SWOMP

Some bands wanna tear down the walls, some wanna reinvent the wheel — but for Vancouver alt-rock band Yukon Blonde, they wanna write a love letter to rock ’n’ roll itself, like a dog-eared note stuffed in the locker of the universe. That’s exactly what they’ve done on their brand-new album Friendship & Rock 'n' Roll, out Sept. 19, 2025 on Dine Alone Records. That love letter isn’t just to the...

Toronto’s Ducks Ltd. lit up the Colliding Tides Main Stage at Sommo Festival on Saturday, September 13, 2025, delivering a set that showcased their blend of buoyant jangle pop and driving power pop. The duo features Australian lead guitarist Evan Lewis and U.K.-born, U.S.-raised singer, bassist and rhythm guitarist Tom McGreevy. SWOMP caught up with Tom following their set, and a quick game of Jen...

Gizmo were the first band to grace the stage at Sommo Festival 2025, kicking off the weekend on the Sandbar Stage on Saturday, Sept. 13. The four-piece indie rock outfit from Charlottetown set the tone early with their roaring, high-energy performance before sitting down with SWOMP for an interview. Formed during the pandemic, Gizmo began as a COVID-19 quarantine songwriting project that took shap...

Toronto indie rock band Goodnight Sunrise brought their dual-vocal, high-energy performance to the Sandbar Stage on Saturday, September 13 as Sommo Festival 2025 opened in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. The pair, David Kochberg and Vanessa Vakharia, formed the band in 2011 and have built a reputation for eclectic influences and a dynamic live show. They’re touring behind their fourth full-length...

East Coast duo Campbell & Johnston will be the first artist to perform on the Colliding Tides Main Stage at Sommo Fest 2025 in Cavendish, PEI on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Prior to their Sommo show, Christine Campbell and Blake Johnston hopped on Zoom for an interview with SWOMP. The pair discuss their career, their latest album Paisley Hearts, what fans can expect in Cavendish, opening for...

Sommo Festival is set to deliver one of the biggest weekends of the year as seven-time GRAMMY Award winner Alanis Morissette and GRAMMY-nominated superstar Hozier headline the 2025 edition, returning September 13–14 to Prince Edward Island’s picturesque coastal resort community. SWOMP caught up with Ben Murphy, the CEO of Whitecap Entertainment, for an interview to discuss how the third edition of...

Canadian country music singer-songwriter Kelsi Mayne performed at Boots and Hearts on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Reporter Whitney South caught up with her at the festival. Whitney, along with photographer Sofia Jardine, captured these images from Kelsi's Boots performance. Formerly a nationally ranked sprint hurdler, Kelsi Mayne has seamlessly transitioned into one of Canada's fastest-rising indepe...

Warkworth, Ontario country music singer and songwriter Sacha performed at the Boots and Hearts Music Festival on Friday, August 8, 2025. Reporter Whitney South caught up with her the following day at Boots.  A trailblazer in country music, Sacha blends heartfelt storytelling with an infectious energy that captivates audiences. Since releasing her debut EP The Best Thing, she has quickly risen as o...

CCMA Award-nominated independent artist Paige Penney shares her most personal song to date with the release of “Carhartt to Heart,” a fresh and heartfelt nod to working-class love. Paying tribute to the kind of relationships she grew up surrounded by, “Carhartt to Heart” is rooted in honest storytelling, mixed with modern country-pop beats and marks the second release from Paige's highly anticipat...

Styx will hit the Budweiser Stage in Toronto tonight, August 13, and Pine Knob in Clarkston, Mich., on Saturday, August 16, 2025 as part of their “Brotherhood of Rock” tour with The Kevin Cronin Band and special guest Don Felder. The dates come as the band releases its 18th studio album, Circling From Above. SWOMP caught up with keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan to discuss the new album and tour...

The Steven Page Trio are set to perform a free show in downtown Wallaceburg, Ontario on Saturday, August 9, 2025 as part of the annual Wallaceburg Antique Motor and Boat Outing (WAMBO) event. Led by the former member of the Barenaked Ladies, the show will start downtown at 8:30 p.m. SWOMP caught up with Steven Page for an interview. A Canadian singer/songwriter with a warm tenor croon, vocalist St...

Montreal artist Renon caught up with SWOMP to discuss her upcoming hometown gig, as she prepares to perform at Osheaga 2025 on Sunday, August 3. Trained jazz musician turned popstar, Montreal artist Renon has perfected her sound with synth-heavy dark-pop full of jazzy inflictions and stellar vocal control. Renon lives in a campy, gothic, pink and black, vulnerable world and invites you to join her...

