by Domenico Di Vincenzo
As someone who is deeply interested in music with all its different areas, I am very thankful to be able to work in a radio station like CKDJ 107.9 which focuses on the local artists that might not get the recognition they deserve. I have been looking into many bands around the city and listening to their music. I’ve learned that Ottawa has a very underrated punk and alt rock scene brewing. Locations like The House of TARG, The Bronson Centre, and The Rainbow Bistro have been home to some amazing Ottawa home grown talent. One band which is rapidly gaining a following with their latest release has been “Neon Ghosthouse”.
The five piece punk and alt rock band showcasing hints of grunge has gained a big following considering how new they are. Forming in October 2020 the five current members are Scott Martin (Lead Vocalist), Zac MacDonald (Lead Guitar), Jack O’Sullivan (Rhythm Guitar), Jared Lance (Bassist), and Stephen Adubofuor (Drummer). With the release of their five song EP “The Big Words That Make Us Feel Small” which ever since releasing on October 12th has increased their monthly listeners on Spotify from around 800 to over 7000. Songs from the EP “Second Chance,” “Tauvette Park,” and “Big Words” have become a hit with fans all having over 4000 listens each in under a month which is a huge step for this up and coming band. They’ve easily become one of my favorite bands to listen to daily with other songs which I highly recommend like “Bad Habits” released in 2023 and my favorite, “Expectations” which was one of their first two singles which was released in 2022 along with “Scott’s Slang.”
Bands like Neon Ghosthouse are just one of many great acts that Ottawa has to offer and should be pushed out. They are some very talented and fun musicians who put out some great material. But because of the fact Ottawa is such a small market not many bands gain the amount of listeners and audience that they should while bands just 4 hours away in places around Toronto explode. I highly encourage people to explore local artists around Ottawa and you might find an artist that could become a favorite. Attend shows and show your support and allow these young artists to grow. If you are interested in going out to see Neon Ghosthouse sometime soon The Bronson Centre is going to have an amazing concert on December 14th that is perfect for finding Ottawa artists. 4 different bands will be playing Neon Ghosthouse, TheNewHires, F!TH, and Complicit. You best believe I’m going and I hope others decide to come out with tickets only being $20 on a Saturday. You have no excuse to not stop by and have a great start to your weekend.
Grove, E. (2021, December 17). Neon Ghosthouse: Not your average alt-rock band. Glue Magazine. https://glueottawa.com/2021/12/22/neon-ghosthouse-not-your-average-alt-rock-band/
Neon Ghosthouse. BandMix.ca
https://www.bandmix.ca/neon-ghosthouse/
Comments