Alexis Rose may not have ended up with either Ted Mullens or Mutt Schitt on Schitt’s Creek, but the actress who plays her did get her happily ever after IRL. Annie Murphy has been married to musician Menno Versteeg, lead singer of the bands Hollerado and Anyway Gang, since August 2011, and their relationship is more than a little bit adorable. Though the two tend to keep their romance and their private lives on the DL (save for some goofy couple’s selfies on IG), here’s everything we know about the Canadian singer who stole Annie’s heart over a decade ago.
- Menno was raised in Manotick, Ontario on the same street as his three future Hollerado band members. The foursome grew up playing together and eventually recorded their first demo in 2007. The indie rock group played together for 12 years and released four studio albums during that time, as well as one self-produced album. “It was 12 years ago yesterday that we played our first ever show at our friend’s bar in Montreal,” the band wrote in an IG post announcing their 2019 split. “Since then we’ve had the best time, all the time, and now it’s time to move on to other things. We are all still best friends in the world and will cherish every second that we got to spend playing music together.”
- In summer 2018, Menno joined Canadian supergroup Anyway Gang, which also consists of solo artist, Sam Roberts, Dave Monks of Tokyo Police Club, and Chris Murphy of Sloan.
- After Hollerado disbanded in February 2019 and Anyway Gang released their debut album in November 2019, Menno released his first solo album, Reno Tapes, under the name Mav Karlo in March 2020. Menno created the album while in Reno, NV, with nothing but a guitar and a tape recorded.
- In addition to producing music, Menno co-founded the indie record label Royal Mountain Records in 2009, which is known for providing a $1,500 mental health fund to each band signed with the label to help them deal with the stress that can come with touring and performing. As Menno explained to The Globe and Mail in August 2019, “You go to the doctor to get a checkup for your body. Why getting a checkup for your head isn’t seen as just as important blows my mind.”
- Menno has also composed music for TV and movies, including The Trotsky, Kim’s Convenience, and — of course — Schitt’s Creek.
- In May 2013, Menno and Annie lost nearly everything when their Toronto apartment was destroyed by a fire, but Menno wasn’t too fazed by the incident. “I think it’s really going to be okay,” he told the Huffington Post soon after. “I’m not worried at all. It’s just stuff.”
- Menno and his wife have collaborated on music together, including the Hollerado song “Good Day at the Races” and “A Little Bit Alexis” from Schitt’s Creek. “Annie wrote all the lyrics, and she’s one of the funniest people on this entire planet, and that really reflected when she started having fun with the lyrics,” Menno explained during a September 2020 interview with Elle.