Ace of Wands share their single, “Desiring You”
Toronto band, Ace of Wands formed around Lee Rose in 2017 to reflect a life-altering period of mental illness. Surreal and beautiful, Ace of Wands creates immersive and intricate soundscapes to explore the meaning of Dream Rock. From the tension and dread of a nightmare to the effortless freedom of lucid dreaming, Ace of Wands compels audiences to listen with attention and not shy away from the dreams that may reveal hidden parts of themselves.
Starting off with a bang, their song “Desiring You” showcases the emotional ferocity and creative musicianship that lies at the heart of Ace of Wands’ music. Powerful Alt-Rock guitar chords morph into swirling Dream-Pop countermelodies, while heartfelt female vocals explore the conflict of what it means to desire a hurtful thing.
The song was inspired by Lee’s toxic relationship and the addictive and sometimes destructive nature of desiring what was not good for her. Her way of dealing with it was to put music to the feeling of being completely unseen by the person she most desired being with. The song explores the tension, the anger, and her ultimate refusal to be strung along.
Listen to “Desiring You” below and learn more about Ace of Wands via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Ace of Wands comprises me (Lee Rose), Anna Mernieks, and Jody Brumell. I started the band in 2017, looking for a way to process the debilitating depression I found myself in. I found solace and healing in the music through writing, playing, and collaborating with my bandmates. After a lot of experimentation and evolution, we describe our music as ‘Dream Rock,’ literally taking inspiration from the varied landscapes of dreaming in songwriting and sound.
We’re most at home on the stage, and our live performance is intense. I play synth-bass foot pedals while playing guitar/violin and singing simultaneously, and Anna and Jody create intricate musical cacophonies to my introspective lyrics. Every aspect of the band is artistically driven, from our visual art to music videos. We’re passionate about our musical community in Toronto and the friends we’ve made on tour, believing it takes a village to create the kind of inclusive art we aim for.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our most recent single, “Desiring You,” starts off with a bang, showcasing the emotional ferocity and creative musicianship that lies at the heart of our music. I wrote the song while staying alone in a cabin during the dead of winter and a COVID lockdown. I reflected on a toxic relationship and my inability to let it go. Reflecting on the reasons I was desiring a hurtful thing. The driving alt-rock power chords morph into swirling countermelodies, truly exemplifying where Ace of Wands is moving musically. This song is a great introduction to AOW if you have never heard us before.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Musically, Anna, Jody, and I all have different influences, and I feel like that contributes to our band’s varied sound. I draw from a lot of the post-punk, art-pop, and grunge music from my past, but I am really inspired by so many current musicians making incredible music (Anna Calvi, Marika Hackman, Lung, there are so many!). For Jody, he points to Stewart Copeland and Dave Grohl as major drummers in his musical world and Radiohead as a massive musical influence. For Anna, her main goal with Ace of Wands is to reflect the style of what I’m writing in complementary tones and melodies. This can vary a lot, as she draws from grunge, post-punk, classic rock, and power pop influences to fit the song.
Lyrically, the songs are written about experiences in my life. I tend to draw the most inspiration from my relationships (both romantic and plutonic), and how they impact the way I experience difficult emotions.
Are there any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
We are playing a string of dates across Ontario and in the US this fall! We’re really excited about our first headlining show in a long while at the Cameron House in Toronto on November 26.
What’s your goal for the remainder of 2022?
We aim to get our new music into as many ears as possible! It’s tough when you are up against the Spotify Overlords determining how much exposure your music gets. We aim to play our shows the best we can and reach as many new Wanderers as possible!