Recording: Potions

Artist: Potions

Song: Havelock

Recorded at The Garrison, July 25, 2026.

Potions - Havelock

In theory an opening slot for a beloved local entertainer is a prime opportunity for a young band hot off releasing their debut album. Unfortunately, the Saturday night Jen Castle crowd was not in "discovery" mode, mostly talking over the band's carefully-arranged folk numbers. For those willing to listen, all the elements were in place, with guitars and bass being freely swapped about on stage between Josh Sparks, Ben Rositsan, and Steven Noronha while the latter pair traded off vocals (and, at the back of the stage, Aidan McConnell's electronic interventions beyond his drumkit work filled space up nicely in the big room). With the songwriting burst that produced Beebo, Make a Wish (and the larger cache of tunes that that album drew from) now out in the world, there should be oppurtunities forthcoming to hear the band sharing this amazing music in more favourable circumstances.

[Potions will be trying their luck as an opener once more, welcoming Otto Benson to town at the Monarch Tavern on Tuesday, September 8th.]

Recording: Potions & Strings

Artist: Potions & Strings

Songs: Quadrophonia + Aidan's String Quartet^* + Song for the World 2

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), May 6, 2026.

Potions & Strings - Quadrophonia

Potions & Strings - Aidan's String Quartet

Potions & Strings - Song for the World 2

Having tracked these things for awhile, my inner amateur ethnomusicologist is always curious to see certain patterns of collaboration re-emerge over time. The musical scenes I like to be in are collegial by nature, and Toronto's social/material circumstances seem to lead to parallel evolutions of musical/social agglomerations: sometimes it takes the form of a damn big band, just blasting out music together; sometimes, in the joyful romp of the groovy biglyup; and again and again as a joining-together of the song-playing folkies with the improvisers. The latter had its classic nexus in the emergence of Rock Plaza Central, birthed from the Tranzac's Southern Cross, as well as in groups like the amazing Sea Snakes, who sound like Potions' most direct local forebearers. (There's also the closely-related case of chamber-pop groups absorbing their friends in ever-growing string and horn sections.)

None of which is meant to detract from Potions' trajectory and amazing work in the here-and-now. Having issued an essential EP earlier this year, this set saw them showing off some songs that will presumably be on their forthcoming album, showing off a winning mix of off-the-cuffness and deep chops. The core quartet is Steven Noronha, Ben Rositsan, Josh Sparks, and Aidan McConnell (all busy around town in various other capacities), passing around instruments and vocal parts — and joined here by a string quartet of Sara May, Aline Homzy, Jill Sauertag, and Clara Nguyen-Tran. My understanding is that all of the members contributed arrangements for the songs (as well as the interstitial string miniatures) and everything sounded naturally integrated. It's rare to witness a standing ovation in the Southern Cross, but the packed crowd on hand knew they were seeing something special — there's the sense that, just at this particular moment, this band could do incredible things and be bound for much larger stages.

My camera angle wasn't the best — apologies to Josh and Aline! — but you can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

^* To be updated once an actual title comes to light!