PREMIERE: Montreal's Never Better Perfects Indie Candour with New Track "Leash"

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Rhys Climenhage AKA Never Better

Audio engineers: How do you pass the time when your DAW needs to reboot? 

For Rhys Climenhage, AKA Never Better, technical difficulties sparked writing the title track of their to-be-released debut record Leash. Set to arrive October 11th, 2024, the Montreal singer-songwriter shares the full-length’s opener, all of which came together in “about 10 minutes” on the faithful day their Pro Tools crapped out before heading to work in the studio. 

Climenhage is a friendly face in Montreal’s indie scene, both on stage and behind the mixing board. Since arriving in la belle province from their hometown of Peterborough, Ontario, Climenhage has found themselves “stumbling upwards” creatively, collaborating with fellow scene sweethearts like Sasha Cay, Holobody, James Clayton and Fireball Kid, all while nurturing their solo venture as Never Better. 

With their busy schedule, playing “at most, in like seven bands,” and engineering friends’ works, it makes sense that Climenhage “didn’t intend on making a record” when they first started crafting “Leash”.

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“Leash” single artwork by Amery Sandford

Out today, the album’s lead offering is a tender musical keepsake for Climenhage. The song documents the early days of Climenhage’s relationship with their now partner, and fellow musician, Charlotte. With warm guitar strumming and honeyed harmonies, “Leash” is ever-inviting after the first listen, offering a glimpse into the budding closeness between Climenhage and the apple of their eye. Fittingly, recording “Leash” on a whim began the process of Climenhage seeking artistic consultation from Charlotte on more love songs they wrote for her, which would eventually become the album. 

“By the fifth song I knew it was going to be a record, and I was so excited to share it [with Charlotte], because she is also a musician and I wanted to see what she thought about it,” says Climenhage. “As we continue to date, I find myself being able to write a song in front of her from scratch, which I’ve never been able to do. I was sharing everything with her early on. She was there while I was mixing, and eventually I got the courage to ask her to sing on the record.” 

Climenhage cites the help of many friends making the production of Leash possible. Featuring instrumentation and backing vocals from a cast of local musicians, the album was entirely recorded and produced by Climenhage. Until Leash arrives this fall, Climenhage says they’re planning to roll out a few more singles and announce the album release show in Montreal, already hard at work on their next project.

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LEASH

Out October 11th, 2024

1. Leash

2. No Choice or Chance

3. Pockets

4. Leaf Clover

5. Shuffle Slump

6. Circles

7. Loud and Lazy

8. I’ll Find My Way To You

9. Herd

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Never Better

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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Also Cool's Osheaga 2024 Top Picks (Bladee, No Waves, DIIV, and More)

It's that time of year again. Drainers and indie rock fans from all over come together this weekend in Montreal for the 2024 edition of Osheaga. This year's lineup hits on every part of our eclectic taste in music, with a heavy lean towards bands that we’ve loved since high school.

To help you navigate this absolutely stacked lineup, we've put together our top picks so that you can efficiently sprint across the festival grounds between sets.

Listen along as you make your game plan for Osheaga weekend:

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FRIDAY

Bladee via Osheaga

Bladee

It's no secret that Also Cool is part of the Drainer community. From Red Light to Cold Visions, we are almost always bumping Bladee on an electric BIXI in the summertime. One of our most anticipated festival sets, Bladee, plays the Green Stage at 7:50pm.

Dominic Fike via Osheaga

Dominic Fike

Easy to have a crush on and perfect for a summer day, Dominic Fike plays the Bell River Stage at 6:55pm.

Two Door Cinema Club via Osheaga

Two Door Cinema Club

Easily one of our favourite bands from the 2010s, it was a pleasant surprise to see Two Door Cinema Club return to the Osheaga lineup this year. Almost every track on Tourist History (their 2010 smash-hit album) is an undeniable banger, and we will be revelling in what's now considered indie sleaze nostalgia. Catch their set on the Bell River Stage at 5:20pm.

Sleater-Kinney via Osheaga

Sleater-Kinney

Iconic is an understatement when it comes to Sleater-Kinney. Live your best riot grrrl life and catch their set at the Coors Light Mountain Stage at 4:35pm.

Mannequin Pussy via Osheaga

Mannequin Pussy

Coming off their most recent release I Got Heaven, gorgeous indie punk outfit Mannequin Pussy hits Montreal at 3:10pm on the Coors Light Mountain Stage. Mannequin Pussy provides the perfect soundtrack to process emotions in the mosh pit. if you have an ex to get over, this is the set for you.  

Melanie Martinez via Osheaga

Melanie Martinez

2010s Tumblr revival might be the unofficial theme of this year's lineup, with Melanie Martinez taking her rightful place as a headliner this year. The alt-pop star graces the Coors Light Mountain Stage at 7:55pm.

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SATURDAY

Green Day via Osheaga

Green Day

It's time to be emo and see Green Day play the Bell River Stage at 8:45pm. Do we need to say much more? No, because you know you want to relive your emo era that never really ended. 

The Smashing Pumpkins via Osheaga

The Smashing Pumpkins

An important introduction to grunge rock for many, and deeply influential to our teenage brains and sense of angst, The Smashing Pumpkins play the Coors Light Mountain Stage at 7:45pm.

No Waves via Osheaga

No Waves

Hometown heroes and punk scene sweethearts take the Green Stage at 2pm. Catch up on your No Waves lore by listening to our podcasts and interviews with our favourite Montreal pop punk trio. 

T-Pain via Osheaga

T-Pain

On a recent trip to LA, one of the Also Cools was at a bar night where every client had to play a strange, but bopping, track. Their selection was the undeniably-electric reimagining of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” by T-Pain. Since that night, Also Cool has been collectively dreaming of seeing him do the song justice live. T-Pain plays the Belairdirect Valley Stage at 7pm.

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SUNDAY

SZA via Osheaga

SZA

Whether you're in love with SZA or in awe of her incredible lyricism that perfectly encapsulates love, loss, and everything that brings us from one to the other, you can catch her on the Bell River Stage on August 4th at 9:15pm.

Jungle via Osheaga

Jungle

Disco? Dancey? Perhaps both? Get grooving to Jungle on the Belairdirect Valley Stage at 8:15pm.

Still Woozy via Osheaga

Still Woozy

We love some good slacker indie pop, and Still Woozy hits that 2017-era wub-wubby sound. Dust off your checkered Vans and mustard-yellow Kanken backpack and hit the Bell River Stage at 7:10 pm.

Alvvays via Osheaga

Alvvays

Throwing it back, once again, to our late-high school years, Alvvays' self-titled album still hits. Return to a world of iron-on patches, American Apparel, high-waisted mom jeans, and floral print everything, and sway to their set on the Coors Light Mountain Stage at 6:20pm.

Amyl and the Sniffers via Osheaga

Amyl and the Sniffers

Grimy, charming, and excellent at pushing punk boundaries, Amyl and The Sniffers take the Belairdirect Valley Stage at 5pm. Get tossed on a Sunday, why not?

DIIV via Osheaga

DIIV

Another high school favourite? Yes, but this time à la shoegaze oblivion. DIIV's performance at TIME Fest in Toronto in 2015 left an everlasting impression, so it's only right that we include them in our top picks. Become a Frog In Boiling Water at the Green Stage at 4:15pm.

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OSHEAGA

Tickets I Instagram I Tiktok

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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From Backwoods to Big City: Truck Violence's Debut is a Brazen Fusion of Hardcore and Folk

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Truck Violence by SCUM

Recent heavy-hitter Violence by Truck Violence rips all the bandages off the skin of country living, exposing the raw, gritty wounds underneath. Released July 5th on independent label Mothland, Violence is the Montreal band’s debut record.  

From backwoods to big city, guitarist-banjoist Paul Lecours and singer-poet Karsyn Henderson moved to Montreal by way of Alberta in 2021. Joined now by Chris Clegg on bass and Ryley Klima on percussion, Truck Violence’s dark griefcore folk is embracing the more dire side of quaint, oft-romanticized backcountry life, tackling the realities of addiction and dysfunction that creep into the cracks of remote Western Canada. 

Lecours and Henderson are all experimental, all the time. Previously releasing a seriously twisted, probing electronic hardcore rap artpiece under the moniker No Cru5t (Hinterlands, 2023), these two know how to serve up gallant gloom on a platter. For this project, Lecours wraps banjo-tinged licks into an infernal hardcore burrito, swapping out experimental electro-beats for a dash of dulcet, melancholic folk.

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Truck Violence by SCUM

But this album isn’t dark for the sole sake of darkness. “The album should inspire hope, just as much as it creates a sense of shame,” Henderson notes. Violence isn’t senseless. Deep inside those agonizing screams, sweet pangs of healing can be heard. “Through this project, we’ve recognized many shameful things in ourselves. These have been let go with much kicking into the music and the art, itself. This isn’t about accepting our faults, the way we hurt the people we care about, there is far more beauty in an honest bettering.” Henderson’s lyrics stretch out a hand to the community, hoping not only to be heard, but to grasp palms; binding together in solidarity. 

Underneath rattling blast beats, driving dissonant riffs, and dirty poetic shouts, the band’s opening track video, “Undressed you layn’t before” showcases this violent unity very literally. Shot on a fisheye camcorder—a possible homage to skate culture and a definite nod to DIY punk—the video exhibits a crowd egging on two humans slamming boxing mitt fists against each other. Under the nose of their charming, shit-eating grins reads the yellow lyric subtitle: “Tell me I’m good enough.” As the band begs to be part of something, to be interesting, to be written about—Henderson utters in anguish: “Ultimately, that’s my goal / to be written about”— bloody-toothed smiles shine on the faces of hugging friends. 

