Twist w/Weaves, Casper Skulls, Pony
Friday, October 20, 6pm
The Khyber, 1880 Hollis Street
free
Although Twist's debut Spectral came out in 2016, don't expect to hear many songs from it Halifax Pop Explosion.
Fronted by Laura Hermiston, the album dropped around the same time she was getting the band together and working on a new setlist. Outside of live shows, the new direction of the gritty pop band from Toronto is showcased on the Benefits EP, released in September.
"We've just developed our live show and figured out what worked," says Hermiston. "We've been developing our sound as a band, so things are just sounding a bit different in a good way."
Along with moving away from a solo project, the lyrics have shifted from the introspective to something bigger. "I was happy I was able to include songs that had lyrics that deviated from topics of love or a singular person, says Hermiston, to "more of a collective conscious or something that's going on in the world or something that's real."
Earlier in the summer, the band spent five days recording in studio, a first after recording in random environments. The plan is to return to the studio after HPX and finish up the next record. Twist will play the Toronto-based label Buzz Records' showcase alongside Weaves, Casper Skulls and Weaves.
"It's a good group for me to be around because it sets the bar high. There are a lot of great bands in Toronto who work really hard but it's nice to be associated with the ones on this label," says Hermiston, who released both records with the label and has toured with Weaves and Dilly Dally. "Their taste is well-curated and they care about the musicians and what they're putting out."
