TOUCHED FABLES delivers a heavier, essential dose of modern post-punk sorrow.
TOUCHED FABLES, the Ottawa post-punk/darkwave duo (Paul Anthony and Jim Roditis), quickly garnered a devoted following for their sound, which blends dark synths and angular guitars, drawing comparisons to Bauhaus and Ultravox. Following the successful launch of their 2023 debut, A Thousand Goodbyes, the band was forced into a hiatus due to illness, though the music continued to resonate globally.
Returning to the stage helped them craft their highly anticipated second album, The Sum of All Wounds, released in October 2025. This new work is heavier and more aggressive, incorporating late ’80s industrial elements and prominent guitars, and finds the duo honoring their classic influences while aligning with modern darkwave acts. Anthony and Roditis infused the record with technical Easter eggs and cinematic storytelling, perfectly encapsulated by the cover art: a bleak photograph taken with expired 1985 film, capturing the cold, defining aesthetic of their music.
First off, care to introduce yourselves to our readers?
Jim Roditis and I formed TOUCHED FABLES in the fall of 2022 as a vehicle to process the grief of losing our parents. We’ve both been involved in music production for decades, but it was the first time I had ever considered writing lyrics and singing. Jim is an excellent guitarist but never really had a forum to showcase his skills until we created our ‘80s-influenced band. We challenged ourselves to make the kind of music we wished we could have produced when we were younger, while also stepping well outside our comfort zones—both in writing and performing this music publicly.
The title, The Sum of All Wounds, is evocative and heavy. What does that phrase specifically mean to TOUCHED FABLES, and how does it set the thematic tone for the entire album?
As we age, I think we tend to become jaded and build a kind of armour around ourselves to protect against negative interactions with the world and the people in it. But sometimes that armour breaks. There’s a long history in writing and pop culture that explores reactions to everyday frustrations — from Travis Bickle’s descent into madness in Taxi Driver (1976) to Michael Douglas’s character simply trying to get home in Falling Down. For me, The Sum of All Wounds was the perfect phrase to describe an album that, as one of my friends pointed out, lyrically deals with difficult relationships.
Paul, you said the harder sound helped you “find your voice” and sing with “more sustained tones.” How did the musical atmosphere of The Sum of All Wounds give you the confidence to push your vocals further?
The instrumentation created this intense, almost cinematic atmosphere — it kind of demanded a stronger vocal presence. I think that energy gave me the freedom to explore different tones and emotional ranges without worrying about being too restrained or polished. It felt like I could finally lean into the grit and sustain notes with more conviction, because the music itself had that weight and urgency behind it.
The unexpected illness in your family after your debut release led to an “unintentional absence.” While difficult, how did that mandatory break ultimately influence the emotional depth and themes of the new music?
Yeah, it was a really tough period. When something like that happens, it kind of forces you to stop and reassess everything — not just creatively, but personally. During that unintentional break, I wasn’t really thinking about music in a traditional sense; I was just trying to process things, and that emotional undercurrent naturally found its way into what came next.
When we finally started writing again, there was less concern about structure or expectation — it became more about honesty. The songs on The Sum of All Wounds carry a weight that I don’t think could’ve existed without that pause. That time away gave space for reflection, for vulnerability to come through. In a strange way, the silence between records ended up being just as important as the music itself.
Jim noted that the “gap year gave us time to evaluate and plan.” What was the biggest revelation you had about the band’s direction during that period of reflection?
That year really gave us the distance we needed to look at what we were doing with fresh eyes. I think the biggest revelation was realizing that TOUCHED FABLES didn’t have to fit neatly into any one category or sound. Early on, we were a bit more rigid about direction — wanting to stay true to that ‘80s-inspired aesthetic — but over time we realized the emotion and intent mattered more than the genre.
It also reminded us that the project works best when it’s honest and instinctive. We stopped overanalyzing and started following what felt genuine in the moment. That shift in mindset helped us grow creatively and led to the darker, more expansive atmosphere of The Sum of All Wounds.
You have a record release party scheduled for the new album. How important is the hometown support in Ottawa to the band’s identity and energy?
It’s huge, honestly. Ottawa has always been a big part of our musical DNA. The people here have supported us from the very beginning — not just showing up to gigs, but really engaging with what we do and giving us the space to grow. There’s something grounding about performing in front of an audience that knows where you come from and understands the atmosphere behind the songs.
That hometown energy adds this extra spark — it’s not just another show, it’s a kind of homecoming. It reminds us why we started doing this in the first place: to connect, to share something real, and to be part of a community that still believes in live music.
What’s one misconception that people often have about the darkwave/post-punk scene, and how does TOUCHED FABLES hope to defy it?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that darkwave and post-punk are purely about gloom or detachment — that it’s all darkness for the sake of being dark. In reality, there’s a lot of emotion, reflection, and even hope buried within that sound. The atmosphere might be somber, but it’s often a way of processing real feelings and experiences.
With TOUCHED FABLES, we try to defy that stereotype by bringing sincerity and warmth into the shadows. Our music deals with loss, distance, and disconnection, but it’s also about resilience and finding beauty in those moments. The “dark” elements aren’t meant to push people away — they’re an invitation to feel something deeper.
If you could send one of your tracks forward in time by 100 years to be discovered by a future civilization, which track from your new or old album would you choose to represent TOUCHED FABLES?
That’s a great question, because it really forces me to pick a favorite! I think the album opener, “In Your Eyes,” best captures what TOUCHED FABLES is all about. It’s the gateway into our world — it introduces the atmosphere, and the emotional tone.
If someone a hundred years in the future were to stumble across that song, I’d hope they’d hear not just the sound of our time, but a piece of the human condition that never really goes away — that longing, that search for understanding. In a way, “In Your Eyes” feels like a message in a bottle: a snapshot of where we were emotionally when The Sum of All Wounds came together.
The phrase “Everything happens for a reason” is a popular one. What’s the most ridiculous “everything happens for a reason” moment that led to something positive in your musical career or collaboration?
That’s a fun one. I’ve always been skeptical of the phrase “everything happens for a reason,” but there have been moments when chaos lined up a little too perfectly. One that stands out is how TOUCHED FABLES even came to exist. Jim and I hadn’t really planned on starting another project — it emerged from a difficult period in both our lives, and music became a way to cope. If circumstances had been easier, we probably wouldn’t have felt that same urgency to create.
Another smaller but equally strange moment — after a recording session, Jim was playing me some of his old ambient solo material when I asked him to stop and rewind a track. In my mind, I heard something familiar but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I asked Jim to send me the song, and at home I was able to combine it with an old track I had finished years ago. Our two tracks fit together like two halves of a torn piece of paper, now reunited to become our ballad Sunlight Falls.
So maybe there’s something to that phrase after all. Sometimes the things that throw you off course end up pointing you exactly where you’re supposed to go — even if you can only see the reason much later.
Last but not least, what can fans expect from Touched Fables in the future?
We are planning on taking our live show on the road to various Canadian cites, so stay tuned and keep your eyes on your local listings. Thanks for these questions, and we hope to see you at one of our shows, maybe a hundred years in the future!
Upcoming Show:
