So how has your latest album/EP gone so far with fans?
We released our first single off the new record, Ghosts of Men, and the response has been great. We put out a wild video with it and the feedback has been incredible. It’s gotten a lot of love on Spotify and YouTube, which we were honestly nervous about, so that’s been a relief. It’s also put us in contact with some people that we really want to work with, which is exciting.
At the time of this interview, we’re one week away from releasing our second single, As Your Leader, from our self-titled seven-song record coming out August 21st. This one comes with a really cool animated music video that our creative director Art Szabo made, and we hope people enjoy it as much as we do.
Tell us something about the release no one knows.
Something nobody knows about this album is how simultaneously new and old it is. Some of the riffs are fifteen years old and came about when there were only two people in the band. Then there are ideas that are brand new, and some old riffs that got conjoined with brand new ideas seconds before we hit the studio. In a lot of ways it’s been a long time in the making, but it’s also brand new.
Another thing… the last song on the record is a nine-minute blues song. And a little cool detail is the artwork really pops thanks to Art Szabo, and the vinyl is going to be white, which we think adds to the artistry of the album.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
Chino Moreno from Deftones, without question. They’re so goddamn badass and so good. The way we write is exactly how we imagine they think when they write, because every time we listen to Deftones, we just think of ideas. That’s how we write too.
It’d also be really cool to work with Dax Riggs or Tool. We’ve always wanted to work with that style of music, and it’s always cool to collaborate with legends like Dax Riggs and see what comes out when voices come together. Sleep Token would be amazing too, because that droney slow stuff is incredible, and that vocal is so distinct. That’d be a hell of a collaboration.
Can you tell us about the meaning behind the release?
There are a lot of diverse songs with different messages, but most of it is just trying to pump people up and hype them up and realize how incredible they are. Knowing your worth, knowing that you’re going to get through whatever you’re going through, and that you’re going to come out better on the other side. There are little hints of alien invasion and a bit of government action in there too, but the message as a whole is definitely love, coming together, self-love, and self-growth.
We hope this album captivates people and captures a part of them that’s deep inside that they didn’t know was there. The deeper side of people’s selves. Whether you’re digging deep to be motivated or inspired, or you’re having a bad day and you just want to sit in the tub and listen to our music … that’s what it’s for. You are all epic.
What tours do you have coming up, and what can you tell us about them?
We’re doing some Western Canadian shows in August to promote the record. We’re playing in Regina at the Exchange on August 6th with some of the Into Eternity side projects, Tim Roth’s cover band Metal Theater and Troy Blythe’s folky band Cruel as the Grave. That’s going to be really meaningful, coming back together and playing a show. Then August 7th we’ve got a Calgary gig booked.
For the album release, we’re doing a double-header in Edmonton. August 21st at the Rec Room with Syryn, Bogue Brigade, Systems of Chaos, and Bang HC. Then August 22nd at the Starlite Room with Black Friday, Costectomy, and Axiom Anna. Two nights, different bands, giving everyone we want to play with a chance and giving all the fans the opportunity to hear us.
And hopefully Europe calls and we just leave tomorrow and go do that.
What venue are you most looking forward to playing the most, and why?
Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. We’re manifesting it. That would be so fucking rad.
We’d also love to play the Horseshoe in Toronto. And anything over the pond in Europe is kind of our next big step and adventure. We’ve got some great help over there.
But honestly, we’re looking forward to playing every single venue out there because they all have something unique and special. It’s fun to travel around, meet all the people in different towns, and see the cool venues that everyone grew up going to. Just like here in Edmonton, we all grew up going to the Starlite Room or the Rendezvous, and everybody has that in their hometown. It’s really cool to experience their space and where it all started for them.
What else can we expect from you in 2026?
The whole album drops August 21st, and we’re already starting to write more. Honestly, we’re almost over this album and it hasn’t even come out yet… we’re ready for new songs. Maybe we’ll have some new material when we play live.
Keep an eye out for new merchandise. And hopefully a lot of opportunities come out of nowhere and just arise for us. Europe is calling, and we’re ready to answer. There’s a lot going on, but we wish and hope that doors we don’t even know about yet just swing open.
Oh, and we’d like to open for Led Zeppelin. Just putting that out there.