Defy. Resist. Return. Shoemaker Levee Unleashes “Resistance” From Behind the Lines Album
Shoemaker Levee is back, and they’re not pulling any punches. Their new single “Resistance” —leading the charge for their third studio album Between the Lines— is a furious anthem for the unheard, the unbroken, and the beautifully noncompliant.
“This is no time to have your own mind / Get back into line…”
But Shoemaker Levee never got in line. They weathered every storm and came back louder and sharper. When they laid down tracks for Resistance at Orange Lounge on Queen Street in Toronto, a Free Tibet rally marched by. Something clicked. “We weren’t originally going to release it as a single,” the band said. “But world events took a turn, and we knew the time was right.”
The song has since landed airplay on Rock 95, Max FM, TotalRock (UK), and Radio WigWam (UK), and it’s racked up over 5,000 Spotify streams. But its resonance goes far beyond numbers. It’s a declaration of autonomy, powered by roaring guitars and a chorus that punches through the noise:
“Be free people if you want to / See, breathe, believe like you want to / It’s alright if you wonder / Be much more than they expect you’ll be.”
Shoemaker Levee — Kevin Rogers Cobus (vocals/guitar), Dave Broadhead (lead guitar/vocals), Matt Brown (bass), and Dwayne Cardoso (drums) — built this track with the same stripped-down, live-first mentality that defines their sound. “We don’t add layers we can’t pull off live,” they say. “Two guitars, bass, drums. That’s the truth.”
The band is no stranger to chaos — an outdoor gig promoting the album ended with a misfiring generator frying all their gear. One week later, they were back on stage, soldering old parts and keeping the show alive. The spirit of Resistance isn’t just in the lyrics — it’s in the wiring.
Lyrics like“Dream of ways to make a change / Breathe, don’t keep your thoughts detained” feels more urgent now than ever. The band reworked the instrumentation, harnessed their lived experience, and gave these songs the fire they were always meant to carry.
Shoemaker Levee’s eclectic sound draws inspiration from classic rock, progressive, alt, folk, and the furious pulse of protest. Their music has powered through venues across Toronto — The Opera House, Lee’s Palace, The Horseshoe Tavern — and festivals like Gussapolooza and Tall Pines, where they’ve landed top three spots in back-to-back years.
This summer and fall, they’ll bring “Resistance” to life on stages across Ontario, including The Atria (Oshawa), Harmony Hall (Gormley), and The Queens (Barrie). Expect no gimmicks. Just truth, grit, and a rallying cry:
“Tonight / We gotta make it right.”
Hi, Kevin! Good to see you again! How’s the summer treating you?
It’s been great! Between the Lines is getting solid reception and we’ve been able to support it with some really fun shows. We had an amazing album release party at Harmony Hall, and got to some places we haven’t played before like the Atria in Oshawa and The Bovine Sex Club. Lots of great rooms, and great people. Can’t wait for Gussapolooza August 22nd! That’s one of our favourite shows of the year.
“Resistance” wasn’t originally meant to be a single—what changed for you, creatively or emotionally, that made it feel urgent to release now?
We had already released five singles to support Between the Lines. We know that album releases happen a little differently nowadays, given Spotify algorithms and such. Resistance was going to be one of the songs on the full LP release, but then at the start of 2025, the mood everywhere shifted. It’s like we moved into a different phase, politically and emotionally… spiritually, even. So it felt like the right time to release Resistance; we feel like it captures some of the sentiment we see happening out there in the world. The reception when we play it live mirrors that as well.
You mention a Free Tibet rally passing the studio while recording—how did that moment influence the final take or direction of the track?
We were finishing up the tracking and sitting down to hear the rough mix when Dave noticed the rally out the window happening on Queen Street. It just galvanized the sentiment of the song; made it all the more visceral. As we listened back it made us focus on bringing a sense of urgency to the listener. Hopefully people can hear that in the final cut.
The lyrics feel like a personal and political rallying cry. Who are you speaking to in this song—and who are you pushing back against?
This is a tough one to answer. As with many songs, the idea germinates before it springs to life. The lyrics for Resistance were written some time ago, and yet with the passing of world events, the words still ring true. In a sense, it’s not about pinpointing who it’s written for or what it’s about specifically. The song is meant to be used by anyone who feels they need a rallying cry against oppression and control.
Of course I have events and people in mind when I sing it, but those details continue to change and adapt over time. I think I’ll still feel that way singing it years from now. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as they say. What remains constant is the need for that pushback, that call to resist.
You’ve said, “Two guitars, bass, drums. That’s the truth.” In an era of hyper-produced music, why is staying stripped-down so important to your identity?
Music for us has always included playing live. Anyone who’s seen us live knows the energy is even higher than on the record, but we’ve also been told we sound “just like the album,” especially with the instrumentation and harmonies.
With our first three studio albums, we didn’t want to add a bunch of layers or tracks that we couldn’t reproduce live. We think there’s a certain character to that. You definitely know it’s live Shoe because we’ll throw some curveballs here and there, but it’s not an “overproduced” live show. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that approach, but so far anyway, that’s been the way we’ve done it.
Also, with the advent of AI artists, we feel it’s important to maintain the authenticity of performing material live. When you’re live, there’s no safety net. Gear quits. Strings break. Tempos shift. But that’s all part of the experience. We think our fans prefer it that way, too.
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