Crash The Occasion

Psst! Hey you. Yeah, you. I know what you’re thinking. “I need some new music, everything is just the same old, same old.”

Well you’re in the right place. There’s this group, you see, based out of the Niagara. Call themselves “Crash The Occasion” and they’re pretty aptly named if you’re looking to shake things up. A full rich wall of sound that’ll break you out of your regular audio routine.

Featuring Matthew Therrien on keys/backing vocals, Danielle Oegema on strings/backing vocals, Greg McArthur on bass/backing vocals and Jarrod Cunliffe on drums/lead vocals, CTO formed in Niagara back in 2011 and blends the electrically charged sounds of groups like Muse with the multi-layered vocal performances of bands like Arcade Fire to bring you a new and distinct audio experience. No lead guitars? No real problem. The combination of piano, violin, bass and drums blends together to create everything from progressively complex grooves to slow, dark ballads that will haunt you for days.

Opening for acts such as Marianas Trench and Die Mannequin as they passed through Niagara, Crash The Occasion are eager to get themselves out on the road to share their sound with the rest of the country, if not the world.

“[CTO] deliver a knockout punch with their live sound, with not only infectiously groovy beats but complex vocal harmonies that elevate their performance above most other acts,” says Jenn Meister of the website IndieBeat. But don’t just take her word for it: their self-titled debut EP is available now to judge for yourself (courtesy of Strange Pumpkin studios and the incredibly talented co-producer Kyle Whitaker). Won’t even say “I told you so,” afterwards.