Mise en Scene

Mise en Scene started as an all-girl duo with Stefanie Blondal Johnson and Jodi Dunlop, who united in small-town Manitoba through a mutual love of the arts. Now incorporating two new members, their four-piece is clamorous and captivating, with hints of everything from ‘60s pop and alt-country to early punk and garage rock – organic and unadulterated by studio trickery.

Desire's Despair, produced by the team of Howard Redekopp (Tegan & Sara), Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire), and Tony Berg (Beck) – charted for 16 weeks on the !earshot Top 50 national charts in Canada, received a 2014 Sirius XM Indies Award nomination, and landed the band coveted spots performing around the world including at the esteemed Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, repeat appearances at SXSW (they’ll hit the massive music fest again in 2016), and festivals in the UK, Australia, and downtown Paris to over 15,000 people. Now in the midst of recording their sophomore album, the founding duo of Stefanie Blondal Johnson (vocals, guitar), and Jodi Dunlop (drums), have added a new friend to the fold in bassist Corey Hykawy.

“…an in-your-face disc, blending catchy hooks with reverb-laden melodies that mix together a little '60s girl pop, a dash of early punk, some garage rock and even a little folk whipped into a frenzy. Blondal's voice is strong, with a raw edge full of emotion.” [Vue Weekly]