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FYI

Born Ruffians: Fade To Black

The Toronto indie-rock faves return with a new single and video, The frisky guitars sound a touch Strokes-like, their trademark of quirky melodicism is to the fore, and there are dark lyrics lurking within the jaunty tune.

Born Ruffians: Fade To Black

By Kerry Doole

Born Ruffians - "Fade To Black" (Paper Bag):  So much indie rock today is formulaic and pedestrian, but Born Ruffians bring a refreshing vitality to the genre. This has deservedly earned them a large and loyal fan base, one that has been charmed by the band's most recent album, Uncle, Duke & The Chief. The band recently finished up their most successful North American tour to date including five sold-out hometown shows at Toronto's Lee's Palace,


One of the record's highlight tracks, "Fade To Black" is now out as a single, with an accompanying video. Directed by Roger Galvez and shot with a handheld MiniDV camcorder, the clip shows us the group's life on the road. A label press release notes that "a montage of candid moments, performances, and daily routines carry us through the first act. We transition through television and phone screens featuring footage from Born Ruffians' recent North American tour through the second act: Images begin to get more unsettling: blood, spit, beady eyes. By the end, we have fully emerged in the dark world."

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The energetic pacing of the clip matches the song well. The frisky guitars sound a touch Strokes-like, and the Born Ruffians trademark of quirky melodic touches is in evidence. The jaunty tune belies the darkness of such lyrics as "I'm just impatient, watching your emotional immolation."

Born Ruffians are currently on a tour of Europe and the UK, returning home for Ontario gigs beginning at Burlington's Sound Of Music Festival on June 15. See the itinerary here 
 

Links

Band website

Facebook

Twitter

Publicity: Stage Fright - Darryl Weeks

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EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.
Courtesy of Girl Connected

EMPIRE's Tina Davis (left) and Girl Connected's Lola Plaku at Conversations with the Pros at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto on March 28, 2025.

Record Labels

EMPIRE President Tina Davis Gives Strategic Advice to Women in Music at Girl Connected's New Speaker Series

On Friday (March 28), the president of EMPIRE, the Bay Area-independent label and music company, came to Toronto for Conversation with the Pros offering tangible advice to the mentorship program's community. Davis also spoke to Billboard Canada about her impressive journey in the industry.

Girl Connected has launched a new series that connects the next generation of women in Canadian music with powerhouse executives for the global industry.

On Friday (March 28), Tina Davis, president of EMPIRE, sat down with Girl Connected founder and music industry veteran Lola Plaku at Toronto Metropolitan University for the first in-person Canadian edition of Conversations with the Pros (Billboard Canada was a supporting partner). The series brings in inspiring music industry figures from Girl Connected's international network to talk about their journeys and offer actionable information and advice to help the budding music professionals develop their skills and reach the next level of their careers.

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