Chicago Post-Punk Outfit Oddysseys Share "Heaven Sings Clearly"

via Oddysseys

Shimmering, raw, and cathartic, Chicago-based outfit Oddysseys are back with their latest single, “Heaven Sings Clearly.” The word post-punk gets thrown around often, but Oddysseys play it true to form.

“However you want it, however you need it bad, maybe it's silence, the gift you’ve never seemed to have.” Inspired by Interpol, Bauhaus, and early New Order, “Heaven Sings Clearly” explores isolation and self-discovery with a driving rhythm section, jagged guitar lines, and brooding vocals.

via Oddysseys

Written, recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s own Treon, “Heaven Sings Clearly” picks up where their last release, “Cerbie,” left off—bringing the band into a more refined space. It’s the second single from their upcoming album.

Oddysseys
Instagram I Spotify I YouTube

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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Interview: BACKXWASH Affirms Storytelling Prowess With New Album "Only Dust Remains"

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BACKXWASH by Méchant Vaporwave

Critically-acclaimed Montreal-based rapper and producer BACKXWASH emerges from creative meditation with her new aptly-titled album Only Dust Remains. Self-released on March 28th, 2025 via BACKXWASH’s own label Ugly Hag Records, Only Dust Remains is the Zambian-Canadian artist’s first offering since her 2022 long-player His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering—the third of a trilogy, including her Polaris Prize-winning breakout God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It (2020) and I Lie Here Buried With My Rings and My Dresses (2021). 

The nom de plume of Ashanti Mutinta, BACKXWASH has been an outlet for embracing anger and life’s darkest corners as a means of self-exploration; breaking down the profound intersection of faith, identity and queerness at the foundation of Mutinta’s being. Deepening her legacy of dexterous storytelling and captivating sonic world-building, Only Dust Remains nonetheless actualizes Mutinta’s newfound “concrete and conceptual” direction, compared to her previous works, which she says were “guided by feeling”. 

“With my previous [albums], I felt like immersing myself in my emotions numbed me out,” shares Mutinta, her face softly illuminated by the red glow in the background of our video call. 

“With my [triology], I really tried to capture how I was feeling in the moment. I would write a verse in the morning, and shortly begin producing a beat that afternoon, so as not to detach myself and maintain my emotional energy,” she tells me. 

Conversely, on Only Dust Remains, Mutinta allowed herself to relish in the album’s construction, and consequently reconnect with her innovative musical virtuosity that has propelled her to trail-blazing status in the queer hip hop space. 

“With [Only Dust Remains], I wanted to concentrate on composition, melody and rethink my approach to writing verses. I was motivated by artists like Tyler the Creator and Björk because of the way they constantly change things up in unexpected ways. Tyler the Creator, for example, will bring in elements, like a flute, into a song. It’ll show up for four bars and then totally disappear. I also started watching Björk documentaries, and felt inspired by the way that she tackles music in so many different ways. Her approach is so dynamic and fluid, and exploring her mindset challenged me to stop thinking of my compositions as static blocks and have fun with experimentation. I also re-energized my love for 2000s pop. Like Jessica Simpson’s ‘Irresistable’ has one of the craziest string arrangements of all time!” 

Reimagining her trilogy’s signature fusion of traditional African rhythms, nightmarish undertones, industrial thrashing and ambient soundscapes, Muntinta aimed to empower the “student of hip hop” behind it all. Stripping back and allowing her songs to breathe ultimately surfaced an uncompromised, yet emboldened, sound on this fifth album. Only Dust Remains is both thunderous and luminous, with powerful choral arrangements elegantly flowing into grand overtures, melodic sampling, and metallic classic rock instrumentation, along with polished pop winks and gripping genre-flips. Throughout, Mutinta’s signature flow remains unflinching, contemplating global atrocities and injustice, substance abuse, suicide and trauma with her ever-commanding poise. 

On Only Dust Remains, Muntinta reflects on her Bancamp: “These are the songs of a person who was brought back to life but is now haunted by death itself.” This aspect is personified not only in Mutinta’s sound, but in the visual representation of the BACKXWASH universe that honours her Zambian heritage and spirituality. 

Credited to the brilliant mind of Muntinta’s manager and creative director, Méchant Vaporwave, BACKXWASH’s metal-meets-corpse makeup channels masks worn during a traditional Zambian ritual, whereby the living take on the presence of the dead. 

“I belong to two tribes. I’m Tumbuka on my father’s side, and Chewa on my mother’s side. In Chewa culture, there is a traditional ceremony where the community wears masks inspired by spirits, symbolizing death. Even though they’re being worn by people you know and are close with, children run from those wearing them at night because they are legitimately afraid—not of the masks themselves, but what they represent,” Muntinta shares. “I pull from this concept in all facets of my work. We are all facing something scary, and need to be able to perceive and challenge it in different ways in order to confront it,” she adds. 

I remark that it’s powerful that Muntinta is so warmly received by fans and the wider music industry while adorning a performance look with such cultural significance. She agrees: “It goes back to this idea that these ceremonies were done in order for people to respect these spirits. Once the mask falls, you’re not going to be scared of someone from your village, you’re going to embrace them,” she says, smiling. 

BACKXWASH by Méchant Vaporwave

Though it’s clear that Muntinta is growing as an artist, staying true to her vision and roots has allowed her to remain grounded in midst of her music’s proliferation. Being an independent artist is vital to Muntinta’s outlook, and is something she feels will never change. 

“I have an issue with being told what to do creatively,” giggles Muntinta. “[Méchant Vaporwave] and I have talked to a few labels here and there, and most of the time we notice there is a clause in the artist contract that says [I’m] not allowed to release music without their permission. I want to be able to express myself to the fullest extent, and I can’t imagine being met with someone telling me they’re not going to put something out because they don’t think it's the right fit. I love having all the control with regards to my work,” she adds. 

Currently touring across Europe, BACKXWASH will return to Montreal for her album release show on April 18th, 2025 at the SAT, performing alongside Only Dust Remains collaborators Magella and Fernie. 

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ONLY DUST REMAINS

Out now via Ugly Hag Records

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1. Black Lazarus
2. WAKE UP
3. Undesirable
4. 9th Gate
5. 9th Heaven
6. DISSOCIATION (feat. Chloe Hotline)
7. History of Violence
8. Stairway to Heaven (feat. Ora Cogan)
9. Love After Death
10. Only Dust Remains (feat. pet wife, Magella, Fernie and Morgan Paige)

Composed, Arranged, and Produced by Ashanti Mutinta

Mixed by Will Owen Bennett
Recorded by Sarah Harris
Mastered by Richard Addison (Trillium Sound)
Creative Direction & MGMT by Méchant Vaporwave

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BACKXWASH

Website | 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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Saya Gray, Sextile, cootie catcher, And More: Also Cool's Playlist Refresh

Bakers Eddy by Brianna Da Silva

Somehow, this is the first Playlist Refresh of 2025 – while we’re sorry to keep you waiting, we’re delighted to bring the beats.

Fresh from Also Cool HQ, a plethora of shiny new releases from artists like Fine Food Market, DJ Python, and Bakers Eddy. If something catches your ear, you can browse the rest of our Playlist Refresh series by saving our playlist on Spotify.

Consider your springtime outings soundtracked…

Shy at First by cootie catcher

cootie catcher - Shy at First (Cooked Raw)

Proficient in the realm of smart pop akin to The Moldy Peaches and Alex G, Toronto’s cootie catcher just dropped Shy at First, a melange of earnest deadpan vocals, college rock instrumentation, crochet tutorial samples and field recordings finessed with a melancholic indietronica flare.

I’m afraid to be in love with someone who crashes their car that much by Fine Food Market

Fine Food Market - “Sometimes” (Arbutus)

A gentle first offering from Montreal-based artist Fine Food Market ushers us into springtime. "Sometimes" is off of multidisciplinary artist Sophie Perras' upcoming EP I'm afraid to be in love with someone who crashes their car that much, which is set to release this May. "I'm just trying to figure it out" echoes throughout the song, weaving through cinematic instrumentals and an all-too-familiar feeling.

FILLY

FILLY - “Whatever Happens”

Vienna-based artist FILLY has crafted a stirring, shimmering anthem with “Whatever Happens.” The rising talent flexes her hyperpop proficiencies on this track, baking lacerated vocal melodies into a glitchy nosedive. “Blame it on me like you do all the time / Pressing myself into every shape and every size,” she coos, licking her wounds from the passenger seat of a love gone cold.

Frau Fatal by Das Beat

Das Beat - “Frau Fatal” (Arbutus)

Our favourite Berlin-based duo Das Beat have released their first full-length album Frau Fatal, that's as romantic as it is dancefloor-ready. The title track "Frau Fatal" is a playful take on The Velvet Underground's "Femme Fatale," transforming it with a Berlin club-kid mentality.

SAYA by Saya Gray

Saya Gray - “..THUS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE )” (Dirty Hit)

Avant-garde musician Saya Gray hovers inches from the Earth on “..THUS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE ),” the first track on her sophomore record SAYA. Bright, folky guitars trudge along, punctuated by textured bubbles and forlorn echoes of pedal steel as Gray softly muses on betrayal.

Sextile

Sextile - “S is For” (Sacred Bones)

Hot off their recent North American tour, Sextile shares “S is For”, a hard-hitting synth-driven banger. “It’s not super relevant to Sextile, but with my other project ‘S. Product,’” Scaduto clarifies (for post-punk.com), “I was always asked what the S is for – it’s always really been a Scaduto product to me. But this song is a sassy way to explain how many things the S could be.” 

