advertisement
FYI

Partner: Everybody Knows

The new single from the Windsor duo's raved about debut album features playful lyrics and righteously ringing guitar and is as refreshing as a dip in an icy lake. They're spreading the gospel with international touring.

Partner: Everybody Knows

By Kerry Doole

Partner - "Everybody Knows" (You've Changed Records): This Windsor-based duo describes its sound as "Canadian queer post-classic rock." We're not sure about the 'post' part, as Partner brings to mind the '90s alt-rock stylings of the likes of Hole, The Breeders and Veruca Salt.


Whatever the tag, this sound is bracing and very welcome at a time when big riffy rock seems an endangered species. Quite how Josée Caron and Lucy Niles summon up such huge widescreen sonics is a mystery, but even as they pin you up against the wall, they tickle the ears with melody embedded in the muscle.

advertisement

"Everybody Knows" is the latest single from the debut album In Search Of Lost Time, one of the best-reviewed records of 2017 and a potential Polaris contender. It doesn't have quite the unrelenting ferocity of earlier gem "Ambassador To Ecstasy," but it remains a winner. The guitars ring out righteously, and the playful lyrics throw in a The Big Lebowski reference.

Partner continues to pound the rock 'n roll highway in earnest. Dates in the US and Ontario precede SXSW gigs, followed by more US shows and a 12-date UK tour in May that includes The Great Escape fest. An itinerary here 

advertisement
Billboard Canada 2025: The Covers
Media

Billboard Canada 2025: The Covers

Here are all of Billboard Canada’s covers of 2025, spotlighting artists, executives and career moments that shaped the year.

A Billboard Canada cover marks a moment when an artist, a career or an industry story reaches a point worth reflecting on. Across 2025, those moments ranged from chart-defining comebacks and first-ever interviews to farewell tours and leadership milestones that shaped Canada’s live and recorded music landscape. Each cover reflected not just who was in focus, but why that story mattered at that specific time.

This year was bookended by big Canadian rock comeback stories: Sum 41 calling it quits after one of their most successful albums, and Three Days Grace entering one of their highest-charting phases after a reunion with original lead singer Adam Gontier. It was a year of rising stars entering the next level, like The Beaches, and artists returning to their roots, like Daniel Caesar and his intimate show at NXNE 2025. And it was a major year for Live Nation, the dominant live promotions company that has helped turn Toronto into one of the biggest global touring markets.

keep readingShow less
advertisement