By: Francesca Bonifacio, SFU Student
SFU’s music scene is far from dead, and incredible bands from classmates continue to proliferate.
Whether you’re walking through the concrete AQ, taking the long R5 to downtown campus, or strolling through the Surrey Central mall, these bands can guide you through your day.
Their live shows are exhilarating to watch and make for an excellent night out, especially when a break from studying is much needed! Keep an eye out for these bands for some post-midterm stress relief, or to support the musical ventures of your fellow students!
Tied together with a soul-binding contract to lead singer Egor Kopshar, Autonomous Apes mixes grunge alternative rock with post hardcore undertones. On top of two established albums, Blame me and Heavy Balloon, their latest release, Your own people, spins an electric tune about hypocrisy and individuality that will leave you screaming the lyrics alongside. You can find their music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Instagram @autonomous_apes!
The four members are inspired by Russian indie/punk rock, J-rock, and early 2000s alternative rock. Kopshar, the frontman, is an arts, performance, and cinema studies major. Erin Docherty, the drummer, is a third-year film student. Marissa Chan is on bass, studied visual arts, and is the group’s resident baker. Misha Bezruchko, an environmental science student, and his moustache are on guitar.
Their next show is in Calgary, but we can join them on October 23 at SFU SCA students’ favourite local music and art space, RedGate. Stay tuned for their piece, “Bumper Cars,” coming out in November, followed by two new singles releasing soon!
Translated as “deadly” from French, Mortel’s killer sounds are memorable and thrilling. They explore metal and are heavily influenced by Metallica, Black Sabbath, Pantera, and more thrash metal bands from the ‘80s.
Originating from three childhood friends, Mortel has come a long way from the playground to creating an exciting band history, including performing at The Roxy and, more recently, recording in the studio. Their members consist of Mikayla Brown on vocals and songwriting, Cedric Thiessen on lead guitar, Harrison LaChappelle on rhythm guitar, Liam Flanagan on bass and SFU’s very own psychology major, Oliver Whalley on drums. Their friendship truly shines through in their performances, making them captivating to watch and listen to.
You can find them performing at The Roxy and also see their demos on YouTube. Their upcoming single, “Reckless” is a definite crowd pleaser that melds powerful vocals and complex instrumentation. Make sure to check out their Instagram @mortel_0fficial!
Inspired by My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Astrobrite, Whirr, and Full Body 2, Glisk’s music fits into the genre of shoegaze and noise rock, but they prefer to create their sound without restraint and defy notions of genre.
The four-member crew consists of: Justin Wu on vocals and guitar, Adriel Sanvicente on guitar, Emilio Rogazy on bass, and Erin Docherty (yes, the Erin Docherty from Autonomous Apes) on drums. Docherty, Sanvicente, and Wu all go to SFU SCA’s downtown campus together, with Wu and Sanvicente studying in the music and sound program. Rogazy is a friend of Sanvicente’s who also plays in another band with him called La Haine!
They will be performing on October 12 and October 26 at Take Your Time Back and then on November 30 at Green Auto. They are also working on an album, so keep your ears open! See the band’s Instagram, @glisk.band, to keep up to date with them.
