Biography
Sonic Avenues hail from Montreal and fuse punk rock’s raw force with power pop’s infectious cheer and indie rock’s sharp melodic sense. Vocalist and guitarist Max Desharnais started the group while living with three roommates in a shared house where frequent parties took place. He kept a drum kit and amplifiers in his basement room to accommodate spontaneous, beer-soaked jams. Bassist Jamie Desjardins often visited, and the pair’s nighttime guitar workouts gradually became songwriting sessions. After completing several original numbers, Desharnais and Desjardins chose to form a proper band, adding drummer JC Niquet and guitarist Seb Godin in 2006.
Drawing from 1960s garage and freakbeat acts such as the Litter, the Kinks, the Zombies, and the Who, along with first-wave punk bands including the Buzzcocks, the Real Kids, the Adverts, and the Pointed Sticks, Sonic Avenues soon built a following on the local scene. In 2007 they signed with Montreal indie label Going Gaga for their self-titled debut album. After touring extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe, the band partnered with American punk imprint Dirtnap Records for their second album, Television Youth.
Jamie Desjardins exited shortly after the record was finished, and bassist Chance Hutchison joined in his place. Following increased critical attention across North America, Sonic Avenues issued their third album, Mistakes, in 2014. The same lineup convened for the next project and recorded at Adrian Popovich’s Mountain City studio as well as Desharnais’ Sound Salvation Studios. Dirtnap released the resulting album, Disconnector, in late 2016; it expanded the group’s punk-pop palette with fresh instruments and textures.
Drawing from 1960s garage and freakbeat acts such as the Litter, the Kinks, the Zombies, and the Who, along with first-wave punk bands including the Buzzcocks, the Real Kids, the Adverts, and the Pointed Sticks, Sonic Avenues soon built a following on the local scene. In 2007 they signed with Montreal indie label Going Gaga for their self-titled debut album. After touring extensively throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe, the band partnered with American punk imprint Dirtnap Records for their second album, Television Youth.
Jamie Desjardins exited shortly after the record was finished, and bassist Chance Hutchison joined in his place. Following increased critical attention across North America, Sonic Avenues issued their third album, Mistakes, in 2014. The same lineup convened for the next project and recorded at Adrian Popovich’s Mountain City studio as well as Desharnais’ Sound Salvation Studios. Dirtnap released the resulting album, Disconnector, in late 2016; it expanded the group’s punk-pop palette with fresh instruments and textures.
Albums
Singles
