SWOMP

Eve 6 performed their first show of the year on the final day of Innings Festival 2026 in Tempe, Arizona, blending self-aware humour with late ’90s alternative rock nostalgia. Frontman Max Collins quickly set the tone, playfully sizing up the crowd and the band’s place in the “late ‘90’s radio rock” era. “Do you like alternative rock? Do you like late ‘90’s radio rock?” Collins asked. “That’s good...

Artikal Sound System performed on the Right Field Stage at Innings Festival 2026 in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday, February 22, delivering an engaging early set that quickly drew the crowd in. SWOMP caught up with singer Logan Rex and drummer Adam Kampf backstage following the performance. The band spoke about feeding off the energy of the audience during their set — getting fans involved with singalon...

Common People kicked off the Home Plate Stage on the final day of Innings Festival in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday, February 22, 2026, becoming the first band to take the festival’s main stage. Fresh off their set, SWOMP caught up with the band backstage in their trailer. The group reflected on playing their first-ever music festival - a milestone moment - and the energy of opening the main stage on t...

The Ramona Flowers played the Right Field Stage on the final day of Innings Festival 2026, delivering an energetic set that helped set the tone early. SWOMP caught up with the band in their trailer following the performance. The group spoke about the rush of opening the final day - with their pounding kick drum already grabbing attention from across the grounds - and what it meant to be part of th...

Former Major League Baseball pitcher, World Series champion, All-Star and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ryan Dempster took some time out of his busy schedule at Innings Festival 2026 in Tempe, Arizona to chat with SWOMP. Dempster, who leads “Off The Mound” - a late night-style talk show featuring MLB stars past and present alongside personalities from across sports and entertainment - on...

Congress The Band are quickly moving beyond their roots as a cover band in Charleston, and their early set at the Innings Festival showed a group stepping confidently into a new chapter. Sporting matching baseball jerseys, the band brought a mix of indie and Southern rock to the Right Field Stage, setting the tone for the opening day crowd with a high-energy performance. “This is our first time pl...

Avril Jensen once dreamed of becoming an astronaut or a screenwriter. Instead, the Quebec singer-songwriter found her calling in music — a path she describes as written in the stars. Jensen, who performs in both French and English, is building her career beyond Quebec and will celebrate the one-year anniversary of her debut album Is Any of This Real? with a special show March 27, 2026 at Drake Und...

Canadian country star Jade Eagleson is bringing his first-ever headlining North American tour to London Music Hall on Feb. 9 (tickets, here ), marking a key Southwestern Ontario stop on the fast-rising artist’s “Coming Soon to a Honky Tonk Near You” run. The London date lands near the end of a coast-to-coast tour that traced Eagleson’s journey from Western Canada through the U.S. Midwest and back...

Washington-based country singer and songwriter CJ Hooper is drawing on his Texas roots for his second album, Over Yonder, set for release Feb. 6, 2026. SWOMP caught up with CJ for interview to discuss his new album.  Music has been a constant in Hooper’s life, from childhood piano lessons to picking up the guitar in his early teens. He grew up listening to classic country artists such as Hank Will...

Canadian country artist Kelsi Mayne is opening a raw and reflective new chapter with the release of her latest single, 'For The Record', a song she says unpacks one of the most complicated periods of her life. The track, released as Mayne closed out 2025 and stepped into 2026, draws from the aftermath of a broken engagement and the intense relationship that followed. In an interview with SWOMP, Ma...

A 19-year-old Canadian fiddler continues to make waves on the national folk scene, with Irish Millie earning a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination for Single of the Year and recognition as a nominee for Folk Music Ontario’s 2025 Performing Artist of the Year. SWOMP caught up with Millie to discuss the recognition. Millie received the Single of the Year nomination for “You Were There,” a standout...

CMAOntario-nominated duo Amanda & James are set to return on Feb. 6 with their new single “Comeback,” a playful, harmony-driven release arriving via Symphonic Music. The track follows a breakout year for the fast-rising Canadian country act and continues to build momentum as they emerge as one of the genre’s most talked-about new duos. SWOMP caught up with the duo for an interview. “Comeback”...

Canadian-born, Nashville-based country artist Drew Taylor is continuing his steady rise with the release of the music video for his latest single “MAKERS,” unveiled via All Country News. The song leans into the slow burn of unexpected chemistry, drawing a vivid parallel between falling in love and savoring a good whiskey, where each moment lingers and deepens with time. SWOMP caught up with Taylor...