Fundamentally, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Facing that human desire to feel “good enough” in a distorted dystopia does require a little bit of a fight. Being honest in this day and age requires a fine-tuned focus on the fissure of our fucked up reality. Truck Violence utilizes the sound of Violence to dig into their upbringing, fleshing out rural Canadian roots, but ultimately beckoning broader solidarity. Violence is not about violence. It’s about honesty and healing. It’s about family, be that blood-binding or chosen. It’s about community. And if I can be part of that greater reach, Truck Violence, here I am: writing about you.

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VIOLENCE

Released July 5th, 2024 on Mothland

1. Undressed you layn't before

2. Lecture

3. Guns buried in the front yard

4. Drunk to death

5. The gash

6. He ended the bender hanging

7. I bore you now bear for me

8. Along the ditch till town

Credits:

All songs by Truck Violence

Chris Clegg - Bass

Karsyn Henderson - Vocals

Paul Lecours - Guitar & Banjo

Ryley Klima - Percussion

Production: Paul Lecours

Mixing & Mastering: Noah Baxter

Artwork: Truck Violence

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Truck Violence

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Starly Lou Riggs is a queer agender visual artist, writer and musician from the United States, currently based in Montreal.

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Birds to the Front: A Conversation with Montreal's Birds of Prrrey

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Birds of Prrrey via Facebook (from left to right: Grace Spitzley, Noelle Inniss and Clarence Tremblay)

In a 8 x 8 music space in Verdun, Birds of Prrrey (yes, the 3 Rs are important) are getting ready to rehearse for the night’s show. It's small, hot, and stuffy, but time is money and they don’t have any to waste. Grace Spitzley, the band’s bassist, is dutifully looking over their schedule. Noelle Inniss, the drummer, is reminiscing on funny anecdotes. Clarence Tremblay, the guitarist, is setting up their gear, while explaining that this was the first room they've ever played in, and that the other rooms are much better.

There’s a direct contrast between the playful atmosphere of this rehearsal and the focused recording sessions that Birds of Prrrey had in the studio gearing up for their first EP release. Those days were characterised by missing equipment, sound malfunctions, and delays. “Personally, I almost cried,” says Noelle while explaining their initial difficulties. Old equipment required the band to adapt quickly and be flexible when unexpected things happened – things like having to record a song while not being able to hear yourself, or your fellow band members, at all. 

Though the Birds of Prrrey had a rough start, the band fondly recalls sharing a hug with their producer Ben Rowland during their last session. “Our last take, it was so easy,” says Clarence. Noelle chimes in: “[If you] think about it too hard, that’s when you fuck up.”

Released in early July, Yet, we’re still growing in place features only songs that have been performed live, so the band’s family, friends, and everyone who regularly hits up MTL’s thrift shops will finally be able to stream to their hearts’ desires!

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

The creation of this EP served as a way for the band to let go of the past and look forward to the future – a time of transformation and new beginnings. It granted the band members an opportunity to embrace new memories and to escape negativity. As for how they feel now that the EP is out? Grace describes the feeling as cathartic. “Finally, we’re getting it out there for the world, and it’s our first big thing!’’ She hopes listeners will be able to recognize themselves in the songs.

Written over the course of 2023 while the band was going through growing pains, the EP touches on themes of love, power, self-reflection and independence. “Training Wheels”, the band’s favourite song, is an assemblage of all the qualities that make up Birds of Prrrey, such as humour, friendship and perseverance. Symbolic of the journey that brought them to this point, this track also serves as a reminder that their music is not a silly pastime or hobby but a real passion. “It’s such a beautiful song, we made something so beautiful and legit,” Noelle says.  “I have never felt more proud.”

Clarence recalls performing the song “Hatemail” at a show—a song they wrote about an unhappy relationship that was about to end—and locking eyes with an older man in the audience. “I was singing lyrics to a new song, and I saw an adult man who wasn’t there for us, he was there for the other band. Truly, listening to the lyrics and nodding his head like I was saying his truth. That gave me so much more confidence in what I was saying, like I wasn’t crazy.”

If Birds of Prrrey songs are intense and poignant, their social media presence is the opposite. Well-curated, it features many images of birds, memes and photos of the band. They don’t take themselves too seriously. Used to promote upcoming shows and document their evolution, the colourful images along with the funny captions invite everyone to feel welcome to dive into the universe that is Birds of Prrrey. Grace says, “I find that living in the city, performing at the same five venues, some bands take themselves way too seriously.” 

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

Clarence describes it as a method to connect with their audience outside of live shows and to express themselves. Their openness and camaraderie not only makes the band unique and approachable, but it grabs the attention of potential collaborators. They’ve been able to work with artists of many different disciplines like animators, textile artists and graphic designers in their short career. Recently, they collaborated with an animator and artist named Sherry (also known as @Aecolyte) on the cover of their EP. “ They have a softness to their artwork but also deal with dark themes, it fits perfectly with our EP, ” explains Clarence. 

During a small break in their rehearsal, the band reminisces on a time someone compared them to The Beatles; the band, finding it hilarious, immediately jumped into an impromptu rendition of “Blackbird”. As for their actual musical inspirations, the band lists the Breeders, Hole, Mitski and Bikini Kill. At first glance, you might mistake them for riot grrrls. Despite their name and grunge aesthetic, complete with drawn-on Converse sneakers, Clarence clarifies: “We don’t think we are riot grrrls – to be a riot grrrl is to be political. We are just uplifting the movement.” They’re also not punk, Clarence explains: “ I would never say we’re punk – people call us punk, but I think they just use it as an umbrella term for those who make loud music.”

Debuting in the male-dominated Montreal music scene, it was a bit daunting for Birds of Prrrey to find their place. However, they quickly found an audience that was waiting for a band like theirs to come into the scene; young women and queer people taking up space and expressing themselves on their own terms, not wanting to confirm. While their initial demographic might’ve been fellow early 20-somethings, it’s clear that Birds of Prrrey can appeal to anyone. “There’s a part of our audience who we would've never thought would be interested in us, and it goes to show that it’s truly about the music,” Clarence shares. 

If you’ve never seen Birds of Prrrey live, a typical show might be prefaced with sentences murmured in the crowd like “This isn’t Birds of Prrrey” and “All the good bands are in Brooklyn.” Quick little quips as well as inside jokes serve as transitions between songs and each member shines in their own unique way. Noelle’s explosive drum solo at the end of “Noelle’s emo song” is captivating and full of emotion. Grace’s electric vocals over their fan-favourite cover of “These Boots Were Made for Walkin’” makes the crowd go wild. Clarence entertains the audience with their cool and charming personality. With a sea of moshing and bopping heads listening carefully to every song, Birds of Prrrey puts on a remarkable show. Towards the end of the night, you’ll usually find the members floating around the venue socializing and giving out handmade stickers to anyone who asks. 

Catch Birds of Prrrey at La Sotterenea on July 26th hosting and performing Bird Ball, their EP release show with a pop-up vendor market.

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Graphic by Winie Coulanges

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YET, WE’RE STILL GROWING IN PLACE

Released July 6th, 2024

1. A Man Invited Shoelaces

2. OMGCROWSEVERYWHERE.COM2003$

3. Hatemail

4. Noelle’s Emo Song

5. Training Wheels

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Birds of Prrrey

Instagram | Facebook | Spotify

Writing and graphics by Winie Coulanges

Winie Coulanges (she/her) is an emerging writer and artist living in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. Her art is informed by her identity and her desire to dissect the environment she lives in with care, consideration and humour.

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PREMIERE: Dresser Tackles Self-Doubt in Ana-Maria Espino Trudel-Directed "Competency" (Music Video)

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Dresser, from left to right: Chrissy Lawson (bass), Finn Dalbeth (guitar and vocals), Kevin White (drums), photo by Alex Apostolidis

Trigger Warning: The following music video contains flashing lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.

Montreal art rock trio Dresser reckons with quarter-life uncertainty with the premiere of “Competency”, a kaleidoscopic music video melt-down softened by DIY charm. Directed, edited and produced by multi-hyphenate media artist and filmmaker Ana-Maria Espino Trudel, “Competency” sees Dresser embrace catharsis at a trippy band practice in an unidentifiable studio.

Between whirring zooms, psychedelic transitions and the band jamming in strobing, red light in various degrees of focus, Espino Trudel skillfully personifies the anxious and existential monologue of vocalist-guitarist Finn Dalbeth.

On “Competency”, Dalbeth shares:

“Musically, Competency is our stab at a dancey and carefree pop tune. But lyrically it is self deprecating and faintly sinister. The first verse is essentially me calling myself incompetent, hopeless, and lazy, which I find in a light-hearted way to be quite a fun and empowering tone to take in front of a live audience. The song goes on to fantasize about sabotaging a generally harmonious relationship, and explores further feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. While all this may seem grim, writing ‘Competency; felt like a healthy outlet at the time. Even though in hindsight it certainly could be an example of ‘writing on the wall’. In the funniest way, of course."

“Competency” is Dresser’s first offering from the band’s independent sophomore album Fuel, set to release August 2nd, 2024.

Buoyant yet gritty, “Competency” brings a garage-meets-jangle spunk to the ever-pensive Dresser. Recorded and mixed by René Wilson (Faith Healer, Anemone, Baby Jey) at Value Sound Studios in Montreal, “Competency” tempts both headbanging and swaying, (hopefully) hinting at the worlds traversed on Fuel.

