NEW YORK – Tucked into the lower east of Manhattan there you’ll find cozy noise-filled bars with moody lighting to match the tone of the songs reverberating against the ceiling panels. The drinks are poured and chatter occurs, as you progress through the crowds of people towards the back of the bar there’s a stage with a band. The band you may or may not know, either way you find yourself in a trance of curiosity and captivation.
I had the pleasure of attending the sixth edition of The New Colossus Festival, an underground music festival in the heart of the lower east side of New York City. With small independent venues scattered throughout the neighborhood providing its own set list for each day within the 5-day duration of the festival. On March 7, 2025, I attended the Planetary Group Presents day-party, featuring rising talent within genres ranging from shoegaze, punk to indie pop. Interestingly, the bands are from a place that taps into more than just maple syrup, good ol’ Canada, tapping into the lost art of true angst without losing skill. Within this article are some highlights from their live performances and one on one interviews with the bands.
To kick us off we’ve got a 4-piece art punk band by the name of Last Waltzon, consisting of Jack Watson (vocals/guitar), Judah Cook (vocals/guitar), Cameron Wredenhagen (bass), and Josh Campos (drums). The group first came together in 2021. Now, in 2025, they’ve released their debut album, “Wethouse.” I had initially seen and met the band after their performance at Pianos in the lower east side at the Planetary showcase where in true punk fashion after being told only two more songs they actually played three. From seeing the band perform twice, I can assure these guys know how to liven up a venue.
KBVR: So you guys are from Montreal, right? How’d you guys meet?
Jack: I met Cameron when I was a very young boy, we were playing covers at this weird, like, high school show.
Judah: I met Jack in high school.
Josh: So I met them about two and a half, three years ago now. I met them at a bar in Montreal, they were looking for a drummer. Through another friend, Clay, who we recorded our record with, they were kind of recording a song there and I knew him. Then it kind of just worked out.
KBVR: I read that you initially connected over The Velvet Underground, is that true? If so, what is your favorite song and/or track?
Josh: Either Foggy Notion or Rock and Roll.
Jack: Yeah, I think the first song I discovered by The Velvets was Rock and Roll, definitely.
Cameron: Either Heroin, or that long one at the end of the black covered album (Sister Ray).
Judah: Maybe The Gift.
KBVR: I know you released your debut album, Wethouse, March 1st. What did the creative process look like for your debut album release?
Judah: It was a long process, like two years of writing and recording. Like we recorded the album twice because we weren’t happy with the first run of things so we redid it again, which took like a year and a half.
Jack: Some of the songs Judah told me that he had written even in highschool, some of the songs I wrote some when I had turned 18, and then some of them, cause it was such a long process of recording, we recorded the album and then we wrote a song, we would then add it to the album right away. So songs like In The Morning, The Stone and The Candle were written, then recorded right away and released with the album.
KBVR: I know you just had this full album come out, but are you working on anything currently?
Josh: We are always working, we have a bunch of songs we are working on right now like new songs. We played a couple tonight, I think. Yeah we are always writing, I think we are just excited to be out touring and playing shows. Hopefully when we get back, we can start actually putting stuff down.
KBVR: I know you describe your band as art-punk, but in three words can you describe your sound and/or your new album?
Judah: Noisy punk mixed with a little bit of pop but like 60’s pop.
KBVR: With your new album, what themes can people expect to find within it?
Jack: Most of these songs were kind of written in our house and the album title was made by the guy who recorded our record– he watched a documentary about a bunch of guys who needed housing. So we went with the theme of it just being all about a house and us in it.
KBVR: For new listeners, what song or track would you want them to start with first?
Cameron: Start with the beginning.
Josh: Start with In The Morning, and listen to the rest of the record– I think that’s best way to go about it.
Judah: You can start with our first single that we did, I guess, but it’s not very good. It’s kind of badly recorded but it’s still pretty fun. It’s charming.
KBVR: What’s the meaning behind Last Waltzon?
Judah: It doesn’t actually mean anything but we came up with a definition for it and it’s the walk you do down the hallway to go vomit in the toilet.
Jack: Yeah it’s the Last Waltzon.
This charming group of lads are currently performing at the SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, and are headed back up north for a show in Toronto on March 21. If the interview hasn’t made it obvious these guys know how to rock, then let me dive further: The combination of Judah’s deep voice and Jack’s ecstatic yells within the album provide a dynamic vocal duo that balance each other out in a way that lets both voices shine in their own caliber. Rhythm masters Josh and Cameron keep up the tempo but aren’t overshined by the two guitarists, which is something I find to be rare within the punk genre. Nowadays it’s rare to find a punk band that sounds great in studio recordings and even better live, usually its one or the other; this is not the case. The two years that it took to finalize the album showed to be fruitful. The album itself is a no-skip record. Every song is worth listening to. I recommend you become a listener now before these guys hit the big time.
Next up, we’ve got a hardcore band, Truck Violence, (I must say there is something poetic about seeing that in italics). Based in Montreal, Quebec, the band consists of four rowdy musicians, Karsyn Henderson (lead vocals), Paul Lecours (guitarist), Chris Clegg (bassist), and Thomas Hart (drummer). Prior to their showcase, we got to meet and interview the band at a noisy red lighted music bar, Arlene’s Grocery.