Watch the music video filmed during their tour with Molchat Doma below, and catch them live in Europe this summer.

DJ Python by Michelle Yoon

DJ Python ft. Isabella Lovestory - “Besos Robados” (XL Recordings)

DJ Python—a.k.a. Brian Piñeyro—will release the highly-anticipated five-track EP i was put on this earth next week, and his scorching collaboration with Isabella Lovestory teases what’s to come. The reggaeton single rides a steady, hypnotic groove, slowly pulling listeners into the lusty undertow. 

The phantasmic music video, directed by studio info founder Bailey Marklew, heightens the vibrations – watch it below.

Bakers Eddy by Brianna Da Silva

Bakers Eddy - “UFO”

We caught Bakers Eddy, a pop-punk band from Wellington, Aotearoa, at this year's New Colossus Festival. Fronted by Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Kahungunu singer Ciarann Babbington and backed by his childhood friends, the band channels the raw energy of 2006-era My Chemical Romance. With their electrifying live show, Bakers Eddy is guaranteed to revive your inner emo teenager.

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PREMIERE: Get Over Your Situationship With sineila's "Take It Or Leave It"

Take it or leave it! When the uncertainty of a situationship comes to a head, sineila's latest single "Take It or Leave It" is the way out. Watch the music video, shot, edited and directed by Everly Lux, below.

"Take It or Leave It" crackles and glistens – metallic twangs and blasted-out synths live in symbiosis with reverb-drenched moments of bliss, conjuring up a magical, digital, futuristic sonic world. The track takes you by the hand, running through the night, tripping and falling through emotions, only to come back self-assured and not taking any bullshit.

Produced in Montreal with Oren Ratowsky (Brutalismus 3000, Brooke Candy, Cecile Believe), the track blends hyperpop, indie sleaze, and krushclub, layering anthemic synths with a high BPM four-on-the-floor kick.

sineila is a hyperpop artist, born and raised in Montreal. Her musical journey began with learning classical piano, taking voice lessons, and studying classical violin, which transformed entirely with her recorded catalogue. Her sound combines alt-pop and electronic/dance motifs, yet remains deeply melodic and stirring.

Through it all, sineila's emotional, ethereal voice takes the spotlight, dancing with conviction over fluttering, often bass-heavy, beats.

"Take It or Leave It" is her first of several new releases in 2025 – ushering us all into her digital, dance-forward world.

sineila
Instagram | Spotify

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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skulK!d Lights a Match in Ottawa's Downtown Core with Rage Rap-Focused Event GHETT0 G0THIC

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With an aim to provoke the 9-5 lullaby of the National Capital Region, rage rap artist skulK!d invites you to the second edition of GHETT0 G0THIC on Friday, February 28th at Club SAW. When night falls, GHETT0 G0THIC’s lineup of disruptive performers and DJs hailing from so-called Ottawa will swarm the beloved artist-run centre’s stage. This next installment of GHETT0 G0THIC will see performances by Treus Jones, Wes Calliope, Namix Kilowatt, skulK!d, Expired Youth, and a B3B DJ set from GothBitch, TTRILLS, and PC. 

Conceptually celebrating the unity of hip hop, punk and gothic aesthetics, the night also features a pop-up shop from local punk-inspired brand The Craaft and encourages attendees to embrace its crepuscular theme: Fuck Marry Kill. Suggested attire includes wedding dresses, veils, leather, lace, blood-soaked and tattered clothing, and red/black/white monochrome. 

The event series is the brainchild of skulK!d, the moniker of Ottawa-based hip hop artist, producer, DJ, event programmer and youth mentor, Tafari Hall. Paying homage to the New York warehouse club movement of the same name—created by Harlem’s DJ Venus X in 2009—Hall’s rendition of GHETT0 G0THIC acknowledges the relationship between tenets Black culture and gothic culture, previously reflected on by the concept’s original founder.

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Tafari Hall AKA skulK!d, photo courtesy of the artist

“Venus X’s thoughts on the connections between Black and Gothic culture have had a huge influence on me as an artist,” explains Hall. “Despite Black artists exploring darker themes through music, the space hasn’t been claimed historically by Black people. Suffering and trauma have followed me, and other Black artists, throughout our lives, and I wanted to create a rebellious outlet to explore these experiences while immersed in a thematic environment, as gothic elements have always intrigued me,” he adds. 

Like Venus X, Hall’s beginnings in the music industry began with DJing. Now performing predominantly as a solo artist, Hall is inspired by alternative rappers dominating cloud rap and trap circles, such as Playboi Carti and Trippie Redd, fashion brands like HPA, as well as filmmaker David Lynch. Having recently retired his previous pseudonym Yung Heat in favour of his skulK!d persona, the spirit of GHETT0 G0THIC wholly personifies Hall’s stylistic shift and musical aspirations. 

“With Yung Heat, I felt like I was going down a road of conformity. I wasn’t having fun, I like to call it selling out. skullK!d is embracing my inner child; my act of defiance against parts of myself that prioritize the needs and feelings of others over my own,” says Hall. “I think the hip hop scene [in Ottawa] has been very curated. I don’t want to subscribe to that, both in my sound and with what I bring to the community. Of course, I’m extremely privileged in my ability to experiment with my music. It’s not my means of putting food on the table and paying the bills.” 

While Hall moonlights with his artistic and curatorial pursuits, his primary calling is leading Produced By Youth, a by-and-for Black youth music mentorship program, of which he is a founder. While Hall notes that hip hop and its practitioners are being more widely celebrated in Ottawa, he feels there are few outlets that encourage experimentation and challenging the status quo. 

“While Produced By Youth is a space for people in hip hop and rap to experiment and rebel, we are limited in our ability to reach the entire Black community of Ottawa. I also don’t think GHETT0 G0THIC is necessarily going to solve all the issues affecting the local music scene, whether it be the lack of venues or opportunities. That said, I can lead by example and share the resources available to me to help others push the envelope, perform, book events and make noise. I’m hoping it will be enough to inspire others to continue the work or do more,” explains Hall. 

As the original stomping grounds of Produced By Youth, Club SAW continues to be Hall’s venue of choice to host GHETT0 G0THIC and other programming. A longstanding resident of Ottawa’s historic Arts Court building (the former Carleton County Court House, now home to artistic organizations of all disciplines) SAW Gallery and its adjacent programming spaces has supported politically and socially engaged mediums since its inception in 1973. Since relocating to Arts Court in 1989, the artist-run centre’s activism-oriented mandate has rendered evermore palpable due to the history of its walls.  

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skulK!d performing at Club SAW, courtesy of the artist

On Club SAW, Hall shares: “Being able to operate and reclaim radically in this institution, a City of Ottawa building, where unthinkable atrocities were brought upon Black people, Indigenous people and people of colour, is truly one of the most unique experiences of programming [arts events] Ottawa. The space nurtures creativity and gives back to the community,” he adds. 

Acting as the connective tissue for Ottawa’s subversive and gloomy, GHETT0 G0THIC will see protégés and collaborators from Hall’s inner circle deliver “unholy, unruly and unforgettable” performances from 8:00pm ‘til late. General admission tickets are available for $15 for a limited time. 

skulK!d

Instagram | Youtube | 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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PREMIERE: Tachie Menson Confronts Heartache and the Bittersweet with “Another Day” (Music Video)

Tachie Menson by Sofía Andrade

Between harsh winds and endless snow storms, the Montreal winter is long and bitterly cold. Occasionally, however, the clouds give way and the sky opens up – “Another Day” is the sun emerging, that brief, exhilarating moment in which those warm rays kiss your skin. Hope is therefore the ethos that drives Nia Blankson—better known as Tachie Menson—as she professes love and loss over the dreamy melody of her first official release. 

Born in England and raised in Queens, Menson is a Montreal and New York City-based singer-songwriter, publisher, and multi-instrumentalist. Although “Another Day” is Menson’s first musical release under her new moniker, Menson has been making music for years – her rich, experimental, and genre-defying sound has been shaped by her education as a classical pianist at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, as well as her work as the frontman of her band, Pyjama Day. She has already established herself as a familiar face and force of nature within Montreal’s music scene. 

Still from “Another Day” music video, directed by Rachel Moghrabi

Released on February 1st, “Another Day” is Menson’s first solo R&B and indie-inspired project. Sonic and conceptual thinking for the track, however, began as early as September 2023. Under the guidance of her mentor, award-winning producer Zeboria Peters (RUSUR), the song took on its characteristic glittery and subtly melancholic shape. Planning for the music video then ensued, and filming took place in the fall and early winter of 2024. Director Rachel Moghrabi and cinematographer Sam Li were instrumental in sharpening the colourful vision that propels each careful frame.

As such, the video’s Valentine’s Day release is no coincidence. Shifting between classrooms at a local high school, “Another Day” follows Menson as she vies for her classmate’s attention. Menson’s longing is palpable – her eyes track her love interest throughout, yet the object of her affection puzzlingly brushes her off. This is the bittersweet note that “Another Day” opens with, of seemingly unrequited feelings, a near-universal experience within queer romances. As Menson leaves school for a house party, however, anticipation builds and builds and builds. Finally, the two reach for one another, ready to connect in the most meaningful way – “Another Day” leaves us with an open, yet optimistic, and largely tender ending. 

Peppered with over twenty vibrant extras, and helped along by countless friends and volunteers, Menson shares “the music video was a massive undertaking [... that] not only showcase[s her] work as a debuting solo artist, but also [...] what is possible through collaboration and finding community.” Menson, however, firmly remains the focal point of the video, her voice “flutter[ing]” as she gently strums her guitar. 

