shy kids

The musical equivalent of funfetti, Toronto’s not-so- shy kids have released a spirited new track today called “Noodie”.

Call it a late-summer anthem for indie-pop lovers, “Noodie” is a reminder that the spirit of adventure never dies. Bustling drums, playful synth, and bobbing bass tastefully layered in fuzz highlight singer Walter Woodman’s lyrics that evoke a childlike awe. “Life stays mysterious if you stay curious,” Woodman sings, as if it were told by young parents to their starry-eyed child.

“Noodie” is the third single off the trio’s debut record Lofty! (2015), following “® o c k e t s” and “Terminally In Love With You” featuring Choir! Choir! Choir!. shy kids are currently in the studio working on a sophomore album.

Woodman, along with fellow members Patrick Cederberg and Matthew Hornick, shared this note about their single’s accompanying lyric video:

“The candy-coated cut outs were created by our friends Taylor and Mallory Torr who made the video after accidentally stumbling on our song on soundcloud. To return the kind gesture, we covered Malory’s song ‘21 Years‘. shy til’ ya die.” - Indie88

In the realm of film you’re probably be more familiar with Spy Kids than shy kids, however you may recall the 2013 short film “Noah” (filmed entirely from the view of a computer screen) that went viral and won best short film at TIFF. The creators of the film are Toronto-based musicians of the band shy kids and have released their new single “® o c k e t s” along with some incredible visuals for the track. The video tells an apocalyptic tale in a world entirely made out of candy to accompany the sugar-themed pop-rock song. The guys in the band did the digital animation, editing and production for the video entirely by themselves. “® o c k e t s” comes off of the band’s debut LP Lofty! which can now be streamed entirely and downloaded for free on the band’s website.

"The idea for the video came about when we started thinking about what eating candy signifies,” the band explains. “This sweet sugary poison that you ingest that makes you feel so good. What consequences there are to live in a world made of that substance. It took us nine months and $600 worth of candy. Shout out to SUGAR MOUNTAIN and Bulk Barn. We still have all the candy, don't know what to do with it – it's pretty stale now." - Noisey

Meet Toronto-natives Walter Woodman, Patrick Cederberg, and Matt Hornick—they’re shy kids: not only in the characteristic trait, but also the band, shy kids! Though they confess to being somewhat introverted people, you wouldn’t be able to tell through their music, because once you hear a track there’s an immediate feeling of connection.

It’s never easy or even possible to be 100 percent accurate when categorizing a band in a certain genre. However, when it comes to shy kids, it’s noteworthy to know that their music seems to have created an entirely new category.

Their sound is somehow able to combine a melodic punk rock vibe, with electronic undertones, and beats that can be describes as “indie,” but only in the sense that they’re very unique and independent. If you know your music, you may think this describes post punk, but it’s not quite that—once you hear shy kids, you’ll understand.

“We’re like Arcade Fire, minus everyone switching to a glockenspiel,” Woodman tells BTRtoday.

The live sets of shy kids includes a lot of running around and switching of instruments, which they confess to be one of their favorite things about performing. Though Woodman tends to stick strictly to vocals or sporadically playing the sampler, Cederberg and Hornick are a jack of all trades—you can usually find the two switching around between playing guitar and keys.

Hornick started playing guitar around his freshman year of high school. He bought himself a guitar and started to play. He confesses that he refused to learn through covers or lessons. In fact, to this day, Hornick does not know any covers. “It just had always seemed weird to me to play other people’s songs for some reason,” he explains. “I always thought the point of playing music is to make something, so why would I go out and learn someone else’s songs.” He admits to sounding horrible for a year, before he was able to begin putting melodies together with any degree of allure.

Woodman and Cederberg seem somewhat coyer about their musical backgrounds, even though they’re thoroughly entertaining narratives.

Woodman started off in a band called The Castros—seems like a normal and even humble beginning to a musician’s life. However, Woodman confesses during that time he held in his heart very high hopes for the band, but since recently listening back on their old recordings, he now feels somewhat crushed.

He shines light on a single that he believed was destined to be a “slammer jammer hit,” entitled “Amy.”

“The chorus was, ‘Amy I hope you feel the samey…’” he sings, laughing. “I showed Amy that and she got married to another guy… So, I think that tells you everything you need to know about the quality.”

