City Builders Unveils Debut Healing Revenge EP, A Journey From Heartbreak to Empowerment, Helmed by Energetic Lead Single “Heartthrob”
Toronto-based pop project City Builders (Grace Turner) returns with her debut EP, Healing Revenge, featuring the fun and flirty lead single, “Heartthrob.” Built over two years of writing and collaboration, the EP moves between emotional catharsis and cheeky fun, exploring the complex territory of heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery.
Recorded over 10 months with collaborators Zach Zanardo and Jacky Levare, the process proved transformative.
“I got dumped on the last day of recording,” Grace recalls. “It was somehow poetic; the end of the record and the end of a partnership. The songs I’d written about heartbreak became comforting and took on new meaning.”
At the forefront of the release is “Heartthrob,” a pop song inspired by the larger-than-life persona of a musician Grace was dating.
“No matter how mundane our lives were, watching him do what he loved on stage made every shortcoming feel worth it,” she explains. The track came together quickly, with verses written in just 10 minutes. “This is one of those songs that I feel like every lyric and melody is so satisfying and was somehow so simple to write.”
Healing Revenge is both a debut statement and a personal reflection.
“These songs have taught me that there is no ‘correct’ way to process emotion,” Grace says. “Life is full of surprises, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to problems that arise. Healing the parts of me that would otherwise turn into resentment or spite has been a huge lesson while writing this EP.”
Grace’s influences range from Lana Del Rey, Labrinth, Woodkid, and Britney Spears to M.I.A. and MGMT, and her fanbase (known as The Citizens) are drawn in by her distinctive voice, emotional duality, and playful diva persona.
Healing Revenge positions City Builders as a confident, alternative pop artist, bridging dramatics and catharsis with a style that is unmistakably her own.
First off, care to introduce yourselves to our readers?
I am City Builders, a Toronto based Alt Pop/Electronic musician. I am community focused, meaning as much as I love making music, I love bringing people together. I believe that creating memories are one of the best things to foster, and breaking out of the day-to-day mundane is the best thing you can do for yourself. I try to help people achieve that though my music.
Healing Revenge captures both heartbreak and empowerment—was there a specific moment when you realized this project was becoming something more personal than you initially intended?
The last day of recording this project I experienced heartbreak for the first time. The songs developed a deeper meaning immediately. All of my music is personal stories, or feelings that I believe deserve to be shared and so every part is personal, but the moment I thought I lost everything, I got closer to these songs.
You mentioned getting dumped on the last day of recording—how did that real-life experience reshape the way you now hear or perform these songs?
That day changed these songs for me, one in particular, Learning to Miss You. I had written this song about a friendship breakup and how non linear healing is. When I discovered how difficult romantic breakup, the song developed a whole new meaning. It became a comfort song, reminding me that there is no correct way to process heartbreak.
“Heartthrob” feels fun and flirty on the surface, but there’s a deeper layer to it—what did writing that song teach you about the way we romanticize people?
Heartthrob is about how dating a musician can be heaven and hell at the same time. Romanticizing someone for what they do or who they are when they’re doing what they love is fun and flirty, but not sustainable. I tend to date musicians because I am one, and I love when people pursue their passions. But at the same time, I can tend to look past the problems with the relationship because of that. By poking fun at my patterns I’ve learned to have higher standards, and not settle for just any man with a guitar.
The EP explores the idea that there’s no “correct” way to heal—what did your own healing process actually look like while making this record?
This record took a year to make and a year to release, so I feel like I’ve changed and healed a lot as a person. The way this record has taught me to heal is by confronting my emotions through these songs. I am a scorpio, and can get really cold/ avoidant when I feel like my wellbeing is threatened. I used to hold grudges for years, and feel numb to trauma but writing has and continues to be and outlet for me to feel everything. For me, I believe that the only way out is through and you truly have to feel everything to heal, and these songs have helped me get there.
Working with collaborators like Zach Zanardo and Jacky Levare over 10 months, what did they bring out in you that you might not have discovered on your own?
Working with Zach and Jacky was an absolute pleasure. The biggest thing I learned working with such incredible songwriters and musicians, is how to dig deeper into myself to make the best song possible. Revisions weren’t something I did prior to working with them. I would just write a song and put it out, even though they clearly needed some dedicated time to dig. The attention to detail that these guys have is something I admire and have brought into my current process.
If someone is going through heartbreak right now and finds this EP, what do you hope they take away from it?
I hope they can sit in their feelings for a while with Learning to Miss You, and Live Again, and then feel empowered by No Sleep, Heartthrob and Vengeful Spirit. Something I did that helped me through a really difficult heartbreak is have a “sad breakup” and “happy breakup” playlist. I think its necessary to wallow in your feelings, but ultimately having a bad bitch playlist will truly pull you out of the trenches. In such a vulnerable place, your brain is rewiring and feeding it empowering information can be really helpful for your unconscious thought. ᐧ