SPILL FESTIVAL FEATURE: NXNE 2026 – SPILL MAGAZINE PRESENTS 5 QUESTIONS

NEON BLOOM | SENAIDA | TELL IT TO SWEENEY | WISHWELL | JESSICA SEVIER | TREIS & Friends | A WEEKEND AT RAMONA’S | HOLLY CLAUSIUS | ENEMIES, LOVERS

ARTIST NAME: NEON BLOOM

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

Making music discoveries while venue hopping!

2. What should we expect from your live show?

Much hair whipping. Rockstar jumps. Possibly crowd surfing.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

We initially met through online postings.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

We would write the soundtrack for the sequel to Labyrinth.  The music would be an epic adventure in indie sleaze!

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

We love them both, but must go with Uncle Neil!  Neil is such an awesome person. A Canadian icon and truly one of the best songwriters of all time.  Grandfather of grunge!

ARTIST NAME: SENAIDA

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

From 2019-21, I produced the Youth Showcase Concert Series, a month-long music festival featuring artists and bands under the age of 25 across Canada. I am so happy to see so many artists who we had worked with in the past now playing at NXNE. I am so excited to share this lineup with them after so many years, and see how much they have grown as artists.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

I’m going to be bringing a high-energy set to Infinity Room on June 11th, inspired by the music I have discovered throughout my last 18 months of touring across Europe and Asia. You can expect raw, groovy, and hard-hitting dance tracks that will heat up the room.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

I can play 10 instruments: piano, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, percussion/drums, tuba, guitar, ukulele, guzheng, and mouth harp. And I sing, too!

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

After Yang (dir. by Kogonada). This A24 sci-fi film is emotional, dystopian, and deeply personal to me. I would love to re-create a score for it that evokes a sense of softness, while still remaining experimental.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

I’m a DJ, so I don’t think either would be very fitting 😂

ARTIST NAME: TELL IT TO SWEENEY

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

We love big events that make a point of showcasing Canadian and local area bands and industry people of all different backgrounds and levels of success. Some of the best contemporary music has come out of Canada, and we believe that our diverse population is one of the reasons for this. NXNE provides opportunities to showcase this diversity in a big way that is very exciting to be a part of.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

As a festival band, we’re all about energy, movement, and connection. Nine people onstage having the time of our lives with each of us bringing a different personality to the band. Anne takes notes from the red hot mama performers of the classic jazz age and just smoulders over the crowd. Thom is a human drum machine, and Kyle is a seasoned guitarist who makes it his personal business to get people up and moving. Let’s just say, you’re not going to be able to stand still at the back with your arms folded like at some other shows.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

Sweeney started out in 2017 as a cover act featuring music by international electro-swing artists such as Parov Stelar and Goldfish. Many joining members had never heard of this genre before, and have since evolved Sweeney into a unique sound that brings a lot of ideas together about what electro-swing can mean. Whatever we’re doing, it gets people dancing! We are super grateful to the fans and festivals that brought us here.

Another perhaps not-so-secret tidbit is that our song “Behind The Veil” features the voice of acting legend Boris Karloff. Anne obtained special permission to include it from his daughter, Sara, and it was a surreal experience!

Bonus fact: our band name is derived from an old-fashioned phrase where a “Sweeney” is a gullible person. “Oh, tell it to Sweeney!” is a way of dismissing what somebody is saying as it is dubious or uninformed.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988). Kyle says we write music for “cartoony, gangster, sunshiny, murder” films, and we can’t think of a better way to describe it. Come see us and you’ll have the St. James Infirmary cartoon ghosts swinging in your head the whole time. We have a flair for the dramatic that would definitely lend to film soundtracks, particularly a film-noir-goes-psychedelic trip.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

When polled, the band leaned heavily towards Neil. A Canadian singer-songwriter, he’s been hugely influential- especially during his CSNY days. Anne is also a contemporary folk singer-songwriter around the London area where we are from. It was a tough call, since Matt actually plays sax in an E Street Band tribute act. Let’s face it; would our sound vibe on either bill? Maybe! We definitely wouldn’t shun the opportunity.