Until the full-length arrives, watch the video for “Competency” below!

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FUEL

Out August 2nd, 2024

1. Heavenly Lethargy

2. The Wringer

3. Dolena

4. Competency

5. Never

6. By Your Side

7. Fuel

8. Still Looking 

Recorded and mixed by René Wilson at Value Sound Studios in Montreal

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Dresser

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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From Bartender to Headliner: Montreal's Alix Fernz Turns Heads with Debut Album "Bizou" (Mothland)

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Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Alix Fernz is the beloved enfant terrible lighting a match on Montreal’s music scene. Formerly performing as Blood Skin Atopic, Alix Fernz is the moniker of 24-year-old singer-songwriter Alexandre Fournier. Arriving April 19th via hometown label Mothland, Bizou is Fournier’s debut album under this new alias. 

On Bizou, Fernz leads us down a drainpipe into an unabashed, palpitating reverie of studded leather, troublemaking and lipstick-stained dive bar mirrors. Produced in the bedrooms of three different apartments, with vocals tracked on Fernz’s iPhone mic, Bizou fearlessly criss-crosses remnants of bratty 70s-punk with new wave romanticism in a blistering 32-minutes.

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Bizou album artwork, credit: Alix Fernz & Nora Mejdouli

Mixed by Emmanuel Éthier (Choses Sauvages, Corridor, P’tit Belliveau, Population II), Bizou is Fernz’s first studio effort. After parsing over Bizou for nearly three years, Fernz is anxious for its unveiling at his album listening party this Thursday at Montreal nightclub Le Système.

“I got signed to Mothland after the album was done, but it's been worth the wait to release it for real,” says Fernz. “Teasing things out single by single has worked well, I saw the [streaming] numbers and I was like ‘holy crap!’” he laughs. 

Beyond its subversive aesthetics, Bizou is a coming-of-age record for Fernz, expanding on his experiences and growing pains as a suburban outcast.  

“Bizou has helped me a lot, as a period of self-learning,” explains Fernz. “A lot of the songs are angry and bring up a lot of unsavoury old feelings. I don’t like writing from the first-person, so I’ve created other versions of myself—personas—to write about the tough stuff and disconnect from my teenage years—trying to figure things out, feeling out of place in private school, doing drugs and shit. When I’m onstage singing these songs, I feel like another person, like someone else.”

The characters of Bizou come to life in the album’s accompanying music videos, where Fernz takes cues from latex magazines and 80s fashion to shapeshift from a nightmarish, botox-injected fiend to a lace-clad pierrot clown. 

With the adoption of his new stage name, Fernz has already encountered significant milestones as he aims to take his musical career to the next level.

“I moved to Montreal when I was 17, and started making music shortly after as Blood Skin Atopic. Switching to this solo project has helped me evolve out of a little DIY guy, now that I actually have [a label] backing me up,” explains Fernz. 

Fernz's it-factor has been established by his electric live sets attracting festival audiences, despite previously only having one single online. Since sharing “Wax”—the inaugural single from Bizou—in late 2023, Fernz has played POP Montreal, M For Montreal, Le Phoque OFF and Taverne Tour. In between, he’s gripped show-goers across Montreal’s signature stages and recently toured outside of Quebec for the first time.

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Alix Fernz by Antoine Giroux

Along with his musical forays, Fernz is a tattoo artist by day and a bartender at Montreal venue L’Esco. 

“I tell my boss [at l’Esco] all the time that I owe him my career,” says Fernz. “Meeting all these artists night after night is one of the main reasons that I can say that I am where I am. It’s priceless. I recently stayed after my shift to see Model/Actriz from New York after hearing their soundcheck and my mouth was like, watering the entire time,” he laughs. 

With all the buzz surrounding Bizou’s arrival, Fernz has started to perceive a shift in his reputation from local bartender to micro-celebrity. “I still don’t know how to react when people recognize me from my shows at work,” he smiles. “Working at L’Esco is like the epitome of ‘Oh! I know you… but I don’t know from where?’”  he adds. “I’m finding more and more people recognize me on the street from music than tattooing—I see my clients at the bar all the time. It’s definitely weird, but I enjoy it.” 

Despite this, Fernz remains humble and committed to his creative growth. When talking about what’s next, he reveals he’s already got a new project in the works. Hinting at what the future holds, Fernz describes his new songs having more of a pop direction, but maintaining his signature oddball edge. “I have ten demos already. Bizou has been a huge learning opportunity for me in being able to work on music with other people and introduce [the project], but I can’t wait to work on something else!” he exclaims. 

Catch Alix Fernz on tour this spring and pre-save / pre-order Bizou before its release this Friday!

April 28th - Toronto @ The Baby G 

May 10th - Sainte-Thérèse @ Santa Teresa  

May 16th - Montreal @ POW POW (album release show)

May 23rd - Chicoutimi @ Bar à Pitons 

May 24th - Québec @ Le Pantoum 

May 25th - Rimouski @ Bains Publics  

Alix Fernz

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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PREMIERE: Night Lunch Trashes Post-Breakup Blues in "Junkyard of Love" (Music Video)

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Night Lunch by Aabid Youssef

Suitcases packed for their SXSW debut, Montreal misfit pop entourage Night Lunch unveils their new music video for “Junkyard of Love.” Coming off the band’s 2023 sophomore album Fire in the Rose Garden, “Junkyard of Love” is a gritty reimagining of the Brill Building ballad for today’s broken-hearted. 

On “Junkyard of Love,” Night Lunch frontman and music video star Lukie Lovechild shares “‘Junkyard of Love’ is a song about loneliness and isolation. Cannon fire says just how silly we can be, planting us firmly as the butt of the joke.” 

The prescription for coping with a dying flame is different from person to person. Some indulge at the bar of a local watering hole, take up ping pong, or find themselves in the depths of Reddit rabbit holes in the middle of the night. For Night Lunch, a cynical personification being “down in the dumps” in their oddball Phil Osborne (Osborne Oddities) cut depicts Lovechild as a lover scorned, wrestling with stinging bruises in a psychedelic scrap yard. 

Watch the premiere of Night Lunch’s “Junkyard of Love” below!

Director Phil Osoborne on “Junkyard of Love”:

“Lukie gave me some footage that he and Marlee shot in a junkyard. I edited what I thought were the best parts then did some rotoscoping of Lukie over the footage using a computer screen as my rotoscope machine. Going frame by frame with paper on the screen, tracing him playing guitar or dancing. These parts were inspired by Rick Raxlen's animations. Then I decided to improvise some more animation based on what is said in the lyrics, including some junkyard-type creatures such as a love tank shooting hearts out of its eyes. All drawings were done using sharpies on 8.5” by 11” paper. At least 600 drawings in total.”

Catch Night Lunch on tour across the USA & Canada this spring:

March 12th, 2024 - Austin, TX @ SXSW (Swan Dive)
April 19th, 2024 - Québec City, QC @ Le Pantoum
May 10th, 2024 - Sainte-Thérèse, QC @ Santa Teresa

Night Lunch

Instagram | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple | Youtube 

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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What's Cool at Taverne Tour 2024

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It goes without saying that Taverne Tour is our go-to fest for thawing the wintertime slump. In line with years past, the 7th edition of the Montreal music festival is packed from brim to brim with stellar inter-genre programming, highlighting artists from the city’s local music scene and beyond. On this weekend from February 8th-10th, here is our list of must-see acts from the festival’s lineup. Read along while jamming to our offical Taverne Tour playlist below.

Full disclosure: Some shows have already sold out — we hope you scored your tickets in time!

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Ben Shemie via Taverne Tour

Montreal’s Ben Shemie—known as lead vocalist and guitarist of art rock outfit SUUNS—moonlights with his experimental solo pursuits. Playing on his classical compositional training, Shemie dabbles in astral string arrangements, frenzied, yet melodic, feedback loops and contorted vocals in his latest avant-pop feat. 

Shemie plays La Sala Rossa Thursday, February 8th.

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DahL via Taverne Tour

With their forthcoming album That’s It in the works for March, Montreal’s DahL has perked up our ears with their savvy splicing of trip hop know-how, post-punk textures and arresting flow. The project is the brainchild of Nassir Liselle and Purplefield, who have joined forces with long-time collaborator and producer William Winston on synthesizers and Edward Scrimger on drums for an unparalleled live performance. 

DahL plays La Sala Rossa on Saturday, February 10th. 

Tickets are sold out!

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Daniel Romano’s Outfit via Taverne Tour

Daniel Romano’s Outfit is road tripping once again in anticipation of their next release, Too Hot To Sleep, arriving March 1st on You’ve Changed Records. Sporting power pop sensibility on Too Hot’s first two offerings—“Field of Ruins” and “Chatter”—we’re keen to experience the Welland, Ontario group’s newfound spunk alongside their longtime country flare. 

Daniel Romano’s Outfit plays La Sotterenea on Saturday, February 10th. 

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Marie Davidson via Taverne Tour

Reigning queen of Montreal’s clubscape, Marie Davidson, made an impressionable comeback performance at M For Montreal this past fall. The local electronic music producer, singer, songwriter and poet floored the audience with her coy stage presence and enthralling beats. Knowing that we’d accept a taste, but are eager for more, Davidson’s appearance at Taverne Tour is sure to bring the house down. 

Marie Davidson plays Le Belmont on Saturday, February 10th. 

