From Vancouver, Canada, post-punk new wave outfit ACTORS provides driving beats, massive hooks, and dramatic atmospheres that are equally melancholy and electrifying. “Cinematic” is a worn-out word, but here, it is simply impossible not to envision movie scenes unfolding as each track plays.
“Sounds like neon-lit black leather...”
In 2018, the Jason Corbett-led foursome signed with Toronto-based Artoffact Records and released its long-awaited debut, It Will Come to You, and quickly became one of the marquee acts on the label. Corbett writes, produces, mixes, and masters all ACTORS music at his own Vancouver studio, Jacknife Sound, and names David Bowie as a fundamental influence – Bowie’s sense of confidence and creativity are in full effect on It Will Come to You. But much more than a retro act, this music stands on its own, full of life and unforgettable hooks. Perhaps best described as a “post-post-punk” band, ACTORS belongs in the mix alongside bands like The Soft Moon and Cold Cave, pushing music forward via a deep knowledge of the past.
ACTORS spent the 18 months after the release of It Will Come to You touring the USA, Canada, and Europe while hitting many of the best-loved festivals, including Terminus Festival, Wave-Gotik-Treffen, Cold Waves, Infest, A Murder of Crows, and many others. The band gave sessions to LA’s Part Time Punks and Seattle’s KEXP, while their songs “Slaves” & “Crystal” found their way to episodes of the Netflix series The Order, and “We Don’t Have to Dance” was featured in Nancy Drew. In Late 2020, ACTORS announced a new single, “Love U More,” with Juno-Award-winning director Peter Ricq contributing his talents to the accompanying video.
“Vancouver’s brilliant post-punk and new-wave quartet ACTORS continue their flair for sonic cinematics in the video for their latest track ‘Face Meets Glass’... The atmosphere quivers with singer Jason Corbett’s crooning reverb augmented by shivering guitars and stark synths.”
Three years later, the follow-up, Acts Of Worship, broke hearts and set fire to dance floors. Corbett points to legends who changed the face of pop music in their day – David Bowie, Roxy Music, Duran Duran – as inspirations. “It’s about embracing who you are and having the confidence to do what you feel and not be afraid,” he says. The album saw the debut of new bassist Kendall Wooding. Corbett noted that the current lineup, completed by synth player Shannon Hemmett and drummer Adam Fink, perfectly reflects the balance of masculine and feminine energy contained within the songs.
Opening the concert is the experimental post-punk electronic duo Plasticstatic. Their unique style blends shoegaze atmosphere with esoteric electronic washes for a truly special sound that rides the razor-thin margin between organic and electronic.