Cederberg tried to escape the full explanation of his intro into the musical world, but Woodman was not having it. “Uh, uh, uh!! Patrick, I think you’re forgetting about some key in your musical life,” Woodman interrupts Cederberg talking about picking up guitar lessons in high school. “I think you’re forgetting a little video game parody song!”

“Dude! Ugh, yeah, I had a little bit of a YouTube thing in high school… That’s enough, Walter, don’t! Edit this out,” Cederberg blurts out between fits of laughter.

Though the shy kids seem to be shy about their musical backgrounds, they have no real reason to be. The combo of their musical upbringings and the lives they’re able to share now have created music that not only expresses beautiful melodies, but also paints picturesque scenes through their lyrics and has beats that get the blood pumping.

You can hear this on their most recent LP “Lofty!” Woodman confesses that the name was conceived during a time that they were all sharing a one-person loft, however, that they also choice that title because their ambitions were lofty. “We thought it was going to take over the world,” he conveys.

The trio met while studying film at Toronto’s Ryerson University. Cederberg and Woodman met for an acoustic performance of Sir-Mix-A-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” to play at a talent show, which they won. Hornick lived on Woodman’s floor and was mixing weird tunes together for a school assignment. The gears started turning and Woodman willed the three together to create a band.

“I remember I just got a text over the summer that was like, ‘dude. I want to make a band!’,” Cederberg explains. “I was like, ‘Ok, what do you play?’ And he was like, ‘no, what do YOU play?’”

Soon after they started playing together, they created a short film that won Best Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival, which lead them to a life in Hollywood. “Lofty! was sort of finished once we got fed up doing the Hollywood stuff,” Woodman describes. “We were like, ‘we need to do something that’s fun and that we have complete control over.’”

Lofty! is a ten track LP with songs about the heart, the world, and much more. Tracks like “Terminally in Love With You” and “Junk Mail” take you on an emotional roller coast that makes you want to cry and warms your heart all at once. Then there are tracks like “Rockets” and “Noodie” that induces some serious dancing and hip swinging that can’t help but put a smile on your face.

Currently, shy kids are concentrating on playing live—new songs and old. They enjoy playing the songs from Lofty! and plan on touring very soon. They are also working on a couple new EPs that they seem very excited for and anxious to release, so keep an eye on these guys! Woodman confesses that the upcoming EPs center somewhat on the current situation in the U.S…. you know, the whole maniacal lizard monster and shady lady competing to control it.

So make sure to check out shy kids to stay up-to-date on where they’re headed and what they’re cooking up. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Website) Also, if you’re ever in Toronto, make sure to catch a live show by them and say hi—they promised to show you where Drake sits. - Break Thru Radio

Toronto band shy kids are preparing to promote their new album Lofty! with a so-called "Lolli-Pop Up Show" at Toronto's 8-11 Gallery on October 29. For a taste of what the band are like live, Exclaim! is premiering a performance clip for shy kids' song "Terminally in Love with You."

The video consists of three continuous shots, which offer fly-on-the-wall footage of the band performing the melancholic piano ballad. It was filmed at Ebeneezer United Church and features Choir! Choir! Choir!; this choral ensemble punctuate the arrangement with booming group vocals. As the arrangement otherwise consists almost entirely of waltzing piano, the effect of the vocal dynamics is striking.

Interestingly, the album version of the song was recorded at Broken Social Scene member Brendan Canning's house. Check out the premiere of the live version below. - Exclaim

On a hot and sticky Thursday evening in Toronto, fans of London, England’s The Vaccines waited patiently in line to get inside and out of the heat. Relief was temporary as The Mod Club Theatre was transformed into a rocking dance party. Sweat and heat were just as familiar as catchy guitar licks and crowd sing-alongs by the end of the night.

Local band Shy Kids kicked the evening off with a bang. The five piece band brought energy and some groovy rock tunes to the energetic crowd. A great opening band to kick the night off. They were energetic, talented and really embraced the ecstatic audience that had turned up for the gig. The frontman Walter Woodman has a great persona on-stage. Engaging with the audience between songs and performing loose and quirky theatrics as he belted out the lyrics. For one song, bass player Simon Lukasewich (Most Serene Republic) put down the bass and picked up the violin. The audience swayed their hands along with the melody of the violin-laden song. They truly had a fairly diverse mix of styles and sounds within their set. I was thoroughly impressed by them and feel that any fans of Animal Collective will enjoy their work. It wasn’t just me that was impressed either, the crowd was responding incredibly to their music. It’s a pretty special thing when an opening band can come in and get the crowd that’s waiting for the main act moving and excited. It’s a rare occurrence, especially when the band is relatively unknown. These guys are worth keeping an eye on, all the pieces of the puzzle are there, and with the right opportunity they could become the next buzz band.