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Pantayo via Taverne Tour

Toronto ensemble Pantayo promises to entrance audiences with its harmonious dialog of kulintang, electronica and indie pop. Combining traditional Filipino music with contemporary influences and experiential sounds, the queer, diasporic Filipinx quintet inspire mesmerizing, powerful and grooving atmospheres through collaborative percussive magic.

Pantayo plays Le Ministère on Friday, February 9th.

Tickets are sold out!

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Safia Nolin via Taverne Tour

Revered Quebec City singer-songwriter Safia Nolin is a breath of fresh air amidst our heavier Taverne Tour selections. Strumming with tenderness, Nolin’s stilling voice is like a reverie paired with her uncluttered, frank acoustic compositions. Nolin’s recent EP ET SI, DE/main l’oiseau chills with its poignant dexterity — charting fragility and renewal all at once. 

Safia Nolin plays Le Quai des Brumes Thursday, February 8th. 

Tickets are sold out! 

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Slash Need via Taverne Tour

Our standing review of Toronto’s Slash Need is that we would gladly let them step on us. The duo’s floorboard-thumbing crossover of industrial punk and performance art is always a treat. For seduction, camp, leather, lace and hounding instrumentals, look no further than this spectacle of daring debauchery.

Slash Need plays Le Ministère Thursday, February 8th. 

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Sun Entire via Taverne Tour

Sun Entire is a three piece shoegaze outfit made up of Montrealers June Moon, Nico Serrus and Ivan Urueña. Hot on the heels of their debut LP Fit To Break, the band intrigues with their honeyed sound — awash with 90s-tinged, luminous whimsy.

Sun Entire plays L’Escogriffe on Thursday, February 8th. 

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Sweeping Promises via Taverne Tour

All the way from Lawrence, Kansas, post-punk pair Sweeping Promises charms with their playful take on raw angularity. The band’s 2023 LP Good Living is Coming For You inspires shoulder shimmying from back to front, complete with surfy bass riffs, vintage synths and Devo-esque vocals. 

Sweeping Promises plays La Sala Rossa Friday, February 9th.

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Roost.World via Taverne Tour

Fall into a dark wave rabbit hole at our Taverne Tour co-pro with Burlington, Vermont synth troopers Roost.World. Shake the week’s edge off with the Roost.World’s intergalactic goth rhythms, and introspective sets from special guests Lola 1:2 and Marontate.

Join us at Casa Del Popolo on Friday, February 9th!

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Taverne Tour

Website | Instagram | Festival App

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Half Moon Run’s Salt and the Beauty of Everyday Miseries (BMG)

Half Moon Run by Jennifer McCord

Tackling heartbreak, longing, and climate change, Half Moon Run crafts a universe bursting with melancholy and familiar, commonplace despair, navigating through it with an unexpectedly fitting groove. The Canadian indie rock band’s fourth studio album Salt, released on June 2, is gentle and introspective in its lyricism without lacking alluring instrumentation.

Although the pieces on the album have been in the works for many years, they don’t sound out-of-place or irrelevant to a world that changed in such a significant manner. Time treated Salt kindly, and instead of being overcooked, the album seems only uplifted by the efforts taken to craft it. Every element of the album is carefully chosen and revised to be its best version of itself.

The opening track of the LP, “You Can Let Go”, is a definite highlight of the album, combining layered instrumentals with candid lyrics to capture the everyday anxieties that come with personhood, quietly reminding the listeners that “the only way out is through”. The track is a perfect mix of slightly abstract imagery and painfully real and relatable lines, with the rhythmically-enunciated “Self-medicate, self deprecate / Self-help books on the shelf, help meditate” at the beginning of the song mimicking the fast-paced rhythm of contemporary life. “You Can Let Go” instantly captivates the listener with its hypnotizing drum line and bewitching vocals, making it an obvious choice to put on repeat on just about any occasion. This alluring introduction to the world of Salt is immediately followed by “Alco”, a groovy and fun yet musing piece – a perfect track to blast while driving with your windows down on a warm summer evening.

The signature use of string sections throughout the album adds a feeling of nostalgia and an ethereal sense to a work that’s otherwise so grounded in reality by its piercingly honest contemplations. A great example of that is “Everyone’s Moving Out East”, an incredible combination of layered vocals, subtle drums, magnetic strings and illusive lyrics, all of which come together in a wonderful ballad about growing up and dealing with loss.

Salt doesn’t shy away from talking about destruction, both that which is present around us and that of the self. “Gigafire”, an initially soft track with transcendent instrumentals and vocals, quickly reveals itself to be about climate anxiety, with the singer reminiscing of the times “…before the change in the weather”. Similarly, “Goodbye Cali” doesn’t shy away from candid recollections of the singer’s experiences with travelling across America, bringing up the panic attacks and burnout that came with life on the road.

Salt tastes and feels bittersweet, brilliantly capturing the experience of dealing with adulthood, love and loss. Despite its grounded, contemporary subject matter, the LP still manages to have an enchanting, whimsical vibe to it, taking all the good elements from folk and indie rock and turning them into an intimate, rewarding listening experience and an essential summer listen.

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Salt

Out June 2, 2023 via BMG

1. You Can Let Go

2. Alco

3. Hotel in Memphis

4. Everyone Is Moving Out East

5. 9beat

6. Dodge the Rubble

7. Heartbeat

8. Gigafire

9. Goodbye Cali

10. Salt

11. Crawl Back In

All songs written by Half Moon Run

Produced and engineered by Connor Seidel

Mixed by Chris Shaw and Connor Seidel

Mastered by Ryan Morey

Recorded at Treehouse Studio and Hammerjam

Tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 feature the Esca String Quartet

Tracks 4 and 11 feature Camille Roy-Paquette on cello

String arrangements by Antoine Gratton and Dylan Phillips

Album photography by Jennifer McCord

Layout by Alex Tomlinson

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Half Moon Run

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok

Magdalena Styś is a jack of all trades and a master of putting them all into their schedule. You can check out their work here or follow them on Instagram.

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Le Tigre & cumgirl8 Captivate Montreal With Feminist Punk Power

cumgirl8 by Malaika Astorga

The collective Also Cool teenage dream was fulfilled last week at Le Tigre and cumgirl8's show at Olympia in Montreal. We've been longtime fans of Kathleen Hanna's projects and couldn't wait to see cumgirl8 live after including them in a recent Playlist Refresh.

The line to get into the show represented every aspect of Montreal's feminist punk community, ranging from cool-looking parents and their children wearing Bikini Kill shirts to excited 19-year-olds sporting local bands' merch. Across the board, everyone shared a collective glow, looking forward finally to seeing the legendary trio onstage.

The merch was also in line with the feminist spirit of the show. A printed sign reminded attendees that "the best way to support your favourite artist is to buy merch at their show - get off the Internet." We at Also Cool agree - the best way to support artists is to show up for your local scene IRL and support your friends' creative projects. 

For those new to the world of cumgirl8, the NYC-based group met in a sex chat 8000 years ago in another metaverse. Made up of Lida Fox (bass), Veronika Vilim (guitar), Chase Lombardo (drums), and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar), the band started as an art collective in 2019. As reflected in their name, cumgirl8's work pushes against the status quo by satirizing themes in popular culture surrounding femme objectification, social media sensationalism, and capitalism. 

Onstage, cumgirl8 embodied the coolest punk girl energy, with all the members decked out in incredible outfits featuring mesh, corsets, glitter and ripped tights. Chase (the drummer) also seemed to play the entire set in heels, which is incredibly admirable. Their sound was hot and heavy, exuding it-girl confidence. 

Le Tigre was up next with incredible visuals and included lyrics for all their songs at the top of the screen, a sweet touch that made the show-going experience more accessible for everyone. They opened with "The the Empty" and followed with tracks spanning their entire discography. 

Their performance also highlighted intersectional feminist discourse, sharing the backstories of many tracks and starting meaningful conversations around topics like reproductive rights, trans politics, PTSD recovery, and more. The show concluded with playful choreography that ramped up into "Deceptacon," which was received by a joyful and cheering crowd. 

Keep an eye out for cumgirl8's upcoming EP phantasea pharm, which is set to be released on August 18th via 4AD. 

Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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La Sécurité Ignites the Boulevard with Debut Album "Stay Safe!" (Mothland)

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

With their highly-anticipated debut album waiting in the wings, La Sécurité is ready to cause some commotion. The Montreal art-punk group shares Stay Safe! tomorrow via Mothland – a record consisting of ten electrifying tunes united in their skittish asymmetry.

The musicians that form La Sécurité are no strangers to the scene, having charmed countless audiences through other projects like Choses Sauvages and Silver Dapple, but operating within this collective keeps each member on their toes. From the arresting synths of debut track “Suspens” to the domineering bassline of “Serpent”, the band has set a standard of heightened sonic volatility, and the remainder of the record continues that thrill. Stay Safe! provokes the senses with its bilingual musings and jagged new-wave arrangements, traversing between subjects like flirtation and bodily autonomy with the same crafty cool. Expect to strut to zigzagging guitars, commanding rhythms, and a sprinkle of woodblocks.

A few weeks before the release of Stay Safe!, vocalist Éliane Viens-Synnott connected with Also Cool to reflect on the final touches and tease the summer adventures ahead.