At its core, "Another Day" is a study in contradiction: it is a track that floats delicately, bookended by Menson’s airy acoustic guitar, yet the lyrics are grounded, cautious, and even expectant at times. Both sonically spacious and lyrically precise, the song is a testament to Menson’s acceptance of being untethered, in embracing artistic uncertainty and evolution.

There is indeed a beauty in waiting, in aching. The result is a simultaneously intimate and expansive track, made even more so by its introspective visual accompaniment. 

Watch the music video for “Another Day” below.

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Tachie Menson

Instagram | TikTok

Nawaal Bhuiyan is a Montreal-based Bangladeshi researcher, writer, and educator. She is the Head Literary Editor of Scatterbrain Magazine, and enjoys cooking, knitting, and watching reality TV in her spare time.

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Panda Bear, Toro y Moi, and Nourished by Time Set the Stage Aglow at MTELUS

Panda Bear at MTELUS, photo by Rebecca Judd

Tuesday brought a historic triple bill to MTELUS: psychedelic staples Panda Bear and Toro y Moi, backed by rising act Nourished by Time. As I huffed down Sainte-Catherine Street, my feet skating through the dreary sludge of Montreal winter, I pondered what I was about to see and just how it would collide. Hours later, I would make the same trek while lost in reverie, guarding the restorative energy of the evening close to my chest.

The evening began with Nourished by Time, the project of Baltimore’s Marcus Brown. The artist has garnered acclaim for their kaleidoscopic sound, fusing lo-fi pop, R&B, and countless other genres into their compositions. Shortly after 8 PM, Brown’s three-piece flocked to the stage, and it didn’t take long to get bodies shuffling. Brown is a fascinating performer; their fragmented contorsions and rich vocal timbre command your attention with ease. The standout from this set was easily “Daddy,” pulsating and raw in its emotion.

Nourished by Time at MTELUS, photo by Rebecca Judd

Once Nourished by Time had wrapped up, I peered behind me, where I was met with a predictable sea of rolled-up beanies and wire frames. The atmosphere in the room had intensified, and many fans could be heard speculating on the impending sets or gushing about their favourite albums. 

Panda Bear (otherwise known as Noah Lennox) was next to emerge, and there was plenty to anticipate. His forthcoming album Sinister Grift (Domino) has been touted as a rock-forward revelation, sporting inputs from Cindy Lee, The Spirit of the Beehive’s Rivka Ravede, and—a Panda Bear first—the other members of Animal Collective. When Panda Bear and his backing band emerged, they did so modestly – with the exception of bassist Tim Koh’s comically-timed elf sweater. Before long, the venue was subdued by a jangly fog. 

Panda Bear at MTELUS, photo by Rebecca Judd

Panda Bear deployed hallucinatory visuals throughout the show, which were crafted by longtime collaborator Danny Perez. Technicolour terriers, a swarth of chrome masks, and waves of jagged slate awakened the senses while looping with velocity. The band maintained a sharp, unbothered focus throughout the night, allowing these images to heighten the experience in whichever way (if at all) it made sense to the crowd.

But don’t be fooled, I was there for the sound – and what a cohesive sound it was. The Panda Bear setlist included dynamic selections from Sinister Grift along with reworked numbers from the artist’s colourful career. This current band arrangement meant that many of said numbers manifested with an alluring coarseness, such as my personal favourite “Slow Motion.” The new material was similarly engaging, “Ends Meet” dominating the pack with its soothing harmonies (padded by Ravede and Maria Reis) and its percussive clomp. Notably missing was “Defense,” the first single from Sinister Grift, which features a searing guitar solo from Cindy Lee. This was a strange decision, as it would have been warmly received at a Canadian tour stop, but there was still plenty to chew on.

Panda Bear has sustained ample comparison to Brian Wilson in his career, but his yelpy, agile inflections conjured images of Ezra Koenig. There were also pepperings of country in Lennox’s aggressive guitar work, which beckoned intrigue about the stories one would hear on Sinister Grift. Looking back at the crowd revealed furrowed brows and nodding heads, studiously absorbing Lennox’s every move.

Toro y Moi at MTELUS, photo by Rebecca Judd

At this point, MTELUS was ready for Toro y Moi. When Chaz Bear and his crew took to the stage, beaming with pride to be back in Montreal, they were greeted with fervour. The night picked up speed with songs like “Mirage” and “Laws of the Universe,” and Toro sank effortlessly into those vibrations. Making use of every inch of the stage, his charm was intoxicating – he embodies this delicate cheekiness that makes you feel as though you’re the only one on the floor. This furthered the sentiment behind songs like “Girl Like You,” which attendees emphatically shouted back at him.

Wrapped up in such emotion, you can imagine how puzzling it was to hear “Who likes picking up dog poo?”. Bear then tossed out a few handfuls of Toro y Moi-branded dog poop bags with a grin. “Pass some to the back,” he implored at one point, with many stuck on how that merch came about in the first place.

Toro y Moi at MTELUS, photo by Rebecca Judd

From there, the audience was swept away with a selection of tracks from Bear’s latest album Hole Erth (Dead Oceans). This release boasts a sharp emo-trap angle which has provoked dissent amongst the masses: while some view it as noble experimentation, others (particularly earlier fans) have struggled to savour the taste. I found that this crop of songs landed pretty well amongst the crowd; those who were trying to make sense of it were welcome to retire. Bear blissfully carried on, shining through numbers like the punk-tinged “Tuesday” – a track where Bear yearns for the sonic versatility that many refuse to embrace.

The front of the room may have held the most immersive Panda Bear experience, but I came to learn that the reverse was true for Toro’s fans. I shuffled to a staircase near the bar around “Ordinary Pleasure” and caught a vision of limbs waving back and forth to the disco force. Several attendees had assembled a full-fledged dance circle, their hips perfectly synchronized to the beat. There was refreshing connectivity amongst those who surrendered to the sound, unburdened by superiority. Toro closed the night off with a cover of his glittering Flume collab “The Difference” – a fitting reward for those whose hearts had been in it all along.

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Nourished by Time

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Panda Bear

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Toro y Moi

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Playing Dress-up: Unpacking the Artistry of Yolande Laroche

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Yolande Laroche by François Mittins

One way or another, you have likely run into Yolande Laroche in the Ottawa music scene. The Hull-based musician is omnipresent; she is a member of the acclaimed art-rock group Pony Girl and the experimental trio KAY-fayb, a solo artist known as Orchidae, and a classical music educator, amongst many other things. Armed with an admirable work ethic and limitless creativity, Laroche has a lot to look forward to.

For one, she’s on the lineup of Crystallize, the latest Congrego venture co-presented by Also Cool and Dominion City. Held on Saturday, February 15th at Club SAW, the supercharged festival features a slew of rising talent from Ottawa, Montreal, and beyond, compiled by guest curators Geunf and Fiamma. Laroche has eagerly teased that her sound will be “dark electronic music leaning into techno,” fit to break winter’s frost and set the dance floor ablaze.

Laroche is also fresh from the release of “Sun and the Stars,” her latest offering as indie-pop superstar Orchidae. The uplifting disco-inspired song marks the first single from her forthcoming debut True Beginning, out April 4th via Birthday Cake Records. But despite its vibrant groove, the roots of “Sun and the Stars” reveal something deeper. Laroche notes that the song depicts a codependent romantic relationship from her past. “‘Sun and the Stars' represents a longing for that firework type of love, then losing yourself in the idea of it – no longer being present in your body, with who you are as a person,” she explains. “It was important for me to not just give my attention to my sad persona because I can linger in that if I let myself. I really wanted to lean into the joy that I experience as I'm exploring my personhood and relieving myself from that relationship where I disappeared and I needed to find myself again.”

That joy is palpable in the song’s music video, which was shot, edited, and directed by Conor DeVries. The video features a liberated Laroche rocking a warm-toned two-piece as she struts through the bare halls of Axenéo7 in Gatineau. I remark that this stripped-back set allows the message of the song to shine. “I wanted to dance. I wanted to hold the microphone as if I was performing on stage,” Laroche recalls. “We had access to this perfectly square window, and we got up early to catch the sunrise. That was important – with ‘Sun and the Stars,’ we wanted to integrate sunlight and work with the space.” At one point, there is a cheeky glimmer of Laroche’s tooth gem, which she reveals is a call-back to her album cover shoot with François Mittins. “I wanted to bring as much world-building as possible. I love artists who go far into the visual aspect of their music, [and] that is something I aspire to do.”

Laroche shares that True Beginning has been in the works since 2019, propelled by the strong desire to articulate her voice and celebrate her evolution. She points out that her mental health journey is entwined in the album’s narrative: “I wasn't at peace, and with that conflict within me I saw two options – either I could try to figure it out or it was going to get worse. [The music] really comes from an honest willingness to discover my heart and see if I can relieve myself of my emotions.” By embracing the art of vulnerability, she has discovered that she can help others heal from their journeys. “I’m mixed race, I'm queer, so those two things can feel alienating,” Laroche admits. “I’m hoping that [the album] can allow people to dive [into] their own minds and hearts, just by giving them the language to talk about their experiences.”

The Orchidae project clearly stands amongst a collection, but while these paths may appear to lead in many directions, Laroche insists there is a sense of harmony. “I found that what I love is exploring music in all of its facets. Through the different arrangements, it's still my voice, but I'm putting on a different costume. I think that everything that I'm showing up with is a sum of all of my experiences.” Laroche remains unburdened by genre, and this allows her to remain curious under any conditions: “If a song is good, it doesn't matter what dressing you're putting on it. It can be country, pop, or a dance track. As long as the core of it is meaningful, it’ll be good.”