The venue was getting pretty packed as the temperatures inside the Mod Club started to climb. The temperature would only get hotter and hotter as The Vaccines took the stage. The crowd (after eager anticipation) completely let loose for the band. They opened with Handsome a single off their latest release English Graffiti, followed up by the song Teenage Icon from their second LP Come of Age. The audience was already on fire, belting out the chorus loud and enthusiastically along with lead singer Justin Young. It was pretty clear after two songs that this wasn’t your average weeknight audience. People were jumping, dancing and throwing their hands up right away. There was no courting process like you experience at some shows. This crowd was ready to party, and party they did.

They moved things along with the songs Ghost Town, Dream Lover and one of the bigger hits with the crowd on this particular evening, Wetsuit. Justin even stepped back during the intro of the song and let the crowd sing the lines “we all got older, breakneck speed. Slow it down, go easy on me”. By far one of the best songs of the night, the crowd belted out nearly every line of the song in unison. They moved things along by playing the songs Minimal Affection (a personal favourite from English Graffiti), A Lack of Understanding, Wolf Pack and Bad Mood.

Young then took a moment to interact with the audience before the next song. A fan near the front informed him that she had a “lady boner” for them, which caught him off guard as he chuckled and quipped “oh Toronto” and then said “this one’s for you then” as they broke into one of their biggest hits, Post Break Up Sex. Again the crowd response was huge, everyone singing loud and dancing shoulder to shoulder. Sweat running down their eyebrows and arms as they were right there with the band on every song. They then slowed things down a bit (probably necessary for all parties to get a bit of rest) with the songs (All Afternoon) In Love and Melody Calling.

The slight rest didn’t last very long as they played the opening track from their debut LP What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra). The crowd again was insane during this song. Screaming out “ra ra ra” and “hey hey hey” at the appropriate times while jumping and dancing like maniacs to the high tempo song. They followed up with another energetic song, 20/20 from English Graffiti. Next they played another huge sing-along I Always Knew, before breaking into the song If You Wanna, arguably the biggest song of the night. The audience sang the chorus of “If you wanna come back it’s alright, it’s alright” deafeningly loud. Hands were up, synchronized clapping came into play and the whole crowd within view was dancing and singing along. They finished the main set with the final song from their debut LP, Family Friend.

The crowd enthusiastically pleaded for the encore briefly before Justin Young graced the stage alone with his acoustic guitar. He opened the encore with a solo acoustic rendition of the opening track from Come of Age, No Hope. Unsurprisingly at this point, the crowd sang nearly every lyric along with Young, albeit less energetic due to the rendition of the song. The band reappeared on stage to play the final two songs of the night. First came another track from their debut LP, All in White. They closed the evening out with yet another track from that album, the song Norgaard. The high tempo song forced the audience to use up their last bit of energy. Dancing and singing along once again, sweaty people insulated by more sweaty people. The place was roasting by the end.

Here’s my personal take on the evening. It was an absolute blast start to finish. Every song was massive. The crowd fueled the band, the band fueled the crowd. The perfect endless cycle for an incredible concert. Every song was sung loudly to, danced to and passionately enjoyed by all patrons in the Mod Club. I have seen a lot of concerts over the years, but this was definitely one of the best I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, certainly the best club show I’ve ever seen. There was something special about the audience, the energy was incredible. Justin Young at one point said that this was their “sixth time playing in Toronto” and that this was “the best show we’ve played here”. I have to agree with that sentiment. This was my third time seeing them and this time was by far the best. I was soaked in sweat, nearly lost my voice and completely exhausted all the rock n’ roll dance moves in my repertoire. The entire crowd was ecstatic. Anyone who was at this show knows exactly what I mean. It’s almost impossible to accurately convey in words the euphoric experience this gig was. It was the kind of show that you wish everyone you knew was at, just so you could talk about it to someone who “gets it”. I hope the next time The Vaccines come to town, the crowd can repeat the incredible energy they had for this gig. I can guarantee you one thing though, I won’t be missing it. - Live In Limbo

Why do we like this?
As a small number of you may be aware, Toronto-based band Shy Kids first started releasing music back in 2012, however beyond an original three-track EP, they hadn't released anything new since.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, on Monday they uploaded their debut album Lofty! (which is a FREE download!) onto SoundCloud, and I have fallen in love with it.

