SPILL NEWS: COLDWAVE DUO TRAITRS STRIP BACK THE DARKNESS

COLDWAVE DUO TRAITRS STRIP BACK THE DARKNESS

HAUNTING NEW SINGLE “I WAS ILL, YOU WERE WRONG” PREVIEWS THEIR MOST PERSONAL ALBUM YET

Following their comeback after a near four-year hiatus with September’s explosive single “Burn In Heaven,” Toronto coldwave duo TRAITRS return with their new single “I was ill, you were wrong,” released on 28th November. The track arrives alongside the announcement of their highly anticipated fourth album Possessor, set for release on Friday 13th March 2026.

A melancholic meditation wrapped in gothic electronics, “I was ill, you were wrong” finds TRAITRS exploring their most vulnerable terrain yet. Echoing synths create a haunting foundation as guitars surge forward, while brooding vocals howl through the darkness like spectres—channeling the emotional weight of The Cure’s most introspective moments. It’s a track that holds you close in the cold, balancing raw intimacy with cinematic sweep, and further establishing TRAITRS as essential voices in modern post-punk.

The track confronts humanity’s most universal truth: our collective denial of mortality. Exploring how we construct purpose and seek distractions to navigate the daily existence of living, the song examines the psychological defense mechanisms we employ to avoid confronting death—the one thing that unites us all. It’s about the fear of being alone, the illusion of “tomorrow,” and how a single moment can shatter our carefully maintained bubbles of denial.

“I felt that song connected me to everything and everyone, it’s the one thing we all share and have in common,” explains vocalist and guitarist Shawn Tucker. “It’s also a wake up call to live the life you want to live, we only have one chance at this so go dance in the rain.”

The single offers a haunting glimpse into what Tucker describes as “the most personal record I’ve ever written”—an album born from Toronto’s bleakest winter months and the duo’s darkest emotional depths. Written on gloomy days staring out windows as storms raged outside, Possessor prioritised conveying exact moods and emotions, with lyrics playing the most crucial role in capturing that vision.

Written during a period when both Sean Patrick Nolan (synth and sequencing) and Shawn Tucker (guitar and vocals) were navigating profound life changes and depression, Possessor confronts mortality, alienation, and the temporary nature of existence head-on. The album asks difficult questions about what anything means when we’re gone, exploring the sensation of watching everything die and wondering if any of it matters. It’s an album about grief, loneliness, and our intimate, untimely demise—themes that felt impossibly urgent for a duo who concluded they had nothing left to prove to anyone, making the creation of this record a form of therapy and closure.

“There’s a lot of anger, beauty and sadness on the album,” TRAITRS reflects. “I want to feel that someone is holding you when you’re cold, sad and alone in the dark. The soundtrack to a gloomy filled sorrowed love affair. It’s unconditional, unflinching, and unapologetic.”

Recorded between relentless touring schedules at Toronto’s Wychwood Studios with producer Josh Korody (The Beaches, The Dirty Nil, Japandroids, F*cked Up), Possessor captures TRAITRS at their most unguarded. The album was mastered by Grammy Award winner Matt Colton, whose recent credits include The Cure’s Songs of a Lost World, alongside work for Arctic Monkeys, Thom Yorke, Depeche Mode, Aphex Twin, and The Rolling Stones.

Drawing influence from The Smiths, The Cure, Interpol, and lesser-known post-punk gems like Asylum Party and The Opposition, TRAITRS continue to carry the torch for emotionally devastating yet sonically powerful alternative music. With their cinematic blend of atmospheric soundscapes, anthemic choruses, and uncompromising emotional honesty, Sean Patrick Nolan and Shawn Tucker have evolved from bedroom artists selling cassette tapes to accumulating millions of streams worldwide and performing hundreds of shows across multiple continents. Possessor stands as their most ambitious statement yet—an album that feels like our planet slowly losing air as we all suffocate without noticing.

“I was ill, you were wrong” will be available on all streaming platforms from 28th November, whilst their album Possessor is hailed for release Friday 13th March 2026. In celebration of the album release, TRAITRS will embark on an extensive tour spanning Europe, the UK, and USA, including a London date at the 229 Club on 22nd March.

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