Canadian Roots and Soul vocal collective AV & the Inner City are turning inward on their new single, “Dinner With the Lord,” an acapella track that reflects on where people seek comfort during times of uncertainty. Released Nov. 21, the song is a stripped-down acapella interpretation of a composition by fellow Edmonton porch-concert musician Alin Rogoz. It marks the first recording by the grou...

Canadian folk-country band School House will release their new single, Live While I’m Alive, on Jan. 16 across all major streaming platforms, marking the next chapter for the fast-rising group as they prepare for a national tour and their second full-length album. Band member Joel Ryan says the song reflects the tension of modern adulthood, touching on financial stress, self-doubt and the uncertai...

Multi award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist and broadcaster Laila Biali has earned her first Grammy nomination, landing in one of the ceremony’s most closely watched categories. Biali is nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album alongside Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson and rising star Laufey, placing the Canadian artist in rarefied company...

HEALTH have never been a band to sugarcoat the state of things, but their new album CONFLICT DLC—out today on Loma Vista Recordings—might be their most direct confrontation yet with the emotional fallout of living online, living overwhelmed, and living through a world that feels permanently tilted toward chaos. The Los Angeles industrial trio have spent nearly two decades expanding, exploding, and...

Canadian rock legends Lighthouse are revisiting one of their most celebrated works with the release of One Fine Morning (Anniversary Edition), arriving Nov. 7 through Anthem Records. The release marks the first time the platinum-selling album has been fully remixed, remastered and expanded. It will be available on limited-edition three-colour-splatter vinyl, sun/moon vinyl, double CD and digital f...

Kula Shaker, the psychedelic rock band that once stood apart from Britpop’s swagger with its mystical flair and sitar-laced guitar work, is preparing to release its eighth studio album, Wormslayer, on Jan. 30, 2026. SWOMP caught up with vocalist and guitarist Crispian Mills to discuss the record. The band, still made up of its original lineup of Mills, Alonza Bevan, Paul Winterhart and Jay Darling...

Thunder Queens, one of Canada’s most exciting young rock bands, headline a hometown all-ages show as part of VENUExVENUE 2025, joined by a powerhouse lineup of rising acts. SWOMP caught up with Lola Hayman (drums, vocals), Violet Bruneel (guitar, vocals), and Clara Magnan (bass, vocals) for an interview to discuss the show and their career. Set for Saturday, Nov. 8 at Lazer Quest (149 Carling St.)...

Folk and Americana band The Unfaithful Servants released their long-awaited second album Fallen Angel on October 17, 2025. Hailed as “Canada’s most exciting Newgrass band” by Seaside Music Festival, the Vancouver Island group has built a reputation for captivating live performances, rich storytelling, and masterful musicianship. Their sound blends elements of bluegrass, traditional folk, and Ameri...

New Jersey-based alternative/pop-punk band Good Damage released their third single, 'Just Alive,' on October 24 — a soaring, emotionally charged track that cements the band’s knack for blending catchy hooks with heartfelt urgency. SWOMP caught up with the group to talk about the new song and their steady climb in the East Coast alt scene. The members say 'Just Alive' captures the tension between s...

Acclaimed indie folk band Great Lake Swimmers have released their much-anticipated ninth studio album, Caught Light, now available on all major platforms. Alongside the full record, the Toronto-based group shared live footage of “For You To Come Around,” filmed at Odd Fellows Hall in St. Catharines, Ontario. The band, fronted by Tony Dekker, will support the release with a lengthy tour beginning O...

Canadian music icon Bif Naked will bring her life story and unmistakable voice to The Royal Theatre on November 12 for a one-night-only event featuring the premiere screening of BIF NAKED: A Documentary, an intimate acoustic performance and a live Q&A. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) and promises a three-hour celebration of one of Canada’s most fearless and influential...

After more than 25 years together, Finger Eleven are hitting a vibrant new peak. SWOMP spoke with lead singer Scott Anderson about the band’s long-awaited return and the making of their first studio album in a decade, Last Night On Earth, set for release November 7 through Better Noise Music. Energized by the momentum of their 2024 North American tour, the JUNO Award-winning, multi-platinum rocker...