And she laughs while pointing out another truth: “I think I want to make myself as hireable as possible, and I want to say ‘yes’ to as many things as I can. In doing so, I've opened up my community, and I’m able to show what I can do because I'm not just a ‘one-trick Pony Girl.’” The creativity never stops, it just exerts itself with different forces.

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Yolande Laroche by François Mittins

This is why it’s so exciting to have another chapter of Laroche’s story unfold at Crystallize, where she will be performing under her full name. Laroche recalls the beginning of her foray into electronica: inspired by Marie Davidson’s performance at MUTEK, which she describes as “transcendental,” she harnessed that energy to create a brand-new set for the September 2024 edition of Pique. “I've always been so traditional in my writing – starting with piano and arranging it with musicians. This Yolande Laroche material is all done on the computer, but [it is] still coming from my diary.” Laroche clarifies that this project is not record-ready, but it occupies a similar space to Orchidae in her mind: it’s another chance to control her narrative with confidence. DJing might present a learning curve, but it’s one that she is determined to navigate.

As Laroche prepares to take the Crystallize stage, she drops a few nods to other names on the bill. “I'm super excited about Sineila,” she gushes. “I met her at a Pop Montreal mentorship program, which was probably the best industry event that I’ve ever attended. I've listened to her music online, but I think the live experience, especially for her kind of music—which is hyperpop—you want to see that live. She kills it on the costumes.”

She also speaks highly of Sweet Morgane, an Ottawa-based DJ who’s enriched the scene as one-half of the team behind Fortress. “I love her energy and her fits.” For a little while, we chat about groups like Fortress—and Congrego—who step up to the plate to craft productions that the Ottawa community can be proud of. “There is a hunger [for that programming],” Laroche muses. “It takes so much work to build community events and plan them, and not everyone has that capacity, so I’m grateful for those who do.”

Curious to experience one of Yolande Laroche’s many characters IRL? Join us for Crystallize, Congrego’s latest production on Saturday, February 15th from 8 PM-2 AM at Club SAW. Early-bird tickets are sold out, but you can still snag some advance tickets for $25 at the link below!

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Yolande Laroche

Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Also Cool's Taverne Tour 2025 Top Picks

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Bundle up, Montreal! It’s time for Taverne Tour. From February 6th-8th, 2025, Taverne Tour’s boundless programming will sprawl across the main street venues of Montreal’s iconic Plateau borough. Offering a wide stylistic spectrum from garage, punk and hardcore to rap, electronic music, neo soul and rock & roll, Taverne Tour’s lineup showcases homegrown mainstays and notable touring talent. Aside from the Also Cool showcase on February 7th at O Patro Vys, here are our recommendations for your Taverne Tour musical checklist!  

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Ada Lea by Monse Muro

Montreal alternative singer-songwriter Ada Lea always has us at the edge of our seats, attentively parsing over every word she sounds out in her intimate sets. Known for her melancholic 2022 Polaris long-listed sophomore album one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden, Lea has a third album in the works for later this year, which is rumoured to be her best yet. Her stunning 2024 EP notes leaves us eager to reencounter Lea’s raw, character-focused songwriting in the flesh.

Ada Lea plays Saturday, February 8th at La Sala Rossa.

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Chandra by Kate Young

The 1980 cult album Transportation from NYC-born mutant disco troubadour Chandra is a cherished gem in the Also Cool record vault. Four decades later, interpretations of her pre-teen new wave revelations are still infectiously danceable, and have toured with the CHANDRA band across Canada, the United States, and all the way to Barcelona’s Primavera Sound festival. The current iteration of the CHANDRA band includes members of Bile Sister, Body Breaks, New Chance, MISZCZYK and Blonde Elvis, among others. 

The CHANDRA band plays on Saturday, February 8th at Le Ministère.

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Fraud Perry by Alex Apostolidis

For those who have yet to experience the undeniable star power of Montreal hip hop artist Fraud Perry, you’re in for a treat. Described as the lovechild of Doja Cat, Rico Nasty and Azealia Banks (with the Also Cool addition of a sprinkle of Doechii), Perry’s witty flow and Southern charm commands a room, leaving audiences enchanted and utterly gagged. Hot off the release of her Goodybag mixtape this past fall, we anticipate a class-act performance, complete with Perry’s signature double entendres and punk attitude. 

Fraud Perry plays on Friday, February 7th at Le Belmont. 

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The Gories by Daniel Kroha

Another must-see act from this year’s Taverne Tour lineup is seminal garage rock trio The Gories. Formed in Detroit in 1986, the band’s visceral approach to its signature “punk blues” sound is a beacon of DIY excellence. With an expansive lore (which includes recording in a tin shack, releasing a Spinal Tap cover on Sub Pop, breaking up and eventually reuniting), these forerunners of Motor City noise bring an essential chapter of musical education to the festival. 

The Gories play Saturday, February 8th at Le Belmont. 

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Lip Critic via Taverne Tour

New York City’s Lip Critic intrigues with the amount of sound four people can produce. Composed of two drummers, two samplers and vocals, Lip Critic’s charging collision of digital hardcore, punk and industrial incites head banging and wide-toothed grins. The band’s 2024 album Hex Dealer (Partisan Records), is a totally uninhibited desecration of the powers that be, and a new favourite listen for fans of The Garden, YHWH Nailgun and Death Grips.      

Lip Critic plays Saturday, February 8th at La Sotterenea.

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Ribbon Skirt by Ani Harroch

A live performance from hometown heroes Ribbon Skirt is always on our radar. Formerly known as Love Language, the band is led by musician Tashiina Buswa with support from her close friend and collaborator Billy Riley.  With their debut album Bite Down set to arrive April 11th via Mint Records, Ribbon Skirt’s latest brings a darker, more experimental atmosphere to the indie rock duo’s effervescent energy, exploring themes of memory, grief and Buswa’s connection to her Anishinaabe identity and cultural practices. 

Ribbon Skirt plays on Thursday, February 6th at La Sala Rossa.

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Taverne Tour

Website | Instagram

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Butterflies, Cuckoos and Vampire Daydreams: The “Flower of the Soul” Experience

Liana Flores by Magdalena Styś

For a few hours on the evening of November 10th, time stopped in Rotterdam’s Rotown club. There was no sold-out show, no merch stand, no warm, starry night outside the venue walls; there was only a stage ruled by a kind forest witch who, armed with a guitar, a band and a delightful sense of humour, invited everyone in the building to forget the miserable mundanities of everyday life and step into her fairytale world.

Flower of the Soul is the first feature-length release of the indie British-Brazilian artist Liana Flores, whose name might bring back faint memories of pandemic-era TikTok – in 2021, Flores experienced a rise in popularity as her comforting and introspective “rises the moon” went viral on social media. While her distinctive style shines through both her previous and more contemporary releases—especially in its romantic lyricism, with nature as a recurring motif—Flower of the Soul is a much more polished showcase of Flores’s artistry.

Flower of the Soul takes the best elements of the genres it derives from – folk and bossa nova – and through its delicate vocals and layered instrumentals it crafts an enchanting experience filled with wonder and tenderness. It’s the definitive soundtrack for an afternoon spent daydreaming by the windowsill, a nostalgic journey back home or a walk through the forest. It’s a painkiller for the yearning soul and restless mind, which is especially clear to those lucky enough to hear the songs performed live.

Flores’ captivating stage presence faithfully mirrors the ethereal qualities of the album. Interspersed with astronomy facts (did you know that on Jupiter, it rains diamonds?) and vampirical daydreams, the performance lifts the audience from their everyday concerns and keeps them focused on the set in front of them. “Hello again,” which marks the beginning of both the record and Flores’ set, is one of those songs that gains a second life when heard live, with the call-and-response chorus building an immediate sense of camaraderie in the audience. “I wish for the rain,” a simple yet devastatingly sincere recount of the end of a relationship, was one of the definite highlights of the album, and its live rendition made the quiet post-breakup agony of the song even more piercing. Other noteworthy parts of the show included “Butterflies” and “Cuckoo”, to which Flores referred as a “double creature feature,” “Nightvisions,” which the Spotify genre algorithm could probably describe as “romantic-novel-protagonist-core,” and “Halfway heart,” the perfect description of complicated relationships.

The supporting act from the hypnotizing Raquel Martins, an absolute hidden gem of the singer-songwriter genre, only elevated the experience. Martins was possibly the perfect opener for the show; her performance, which included the hauntingly beautiful single “Empty Flower” from an EP of the same title, was intertwined with asides about the nature of being a musician and the experience of moving away from home. 

While the album itself provides a wonderful listening experience, the live renditions of the songs gain a new layer of depth and vitality, making it an essential set for any bossa nova fan. Thankfully, Flores has already announced more tour dates for 2025 – right now, you can expect to hear her live in February and July.

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Liana Flores

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify

Magdalena Styś is a writer and poet currently based in Amsterdam.

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Bladee Transforms Montreal's Igloofest Into A Frozen Dreamscape

Photos by Maggie Aulman

On Thursday, January 23rd, 2025, Bladee transformed Montreal's Igloofest into a frozen dreamscape with the best live set we've seen from him yet.

Igloofest usually hosts at least one underground or alternative night a year (last year's was 100 Gecs and Surf Gang)—appealing to the city’s younger audience. The crowd was completely unfazed by the cold, with a respectful moshpit breaking out almost immediately. Both Drainers and new Bladee fans alike were dancing and cheering together all night long.

