Photo Credit: Riley Taylor

The Anti-Queens – Five Questions With

Jenna Melanson·April 1, 2024

Toronto-based The Anti-Queens Announce New LP With Advance Video & Single “Doomed Again”

The Anti-Queens, Toronto’s premiere punk rock ‘n’ rollers, have just announced their latest LP, Disenchanted, with an advance single and video for the track “Doomed Again”.

The new album will appear worldwide on digital and vinyl formats via Stomp Records on May 17th, 2024. For over a decade, The Anti-Queens have been a prominent force in Toronto’s music scene.

The Anti-Queens are led by the fiercely talented and dynamic duo of Emily Bones and Valerie Knox, who bring a punk-rock energy that challenges the male-dominated music industry. Known for their electrifying live performances, they’ve gained a reputation for their unstoppable energy and powerful stage presence.

Their latest album, Disenchanted, continues their tradition of crafting infectious, hook-laden anthems that will surely delight fans of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Distillers, Hole, L7, Lunachicks, and The Warning.

The advance single “Doomed Again” embodies the essence of blistering 1977 punk, infused with just the right touch of Bad Religion and Green Day to keep it fresh and driving. The Anti-Queens skillfully pay tribute to their enduring punk roots while injecting enough energy to keep it from feeling derivative. Featuring lyrics that intertwine defiance with sincerity, razor-sharp hooks, and a musical style that epitomizes the essence of “rock ‘n’ roll,” The Anti-Queens are back with a vengeance.

The music video for the advance single “Doomed Again” showcases the band immersed in a passionate performance, accompanied by two wild ghost figures driving around town before landing in a rehearsal space to join the rock-out session. Directed by Emily Bones and Michael Crusty, and produced by Crusty Media and Stomp Records, the video captures the energy of the song. Filmed by Michael Crusty and Sarah Mathieson, with editing by Michael Crusty and performance lighting by Jefferson Sheppard, the video stars Valerie Knox, Emily Bones, Michael Crusty, and Sara Fellin.

They filmed the music video in Ajax and Oshawa, Ontario. The jam space is one of the actual places they rehearse, jazzed up with added lights and a slew of Easter eggs in the background—old show flyers, banners, photos, stickers, and merch.

“While we did our best to plan everything, we still ended up crafting our ghost costumes until 4 am just before the jam space shoot, all while a massive blizzard swept through. Very on brand for the title of the song”.

The lyrics of “Doomed Again” resonate with the struggle and resilience of pursuing dreams amidst life’s challenges, reflecting on the enduring nature of aspirations formed in youth. Despite facing obstacles, the song encourages perseverance and embracing life’s journey, recognizing that setbacks contribute to memorable narratives.

Band member Valerie Knox said,

“Doomed Again is a love letter to all the bands out there who never stop doing the grind. There’s almost always something that can and will go wrong, but it’s never dull being in a rock n’ roll band”.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello, we are Emily Bones and Valerie Knox of The Anti-Queens from Toronto. We love to play punk rock!!!

Tell us a bit about your recent release.

Doomed Again is the first single off of our upcoming album Disenchanted (May 17 on Stomp Records). It’s life in a band from our perspective and experiences. So many things go wrong, but it has never stopped being fun, exciting, or fulfilling.

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

Valerie: For this album, we were in isolation and lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a challenge at first. We set up little recording stations in our homes, downloaded software, and spent two years demoing. For the most part, song ideas start with Emily. She would send me her ideas and I would build guitar parts, and sometimes bass around it. Em has an amazing ability to tell the story while making you feel it, and I really love to compose leads and progressions. I would write songs with placeholder titles, and send them to Emily to come up with a melody and some lyrics. Doomed Again was a placeholder title that Em turned into an entire song! Although the situation had its challenges, it was a really cool system that had a lot of creative freedom for both of us. I think the total was 40 song ideas, cut down to our 13 faves. We spent a lot of time on this one.

Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project?

We have more videos and singles coming, some brand new merch, and lots of behind-the-scenes content from making the album and video shoots.

Tours! Festivals! Shows! Oh my!

There’s so much happening, please visit our website or socials for all tour dates!

Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?

V: For me, it’s right now. It’s Disenchanted. We put everything we have into it, and I am so proud of what Emily and I have created. After 4 years of working on it relentlessly, everyone finally gets to hear it. It’s so exciting.

E: I would say that partnering up with Stomp Records was a huge turning point for the band. I remember us just wanting to record a full-length record SO BAD, and now we’re about to release our second full-length so it feels incredibly rewarding and still a little surreal!