphy ​ (m. 2011)​

In 2018 Versteeg became a member of the Canadian supergroup Anyway Gang; they released their first album in November of that year.

In 2009 Versteeg co-founded the record label Royal Mountain Records.^[3][4][5] He received attention for providing a $1,500/band mental health fund from Royal Mountain Records to help bands deal with the stress that can come with touring and performing ^[6] based on the understanding he gained from his own experiences as he struggled with mental health while on tour.^[7][8][9] In July 2020, Versteeg auctioned three cassettes, each containing a recording of a cover song.^[10] Versteeg matched the highest bidder and the total amount was donated to the Art for Aid Project, a Métis-run organization that supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis art education programs.^[11]

As Mav Karlo, Versteeg released the EP Reno Tapes, on March 9, 2020,^[12] and followed up later the same year with the full-length album Strangers Like Us.^[13]

In December 2024 he released Why We Run, his first solo album credited under his own name.^[14]

Personal life

Versteeg is married to actress Annie Murphy.^[15] Versteeg collaborated with Murphy and Nick Boyd, a Hollerado bandmate, on the song “A Little Bit Alexis” performed by Murphy in a season five episode of Schitt's Creek.^[16]

In 2013, Murphy and Versteeg's Toronto apartment (on Medland Street in The Junction) burned down.^[17]

References

1. Arts (June 10, 2010). "NXNE 2010: Q&A Hollerado's Menno Versteeg". National Post. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
2. Capone, Julijana (March 27, 2014). "Everything You Need To Know About The 2014 Juno Awards". HuffPost Canada. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
3. "Royal Mountain Records Makes Mental Health A Music Industry Priority". NPR.org. March 25, 2019. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
4. "How this music boss is boosting his artists' mental health". Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
5. Samhan, Jamie (August 29, 2019). "Canadian Rockers Sam Roberts, Menno Versteeg, Dave Monks, Chris Murphy Form New Band Called Anyway Gang". ET Canada. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
6. Garcia, Brad (February 8, 2019). "Why the Music Industry Should Follow This Label's Mental Health Initiative". Vice. Archived from the original on March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
7. "Therapy, meditation and rock 'n' roll". CBC News. February 10, 2019. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019.
8. Wong, Jessica (October 20, 2019). "Changing the tune on tortured artists and musicians' mental health". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019.
9. "Canadian Musicians Speak Up About Mental Health, Work to Change the Industry". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
10. "Hollerado's Menno Versteeg Records Cover Songs for Charity Auction". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
11. "Hollerado's Menno Versteeg Records Cover Songs for Charity Auction". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
12. "Hollerado Frontman Menno Versteeg Announces Debut Solo Album as Mav Karlo". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
13. Alisha Mughal, "Hollerado Spinoff Mav Karlo Turns Personal Stories into Universal Healing on 'Strangers Like Us'". Exclaim!, October 13, 2020.
14. Ian Gormely, "Menno Versteeg on Hollerado's Mistakes and Getting Choked Out by Paul McCartney's Bodyguard". Exclaim!, December 12, 2024.
15. "Annie Murphy talks relationship changes and life after Schitt's Creek". TV Club. 26 February 2020. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
16. Dibdin, Emma (September 21, 2020). "The Definitive History Of Schitt's Creek's "A Little Bit Alexis"". Elle. New York City: Hearst Digital Media. Archived from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
17. MacNeil, Jason (May 7, 2013). "Toronto Musician's Apartment Blaze, Firefighters Save Valuable Guitar". HuffPost Canada. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2020.