Premiere: Motorists - “The Damage”

Written By Jeff MacCallum

Today we are very excited to premiere the third single from Never Sing Alone, the forthcoming record from Toronto band Motorists. This power-pop band leans into 90s alt-rock and on their new single “The Damage”, they delve into the absurd.

Matt Learoyd explains:

“This is a song about the absurd, humiliating, and strange experiences human beings will expose themselves to in pursuit of something good and pure. If love hurts, it must do some damage. It’s also about the fact that we have created a type of entertainment which turns this struggle into a public spectacle: the reality tv show.”

The new single arrives today in video form, a video in which Nick McKinlay says: “cost 21 dollars to make (Hair Gel $7, Pastrami Sandwich $14)”. It features the band members as contestants on an otherworldly, lo-fi TV dating show.

Never Sing Alone was recorded across studios in Toronto, Brooklyn, and Gothenburg and was mixed by the legendary Chris Cohen. It arrive on March 6, 2026 via We Are Time and is available to pre-order digitally or on a very limited (200) run of black vinyl.

Jeff MacCallum

Jeff MacCallum is our founder. He created Cups N Cakes simply because he had a love of local music. Soon the platform grew beyond the confines of his scene in Edmonton to include all of Canada.

"I did it all very DIY. Everything you see was me learning on the fly. I'm a carpenter not a musician, or a journalist, or a publicist... I'm a carpenter and a weird crazy music fan that thought he could do something fun that might benefit something I care about"

Over the years, MacCallum's commitment to elevating Canadian music earned him a spot as a Polaris Prize Juror, a WCMA Juror, a consultant for music festival curation, and a dear friend to independent music in Canada.

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Premiere: Ira Dot - “Bodies”