At the Planetary showcase, these guys went hard. I have never in my life, with all the dingy punk shows in gross underground spaces I have attended, have I ever seen a band mosh while simultaneously performing. I was thoroughly impressed and pleased. As a spray painted banner with the word “VIOLENCE” was set up, the venue was preparing for a storm to arrive, and, boy, did it arrive. My favorite part within their performance, is while moshing, Lecours jumps from an amp and lands on Henderson’s feet. Within a boyish fit of rage while yelling into the mic, he lovingly shoves Paul and when push comes to shove Paul does the exact thing back. All while Clegg does his own thing as he shuffles his feet and joins the audience on the floor for a few moments. As the chaos instews, Hart keeps the pace, guiding the rowdy members and grounding their performance. I was refreshed to see so much personality and chemistry contained between the four band members. As loud and hard as the music was, the way they operated and coexisted with all their different talents was a sight to see. They provided a chaotic yet melodic symphony of rage.
KBVR: You guys are from Quebec right? Where are you guys from?
Thomas: We are based in Montreal, Quebec. I am from Halifax Nova Scotia, the east coast.
Paul: I am from Alberta– me and Karsyn are from Alberta.
Chris: I was born and raised in the suburbs of Montreal, so in Quebec as well.
KBVR: How did you guys all meet?
Karsyn: Paul and I met in highschool in our small town and moved out here (Quebec). Met Chris at an underground rap show, which is a great place to meet– this is the worst place to meet. Then Chris just met Thomas at a show, most of these things tend to work. So you have very glorious beginnings, very glorious.
KBVR: For people who don’t know you, can you introduce your band and what kind of music you make?
Karsyn: We are Truck Violence, we’ve released one album. We play hardcore punk-ish adjacent music and we wear a lot of camo.
KBVR: If you had to explain your music in three words what would it be?
Karsyn: Very smart music.
Chris: Weird. Noisy. Good.
Paul: I’ll double down on very smart music.
Thomas: Crazy. Fun. Goated.
KBVR: Who was your favorite artist in middle school and do they influence your music now?
Paul: My favorite artist was this band Half Moon Run, they are from Montreal, they are so cool– probably, maybe? They make indie music, I am sure at some point they’ve influenced me.
Chris: I’d say John Frusciante’ solo stuff because it’s very disjointed, very raw, and very emotional and hard to listen to. I do like making stuff like that today.
Karsyn: In middle school I liked Slipknot, um– I don’t know if it influenced me positively. I would say more of a good example of what I don’t want to do now. But, I mean yeah, it was good when I was younger but I definitely wouldn’t say there’s much influence in what I am doing now, hopefully, I hope not.
KBVR: Your vocals are very interesting. How’d you decide that was the style you wanted to go for?
Karsyn: It sort of just fell into my lap, I suppose. I wrote a bunch of poetry when I was younger and I continued today. I was like “Okay, I am writing all this stuff, what am I going to do with it”, cause I am not putting it anywhere, it’s just sitting in these journals. I am glad I didn’t start doing vocals back then because it was really terrible stuff. I decided I should do vocals and find a way to put this stuff out. The problem with screaming music, which I was into, is that you can’t really hear or understand what anybody is saying and everybody who listens to it has no desire to listen or read what they are saying because it’s all sort of nonsense– it’s just screaming. I decided I probably shouldn’t do that, I should try enunciating it in a way that is, you know, poetic, so I guess that’s where it came from.
All in all, if you’re looking for a reason to get up and get mad, look no further– Oh, WAIT THERE’S A TRUCK! WATCH OUT!
Last (certainly not the least) on my list of favorites from the flight of Montreal-based bands, we’ve got Knitting. Another four-piece band that provides atmospheric indie-rock very reminiscent of the Pixies and Sonic Youth. The in-sync band consists of Misha Dempsey (lead vocals/guitar), Sarah Harris (guitar), Piper Curtis (bass), and Andy Mulcair (drums).
During their live performance, one thing that stuck out to me is how prominent the bass and drums were, I almost could feel the vibration on the floor. The atmosphere the band brought to the stage was captivating in a nonchalant way. They didn’t have to act in any manner to grasp the attention of newcomers as the room filled with a larger audience. Dempseys voice was soft yet indulgent which matched the layers of rhythm set by their band members.
KBVR: How would you describe your band within three words?
Piper: Guitar. Rock. Music.
KBVR: For a new listener what song would you want them to start with?
Misha: We just put out a new song called Night Lite, which I think would be a cool song to listen to because it is kind of like the direction we are trying to go in but I also think sums up our vibe as a band pretty well.
KBVR: How is that song different from everything else?
Misha: I think in terms of just the evolution of our song writing it is our newest. I think that makes it a little bit different. It’s like the culmination of all the things that we’ve already done. We wrote and produced it ourselves, which is really sick. Sarah recorded it at her studio and I think it’s got some nice levels and has a nice groove to it.
Piper: It’s dynamic, kind of grungey.
KBVR: How did you all meet?
Misha: We are all from different parts of Canada. I met them all at different times. I met Andy on tour, I met Sarah at a music festival in her hometown in Newfoundland, I met Piper through other bands in Montreal–
Piper: Basically, we all met through music in one way or another.
Misha: Yeah, through other projects, festivals, shows and other stuff. But yeah, I wanted to put a live band together for the songs that I was writing and we just started writing collaboratively.
Prior to the interview with the entire band, I got to talking with Sarah about how Montreal was really taking the cake for new indie rock on the scene. She had spoken briefly about how a lot of influences were bands like DIIV and Nirvana, they just put their own twist on it. The influences are definitely there for their most recent single “Nite Lite.” Their 2024 album, “Heaven,” is a mix of DIIV and Alex G (specifically 2012). A personal favorite off that album is “The Thrill,” though I recommend listening to the entire album and finding your pick.
Yet another band from Montreal that I predict big things for. What exactly is in their water? Or maybe it’s just access to universal healthcare? All I know is Montreal showed up and showed out. I could hear the American whispers of “Wow, these Canadian bands” within the crowd. Whatever they are tapping into up North, we need more of it.