ARTIST NAME: WISHWELL

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

Seeing our friends’ bands play! It’s such an awesome community building opportunity!

2. What should we expect from your live show?

Lots of energy! We have such a fun time playing and want to make sure our audience has fun with us. We also want to make people feel safe, included and welcome at our shows. We talk a lot about mental health awareness and suicide prevention at our shows, because we believe it’s important to talk about open and honestly!

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

That we are actually partnered with a mental health non profit organization called HeartSupport! We work with them to spread mental health awareness and to provide resources and care for those that need it!

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

Breakfast Club! Love that movie – they kind of resemble us in a weird way haha. The songs would range from high energy up tempo songs to slow ballads full of emotion. Trying to capture the essence of the film and that hard time of your life of trying to “fit in” or find your people.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

Taylor would pick Bruce for the high energy and just overall vibe of the show, I think Sunny would pick Neil Young for the storytelling and slower vibes!

ARTIST NAME: JESSICA SEVIER

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

A lot of energy! My shows are all about having fun while also delivering the important messages of my lyrics. It’s a country rock party – we love to move and jump around on stage. This year I am showcasing a lot of new unreleased music in my set as well as some fan favourites!

2. What should we expect from your live show?

A lot of energy! My shows are all about having fun while also delivering the important messages of my lyrics. It’s a country rock party – we love to move and jump around on stage. This year I am showcasing a lot of new unreleased music in my set as well as some fan favourites!

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

I love 80’s hair metal. I grew up listening to it a lot, and as a teenager, I became obsessed with it. I’ve brought some of that influence into my new record, and it’s such a cool blend of country and rock that I cannot wait to share.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

This is a tough question because a lot of my favourite movies are musicals with already incredible music! But maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas – the Jim Carrey version. I know this might seem like an odd choice, but I love Christmas, and this is the best Christmas movie ever! I think it would be really fun to try to write some Christmas music because that is something I have never done. The music I would make for this movie would maybe have a bit of a country twang, but still stay true to the musical theatre roots and the Whoville slang!

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

This is such a hard question because I love both these artists so much. I grew up on the same street in Toronto as Neil Young – we also went to the same elementary and high school, so I have always felt a huge connection to Neil. But I would have to say, Bruce Springsteen! I have looked up to Bruce for so long that it would be such a life-changing moment. I think I would be so nervous to perform in front of Bruce, but there is no way I could ever turn down that opportunity. Springsteen always puts on such a high-energy show, and I think my show would work well alongside his –  especially if I played my new song “Springsteen”.

ARTIST NAME: TREIS & FRIENDS

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

We always love the opportunity of finding artists of all sizes, and getting to know people in different music scenes than us. It makes the community feel more global when we meet other acts that have the same goals, inspirations, and sounds as us, but it’s just as enjoyable to meet artists who have gone through unique experiences and get their outlook on making music. In general, it is nice to meet people who are trying to make their dreams work like us.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

If I could summarize it in two words, it would be “high energy.” We’re the kind of band where we want to make sure that we leave everything on stage with no regrets, and leave the audience feeling more energized after our performance. We love to play, and we love to play together, and I think anyone who has ever seen our show can feel that when we’re up there.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

Before we were a funk band, we started off as an acoustic duo, playing “coffee-shop” style folk and bossa nova tracks. In 2016, after Treis released his solo album “HOUSES,” we began to shift our style to a more alternative funk sound, and rebranded as Treis & Friends.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

If we were fitting our pre-existing music into a movie I feel like we’d do well in an 80s comedy like Weekend At Bernie’s, but I think due to our jazzy influences, and jam style performance if we had to write an OST we may do best with a more laid back style soundtrack like for Taxi Driver or even Birdman.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

As much as we respect Neil Young as a classic singer-songwriter, folk icon, and Canadian music legend, I think we’d do better as an opener for Bruce Springsteen due to the style of our music and performance. Bruce Springsteen is the type of musician that has influenced many artists – American, and abroad – in such a pivotal way, and sometimes you just have to go with The Boss.

