Locals Only Sound

Toronto duo Locals Only Sound first gained traction as sought-after producers alongside high-profile talents including Alessia Cara and Alejandro Sanz, whose collaboration ultimately secured the pair a Grammy Award. As singer-songwriters themselves, Gray Hawken and Curtis Smith have earned recognition for their own sultry electronic pop output, highlighted by the 2018 mixtape Opus 1 and the singles “Move with Me” in 2020 and “Easy” in 2021.

The two have been close since their school years in Toronto, where they connected over music and skateboarding before starting to write and record together during high school. Their instinctive rapport and skill drew early attention, prompting a deal with 21 Entertainment Group at age 18 that positioned them as both artists and producers. The duo surfaced in 2018 via their own mixtape Opus 1 and soon collected credits on Alessia Cara’s “Growing Pains,” Ryland James’s “Good to You,” and Olivia O’Brien’s “Call Mom.” Their profile rose further when work on Latin artist Alejandro Sanz’s track “El Trato” contributed to his 2019 album #ELDISCO claiming a Grammy. At the same time, their independent releases continued attracting listeners, particularly “Move with Me” in 2020 and “Easy” the following year.