"The creative project of former Swim frontwoman Tanya Zubert [now Jonasson] is a sweetly poppy confection that packs a lyrical punch. The band is sonically defined by [Jonasson's] wispy vocals and slowly meandering melodies, but it is her superbly reflectional poetry that makes The Mandarins stand out. Conversational but still rich with symbolism and emotion, [Jonasson's] songs are sharply colored portraits about moments frozen in time." Melissa Martin, Uptown Magazine

Winnipeg's The Mandarins - a band that accidentally took its name from the title of a Simone de Beauvoir novel - features Tanya Jonasson (The Paperbacks, Swim) on vocals, guitar & keyboards; Keli Martin (The Details, The Western States, Sixty Stories) on bass; Louis Levesque-Cote (The Paperbacks, Red Eyed Morning) on lead guitar; and Matthew Lazowski (The UK's The Lollies) on drums and percussion.

The Mandarins released the independently recorded six-song "Shiver EP" in 2000 that was highly regarded for its excellent lyrics and catchy melodies. They found themselves in the top 10 of the Canadian Campus Radio Charts across the country in 2001, maintaining the #1 position at Winnipeg"s UMFM & CKUW for several weeks.

The Mandarins have released a new full-length album called "Tiny Stages" that showcases 12 original songs. Recorded by Cam Loeppky at his studio Prairie Recording Co. - incidentally the same combination responsible for the most recent albums by The Weakerthans and Novillero - The Mandarins recorded most of their tracks late into the night so as not to disturb the daytime workers in the warehouse below the studio.

The result of this nocturnal effort is a well-produced, carefully written, deeply emotional, catchy and dynamic album that's their best work to date. In a world full of so many well funded "indie" bands, The Mandarins have proven that it's still possible for a band to create high quality music while truly remaining independent in every sense of the word.