Ahead of the release of their ninth studio album, Qualifying Miles, We Are Scientists frontman Keith Murray spoke with SWOMP to discuss the new material, along with the history of their band. Murray says there is an emotional push-and-pull behind the band’s new material and life sometimes writes the lyrics before you do. “One problem with constantly mining your own personal life for lyrical inspir...

Lindsay, Ontario indie rockers The Strumbellas headlined the second night of the Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia, Ontario on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Prior to their set, Jon Hembrey (guitar) and Isabel Ritchie (violin) caught up with SWOMP backstage for an interview. Ever since forming in 2008 and releasing their debut album, 2012’s My Father and the Hunter, two-time JUNO award-winning alternati...

Canadian rockers Bedouin Soundclash performed on the second night of the Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia, Ontario on Saturday, July 19, 2025. Prior to their set, frontman Jay Malinowski sat down with SWOMP backstage for an interview. Watch for a full photo gallery on SWOMP soon! Follow the band at https://www.bedouinsoundclash.com/ .

Toronto rockers A Short Walk To Pluto chatted with SWOMP following their set on the opening day at the Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia, Ontario on Friday, July 18, 2025. Listen to the full interview with band members Emma Armstrong (lead vocals), Max Kaiser (lead guitar), Jake Biggs (drums, percussion & backing vocals) and Georgios Papangelakis (bass guitar). Watch for a full photo gallery f...

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan rockers The Sheepdogs headlined the opening night of the Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia, Ontario on Friday, July 18, 2025. Prior to their set, frontman Ewan Currie sat down with SWOMP backstage for an interview. Watch for a photo gallery from their performance on SWOMP soon! The band is also set to his the road with Bryan Adams for a cross-Canada tour later this year. Al...

Kingston rockers Luscious chatted with SWOMP following their opening set at the Revelree Music Festival in Sarnia, Ontario on Friday, July 18, 2025. Listen to the full interview with band members Brielle LeBlanc (lead vocals), Cole LeBlanc (bass and vocals), Kurt Paquette (guitars and vocals), Doug O'Handley (keyboards and vocals), and Wyatt McMullin (drums). Over the years Luscious has establishe...

Following their performance, which kick started Day #2 at the inaugural Rockin' Thunder music festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Default frontman Dallas Smith sat down with SWOMP for an interview. The Canadian rockers burst onto the music scene in the early 2000s with their infectious blend of alternative rock and post-grunge sound. Formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1999, the core members of D...

Canadian rockers The Trews are back with The Bloody Light, their eighth studio album, set for release October 24 via Known Accomplice / Cadence Music Group. The band, known for their raucous live energy and radio dominance since the early 2000s, discussed the album drop ahead of their Saturday afternoon, July 12, 2025 performance at Edmonton’s Rockin’ Thunder festival, where SWOMP caught up with f...

The countdown is over. Starting tomorrow, the Exhibition Lands Racetrack will transform into the epicenter of loud guitars, timeless hits, and pure rock energy as the inaugural Rockin’ Thunder festival takes over Edmonton, July 11 and 12. The long-anticipated, two-day rock spectacle is bringing an era-spanning lineup to Canada’s Festival City, with performances from some of the biggest names in cl...

Dirt Road Opera will release their new single, a cover of Blaze Foley’s Clay Pigeons, on July 11. The track is a simple, heartfelt version of the well-loved Americana song. SWOMP caught up with Barry Mathers, lead singer, to discuss the tune. The band’s take on the tune features their signature vocal blend and a laid-back, rootsy arrangement. It’s a quiet and respectful nod to Foley’s songwriting,...

After a whirlwind start to her first national tour outside the Maritimes, Music Nova Scotia’s 2024 Entertainer of the Year, Elyse Aeryn, continues to ride high on the momentum of her Unstoppable Canadian tour and recent single of the same name — a fiery anthem for inner strength, connection, and self-love. SWOMP caught up with Elyse for an interview, digging into the meaning behind Unstoppable and...

Hamilton-based post-hardcore band Rarity performed on the side stage at All Your Friends Fest on Sunday, June 29, 2025 in Burl’s Creek, Ontario. Following their set, the full band caught up with SWOMP for an interview. The band released their latest album Lower Feeling in June 2024, marking another chapter in the group’s evolution since forming straight out of high school. The four-piece band — vo...

After lighting up the side stage at All Your Friends Fest in Burl’s Creek, Ontario, on Sunday, June 29, 2025, CON THE ARTIST caught up with SWOMP to talk about his career and reflect on his performance. The Toronto-based creative—known for blending infectious alt-pop with bold, rhythm-forward production—delivered a set that pulsed with energy and intention. A true multi-hyphenate, CON THE ARTIST w...