Fans of oddball indie dance pop, electronic dance mayhem, and experimental artpunk soundscapes are in for a treat when two Vancouver LBGTQ artists drop into Cumberland Friday, March 8.
Devours will be celebrating the release of Iconoclast, the brand new album released on Toronto’s Artoffact Records. Their tourmates are the absurdly monikered Sh_tlord F_ckerman, the wildly fun video game techno project of Gil Goletski (originally from Comox). Completing the bill are Nanaimo’s Colliding Canyons, whose new single Acromium is produced by Rob the Viking (Swollen Members).
Devours is the work of Jeff Cancade.
“Devours began as a bedroom sound collage project in 2011,” explained Cancade. “After releasing a few instrumental mixtapes, I switched things up a bit in 2015 and turned Devours into an electro pop singer/songwriter project. I’m really inspired by Nine Inch Nails, Moby, late ’90s nu metal, Phil Collins, Missy Elliott… too many to name. Everything in pop culture, basically. It might sound odd, but I don’t listen to a lot of electronic music - I mostly listen to punk and indie rock. I really like hip hop as well - Timbaland and the Neptunes have had a huge influence on my music.
Branded a “DIY queer artist”, as well as “Mutant Homo Pop”, Cancade expands on the importance of the audience being aware of his sexuality and how his music is universal for straight music fans too. “Growing up, I dealt with a lot of shame about being gay, and it’s important for me, both as an artist and a person, to own who I am and be honest and open about it. My songs are about love, heartbreak, nostalgia, masculinity, and liberation - topics that a lot of people can relate to, regardless of their sexual orientation. With that said, the lyrics on Iconoclast are more defiantly queer than my debut record, and I have absolutely no reservations about them. I am not a mainstream artist and I’m not trying to relate to soccer moms and suburban jocks - all I want to do is be honest, be myself, connect with my community, and sing about what I’m going through.”
This will be Devours first visit to the Comox Valley, Cancade elaborates on what to expect at the show. “Intensity, honesty, synth sorcery, imperfect-but-passionate vocals, big glittery eyebrows, and a lot of dancing. Shitlord Fuckerman’s music is also really upbeat and fun to dance to. We’re determined to make magic happen in Cumberland. I’m co-headlining the show with Sh_tlord F_ckerman, and this is a homecoming show for them, so that’s really cool.”
Coming out internationally on March 8, the Cumberland show serves as an album release party.
“Iconoclast is my second full-length album, and first to be released on a label. It’s about masculinity, body image, and queer identity. It’s also about letting go of mainstream society and embracing alternative lifestyles. I wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered it on my own, so it is very DIY and very personal. Overall, I’d say that the record is a bit darker and edgier than my first, but also more upbeat and danceable. “
Devours, Colliding Canyons, & Sh_tlord F_ckerman are at the Masonic Hall in Cumberland on Friday, March 8. Tickets are $10 (plus s/c). Advance tickets at Bop City Records and the CV Collective Store. Doors open at 8.