Toronto-based duo TOM BOY was formed by singer Nate Daniels and guitarist Dante Berardi Jr. after the dramatic collapse of their former band, CAIRO. After facing the threat of music unheard, the two musicians collected their resources (and what was left of their pride) and began to feverishly work on new material in 2018. What emerged was, to say the least, an affront to the senses: catastrophically lush arrangements catch your attention immediately and hold it there with lyrics that ruminate on the nature of addiction, desperation, and vitriol. Berardi’s guitar work meanders melancholic under Daniels powerful and sometimes tear-jerking vocals. Tom Boy utilizes pop-sensibilities and arrangement only to smash them against punk-rock lyricism that calls to action anybody they can wake.
Tom Boy may be new on the scene, but they have already caught the attention of their local radio stations Indie88 who premiered their infectious song “Wastecase” and 102.1 The Edge whose Alan Cross placed the track on “Songs You Must Hear This Week”. They’ve also hit a nerve on the international scene with one of their favourite publications growing up,
“ Alternative Press included us in their ‘10 Songs You Need To Hear’, which was crazy because not only do they have two million subscribers, but we’ve been reading that magazine since we were kids who didn’t have a clue we’d even be in a band”
Tom Boy’s music benefits from quick-witted word play and hooky-instrumentation but it may not have all come together without the help of producer, Crispin Day. Known for his work on July Talk, Shad, and Jeremie Albino, Day has experience working on projects that combine rock’n roll sonics with social commentary. It was important to him to nurture the more vulnerable moments in Daniels writing on songs like “One Night Stand” and “Nothing to Lose”:
“Some of the songs just wanted to have space to live. No need to dress them up fancy. Good songs can lean on themselves”
The hardest part for Tom Boy after their breakup with Cairo was that they ached for the stage. Two years without any shows can feel like an eternity for musicians who have clocked thousands of rehearsal and stage hours. Thankfully, the hard-working duo will be following up their last three singles with an EP drop on November 1st with a slew of shows to come including their EP release party at The Drake Underground on November 7th with James Blonde.
Go and see what it is like to be in the middle of their storm.