A college rock lovers dream band, Toronto’s ON is doing big things and making great music. Now they’ve also got a great audio-visual experience for all of us, which we have the pleasure of premiering today. Vocally, frontwoman Lucy Di Santo leads the way, both vocally (think Kim Deal of the Pixies and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth) and visually in a fantastic vibrant video for their latest single ‘Blackmail’. Filmed on location at The Jam Chamber in North York, it was directed and edited by filmmaker/graphic designer Michael Gucciardi. A captivating clip indeed with plenty of colour and great use of light (and glitch effects) – it’s also great to see how the band interacts with each other, seemingly bouncing their energy off one another.
ON is a trio made up of members of popular T.O. bands Acid Test, Danko Jones and Deliuss. Made up of Lucy Di Santo (vocals, bass), Dan Cornelius (drums) and Steve Fall (guitars), The band’s new ‘ON’ album, scheduled for release on September 16 via Indiestructable Records, follows the brazen ‘Underdog’.
“This video is a visual representation of enlightenment and empowerment”… I’m clear , I know what the score is,” says Lucy Di Santo. “This is a song about empowerment, strength, and self-actualization. It embraces recovery of one’s authentic self and soul from external forces – whether they be human, institutional, cultural, or chemical.”
Toronto is still home for Di Santo and Fall, while Cornelius currently resides in NYC. Written in Toronto and New York City, the pre-production recording took place in Cape Coral in 2021 with Drew Howard at Star Sound Studios. The band has since been working out of Phase One Studios with sound engineerDarius Szczepaniak (Sum 41, Black Crowes, Big Sugar, BareNaked Ladies, Jann Arden).
Always pushing forward with an eye on the rear-view mirror, ON pays homage to its roots – post-punk, grunge, old-school funk and 90s college rock. With infectious guitar riffs with a dash of p-funk groove, ON’s music recalls a listening journey of classic albums on vinyl. While some songs are carried by emotional weight, some are ripping mini-audio trips with invigorating twists and turns.
“This record deals with where we are today and what we’ve overcome, persevering as a society and as individuals. I found myself as part of a genuinely authentic creative, human experience with Steve and Dan in various geographical locations including NYC, Florida and Toronto and felt the need to document it melodically. It’s about pain, hope, reframing and overcoming. It’s about survival. The songs are an authentic and complete collaboration of the triad and soul connection that is ON,” says Lucy Di Santo.
ON Guitarist Steve Fall adds, “This record is a document of friendship navigating explores in pain, and hope. Looking at the world with a collaborative effort to document what we see, witness and feel through songwriting and chemistry as a band.”
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While the first two singles from this long-player have already been released everywhere online, this much-anticipated ‘ON’ album will be released on September 16 and
is available for pre-order atindiestructablerecords.com. Alternatively, Bandcamp fans will find it at https://onband1.bandcamp.com/album/on and it can otherwise be found for streaming and download at https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/on6/on,
ALBUM CREDITS
Written, arranged by ON (Di Santo, Fall, Cornelius)
Lucy Di Santo – vocals, bass
Dan Cornelius – drums
Steve Fall – guitars
Produced by ON and Darius Szczepaniak
Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Darius Szczepaniak at Phase One Studios, Toronto
Preproduction & original engineering by Drew Howard at The Star Sound Studios, Cape Coral, FL
Additional drum programming (FLA) by Jay Aitch / The Star Sound Studios
‘Underdog’ video filmed by Lindi Gordon, edited by Michael Gucciardi
‘Blackmail’ video directed and edited by Michael Gucciardi
Shot on location at The Jam Chamber in North York, Ontario
Keep up with ON
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