Small Sins

Thomas d'Arcy conceived Small Sins as a solo outlet after the Carnations disbanded, using the project to steer himself toward the songs he most wanted to create. Recording took place in scattered Toronto locations across twelve months, with d'Arcy supplying the bulk of the instrumentation. Under the original name Ladies and Gentlemen, the collective—featuring Todor Kobakov and Kevin Hilliard on keys, Steve Krecklo on guitar, and Brent Follett on drums, several of whom also appeared on the sessions—issued its debut album Small Sins in 2005 while appearing onstage in matching white outfits. Strong exposure at SXSW led Astralwerks to sign the act, which then faced a copyright-driven name change and settled on Small Sins. The self-titled record reached the United States in 2006 and received a simultaneous Canadian re-release, followed the next year by the sophomore album Mood Swings.