Photos by Maggie Aulman

Bladee jumped onto the stage waving his signature jagged flag, ushering us into "Paranoia Intro" and the usual Cold Visions album setlist. However, instead of his usual routine (widely documented on TikTok during this tour cycle), he dropped rave remixes of some of his biggest tracks, including "BBY" and "Be Nice to Me".

Photos by Maggie Aulman

Overall, it was an excellent set, with everyone from VIP to the back of of the massive crowd screaming Bladee’s lyrics. On the way out, everyone talked about how it was the best set they'd seen from him in years. Bladee’s Cold Visions aesthetic was completed by the perfectly timed snow flurries, dusting the shoulders of Igloofest goers in bright snow gear.

Igloofest continues this weekend! Get your tickets here.

Words by Malaika Astorga
Photos by Maggie Aulman

Photos by Maggie Aulman

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Cold Visions Take Over Igloofest 2025 (Bladee, Zeds Dead, Skepta, Strawberry Gothcake)

In true Drain Gang fashion... 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓭𝓥𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 have come to Igloofest this year with killer headliners like Apashe, Four Tet, Marie Davidson, Strawberry Gothcake, and—of course, the Icedancer himself—Bladee.

The coldest festival of the year kicked off last weekend with Michael Bibi, Apashe, and Claptone, who had all the colourful snow-suit-clad ravers dancing the night away. The programming continues this week, with Bladee on Thursday, Zeds Dead on Friday, and Skepta on Sunday.

If you're questioning whether the cold is worth it, each major headliner has two supporting acts and a healthy dose of official afterparties branded as "Après-Ski." London's COUCOU CHLOÉ, Swedish House Mafia's own Steve Angello, Turkish star Mahmut Orhan and Belgian producer Maxi Meraki will also grace the stage of Igloofest this year. Plus, the programming includes local legends of all kinds, pulling from every corner of Montreal's underground rave scene – including Homeby6, Strawberry Gothcake, Lia Plutonic, and Unicorn.

You'll find us at Bladee's set on the 23rd and Strawberry Gothcake's showcase on the 31st, but it's safe to say that every weekend is absolutely stacked with heavy hitters.

Igloofest

Tickets | Instagram

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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Interview: Franki Charms with Electropop Antics on Debut EP "All the Things I Try to Say"

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Helena Palmer AKA Franki

Like a chandelier suspended over a crowded dancefloor, Franki’s debut EP All the Things I Try to Say fractalizes flirtatious embers for all that relish in its captivating electropop beams. The new project of singer-songwriter, producer and visual director Helena Palmer arrives in the afterglow of Brat summer, here to thaw the stillness of Montreal winters with an atmosphere that evokes steamy nightclub windows to meet cutes under apartment fairy lights. 

Having conceived the project exactly a year ago during a sojourn in Ottawa, Palmer returned to Montreal with new-found creative determination, inspired by switching musical gears. 

“With my first acoustic project under my real name [Helena Palmer], I had a difficult time finding my place here in Montreal. I didn’t feel a sense of community, and it was disheartening. I was looking up to pop artists like Charli XCX, Grimes and Björk while playing guitar solo, and I didn’t feel like I had a fully-fledged identity. While I was in Ottawa for eight months last year, I decided to mess around with electronic production, and out of that I was able to launch a whole new project and everything snowballed from there. By the time I returned to Montreal in May, I had a ton of self-booked shows under my belt as Franki, and now I’m being considered for festivals and have my own scene of peers at similar points of their musical journeys. The project has helped me solidify my place as an artist here, and it’s been heartwarming and reassuring,” shares Palmer. 

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Franki on the set of her “I’m A Mess” music video, photo courtesy of the artist

While guitar composition will be making a comeback in Palmer’s musical arsenal—whether or not the project continues in its current vein of IDGAF pop—she emphasizes that reinventing her songwriting approach was a cornerstone in the genesis of Franki.  

“When I was writing primarily on guitar, I would often start with lyrics in my Notes app – words that I had been accumulating. Right now, I’m more inspired by sounds that I hear in music or life in general. I try to go for a ‘feel’ when I’m composing electronically, and then I'll weave in the lyrics afterwards,” she says. “I’ve been bouncing back and forth between both my old and new processes, as I find playing guitar very therapeutic and it helps me to think things through. For example, the lyrics and the melody of the EP’s title track came to me as one thing, and then I made an instrumental to go along with it. Whereas ‘Act Clever’ started as a track that I’d made in a single morning that was later influenced lyrically by a conversation I had with a friend later that day. ‘Jeans’ was actually the first song I wrote the day I moved back to Montreal,” adds Palmer. 

Emulating the upbeat fizz of 00s pop in the background of her childhood in England, All the Things I Try to Say embraces both the carefree spirit of being young in a vibrant city, as well as the growing pains of comparison haunting your mid-twenties.  All the Things I Try to Say thrives in its duality – with themes of self-doubt and feeling second best filtered through frothy, distorted UKG beats, punchy production and Franki’s bubbly vocals and cheeky lyricism. Capturing the vibrations of her close-knit music community, Palmer actually met the album’s producer Oren Ratowsky (Cecile Believe, Enjoy, Cowgirl Clue) one night at beloved St-Hubert Plaza club, Le Système.

On collaborating with Ratowsky, Franki recalls: “Working with Oren was the first time I’d ever sent someone else my finished tracks. He was very patient with my—let’s say carefree—way of making music, and the back and forth between us was a great lesson for me in learning to be assertive. I’m so stoked on the final product. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever worked on, and we’ve talked about co-producing together in the future.”

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All the Things I Try to Say album cover

Franki’s perfectly imperfect pop approach comes to life in her new music video for “I’m A Mess”. Directed and edited by Palmer herself, alongside Kyra Saad and Chloé Galarneau, “I’m A Mess” sees Franki and her entourage indulging in a Marie Antoinette-style dinner party à la Sofia Coppola with a little more indie sleaze flavour on the menu. Inspired by “the original messy girls” in the 1966 film Daisies by Věra Chytilová, on the video Palmer comments:

“‘I’m a Mess’ is about feeling chaotic. It captures the intensity of taking on too many tasks when you’re trying to reach a certain level and attain success in different areas of your life, while not giving yourself enough time to process [it all] or rest. It comes from that feeling that you should always be doing more.”

On All the Things I Try to Say, Franki reminds us that quote unquote success is overrated and impossible to define, and that we deserve to let loose and embrace the curveballs life throws our way: “So wear your heart on your face / And don’t be afraid / That when you speak / Someone might hear / Act big / Act clever / It’s your life girl / So do whatever you want”.

Franki plays the Also Cool Taverne Tour showcase on February 7th, 2025 at O Patro Vys in Montreal alongside Fireball Kid & Ura Star, Los3r and Public Appeal. Get your tickets and explore the festival lineup below!

Franki

Instagram | 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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Nabihah Iqbal On the Art of DJing, Knowledge Sharing, Mentorship and More

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Nabihah Iqbal by Joseph Hayes, via the artist’s website

A virtuoso and undeniable taste-maker, London-based artist, producer, curator, broadcaster, and DJ Nabihah Iqbal says she could have never imagined the impact that her finely-tuned ear would have on audiences across the world. After extensively touring her 2023 album DREAMER for the last 18 months—all while igniting dancefloors in between—the globetrotting Iqbal reminisces watching people relate to her music as the “most incredible experience” of her musical tenure. 

“I was reminded of the power of live music one night while in Minneapolis at 7th Street Entry when I left the stage feeling better than going on. I was feeling ill and tired that night, and just having a sense that it wasn’t going to be a good show. But I was met with the most beautiful crowd who had such good energy, so much so that I actually got emotional on stage. Though it was a smaller audience than others I had seen on tour, [the show] just did something to me that I had never felt before.” 

Joining our virtual call from Upstate New York, where she is currently crafting a string-quartet composition, Iqbal’s warmth and candor are no match for the fuzz of our Google Meet signal. 

Iqbal tells me the classical commission marks her first time working with multiple stringed instruments (apart from her signature polka-dotted electric guitar) and has introduced a welcomed challenge to her usual creative process. 

“Even though I composed all the parts on [DREAMER], this is the first time I’m working with instruments I’ve never played before, like violin, viola, and cello. I’m normally thinking more about the relationship between the individual instruments when I’m writing my own music. But in the case of string instruments, you can’t just play a chord, there’s a lot of movement.” 

In having to think outside the box, Iqbal teases that she would love to incorporate a string ensemble into her next album, which she says will be her next project once she wraps this musical residency. 

When not serenading listeners with her atmospheric post-punk-influenced dream pop, Iqbal also moonlights as a DJ as a resident on NTS radio. She has graced the stage at Boiler Room, LAB LDN, Sacred Ground, and The Lot Radio among others, as well as clubs from coast to coast. As a crate digger with a background in ethnomusicology, Iqbal’s sets deliver top selections spanning genres such as Funk, Soul Jazz, Afrobeat, Dub, Disco, and more. 

From being brought to tears by a Shakuhachi flute player in Kyoto, engulfed in the spiritual trance of a Sufi percussion circle in Lahore, and stumbling upon a polyphonic ensemble of Booboo pipe players on a beach in Sierra Leone, Iqbal gratefully credits her expansive palette to experiencing the role of music in different cultures around the world.  

Though musicianship and DJing occupy different notches in Iqbal’s artistic belt, she says their influence on one another is indisputable. 

“When you love music, you just absorb so much of it. What I create is a product of everything that goes into my brain. The amazing thing about DJing is that it really helps you understand more about the human relationship to music. It’s been there since the start of time, people moving their bodies to sound. It’s a primordial thing, and so much more than just playing music for people to dance to. It’s about taking people on a physical, spiritual, and mental journey,” explains Iqbal. 

