GOLD WINNER
Atay & JAXwebsite
SILVER WINNER
Like A Motorcyclewebsite
BRONZE WINNER
Botflywebsite
Atay & JAX (or Adam Taylor and Jaxon Booth, as they’re known offstage) are the first to admit they mightn’t be the typical punk stereotype. Students of the type of pop-meets-hip hop, post-BROCKHAMPTON school of sound that raps more than sings, they’re more likely to spit bars than shred guitar. “I feel like the punk scene might be a little mad because we're pretty soft for punk,” Taylor says as Booth laughs.
“Ever since I was a kid, my dad just put me on the classic punk rock bands: The Green Days, the Blink-182s, Sum 41 and all that stuff. And I don't know, it's just, it's just always struck me in a place where no other genre of music has—and I love rap music too,” says Booth. “But to be able to mix those two genres together and make something that I think is really unique and special, and a bit of a hybrid, is my favourite thing in the entire world.”
Adds Taylor: “When I saw that we were up for punk, I was like ‘Does that make sense?’ And so I googled the definition of punk music. And it seems to me like it's a lot less about genres and sound, and a lot more about what you're actually trying to accomplish. And the emotionality that goes behind it.”
It seems, then, that Halifax is looking for a title that fits in ethos if not in percentage of power chords played.
The pair began making music independently before joining forces during the pandemic and embarking on a professional music career. And while their opportunities to play live mightn’t have been as plentiful thanks to COVID, they’ve wasted no time developing a high-energy live show touted for a punk energy. “This year finally feels like not only is live music back, but it feels like the first year that Atay & JAX as a concept exists in the music industry. Because there was almost no music industry for two years, and then before that, we were not known enough or involved enough to be in the Nova Scotia or Atlantic Canada industry. And this year finally feels like we are so I'm really excited about that,” Booth says. “I just want to say how grateful we are.”
