Jaunt :: Toronto’s “Weird Pop”

by Mark Teague

Jaunt, indie pop hailing from Toronto, met at a Halloween party years ago and, after years of non-committal track sharing, the band has come together to make their mark on the Canadian music scene. Despite their haphazard beginnings, the band’s mindset when it comes to making music is quite meticulous.

“Many of the songs on the record began as an initial sketch or idea by our singer Tom. We often work through the songs over time, fleshing out the arrangements, and constantly tinkering with the production. Sometimes the songs reveal themselves quickly, but we often continue to revise and work on songs in chunks as opposed to focusing on one song at a time.”

This process has once again culminated in the Jaunt’s newest album All in One, released on April 16th.

“For the most part, the album was self-recorded at our various homes. With that said, Alex Sowinski helped us record some additional instrumentation at Studio 69. We also recorded a bit with our friend Louie Short at Dining Room Sound, both studios being in Toronto. The album was recorded and pieced together over several years, so the process was quite fragmented!”

One of the album’s songs, “Delighted to be Spoken To”, is the latest in the band’s series of video releases.

“The video was directed and shot by Sylvain Chaussée and Pia Perez, in our bandmate Daniel’s apartment. We shot a series of loose vignettes for several songs from the album, and “Delighted” features Caitlin reflecting and contemplating while hanging out in a skylight in the apartment. We wanted the viewer to have the option to pay attention to the visual if they wish, but the vignettes are mainly intended to serve as some pretty, visual accompaniment to the music. The goal was for a simple and repetitive visual that was captivating, but not distracting. We filmed all the vignettes in one day, so the process was quick and relatively painless thankfully! 

Although the band has seen success and support from a thriving Toronto music scene, rising metropolitan real-estate is putting pressure on live music.

“Things in Toronto are pretty good! There is no shortage of amazing music coming out of the city, and I’m constantly impressed with all the new artists and talent emerging all the time. The downside is, with the rising cost of rent in Toronto, it’s becoming tougher and tougher for venues to stay afloat. There’s been far too many venue closures in the last few years, which is obviously concerning. The scene has found a way to band together though, and I still don’t think I can see us moving away any time soon.” 

You can find Jaunt’s albums, videos, and merch @ www.thebandjaunt.com

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