“When I watch more senior DJs, people like Moody Man, Gilles Peterson, or Benji B – they’re way more in tune with what DJing is and it's such an amazing experience. It’s what I aspire to cultivate. I love playing all kinds of different music with no boundaries – it’s all about how it makes you feel. The only thing is, it has to make you dance!”, she laughs. 

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Nabihah Iqbal DJing at NTS, via Friends of Friends / Freunde von Freunden

More recently, Iqbal had the opportunity to step into a musical leadership role at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in her hometown. Growing up near the St. John’s Wood neighborhood of London as a lifelong music enthusiast, Iqbal’s dream to explore Abbey Road Studios came true when she was selected to mentor a younger artist as part of its Amplify program.  

“It was such an exciting and special experience to be recognized by such an iconic studio as someone who could come in and play the role of mentor. While the internet has democratized music and knowledge sharing, and the industry is starting to move in the right direction, I still feel like there isn’t enough acknowledgment of women producers,” she says. 

Motivated by reinforcing the importance of reciprocity and encouragement in musical dynamics, Iqbal said she and the studio audio engineer, Seth, were happy to take the backseat and let her mentee Emily drive their recording session. 

“For her, it was a lot of first times: first time in the studio, first time using professional gear, first time using her voice. I really wanted her to feel like she was leading everything that day," adds Iqbal. 

Whether in physical or virtual spaces, Iqbal is committed to fostering inclusivity across all levels of the industry: “I think there needs to be more space made for goodwill rather than territorialism. The whole point of music is sharing. Without it, music wouldn’t exist at all.” 

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With musings for a new record forthcoming, Iqbal is set to tour in February and March supporting American singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten. In the meantime, she is in midst of a DJ stint between NYC and Canada. Her tour will conclude in Montreal, where she will headline Also Cool’s first show of 2025 on January 25th at Le Système. Iqbal’s DJ set is not to be missed, as well as those from Also Cool Co-Founders Malaika Astorga (flleur) and Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter (Lamb Fatale). Early bird tickets are sold out! Get your second tier tickets below. See you on the dancefloor!

Nabihah Iqbal

Website | 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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2024 In Review (Also Cool's Top Albums)

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Listen along with the official Sounds Cool 2024 playlist!

Available on YouTube and Spotify below.

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2hollis - boy
Electroclash has merged with cloud rap, creating 2hollis, the bleach blonde “god boy.” Backed by his SoundCloud cult following, 2hollis gained exponential momentum opening for Ken Carson on tour earlier this year, and will be headlining his own tour in 2025. boy is as aggressive as it is tender, with almost ambient tracks like “you said my name for the first time,” contrasting with 2009-electroclash-pop style bangers like “two bad.” The album was also produced by 2hollis, and feels sonically unafraid – melding genres in a way that’s innovative without being obnoxious. 

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Alix Fernz - Bizou (Mothland)

“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.” 

- Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter, From Bartender to Headliner: Montreal's Alix Fernz Turns Heads with Debut Album "Bizou" (Mothland), April 15th, 2024

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Banggz - 4 THE BANGGERZ 

“The sophomore record of Nigerian-born, Ottawa-based Afro-rap vanguard Banggz has been on repeat since it dropped earlier [this year]. Aptly titled 4 THE BANGGERZ, the album delivers hit after hit along with a star-studded cast of featured performers, including City Fidelia, Asuquomo, and Jahmeema. 4 THE BANGGERZ sees Banggz ambitiously craft a ‘sonic escape,’ fusing West African rhythms, futuristic soundscapes and energetic anthems of resilience, identity and camaraderie.” 

- Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter - Also Cool’s Playlist Refresh, August 20th, 2024

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Bladee - Cold Visions (Trash Island)

Evil music is so back. Ice king Bladee is leading the way with his confessionary crash-out album Cold Visions. The 30-track album rips into feelings of paranoia, feeling too old to be in the room, and self-isolation, featuring long-time collaborators including Yung Sherman, Yung Lean, Whitearmor, Thaiboy Digital, and Ecco2k. Lyrically, the album ranges from spiralling mantras (“One second in my bag”) to the kinds of things you tell yourself when you’re too high (“I’m normal / In the club dressed formal”). Overall, it’s an icy dive into Bladee’s mind, leaving drainers everywhere rejoicing.

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Cecile Believe - Tender the Spark (ambient tweets / Supernature)

Cecile Believe is your favourite artist’s favourite artist, point blank. Tender the Spark is introspective and indulgent all at once, and has ushered in the recognition she deserves after years of innovation in the pop sphere. “The world didn’t even, but it feels like it’s gone now / Late stage self-portrait, last ride let’s kill it.” If “Blink Twice” is the invitation, “Ponytail” is a free fall dive into Cecile’s world.

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Chanel Beads - Your Day Will Come (Jagjaguwar)

Lush, hopeful, and gorgeous, Chanel Beads offered Your Day Will Come into the world this year, and was met with mass appreciation for their mystic optimism. “You owe it to yourself, gotta believe in something else / Good people out of view / Soul to bear.” Everything from the reverb of their guitars to angelic vocal treatments feels like it came from another realm – reaching its hand out to try and touch the future. 

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Cindy Lee - Diamond Jubilee (Realistik Studios)

Modestly released unto the masses in early spring, the staggering beauty of Cindy Lee’s Diamond Jubilee has incited a near-universal cotton candy trance. The creative aptitude of the artist otherwise known as Patrick Flegel has reverberated at different frequencies for the past two decades, but their vision for Diamond Jubilee falls perfectly into place. The record boasts a cinematic romanticism that is concurrently enlightened and instinctual. Flegel’s narrative unfurls with rigour (122 minutes, to be exact) – a psychedelic deer-legged odyssey through satin sheets and bleary dreams.

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cumgirl8 - the 8th cumming (4AD)

With their anticipated debut record the 8th cumming, cumgirl8 channels their avant-garde spark into a satisfying collection. The group unabashedly delivers a searing industrial sound with the likes of “uti,” while flirting with softer territory through the dream-pop weightlessness of “girls don’t try.” Inspired by Siouxsie, Ladytron, et plus, cumgirl8 have penned the next chapter on feminist punk.

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The Dare - What’s Wrong With New York? (Republic Records)

From dropping his gig as a substitute teacher to producing for Charli XCX, it's safe to say The Dare made an explosive entrance in 2024 with his debut long-player What’s Wrong With New York? While some thought the Dimes Square trickster on a mission to resuscitate indie sleaze wouldn’t stay relevant post-TikTok virality, the fresh-faced Harrison Patrick Smith remains plastered across tour posters and fashion outlets in his signature black suit and tie. Pumping out certified club hits for the sake of raunchy, hedonistic entertainment, The Dare makes music for those of us who came of age reblogging doe-eyed American Apparel ads with the weight of Web 3.0 looming on the horizon.

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Fontaines D.C. - Romance (XL Recordings)

This album first entered the Also Cool consciousness in Paris this summer, when every bar we went to somehow played Romance all night long. While we’ve been big fans of the band for quite some time and were happy to hear they were getting recognition, but we had no idea how successful the album had become. The innovative, surging yet punchy composition, paired with vulnerable and gritty lyricism, grabs you by the throat and leaves you wanting more. Fontaines D.C. has set a new bar for indie rock (although you can hardly call hundreds of millions of streams indie), and has given the industry a hard shove in the right direction. 

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Khruangbin - A La Sala (Dead Oceans)

Houston trio Khruangbin cast a spell of surfy grooves with their latest album A La Sala. The psych-funk record is assured in its composition, rejecting flourish for atmosphere, and it yields an uplifting result. While there are strutting basslines and loungey guitar licks aplenty, A La Sala is meant to be enjoyed in all its leisure. Every song is another petal swaying in the breeze.

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Kim Gordon - The Collective (Matador Records)

Underground polymath Kim Gordon celebrated her 71st solar return touring her fearless post-rock opus The Collective. Released this past March, The Collective serves up a “blistering collage of dissonant guitar [with] an ear-splitting trap underbelly” (Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter - Also Cool’s Playlist Refresh, February 23rd, 2024). With diaristic meditations on doom scrolling, heteronormativity and the mainstream, paired with noisy, gripping and avant-garde bed tracks, Gordon’s sophomore solo venture proves that she has yet to rest on her (self-taught) musical laurels. 

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Mdou Moctar - Funeral For Justice (Matador Records)

Mdou Moctar continues to dominate psych rock with his 6th studio album Funeral for Justice. On Funeral for Justice, the Saharan desert blues guitarist and singer, alongside his equally impressive band, delivers a masterful denunciation of France’s colonial legacy in his homeland of Niger. Embracing rebellious tones and an accelerated pace— all while uplifting Moctar’s Indigenous mother tongue of Tamasheq from start to finish— Funeral for Justice is an impeccably produced protest album and a steadfast commitment to honouring one’s roots.

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Molchat Doma - Belaya Polosa (Sacred Bones Records)

Molchat Doma have long been the reference point when it comes to dark-wave, post-punk and cold-wave. Their music is the meeting point for goths, vampires, and just about every Eastern European Brutalist video edit on the Internet. Belaya Polosa, released earlier this year via Sacred Bones, expands their universe with new techno-adjacent soundscapes, while staying true to their post-punk origins, and of course, heartbreaking lyrics. The album explores their new reality in Los Angeles and the loneliness that comes with it, having left their lives behind in Minsk, Belarus: “Everyone who I have known for a long time / Everything I haven’t lost / I put it off for years / Pain and resentment of the days – there seems to be no difference / How everyone is so used to it!” The band will continue their epic tour across North America in January.

