
With some bands, you know exactly what to expect every time you slide on the headphones.
Maybe it’s three power chords driven by pure adrenaline, or pulsing ‘80s-inspired synth pop with hooks for days. But then there are bands like Jane’s Party – bands that combine colours and textures from various styles into a constantly-evolving sonic tapestry; that can shift shapes from song to song and album to album while staying consistently good, consistently compelling, and consistently true to themselves. For Jane’s Party – Jeff Giles (keys/guitar/vocals), Tom Ionescu (guitar/vocals), Devon Richardson (bass/vocals), and Zach Sutton (drums) – that’s largely a product of a hard-earned and enviable musical synergy. The talented Toronto-based foursome united amidst their university years in 2006, initially playing one-of-a-kind covers to packed clubs throughout the city before collaborating on some output of their own. “I think it was a common love of original music and an open-mindedness to try out
anything that felt right that brought us together, and we really had no set agenda,” begins Richardson. “But once we started writing and then sharing songs, we realized this meant a lot to us – and other people were getting into it, too.”
Their 2009 debut, The Garage Sessions, introduced Jane’s Party’s hook-heavy brand of organic indie rock and earned its share of attention and acclaim in the talent-rich Toronto music scene. In the decade-plus since, they’ve honed the core of that sound – the simple-but-substantial melodies, rich, multi-part harmonies, and keen sense of dynamics – through a series of constantly-evolving albums, EPs, and singles. “It’s been a really gradual process over the years, finding and establishing our sound and then figuring out where we can branch off to explore new things,” Ionescu puts in. “The more we try, the more we learn, so that constant evolution comes very naturally.” 2013’s Hot Noise, for example, built on The Garage Sessions’ acoustic aesthetic with more electricity and eclecticism, whereas 2016’s Tunnel Visions pushed further into electro-pop territory with vibe-heavy textures that could tempt anyone onto a dancefloor.