La Sécurité by Aabid Youssef

Rebecca Judd for Also Cool Mag: This new single “Serpent” is peppy with a punch. I love the effortlessness of its undercut, how it captures the messiness of catty gossip with such breezy disco flair. This is a broader balance you strike within your forthcoming album as well: this determination to be both lyrically and instrumentally bold, scratching many different surfaces and thriving in the madness. How did the development of “Serpents” fit into Stay Safe!’s creative process?

Éliane Viens-Synnott of La Sécurité: It came about in a pretty organic way. [Drummer] Kenny [Smith] started doing that funky beat, just joking around during a practice, and [bassist and producer] Félix [Bélisle] kinda whipped out that super groovy bassline! We noodled around with the rest, keeping in mind the more dancey side of our art-punk influences (Maximum Joy and ESG, to name a few) without wanting to rip anyone off, of course. I thought it was fitting for some lyrics I had already written. I didn't want the song to be emo or dramatic or anything – just a friendly little jab!

Also Cool: The video for “Serpent” is frenzied and lighthearted, capturing everything from Sonic to South by Southwest. Your videos notoriously stay true to your sound, feeling lo-fi yet descriptive. Does the band have a particular approach to concocting music videos, or was this one just as simple as a glitch?

La Sécurité: Pretty simple, yeah! Since we kinda established that DIY/VHS approach with our first videos, we thought it was a nice direction to continue in. It's a way to keep a natural, sort-of intimate-feeling approach, highlighting good times that we have spent together as friends and bandmates.

AC: As the video shows, La Sécurité recently played SXSW, which feels like a significant milestone given your first show at DISTORSION was six months ago. Can you share more about your experience in Texas and what you took from it?

LS: Yeah, what a ride that was. Even having our first show at DISTORSION was kind of unreal! We were pretty curious to see if there would be any buzz at all outside of the comfort of our MTL scene, and I guess the short answer to that question is yes! We met many awesome people and our shows felt pretty electric. Playing six shows in a week definitely helped us weld our dynamic on- and off-stage together.

AC: Stay Safe! comes out on June 16, and you’ve teased that your debut will be “quite pleasing, even to unsuspecting eardrums”. Without giving too much away, what kinds of experimentation made the final cut?

LS: Well, there is one unexpected surprise I'm excited to share. I guess the one hint I'm willing to share is: 90s prom night vibes, haha. Once you hear it, you'll get it. Besides that, expect more songs along the same lines as what you've been hearing so far. They each have their unique touch, but somehow all belong together.

AC: Festival season is afoot… surely there are some plans up your sleeve. What does this summer look like for La Sécurité?

LS: Looking good! In June, we are hitting up FLOURISH Festival in New Brunswick, followed by a show in Québec City with our friends Jesuslesfilles (which [guitarist] Melissa [Di Menna] also plays in)! Then we head to Calgary for Sled Island, and in July we are doing La Noce in Saguenay as well as Le Festif in Baie-Saint-Paul. There are a few more dates that aren't announced yet, so it's a secret for now. Last but not least, we will be doing a record release show in Montreal at l'Esco! The date will be announced the day our record comes out.

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Stay Safe!

Out June 16, 2023 via Mothland

1. Le Kick

2. Dis-Moi

3. Anyway

4. Waiting For Kenny

5. Suspens

6. K9

7. Serpent

8. Try Again

9. Hot Topic

10. Sleepy Rebellion

All songs written & performed by La Sécurité

Produced, recorded, and mixed by Samuel Gemme & Félix Bélisle

Mastered by Francis Ledoux

Artwork & layout by Melissa Di Menna

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La Sécurité

Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Interview: The Return of Montreal's Suoni Per Il Popolo is an Intergenerational Celebration of Musical Escape

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Suoni Per Il Popolo 2023 poster

Montreal’s world-renowned experimental music and art festival, Suoni Per Il Popolo, returns from June 1st to 23rd, 2023. The 23rd edition of the festival plans to animate the city’s beloved venues as a homecoming for music-makers, composers and the sonically curious. From the festival’s Plateau-bound nebulous and beyond, festival goers can expect a profusion of over fifty intimate concerts from local, national and international artists, and genre-defying programming spanning free jazz, avant-rock, noise/post-punk, avant-folk, afro-futurism and more. Along with concerts, the festival features sonic meditations, exhibitions, screenings, comedy shows, parties and a street fair. 

In anticipation of this year’s festival launch, we caught up with Kiva Stimac, Suoni Per Il Popolo’s co-founder and co-owner of Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa. 

On this year’s edition, Stimac reiterates the significance of Suoni’s avant-garde programming as a means of community restoration: 

“With regards to anything in arts presentation right now, we have to consider the power and importance of music and creativity in healing from the turmoil of this global pandemic. What I’ve always looked for in experimentation and play is the questioning and liberation that you get from not only being a musician, but an audience member as well.”

Along with fellow festival co-founder and business partner Mauro Pezzente (Godspeed You! Black Emperor), Stimac established Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa, two pillar venues in Montreal’s music scene. Acting as the festival’s homebase since its foundation, Stimac says their atmosphere brings Suoni’s values to life.

“As venues and as places, it has always been really important that we serve food and drink that is delicious and that when artists come, we provide them with a good stage and good lighting…and somewhere to stay in a really familial way! [Pezzente] is a musician and I’m a chef and a visual artist, so our model is based on both of us being artists and wanting to invite artists that we love to our home to celebrate and create with us.” 

While Suoni has expanded since its humble beginnings of “beer sales and selling sandwiches,” its DIY ‘til death mentality remains, with all of the festival operations continuing to happen behind the scenes at Casa and Sala on St Laurent boulevard. Likewise, the project continues to be funded by grants and unique collaborations, which Stimac feels fuels, rather than limits, Suoni’s spirit year after year.

“Though we have a limited budget, it forces us to look for money in other ways for special projects to do with artists. Like grants to fund local and international artists coming together to create a project,” identifies Stimac. “For example, this year we’re doing a deep listening sound walk with Pauline Oliveros’ life partner, IONE. It’ll be led by Ayelet Gottlieb, an Israeli-Canadian deep listening practitioner and vocalist,” she adds. “This makes it so there’s a multitude of ways you can experience the festival: You could go to a free meditation, a film screening, or a deep listening mountain walk, and then come to a performance.”

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Suoni Per Il Popolo 2023 poster

Of course, Suoni’s “by artists, for artists” grit has also willed its vibrant and off-beat curation. This has set the festival apart since day one, making it the premiere event for testing boundaries through music. At the same time, Stimac and her team’s willingness to take creative risks with their programming set an interesting precedent for Montreal, which hasn’t always been the hub for out-of-town acts we know today. 

“When Casa del Popolo opened in 2000, a lot of artists were actually skipping Montreal on their tour routes,” she articulates. “So, people would play Toronto… and they would play Boston… And eventually, [my partner] Pezzente reached out to his agent, who was managing a bunch of cool artists at the time, and was like, ‘Why aren’t these bands coming to Montreal? Why don’t we try having them come to Montreal?’”  

From this phone call, Stimac and Pezzente went on to put together their first show with Scottish indie rock group Arab Strap at the newly opened Casa del Popolo. To their surprise, it sold out in 10 minutes.

“From that show and eventually starting to program at Sala Rossa across the street, we realized there was a demand for international touring artists here. Another major incentive [to book these acts], especially in the experimental and avant-garde worlds, was to invite them to Montreal in the first place.”

This effort has remained integral to Suoni’s raison d’être, and a way for communities, both local and international, to work together and “transgress the physical space” through creative innovation, according to Stimac. 

While the definitions of experimental and avant-garde have evolved throughout the years, Stimac maintains that Suoni attendees can still anticipate generations coming together to appreciate underground and outsider art.

“The size of our rooms limit you to new and up-and-coming artists, or unheralded elders at the end of their careers. This year, we have three different groups performing who are in their eighties—and on the other end of the spectrum—local groups in their twenties performing and a piano recital for young kids who are just starting out. Inviting all ages has always been important to me because you can see the trajectory of their career, and that is impactful to so many.”

Likewise, the intergenerational aspect of the festival remains integral for Stimac, due to the universally transformative power of music. 

“The release of listening to or making music can really heal trauma, and that’s the music I’m drawn towards. Whether it be the free jazz of my dad’s generation or the punk rock music of my generation… Music is made for liberation,” she explains. “My vision for the festival has always been challenging revolutionary good times.” 

Expand your listening palette and attend this year’s edition of Suoni Per Il Popolo. The festival kicks off June 1st at Casa del Popolo. Tickets are available online below. Follow Also Cool on socials for more festival updates and coverage in the coming weeks. 

Festival Information

Artists | Schedule | Tickets

Suoni Per Il Popolo

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (she/her) is the co-founder and managing editor of Also Cool Mag. Aside from the mag, she is a music promoter & booker, and a radio host & DJ.

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3 Queer Happenings: Cosmic Drag-Pop Double Feature Review

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Photo by Emm Pics You

Last month, Montreal, arts interculturels (MAI) transformed their gallery space to be the thrust stage of our dreams for 3 Queer Happenings: Cosmic Drag-Pop Double Feature and we haven’t been able to stop thinking about the cosmic duo BiG SiSSY & Bijuriya.

The two drag artists and musicians came together for two sets of live music featuring their original songs, collabs, and cosmic covers as part of the greater series.

Starting off the evening was Bijuriya, inspired by her South Asian heritage and appreciated for her proud, festive, wacky, and critical outlook on Bollywood and other elements of Desi culture.

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Photo by Emm Pics You

Her performance brought us through many different emotional moments. She began with her melancholic baroque opera piece Cold Genius Aria, composed by Henry Purcell, to having the audience laughing hysterically through her throwback original song “Les bouchées doubles”.