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Nick Schofield - Ambient Ensemble (Forward Music Group)

“Self-proclaimed ‘ambient raver’ Nick Schofield (Best Fern, Saxsyndrum) [dropped] his third solo sonic venture, Ambient Ensemble, via Halifax label Forward Music Group. Along with a band of masterly local collaborators (Yolande Laroche, Philippe Charbonneau, and Mika Posen), the Hull, QC-based electroacoustic composer achieves otherworldly splendour on Ambient Ensemble. Likened to works by masters Brian Eno and Philip Glass, Schofield's delicate yet profound Ambient Ensemble is a kaleidoscope of lush, instrumental bliss.” 

- Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter - Also Cool Playlist Refresh, February 23rd, 2024

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Trevor Sloan - A Room by the Green Sea

“On Sloan’s latest self-released album, A Room by the Green Sea, the simple beauty of summer vacations gone by unlocks so much more. Sloan teleports between country fairs and shifting waters, backed by layered acoustics, subtle drum patterns, and field recordings. From the precise memories of ‘Praying Mantis’ to the sober admissions of ‘Blade on My Face,’ A Room by the Green Sea is the embodiment of what you’d hope to hear by picking up a conch shell. It’s the creamy cable-knit jumper that you slip into as the sun kisses you goodbye.”

- Rebecca Judd, A Lost Season, A Magical Year: Trevor Sloan Releases "A Room by the Green Sea", September 6th, 2024

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VICTIME - En conversation avec (Mothland)

“Deconstructing a guitar-bass-drums mold, while still embracing their unbridled exploratory approach, VICTIME have returned with a genreless sophomore manifesto that they credit as their best work to date. Hurtling at 100kph, En conversation avec is a corrosive, meter-busting rendez-vous of DIY breadboard overdubs, pixelated synth-scapes and a complete disregard for conventional musical permissibility.” 

- Zoë Argiropulos-Hunter -  Five Years and Three Cities: VICTIME Unveils New Album “En Conversation Avec” (Mothland), October 25th, 2024

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camoufly and Dazegxd, Scarlet Rae, Safe Mind, And More: Also Cool's Playlist Refresh

Hildegard (Helena Deland and Ouri) by Raiden Louie

While 2024 is coming to a close, our favourite artists show no signs of slowing down – we couldn’t resist dropping a Playlist Refresh to celebrate.

The Also Cools have an abundance of new tunes to share from artists like Das Beat, Hildegard, and Fickle Friends. If you hear something you like, we encourage you to explore the rest of our Playlist Refresh series by saving our playlist on Spotify.

Scroll on to feast your ears!

TUKAN by Joris Ngbn

TUKAN - “Pluck”

Belgian electronic outfit TUKAN have kept us in a spell since their thrilling three-part stint at FME 2023 – so naturally, with the news that their latest album Human Drift will drop next month, we’re riding high. The dark ambience and bouncy synths of “Pluck” indicate a sharp new direction for the group. Trust us: it’s never too late to ride the wave.

Das Beat by Marina Mónaco

Das Beat - “Wrestling My Mind - Salzbauer Edit” (Arbutus Records)

We love a rave edit, and Das Beat’s newly remixed “Wrestling My Mind - Salzbauer Edit” really hits. Perfect for long walks to the rave, or when you’ve been inside your apartment for way too long and now it’s dark out and you decide to go on a mental health walk.

Camoufly by Francesca Mirabile

Dazegxd by @cooly.fooly

camoufly and Dazegxd - “nothing left 2 say / give u everything” (kawaii bounce)

With euphoric new single “nothing left 2 say,” the synergy between the elusive camoufly and Brooklyn “genre-agnostic” Dazegxd will deliver a shock to your system. Follow that up with the slinky garage banger “give u everything” for maximum pleasure.

Your Friend Brennan

Your Friend Brennan - “Figment”

Sweeping, gorgeous, and the right amount of spooky, Your Friend Brennan offers “Figment” off of his latest album Dream Hall. Accompanied by a live visualizer shot in an abandoned church, “Figment” pulls you into through a shimmering veil and into YFB’s world.

Scarlet Rae by Gita Gandelsman

Scarlet Rae - “Bleu” (Bayonet Records)

Scarlet Rae brings a beautiful and glitchy offering into the world with “Bleu,” landing softly for fans of Alex G and Elliot Smith. “This is the most vulnerable song I have ever written,” Rae says of the brooding track. “A reflection of pain, love, and powerlessness that comes with watching paranoia take over someone you cherish.” Inspired by her sister’s name, the track weaves through processing the numbness of dissociation and raw emotion.

Hildegard by Raiden Louie

Hildegard (Helena Deland and Ouri) - “No Other Mind” (Chivi Chivi)

Montreal’s mini supergroup Hildegard (Helena Deland and Ouri) share “No Other Mind,” a gentle follow-up to their most recent album Jour 1596. The track feels like playing with your childhood best friend on a summer afternoon, exploring the grass and running through fountains.

Fickle Friends via YouTube

Fickle Friends - “Dream” (Palmeira Music)

Brighton indie-pop group Fickle Friends remain chronically underrated. Their melodic sensibilities deliver an uplifting radiance, and their knack for lovesick lyricism can dig the deepest memories out of anyone. Following a hiatus, the band is back and brighter than ever, and their new single “Dream” reminds you of the sound that was impossible to forget.

clay pigeon

Never Better

clay pigeon and Never Better - “Ten Holes In Your Tennis Court”

“Everything means nothing to me now.” The latest track from clay pigeon and Never Better feels like warm sunshine, reminiscent of 2016-era Jons’ Serfs of Today. Sparkling guitar cascades through the song, while the lyrics guide us through the beautiful mundane, careful thoughts, and contemplative reflections.

Safe Mind by Yulissa Benitez

Safe Mind (Boy Harsher and LUCY [Cooper B. Handy]) - “6’ Pole”

Although not a super new release, “6’ Pole” by Safe Mind (LUCY [Cooper B. Handy] and  Augustus Muller of Boy Harsher) is a banger that’s been rinsed and repeated on our personal playlists more times than we can count. LUCY appeared on Boy Harsher’s 2021 album The Runner (Original Soundtrack) with his track “Autonomy,” and this feels like the perfect follow-up.

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Dive into the World of Poolgirl

Poolgirl by Alice L’arrivée (from left to right: Laura Clark, Gwenna Pirozzi, Manya Ziemiecki, Miranda Powell-New, and Rachel Bradbury)

At 7:41 PM on June 11th, 2023, classical flute student Gwenna Pirozzi tweeted that they were “very serious about starting band now” and asked anyone interested to hit them up with what instrument they play. Several tweets and Instagram story callouts later, Rachel Bradbury, Gwenna Pirozzi, Miranda Powell-New, Manya Ziemiecki, and Laura Clark came together to form what would soon be known as Poolgirl: an emerging alternative rock band based in Montreal/Tiohtià:ke.

One of the group’s most frequently asked questions is about their name, which happens to be the inverse of Girlpool, a now-disbanded indie rock band. To clear things up, percussionist Bradbury—who has seen Girlpool in concert—says that they “zero percent thought of” Girlpool when brainstorming band names, and were mainly working off of Notes app lists of words everyone thought would sound cool. With T-shirts depicting a woman lounging in a swimming pool juxtaposed with lyrics capturing the joy of “drinking beer and playing pool,” the band says it’s up to the listener to decide what the name means to them.

Nearly a year and a half after Pirozzi’s aspirational tweet, Poolgirl has released their first EP, racked up thousands of streams on Spotify, played the internationally-acclaimed POP Montreal music festival, and developed a loyal following of 20-something-year-olds with dyed hair and facial piercings who shout along with the band all across the city. From the smoke-laden atmosphere of Traxide to the vibrantly graffitied concrete slabs of the Van Horne Underpass, Poolgirl never fails to curate a safe and welcoming concert environment. This is a result of the band’s creation of their own space in a scene that often tends to be dominated by men. Instead of attempting to break into a scene they had no interest in belonging to, Poolgirl has instead forged their own path. This includes booking their own shows, often “with [their] people,” and playing benefit concerts for organizations whose values align with theirs, such as Rock Camp Montréal, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls, trans kids, and queer kids through music.

Poolgirl performing at Batiment 7 by Judy Yun

With only two released singles in their repertoire, the band was selected to perform at POP Montreal, a five-day-long music, film, and visual art festival that invites acts from all over the globe to play at over 50 venues across the city. When Powell-New, who applied on behalf of Poolgirl, broke the good news to the rest of the band, everyone was “screaming with joy.” In addition to delivering an electrifying performance at Mile End’s Quai des brumes on September 28th, being accepted meant seeing their name on the POP Montréal advertisements on the metro and the festival’s iconic beer cans. Balancing festival performances with school and work can be hectic but the band agrees that they “wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.”

Playfully titled I Can’t Swim, Poolgirl’s debut EP is a four-track testament to the band’s artistic versatility. Although the majority of the songs they perform tend to transform every venue into one large moshpit, new tracks “Lucy” and “Pool Party” offer a glimpse into the group’s more mellow side. With the upbeat, anger-fueled tracks “Charity” and “POS,” the EP is an eclectic mixture of rage, queer joy, and somber melodies. Beginning with the cover, a collage designed together by all five band members, the EP is a collaborative effort from start to finish. Although the bulk of the lyrics are composed by Powell-New, the band ties everything together with very open communication, allowing every member to offer their input. With artistic influences ranging from indie duo Wet Leg to riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, and educational music backgrounds including classical voice training and percussion performance, I Can’t Swim weaves these differences together to form a cohesive and catchy EP. 

