Dead Soft

Dead Soft took shape within British Columbia’s independent music circles at the outset of the 2010s, delivering dense, distortion-heavy rock that balanced inward-looking themes with an instinctive melodic core. Beginning on a modest island along the Inside Passage, the group later signed with Toronto’s Arts + Crafts and maintained a consistent independent approach, logging repeated cross-country tours while issuing several well-regarded EPs plus a full-length in 2014. Their second album, Big Blue, appeared in 2019 and introduced a measured change in atmosphere, becoming their first release to reach a broader audience.

Nathaniel Epp, who sings and plays guitar, joined forces with bassist and vocalist Keeley Rochon while both were still in their teens in the fishing port of Prince Rupert on Kaien Island. Early material reflected their shared interest in Canadian indie rock from the 1990s together with American songwriters such as Elliott Smith and the Replacements. After moving south to Victoria they formally launched Dead Soft in 2011. Following a self-titled EP and a cassette that surfaced in 2012, the pair settled in Vancouver and added drummer Graeme McDonald to complete a three-piece lineup. Their first long-player, also self-titled, came out in 2014 on the local independent imprint Kingfisher Bluez and was supported by extensive road work.

A 2016 single titled “The Wind,” issued by Infinity Cat Recordings, preceded a recording contract with Arts + Crafts, the Toronto label home to acts including Stars, Broken Social Scene, and Timber Timbre. The partnership began with the New Emotion EP in 2018, which strengthened the band’s melodic power-pop direction. One year later they released Big Blue, an album that built upon their heavy fuzz-pop approach while focusing thematically on personal transformation.