Bijuriya closed the performance off with a magical piece called “Geeta”, written from the perspective of Geeta Dutt, one of her favourite Indian singers from the ‘50s and ‘60s film industry. Geeta’s husband was a filmmaker and had cast another woman in Geeta-like roles while having Geeta sing for the character. Allegedly, there was a love triangle between the two of them and this other woman — a story that has since inspired this beautiful piece by Bijuriya to give Geeta her voice back.

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Photo by Emm Pics You

Popping-in for a duet with Bijuriya in the first act—and dominating the second act with her witchy prowess—was BiG SiSSY, a favourite of Also Cool. BiG SiSSY is a drag/performance artist, vocalist, and producer who makes pro-Black, pro-sex, and beat-driven music. Mixing post-disco beat machines and electro-clash looped guitar riffs, SiSSY's subversive lyrics are drenched in Afro-futurism, humour, and blunt honesty.

The performance started out with some classics, contextualizing BiG SiSSY as an alien from the fictional “Black Starr Planet”. The songs are stars of her upcoming EP release Black Star, including the song “Black Supremacist”: “Whiteness will be your demise / Salvation lies between my thighs… / She was a Black Supremacist / The worst, reverse-racist queen.”

BiG SiSSY dazzled with her signature green glowing hair and stellar vocals.

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Photo by Emm Pics You

The duo collaborated on two songs throughout the eve. There was one original by Bijuriya called “Problematic Fantasy”, which was an ode to the objectification of men whose morals/existence are objectionable (hilarious), as well as a cover of Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity”.

A highlight of the performance was when BiG SiSSY asked for a volunteer from the audience. A very enthusiastic volunteer raised their hand; she then deemed them “Cilantro”, and reminded everyone that it was Black History Month and Cilantro would be bringing around a hat for the audience to fill with their cash.

The lighting and costumes were beautiful – the stage at the MAI really elevated the performances, and made sure audience members were soaked in red for one of BiG SiSSY’s climactic pieces: “The Period Song”. After this performance, BiG SiSSY and her assistant blasted red party-poppers out into the audience as we all shouted “free bleed”.

The show ended with BiG SiSSY’s latest release “Cake”, featuring BACKXWASH (another Also Cool favourite), where she wants to “have [her] cake and eat it too.” You’ll have to listen to the lyrics for that one to get the full picture…

To experience the fun for yourself, join us at the BiG SiSSY EP release on April 6th. We’re also looking forward to seeing Bijuriya again quite soon – stay tuned!

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BiG SiSSY

Black Starr EP out on all platforms April 6

Instagram | Bandcamp | Website

Bijuriya

Bijuriya Chamke out now

Instagram | Bandcamp

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Mue On Ritual, Intimate Spaces, and Decomposition in LP "Les vasières" (Halocline Trance)

Mue by Vincent Castonguay

Explore the esoteric and terrestrial that is embodied in Mue’s first full-length new album, Les vasières. Even though the electronic duo—made up of Léon Lo and Catherine Debard—is based in Montreal, the sonic perimeters of Les vasières are vast, spanning across complex layers of sound and space. 

Elaborating on the landscape of their latest release, the band explains: “The French album title translates to “The mudflats.” Sounds from disparate sources form aural silt that is brought to life by waxing and waning cycles, each improvisation presenting a new, different mudflat scenario.”

By incorporating the sound of water, nature, and compost, Mue presents more than an album but an auditory experience through their experimental rhythms and alternative percussions. In this conversation with Mue, Liza Makarova mediates the intimacy of Mue’s spontaneous-yet-methodical approach to their world-building and soundscaping process. 

Les vasi​è​res by Mue. Cover artwork by Katherine Melançon, graphic design by Haley Parker

Liza Makarova of Also Cool Mag: What is the history behind Mue? When did it start and why?

Catherine Debard of Mue: Mue is definitely a pandemic project. It [all began]in March 2020 – I was supposed to go on a European tour and had sublet my place. A few days before leaving, I started having doubts and ended up cancelling everything (which was a really good decision, since the international lockdown happened the week after). I stayed at Léon's place and we quarantined together.

Léon Lo of Mue: I had some gear stocked at home from a previous performance, so one day, out of boredom or curiosity, we decided to jam together for the first time. I set up my computer to record it just in case and it turned out to be unlike anything either of us had done individually before.

Liza: Throughout the three- (or more) year process, what were the feelings, sources of inspiration, rituals, and expectations that motivated you to develop Les vasières?

Catherine:  Looking back on the recording process, the ritualistic aspect was undeniable. I think the pacing was important in this respect. We recorded a song or two at a time, a few weeks apart, for a few months. Each time, we would clear the space and since our project is hardware-heavy, it would take us about an hour to set everything up. It was meticulous and messy as if we were building a world out of a bunch of cables and machines, all intertwined and tangled together. Then, without talking much or planning anything, we improvised until we connected with each other and when the sounds locked, we would record until we felt satisfied. It would always start playfully and chaotically, but then, intuitively, we'd find each other and vibe on the same frequency.

Léon: I would say “frequencies”, as there were so many elements acting of their own accord. It was entrancing but also eerie in how egoless the process was.

Catherine: Somehow, we always intuitively stopped recording at the 12-minute mark, possibly our own sacred time unit. That was the first phase of the project, and we didn't have an album or concept yet.

Léon: After letting those recordings sit for a bit, we revisited them, chose the ones we liked best and set about cutting them down to more digestible formats. That proved to be really difficult because of the overlapping cycles of different lengths. Finding the right spots to cut out without it showing too much was challenging. But at that point, there was a feeling that the compositions could become something more concrete –that together, they could turn into something else. Kris from La Rama was an early supporter and singled out two songs (“1,000 Passages” and “A Tangle of Filaments”) to release as a limited edition 10” vinyl on the store’s in-house label La Rama Dubs. Toronto-based label Halocline Trance gracefully signed on to release the remaining tracks, which were coalescing into something like an album.

Catherine:  It's around that time that we started thinking about mudflats, right? That's what “vasière” means. We added the interludes to expand a bit more on the idea. Before that, I remember we were into more of a “compost”, “slimy” imagery. I was trying to grow plants out of vegetable scraps, and I recall we were both pretty invested in the process.

Léon: Yes, listening to the tracks, we started seeing how our disparate sounds would come together like all the different overlapping cycles present in mudflats: those of the waves, the countless micro-organisms, the vegetation, the birds overhead, etc. So, each jam was re-imagined as us having set up a new mudflat and wanting to see how all the different elements would co-exist.

LM: The album is both transcendent and down to Earth. While utilizing high-frequency vibrations to create an ethereal aura, the title—Les vasières—and the organic rhythms create a grounding sensation. By balancing the abstract and the earthly, where would you “place” the sonic atmosphere?

LL: I think "transcendent" and "down to Earth" are two poles that we reach for. However atmospheric our music may be, we really want it to be a physical experience.

CD:  I think a telling example is the kind of field recordings we used in the songs. I had recorded myself playing with rubber bands, pine needles, water... I think these sounds bring everything together in a more physical way, as you were saying.

LL: When you listen to the music and hear these sounds from different sources, you're getting all of their original sonic contexts as well. So, the sounds are actual physical spaces merging and vibrating in your space, and not just ethereal evocations of ideas of space.

CD: Thinking about your question, it made us realize that we both embody a different end of that spectrum. I am very much in my body and my senses, but my contribution to the music is more amorphous, and ungrounded.

LL: Whereas I'm very much in my head most of the time, I contributed the more grounding rhythmic base.

CD: Weird!

LM: Les vasières was recorded on your living room floor. What do “home vibrations” mean to you? What kind of energy is generated while recording in a home studio and how does producing in intimate spaces affect your creative process?

LL: Recording in a small living room with all of our gear felt like a cozy spaceship.

CD: Like the cover of that Silver Apples record, but super chill, and with herbal tea and fruits.

LL: Because we didn't have any plans at the outset, the recordings were intimate moments of exploration. There were no clocks ticking overhead, no pressure to deliver anything specific.

CD: I think it's because the whole thing was so low-key and fun that I made much bolder moves than I would usually. I had the time to dive further into my instruments' menus and settings, which led to more sophisticated, weirder textures. I didn't care about perfection at all, and you can hear that. Also, not using a computer led me to rethink my way of creating loops or to improvise using more than one instrument at a time. It was all quite clumsy but special.

LL: Also, I think it's important to let people know exactly where we worked so that the music doesn't just float around untethered. The context is important because it defined what we could and couldn't do at that specific time. For example, I was a middle-aged, middle-class, cis-het settler of colour lucky to still have a job and some music gear at home.

CD: I was a white settler part-timer in the service industry—temporarily out of work and living out of a suitcase—but still, I was able to get some of my equipment from my place.

LL: We didn't have access to a professional recording studio, and neither were we constrained to just doing everything in Fruity Loops. All this binds the listener back to us at that specific time and avoids creating a purely isolated aesthetic experience.

CD: What I like about working with Léon is that context also becomes a performative, playful and intrinsic aspect of creation. For example, when we started working on our radio show (Heavy Metal Parking Lot, N10as), he had this whole idea of using dice to determine the “energy curve” of each episode. That led us to make adventurous, playful choices that we wouldn't have necessarily made. We could say our live project at Mutek with Katherine Melançon was another example of a both constricting and super-stimulating context.