ARTIST NAME: A WEEKEND AT RAMONA’S

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

The sheer volume of shows and people involved in it. Through NXNE, you can meet so many artists, photographers, other bands, and more, all within a few weeks. It sparks an exciting sense of momentum throughout the city, turning Toronto into one big creative community. Whether you’re putting together a show or just attending, we’re all contributing to the collective celebration of our love for local art.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

A set that leans into a newer direction for us. Songs that push us into experimental territory, without losing the energy that ties us together. At our live show, you’ll see that every instrument has its own personality, each performance moves in its own direction, yet the band always lands in the same pocket. Our sound is a blend of avant-garde and indie rock, combining driven guitar riffs with atmospheric basslines and a unique rhythmic foundation. Overall, you can expect songs that refuse to look to the past while moving beyond the boundaries of genre, leaving the audience music that’s open to anyone willing to step into it.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

Nowadays, our songs tend to have their own ideas once we bring them into a room as a band. You can show up thinking something is pretty locked in, but the second we start playing together, it becomes something totally new. Because of this, the studio becomes less of a space for polishing finished ideas and more of a time where we figure out what the songs want themselves to be. What you see on stage comes from a process of letting the songs take their own shape, rather than forcing them into something predefined.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991), a French neo-baroque love story written and directed by Leos Carax. Although it already has an incredible soundtrack, the film carries a creative confidence that inspires us and resonates with our approach to music as a band. It’s a film not afraid to be gritty because it carries its own beauty, and is willing to be outlandish since it can always find reality. If we wrote the soundtrack, it would lean into that same spirit. The songs would mirror the unapologetic expression of the film’s visual world, where nothing feels restrained yet everything feels intentional.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

No disrespect to Neil Young, but we would have to go with Bruce Springsteen. There’s just something about stepping out before a stadium of people about to erupt into a full-scale “Born to Run” level sing-along that’s both terrifying and exciting in the best way. It would really push us to go all in and hold nothing back. These are Springsteen fans; they are about to get loud, communal, and very emotional. It would be an honour to light that fuse before it all takes off.

ARTIST NAME: HOLLY CLAUSIUS

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

My favourite thing about festivals like NXNE is discovering new artists from all over, and getting to play alongside acts you might never meet otherwise.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

A Holly Clausius live show will likely include a theme to help you curate your outfit, a catchy singalong, heartfelt lyrics and storytelling, some dancing, a bit of whimsy and lots of flowers.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

I started writing music when I was 10 years old, my first song was called “Free” and was all about world peace, haha. Since then I have written hundreds of songs, and been doing music as my job full time for last 7 years.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

I really love the film Frances Ha and would love to have written the soundtrack for it, the songs would be a mix of upbeat/dancey and then slow, somber ballads, kind of like how the film snaps you in and out of France’s highs and lows throughout the story. I would have to keep “Modern Love” by David Bowie though. That one is perfect.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

Bruce because I love his music and recently have been doing a cover of I’m on Fire. Would be an honour to share a stage with him (or Neil to be honest).

ARTIST NAME: ENEMIES, LOVERS

1. What’s your favourite thing about a festival like NXNE?

It’s a great opportunity for indie artists to play their music for new audiences and meet other bands. The festival is also well-organized and runs really smoothly, which makes things for the manager (aka me, the lead singer/songwriter) really easy.

2. What should we expect from your live show?

You can expect to have a good time with a good crowd, hear some fun upbeat songs, with a mix of slower, more introspective tunes.

3. Tell us something we probably don’t know about your band.

Marcus (lead guitarist) and I (Hatley) met years before we started making music together. He worked for my dad as a sound engineer, and Marcus’ mom was one of my teachers in elementary school.

4. If you could write the soundtrack for any existing film (from any decade) which film would you choose and what would the songs sound like?

This one’s hard to answer! I wouldn’t change any existing soundtracks. Of the films I’ve seen, I think the music is well suited. If the opportunity arose, I think our music would work well for a complicated love story or coming of age film. Something kind of angsty, at times melancholic, but ultimately hopeful/optimistic.

5. Would you rather open for Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen, and why?

Neil Young for sure. I think we all grew up listening to Neil as we’re all Canadian. My parents played a lot of Neil in the house and on road trips, whereas I didn’t listen to much Bruce Springsteen. Neil Young would be special for us, but also our parents.

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