Along with the new EP, Poolgirl fans can expect new merch and music videos, in addition to a full-length album in the future. However, Poolgirl will be on hiatus from around February to April 2025 to focus on songwriting. The band plans to use this time to jam and work on new music but will not be playing any shows. That being said, make sure to take a dip on January 18th at Batiment 7, which will be Poolgirl’s last show before the hiatus. 

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I Can’t Swim

Released December 6th, 2024

1. Lucy

2. Charity 

3. Pool Party

4. POS

All songs by Poolgirl 

Gwenna Pirozzi - Bass

Miranda Powell-New - Vocals

Manya Ziemiecki - Rhythm Guitar & Background Vocals 

Rachel Bradbury - Percussion

Laura Clark - Guitar

Matt Sagar - Recording

Mixing & Mastering - Sarah Harris 

Artwork by Poolgirl

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Poolgirl

Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | Youtube

Maggie Caroddo (they/them) is a lesbian writer and film fanatic originally from Long Island/Lenape Land and currently based in Montréal/Tiohtià:ke.

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Montreal's Prism Shores Unveil Jangle-Gaze Anthem "Tourniquet" (Meritorio Records)

Prism Shores by Alex Apostolidis

Montreal “jangle-gazers” Prism Shores stretch beyond the jagged cracks of late-November sidewalks with “Tourniquet,” out now via Meritorio Records. The single marks the second off of the group’s forthcoming album Out From Underneath, which is set to release on January 17th, 2025.

Prism Shores—comprised of Jack MacKenzie, Ben Goss, Luke Pound, and Finn Dalbeth (Dresser)—are reliably impressive when it comes to crafting meditative indie freefalls, but “Tourniquet” and its cohorts hint at something more. This new era sees Prism Shores breaking out into more ambitious soundscapes, flexing some exponential overdubbing for a pleasing shoegaze wave. It also employs the band’s sonic talents in exciting ways, with each member taking a stab at vocals, guitars, and other instrumentation for a heightened sense of collaboration.

Said the band of Out from Underneath’s latest track:

“The closest we’ve come to a straight-up power pop song. The idea was to make the track sound like first record Teenage Fanclub with MBV glide guitar – I think it’s one of our favourite tracks on the album. Our drummer Luke plays the jangly lead guitar riff on this one, and Ben plays a ripping skronky solo at the end. It also has backing vocals from our friend KT Laine, one of her four contributions to the record. Lyrically, it’s about reckoning with unhealthy self-criticism and dependency on certain coping mechanisms.”

“Tourniquet” nods to the brooding grip of dream pop staples like The Sundays, burning brightly as it flails towards maturity. The single captures an airtight act’s evolution in more ways than one.

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Prism Shores

Instagram | Bandcamp

Facebook | Spotify | Apple Music

Rebecca Judd is the features editor of Also Cool Mag.

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Dehd and This Is Lorelei Shred at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal

Dehd by Malaika Astorga

Dehd puts on one of Also Cool’s favourite live shows. Their sets are always memorable and create an atmosphere that makes one feel at ease alone in the crowd. The Chicago three-piece played at Les Foufounes Électriques on a warmer-than-usual October night as the second stop on their Poetry tour with This Is Lorelei as the opener.

The usual indie rock band t-shirt-and-Docs-clad crowd filled the space, comparable to the club in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and revered by many as “that place where Nirvana played once.” 

This Is Lorelei by Malaika Astorga

This Is Lorelei, also known as Nate Amos of Water From Your Eyes, My Idea, and Beetles, took the stage with his straightforward ballads and equally direct stage banter. “We’re gonna play a song about a lot of things but also nothing, so take what you want from it,” he announced. He subsequently shared similar anecdotes throughout the set, covering everything from Christmas to trash. His set was solid overall and would speak to fans who wish Alex G was a bit more energetic. 

Dehd by Malaika Astorga

Dehd stepped onstage with a brat-green guitar and shared dreams of speaking with horses. They played a healthy mix of fan favourites and songs from their fifth album, Poetry. Almost no phones were in sight as the crowd scream-sung practically every song back at them, dancing as hard as they possibly could. A friend of the magazine referred to their music as “music for biking in the springtime.” Despite it being the middle of autumn, Dehd’s fresh, joyful energy flowed throughout the venue. 

Overall, it was a sweet show, with an equally enthusiastic crowd who made it impossible not to sing along. Catch Dehd on the rest of their North American tour: 

Tickets

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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Five Years and Three Cities: VICTIME Unveils New Album En Conversation Avec (Mothland)

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VICTIME by Rose Cormier, from left to right: Samuel Gougoux, Laurence Gauthier-Brown and Simone Provencher

Crumple it up. Unfold it. Walk away. Come back together and start again (and again). This was noise rock trio VICTIME’s unexpected five year-plan to create their second long-player En conversation avec, unveiled today via Montreal label Mothland.  

En conversation avec album artwork by Cléo Sjölander

Deconstructing a guitar-bass-drums mold, while still embracing their unbridled exploratory approach, VICTIME have returned with a genreless sophomore manifesto that they credit as their best work to date. Hurtling at 100kph, En conversation avec is a corrosive, meter-busting rendez-vous of DIY breadboard overdubs, pixelated synth-scapes and a complete disregard for conventional musical permissibility. 

Devised across three cities (Gatineau, Montreal and Quebec City) between bandmates Laurence Gauthier-Brown (Ponctuation, Pure Carrière), Simone Provencher (Album) and Samuel Gougoux (Corridor, Kee Avil) through virtual demo-ing with high-stakes jams in-between pandemic lockdowns, En conversation avec is the result of the VICTIME’s unanimous urge to overhaul their sound. 

While the band is adverse to talking about the COVID-19 pandemic (with good reason), they agree that making a record long-distance was a cornerstone to the evolution of their creative process.  

“Without some delineation of guitar-drum-bass, it truly isn’t a VICTIME record,” says guitarist  Provencher. “The three of us worked on every part, which defined the album more than anything. The studio-based approach allowed us to rediscover the joy [in playing] through recording riffs, vocals, rhythms and loops directly on our computers and then sharing them with each other for processing or overdubbing,” she adds. 

For vocalist-bassist Gauthier-Brown, the digital back and forth allowed her to tackle difficult and uncharted subject matter through her lyrics differently than before. 

“Over the many years with the band, living through both the #MeToo movement and the pandemic, I’ve learned how to use my voice and take my place. The album’s first single [M.A.] allowed me to grieve and process a difficult experience. At first I couldn’t sing it without crying. But at the same time, after 7 years in a relationship, I also wrote my first ever love song with this record. It felt like the first time I could really do it,” she explains. 

The band attributes lessons learned from exploring expressive mediums outside of music to the spirit of En conversation avec. 

“We weren't necessarily tired, but we were excited about new things that we were learning while working on separate projects,” shares Gauthier-Brown. “We were all playing music with other people, scoring films, theatre and dance pieces as well, and that brought out different elements of our [musical abilities] that we were interested in incorporating into Vicitme,” she adds. “I had worked on a theatre show for two years that never happened because of the pandemic. Having to really sing on my own [while practicing] and not just do rhythm stuff helped me go deeper into myself and find my voice.” 

“I remember a moment, way before we even started the record, where Laurence walked into the jam space and said she didn’t want to be in a rock band anymore,” recalls Provencher. “I cried,” adds Gauthier-Brown, as the band laughs in harmony. 

“We each wanted to do something different with our own instrument and influence each other’s output,” explains Gougoux. “While using loops isn’t exactly inventing anything new, it brought a different element to thinking about the songs’ rhythmic elements and changed my [creative] vision over time,” he adds. 

Since forming in the late 2010s, VICTIME’s trust in each other as friends and collaborators is a testament to the band’s progression in tandem with the members’ individual growth.

“We’ve been able to find a balance in having fun together and being serious,” says Gougoux. “We started this band when we were still teenagers in our heads, but now we all have full-time jobs and are thinking about, you know, having a house and a family,” says Gauthier-Brown, the band all laughing together.

That being said, VICTIME are just as weird, and just as millennial, as they’ve always been. Along with Kim Gordon, eye surgeries and the sadness of roadkill, En conversation avec cites Twilight's Breaking Dawn and the documentary Sisters With Transistors among a myriad of intriguingly cryptic references.

While VICTIME is currently challenged by the ambitious translation of their “studio-heavy” songs to live context, they are collectively eager to see what the future holds for En conversation avec. 

“We’ve spent time in different scenes. For me, more the art scene than the music scene. And we’ve changed labels. I have no idea what kind of reception we’re going to get, because we’re starting over again, in a way… But we’re going to keep the momentum going and hopefully not take five more years to write another record,” giggles Provencher. 

“Even though I’ve been touring a lot with other projects, I know that the music communities we’ve been in will be receptive and supportive. I think we’re in a place now where we’re just excited to get invited to venues and festivals again,” says Gougoux. 

Don’t miss VICTIME’s upcoming shows in Montreal and Ottawa!

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Double Album Launch Party

with Yoo Doo Right with We Owe ft. Brian Chase (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) 

December 6th, 2024 at Théâtre Plaza (Montreal) 

Tickets 

Debaser’s Pique Festival 

December 14th, 2024 at Arts Court (Ottawa) 

Tickets 

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EN CONVERSATION AVEC

Out October 25th, 2024 via Mothland

1. Pleine conscience
2. Un beau spectacle
3. M.A.
4. Ces ruines
5. Collage
6. Résonne encore
7. Faire la matière
8. Régicide
9. Figurine
10. En conversation avec

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VICTIME

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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