LM: Many visual and video art pieces, such as the album cover (created by Katherine Melançon and designed by Haley Parker, in addition to Melançon’s music video), were produced in tandem with Les vasières. How do you think the listening experience of “Télophases” changes when paired with the visual component?

LL: The visual aspect of the music video really transforms the listening experience, especially with someone as talented as Katherine. She had run the idea by us of scanning our shared compost and using the resulting images to produce the video for “Télophase”. That sounded awesome, but she mostly kept it a secret until it was done, giving us periodic progress reports along the way. We were totally confident that it would be fantastic, but we were completely unprepared by exactly how fantastic it would be.

CD: When we watched it for the first time, we kept exclaiming throughout the whole thing. We had to watch it a few times in a row to wrap our heads around it.

LL: The images in the video end up taking the lead, in my opinion. They're so strong and the narrative arc is so well-constructed that it could seem like we composed the music to go along with it. That's definitely not a bad thing, and I think it's okay if the music is not experienced the same way as if it was listened to on its own.

CD:  As for the album artwork, it offers a very earthy, physical, material palette (food, leftovers, intimate bodily relationships), but made surreal andeerie. The meticulous beauty and the strangeness perfectly set the tone for the record.

LM: To follow-up: in using compost as material for “Télophase”, the binary between decomposition and composition is blurred. Do the song titles and order convey a narrative regarding these themes?

LL: In keeping with the theme of mudflats, we didn't set out to mark any clear beginning or end for the album. We preferred the impression of catching the middle of something, that things were already constantly starting and ending.

CD: Or like if each piece is a glimpse of an ecosystem at a specific time, a fleeting impression of a landscape. As for the song titles, they emerged from an intense research session on various subjects that we felt resonated with the music.

LL: Things, beings, spaces, and the relationships between them.

CD: We followed various rhizomatic associations and jammed intellectually. We looked over the results and named the songs.

LL: Song titles for instrumental music end up acting as super-condensed lyrics, so we tried to choose the most potent words we came across. And about binaries, though they can be useful sometimes, we make it a point to avoid them. A blur is much more interesting to us. Ambiguity rules!

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Les vasi​è​res

Out November 25, 2022 via Halocline Trance Records

1. Hylozoïste

2. Ambeing

3. Balanes

4. Télophases

5. Quatre Temps

6. 433 Eros

7. Andand

8. Sumac

9. Naica

All pieces composed, produced and recorded by Catherine Debard and Léon Lo

Mastered by East End Mastering

Cover artwork by Katherine Melançon

Graphic design by Haley Parker

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Mue

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Liza is a multi/interdisciplinary artist and writer who, at all times, feels an inner pull toward the stars, towards the future. They gratefully reside in Tiohtià:ke, which is the unsurrendered territory of the Kanien'kehá ka.

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Montreal Surf-Punk Trio NO WAVES Talks All Ages Shows, Artistic Influences and New Music

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NO WAVES by Daniel Takacs

The soundtrack for most teens' early years is moaning vocals and distant pop icons from another decade, but some of us are lucky enough to have NO WAVES. The smell of sweat and Twisted Tea fills each venue; pink hair and neatly pressed dress shirts swarm together as the crowd swells. At their shows, young Montrealers experience the special feeling that comes as you start to uncover the ecosystem of music around you. Whether it be your first mosh-pit-induced black-eye, or wringing out a t-shirt soaked with sweat, NO WAVES is the breeding ground of Montreal's next-gen in music.

The band has a look you can't define… Maybe a kaleidoscope of indie sleaze, where Blink-182 and Surf Curse intersect? They all sit in the limbo zone before adulthood, with boyish smiles and CEGEP classes packed between shows. Their sets radiate a joyousness and respect that's rare in the industry. They want to be there as much as the audience does, and it shows. 

In the aftermath of the pandemic, NO WAVES is the light at the end of the tunnel for many, with their underpass show of August 2021 acting as a green light for commotion. They lit a fire, and the scene couldn't resist dancing around it. 

As someone who began the pandemic starry-eyed and unknowing of the music world,  NO WAVES has been a gateway into Montreal's music scene. NO WAVES is for the people who go to shows every night, and those who've never entered a venue before. They are an instant family of sorts; one that pulls you in for a hug and never lets go. 

I had the chance to catch up with the surf punk three-piece about their early beginnings, where they’re headed now, and everything in-between.

Uma Nardone for Also Cool Mag: Let's start off easy! Tell me about your first gig?

Sam: Our first show was at one of the Climate Demos, a protest in the middle of winter. Cy wasn't even there, so it was early early days. It was during our March Break and held outside. It was crazy! It was the coldest I've ever been.

Angel: Later on, we did shows in a dance studio. We weren't supposed to be there, and everyone had to take their shoes off. It was very hot and small, with like 50 kids crammed into a room. 

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Also Cool: You've begun your second stint of recording. What has it been like working on the first EP versus your second?

Cy: Very, very different.

Sam: The songs are more fleshed out.

Angel: During our first EP, we had this frustration: We really wanted to just release our music, have it out there, and start playing shows as soon as possible. It was done with this mentality of recording as soon as possible. Now that we're recording again, we're in no rush. We're revisiting old songs and reworking them. 

AC: How has the music you're listening to impacted your new music? Have you discovered anything recently that has completely changed your creative process?

C: It's ever-changing, and I don't think it will ever stop, or at least I hope not. 

A: I've gotten into more hardcore punk, but everything feels new. Lots of Bad Brains, TURNSTILE, Dying Fetus, and very Midwest emo shit.

S: It's all over the place for all of us, everything from breakcore and punk to pop. 

AC: Do guys consider NO WAVES as falling within a specific genre? How do you typically describe your music to others?

S: I call it pop. It's all pop, just pop.

A: I've come to terms that with everything we do, it comes out trashy or punk. I used to struggle a lot, ‘cause I would try to write stuff that was soft, but no matter what, it would end up noisy and loud.

C: Noisy pop!

AC: That's perfect, though, because I consider you guys—and I mean this in the best way—the greatest gateway band in the city. After COVID-19 lockdowns, you started that revival of live music, especially for a younger crowd. 

A: That's kind of our goal, to be accessible to everyone. There are a lot of bands that feel hard to get into because of the crowd, and places sometimes feel snobby or unsafe, and that sucks.

S: Right, that's what I love about us. If you go to one of our shows, every kind of person is in the crowd. If you go to different venues, there's all these different cliques or groups, and at our shows, they're all there together.

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Angel from NO WAVES with audience members, photo by the author

AC: That's so true. At your summer bummer show, I met these girls from the Laurentians who had taken the train in. It was their first time moshing, seeing a gig in a small venue. You guys help people feel safe enough to experience these things for the first time.

C: That feeling is something we prioritize. We want an environment where people can hang out without worrying and have good vibes. 

S: It's not that deep either. Shows should be safe for everyone. That's how it should be.

A: There's this thing I learned when I was really young, that has stuck with me. I was told at 15 or 16 that music is sharing. Ever since, that's been how I see music. You're sharing with the crowd, the staff and the musicians. We all share this common love, you know?

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Crowd at a NO WAVES show, photo by the author

AC: That's evident in the crowd, as well. You've grown up with the people who come to your shows, and they keep showing up for a reason. It's like a big family that keeps growing. 

S: I think it’s so beautiful. 

A: It's super sick because I see people who were at our shows five years ago, who went to our launch party, pull up to our shows now. They are the OGs of NO WAVES. 

S: People we've known since they were 13 and playing at school, and now they're grown up and still coming. It's amazing. 

AC: I can attest to that. I was maybe 12 or 13 when I went to my first show, and now I'm here. I consider you guys integral to my childhood, and many others feel the same way. NO WAVES is the soundtrack to teenagedom here! My first black eyes were at your show, and my friends' first kiss happened at your show. You guys are part of all that. 

A: I think it's so cool. We've been able to play our music and grow up with them. After the outdoor show, this dude slid into our DMs and told us about his first experience with LSD. It was so crazy cause what band gets to experience that so closely. 

S: Right, I was like, man, you're a stronger person than I am. 

AC: Tell me more about the underpass show. How was that experience for you all? 

S: Oh man, I loved that show. It was my favorite show we've ever played because of how close we were to the crowd. There was no stage, so people surrounded us. At one point, this dude slapped me on the back and complimented me from behind the drum kit. He was a complete stranger; it was so cool. The formality of a show was gone, and we were immersed in the crowd.

C: We go against that formality. We play better when not on a real stage. 

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NO WAVES by Daniel Takacs

AC: Do you guys channel certain people in terms of stage presence? Like when I was kid, I wanted to embody Sid Vicious or maybe even Zappa. Who is it for you? 

A: I would say Blink-182 for all of us. To me, they are the standard of what a trio band is capable of. Whenever I'm on stage and feel stuck, I have a guitar, and I can't move or whatever; I look up to them. 

S: Same; I channel my inner Travis.

A: I think at most shows, we're just daydreaming that we're Blink. That's our secret.

AC: Would it be a dream to open for them? Is there anyone else that you want to play with in the future? 

A: Surf Curse, too; we just have to do that. We've been thinking about it for so long. 

S: I just want to go on tour and go as far as possible with this.

A: We want to expand our horizons and explore new places. I really want to go to Mexico. The whole scene that inspired me to do everything I'm doing now all comes from there. Those kids inspired me. 

C: I remember hearing my first songs from Angel in Spanish, Los Blenders and Senor Kino; they influenced me so much. They taught me how to put on a show. He showed us all this world we didn't know about. 

