BAD INFLUENCE MAGAZINE

Good vibes and good times are the name of the game for this Toronto-based indie outfit.

I stumbled across The High Loves‘ set at NXNE. They were playing the Horseshoe Tavern and had garnered a pretty impressive crowd considering how many acts were playing in the vicinity.

I parked myself at the edge of the front, near that little half door that goes backstage. There’s a tiny table built into the wall there, where people set their drinks. It’s also an excellent spot for me to set my notebook, where I scratch whatever defining points that set an act apart. While I was doing this, the band’s manager approached me to ask who I wrote for. We exchanged info, and now, a few weeks later, I’m writing this article.

I met with frontman Noah Monckton at Sweaty Betty’s on Lower Ossington. I got there first, and he was easy to spot when he walked in with a guitar strapped to his back (he was running to practice immediately after our chat). He ordered a beer and sat down, sipping pensively between my answering my rapid-fire questions.

The High Loves play punchy, upbeat indie-pop laden with catchy hooks, fun riffs, and popping drums. Interwoven with 80s-style synths and smooth vocals, the band blends the best parts of the classics with their modern style. My favourite song of the set, and their most popular on Spotify, Make My Life a Movie, sounds like summer: driving down the highway with the windows down, oversized sunglasses on, hair blowing in the wind, belting along to the radio with your best friends.

The summery, upbeat sound of the band is 100% intentional, according to the singer-guitarist. “At least, I’ve been told, we have a very positive energy about our shows, and what I try and personally put out there is good vibes, good energy, and I think the music we make is all kind of revolving around that.”

This good vibe sound is primarily what sets The High Loves apart from Toronto’s other indie acts. If you dig deep, it is more than just the energy they consciously try to put into their music and performances. Noah is originally from Victoria, BC, having moved to Toronto seven years ago and forming The High Loves shortly after. There is a west coast sound to the group that comes so innately and is less comparable to Ontario indie darlings like Hollerado and more similar to the California sounds of the Buttertones or Best Coast.

The group is putting out a new single, Changing, on July 14. While Noah believes having expectations is dangerous, he’s excited nonetheless. “I personally feel really good about this one. It was one of those times with the writing and production where everything just clicked. It was effortless, you know? Those songs, in my experience, always end up being everyone’s favourite.” Noah describes it as his personal favourite song the band has ever done and has a good feeling about it.

The single is set to be the first in a series, culminating in an EP titled “Stereo Now” coming out this winter. Like anyone, the band’s influences are constantly changing, and on this EP, the group draws from a wide array of artists. “A big influence has been 80s disco. There’s a lot of throwback stuff in it, I think the title “Stereo Now” might give that away. I think Billy Joel and Elton John are some influences. On the modern side, Mitski, Dayglow, and the Cure.” When I asked Noah to sell the sound of the EP to me, he gave a compelling pitch. “It’s like if you walked into a 50s diner, but it was also a nightclub, and there’s the light-up dance floor, and you could also get some comfort food or something.”

The band is set to be back at the Horseshoe this Friday, July 7, for the release party a week before the single is slated to drop. Noah again sets no expectations for the gig. “I try not to have any expectations, that way, I can just focus on performing. However, we’ve been very lucky with our Toronto shows lately, thanks to a lot of awesome people coming out.” The main goal for him and the band is that people will come out to the show and have a good time, and maybe those people will listen to the single when it drops.

Based on what little details I could get out of Noah, the upcoming show will be a blast. “I don’t want to give too much away, but we’re bringing in a lot of talented people to help us with the production of it. I don’t wanna give anything away, but we’re dressing the stage up pretty nice. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves for it.”

In the future, the band plans to tour Canada in the fall, then the States and, eventually, Europe. The band approaches their work with a growth mindset, hoping to get a little better and do a little more with each release and every show. That being said, I look forward to seeing where life takes The High Loves after this single, this EP, and whatever else they have on the horizon.

Buy tickets to the High Loves’ single release party here

Stream Changing, available July 14