soundbyte; 3/20/2025

written by c tuel

Welcome to the Pity party

Quite frankly, when Charlie Kerr decided to write last week about his personal experience the night before this record was released, I just knew that the album release show the following night at the Beacham with Rare Americans would be beyond belief. (I was right, by the way.)

Despite this being the primary single for the album’s release cycle, it still became my focus track after the full release. There is something so special about it to me, and I think it fully embodies the concept of “trying to be a rockstar” without realizing you truly are one. (Note: ‘A prison cell of “be yourself” / You must be joking"‘) It’s one of those songs that a record would be completely different without. I can’t imagine it not being there - it’s entirely integral to the point of Pity Party. It’s a nice breath of “I did it” halfway through the record.

Now let me say this with a lack of professionalism and definitely without the required eloquence. My Hotel Mira shows were within one year and one week, and about a thousand miles apart. I’ve been watching the band grow exponentially for the last few years. They’ve sold out not only one show but a run of three. Arena support. Over one million streams on Dancing With The Moonlight.

“Making Progress” is so truly understatement of the year. Congratulations to four phenomenal Canadian rock stars.