AC: What's the songwriting process look like for NO WAVES?

S: It's really all of us. Every song is a collaborative effort.

A: I'll come in with a guitar riff or a single verse - these very unrefined songs. Then we'll all write over it and work on it over time. We all just pile on ideas until something comes out of it. Some songs take thirty minutes, and others take years.

S: We have songs we've been working on for more than four years. 

AC: Has playing in NO WAVES changed your social life at all? 

S: We all have the same mentality when it comes to playing: We don't feel better than anyone because of it. So many people have helped us come to where we are today, and we're really grateful.

A: People made fun of us in high school. We didn't feel cool then.

S: I just hate the mentality that people have. No one is better because they are on stage. It doesn't change who you are.

C: It's also not what music is supposed to be. Music is not a hierarchy. No one is better than anyone else. Our shows are for people who love music the way we do, that's all. 

NO WAVES holds a place in my heart that I can’t quite explain, I feel oddly devoted to the music, to the crowds and the all encompassing joy it brings. They are the band that sings to a choir of misfits, welcoming old punks and scene kids alike. 

They keep growing and as more and more people come to love them as I do, the excitement of experiencing a small history being made is thrilling. NO WAVES is ever-moving and might change, as young bands do, but no one will forget them. Everyone who's been in a crowded room with damp floors and broken stereos singing along with NO WAVES knows their systems have been shocked and their brain chemistry never be quite the same. The NO WAVES phenomena, explicable in their talent, is band who will forever be ingrained in my brain, and hopefully yours as well!

Don’t miss NO WAVES’ free Taverne Tour pizza party at Le Ministère on February 11th at 11:59PM!

NO WAVES

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Uma Nardone 

Instagram

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PREMIERE: Montreal's Love Language Melts the Winter Blues with "Little Gardens"

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“Little Gardens” artwork by Heather Lynn

When in eastern Canada, daring to embrace the cold is part of one’s seasonal lifestyle. Here to warm us up from the inside, Montreal’s indie rock outfit Love Language premieres a double-feature single and video for “Little Gardens.”

Following the release of their lush 2021 EP Trying To Reach You, “Little Gardens” boasts a heavier and edgier sound for the band—bringing to life a jam-packed tour and bouncing from stage to stage in less than a year from their first show under an overpass in their hometown. Clad with fuzzy tones and a casual, yet spunky, delivery, “Little Gardens” aligns with Love Language being described as “the band that’s playing in the bar—that all the high school kids are somehow allowed into—in your favourite 90s teen movie.”

Recorded this past spring with Rene Wilson of Faith Healer, “Little Gardens” is one of the first songs written by the band after the release of their debut album. A charming outlier for being “peppery, alive and [not] taking itself too seriously,” the live setlist favourite teases a to-be-released EP, set to arrive in early 2023.

Love Language by Connory Ballantyne

On “Little Gardens”, Love Language shares: “It's a song about two people navigating the world at different paces, desperately wanting a connection only to realize that the other person may as well be floating somewhere out in the solar system.”

Accompanying “Little Gardens” is a rosy music video, shot by the band on Super8, charting their voyage to Sled Island and New York City this past summer.

So, consider “Little Gardens” an ear-worm for your winter funk survival. Give it a spin (over and over) and watch the video below for an endless source of sunshine!

Pre-save “Little Gardens” before its official release on December 16th here!

Love Language
Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

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Blue Hawaii Doubles Down with "I Felt Love (Salzbauer Rave Edit)" (Arbutus Records)

Blue Hawaii by Peter Zietner

Two years after the release of their electric mixtape Under 1 House, Montreal’s beloved electronic duo Blue Hawaii have revived the magic with the release of “I Felt Love (Salzbauer Rave Edit)” — out December 6th via Arbutus Records.

What was first discovered on Bandcamp as a bootleg rework of their standout track eventually became canon. With this interpretation, Berlin producer Salzbauer sends the BPM soaring and delivers an intoxicating force that’s ready for the rave. 

“I Felt Love (Salzbauer Rave Edit)” breathes life into Blue Hawaii’s already-expansive catalogue, continuing their evolution towards a commanding dance-floor sound. The buoyant vocals of singer Raphaelle “Ra” Standell-Preston and transfixing production of Agor “DJ Kirby” intensify with a flailing techno torment, reaching a thrilling climax before mutely conceding to the waves of emotion. From Durocher to the moon, no one is ready.

Listen to “I Felt Love {Salzbauer Rave Edit)” below!

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Blue Hawaii

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Soundcloud | Apple Music

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Tiny Fest Highlights Montreal's Music Scene at Sala Rossa (Presented by Worst Dad Ever, KickDrum, & Jade Armstrong)

Are you looking for a tiny & wonderful curation of all-ages shows to attend this weekend in Montreal? Look no further than Tiny Fest (presented by Worst Dad Ever, KickDrum Promotions, & Jade Armstrong), which runs at La Sala Rossa and La Sotterenea from Dec 2nd-3rd.

Tiny Fest is a DIY music festival that began in 2019, produced by Worst Dad Ever, taking place at La Sotterenea. The first rendition of Tiny Fest brought a number of bands from across Canada and the United States together.

Bringing together a mixture of unique and talented artists and reaching Montreal's community, Tiny Fest highlights scene favourites as well as up-and-coming bands. After its initial success, a second edition was put together for 2020, but due to COVID-19, it was postponed.

2022 sees the festival's revival and has grown out of the basement, expanding to La Sala Rossa, the entire venue will be an all-ages experience of the best music Montreal, and more has to offer.

Also Cool faves like NO WAVES, Eliza Niemi, and Fanclubwallet are just some of the many bands playing at the festival.

Buy tickets here!

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Malaika Astorga is the Co-Founder & Creative Director of Also Cool. She is a Mexican-Canadian visual artist, writer, and social media strategist currently based in Montreal.

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BiG SiSSY Drops New Music Video for Pro-Black Anthem "Everybody Knows"

Still from Everybody Knows, directed by Nadia Louis-Desmarchais, filmed by Cloé Lafortune

Montreal’s electro-clash-pop act BiG SiSSY is here to celebrate with a brand-new music video for “Everybody Knows”. A funky blend of R&B and new jack swing, BiG SiSSY’s debut single reminds us that "you can't say n*gga if you ain't Black". 

Directed by Nadia Louis-Desmarchais, the video's 70s inspired aesthetic and playfulness provide a glimpse into the world of the green-haired, drag persona that is BiG SiSSY. With visuals shot by Cloé Lafortune, the video begins with SiSSY teaching a lesson on how to be an ally before taking you on a journey through her campy universe. 

Still from Everybody Knows, directed by Nadia Louis-Desmarchais, filmed by Cloé Lafortune

Known for their caustic lyrics and outrageous performances, BiG SiSSY has performed with acts like Backxwash and John Cameron Mitchell since 2014. Voted Cult MTL's “Top 5 Freakiest Musical Acts” for the past five years (2018-2022), Everybody Knows is the first of several singles to be released ahead of SiSSY's debut EP. "My fans already know the song. Now the rest of the world gets to hear them.”

"Like music, anti-blackness is a universal language. This word has been weaponized against Black people on a global level. There are so many ridiculous scenarios non-Black people have argued for their right to say it, which is what the verses are comprised of. In the end, everybody knows who can say it. It's not rocket science, it's racism".

Watch the video for Everybody Knows, and catch BiG SiSSY tonight (November 18) at The Diving Bell Social Club at 9pm.

Diving Bell Tickets | Video Premiere

Poster by BiG SiSSY

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BiG SiSSY

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Maryze Drops Sinister New Music Video for "Emo" (Hot Tramp Records)

Still from “Emo” by Maryze

Spooky season has reached its peak, and Montreal’s alt-popstar Maryze is here to celebrate with a brand-new music video for “Emo”. The single first garnered nostalgic admiration upon the release of 8 — Maryze’s debut album, out earlier this year via Hot Tramp Records — for its torment and evocation, reminiscent of artists like Green Day and Avril Lavigne. With the release of this video, Maryze sculpts a queer love story turned horrifically upside-down.

Still from “Emo” by Maryze

The self-directed video begins with a tender honeymoon phase between Maryze and model/artist Brit Carpenter. The pair is depicted lounging on the bed and laughing through skateboarding lessons, entangled in the purity of infatuation. But their spark turns into a destructive flame, with angst and toxicity steering their relationship out of control and towards a bloody end.

Detailing the theories behind their grungy and dysfunctional nightmare, Maryze shared:

I always seek out queer representation in horror, so this music video is my little contribution. I also feel like queer narratives lack the nuance that straight relationships receive in film, so I wanted to portray all the sides of the story, from beautiful tender moments to scary unhealthy fights. The horror aspect is left pretty ambiguous and moves into a more experimental art direction. We set out to use horror devices to illustrate the toxicity of relationships without having any explicit on-screen violence. I wanted the viewer to be left asking: “who killed who?”

To fully realize her cinematic vision, Maryze created the video concept with horror screenwriter Joel H. Brewster. The visuals were shot by artist Janette King and edited by Solomon Krause-Imlach, who also produced the song.

With its gory and gruesome complexity, this depiction of “Emo” fits magically within Maryze’s universe of transcendence.

Watch the video for “Emo” below, and catch Maryze DJing at the M for Montreal after-party (co-presented by Hot Tramp and Also Cool)!

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Maryze

Website | Instagram | Bandcamp

YouTube | Spotify | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | TikTok

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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