An intelligent maze of loopy melodies and feel-good vocals, the album's shining light comes in the form of lead single "®ockets". A futuristic, mind-bending number, "®ockets" ebbs and flows like a sugar rush, feeding off the syrupy lyrics, rich guitars, and synths that bring this track to life.

Complementing the song's creative imagination perfectly, the music video for "®ockets" (which is made entirely out of sweets) can be viewed below. - Indie Shuffle

15. shy kids recently shared a free new album, Lofty! The ten-track album is full of dreamy, easy-going songs. One of the fan favorites, "rockets", is a perfect example of that addictive, breezy attitude. It's easy to feel like everything is right with the world as shy kids' melodies wash over you. - Pigeons & Planes

Into The Crowd talks with Toronto band Shy Kids about their latest release Lofty!, their artistry, and future endeavours. Lofty! is available on iTunes now.

1) How did you guys come together as a band?

We met in University at a talent show. We played “Baby Got Back” and won. Since then we haven’t really looked back.

2) Can you tell us a bit about Shy Kids? How would you describe yourselves to someone who may not know you?

I always think of it as three people having a debate as to what a good song is. We each have different personalities, quirks, strengths and ideas on what a good song is. But in those moments we all agree on something, that’s when the magic happens.

3) In 2013 you won a TIFF award for best short film. How did your film and music endeavours intertwine?

We had always been in a band before Noah and TIFF. Luckily making a film and making a song aren’t that different!

4) How does being from Toronto, more specifically the artistic Kensington area, influence your work as artists?

Toronto is having a renaissance. Look at the charts. Look at the most famous actors. Toronto is setting the trends for the rest of the world to follow…just ask Drake. As for Kensington that just seems to be the part of Toronto that is most suited to our personalities. It’s eclectic, laid back, great food, great bars, people having acid flashbacks, Rastas, bottle ladies… It’s just this central area where all the freaks hang out.

5) Talking a bit about your album, what was the inspiration behind Lofty!?

Lofty! is a play on words that is talking about both the albums ambitions and the place it was made. All three of us lived in this one bedroom loft and it’s the claustrophobia and the bond of that experience that was the driving theme of the work.

6) It’s been three years since your last album, and two years since your last release. Can you tell us what the biggest challenge in the process of making Lofty! was?

Ego. Whenever you are doing something creative you always want to see your vision expressed and it’s very hard to filter that through three people. You have to find out how to record, how to structure a song, what to cut, what to keep. But all of that gets easier when you can check your ego.

7) The ®ockets video had an interesting and unique concept. What was the thought process that lead to creating an all Candy music video.

We had the song done and ready to go and were sitting in a health food restaurant talking about candy. Without giving too much away we think there is multiple metaphors that candy has. It’s this bright, colourful, poison that tastes so good but is really not great for your body. We then started to think what if the whole world was made up of candy and vice. Then nine months and six hundred dollars in candy later…we had the video.

8) Do you have any new exciting music videos in the process at the moment?

Terminally In Love With You is our second single and it has a live video we created with a huge Choir! at a church. We always have something up our sleeve for other ideas…stay close.



9) Last question, what’s next for shy kids in either film or music or both? We’re sure it must be hard when you’re diverged in so many different realms of art.

We have the most fun job in the world. It’s not always sunshine and lollipops but you will see more music/film/books/TV/boardgames/apps/and whatever else the universe has in store for us very soon. We have an EP called America coming out soon. - Into The Crowd Magazine

This Shy Kids video is made entirely out of candy. Here’s how they did it and if you want the whole album for free, go here. - A Journal Of Musical Things: Alan Cross

About three years I stumbled across a band out of nowhere. CitR was a very different beast back then – far less industry vultures crawling over the pages for one. The band picked up a bit more exposure across a few more blogs, but nothing like they would have done if they’d emerged now. Anyway, having disappeared almost completely for three years, and aside from a handful of solo projects emerging from various members, there was little tangible trace of shy kids – until today.
Lofty!, their debut album uploaded on Soundcloud (and Spotify and Bandcamp) earlier today is a collection of kaleidoscopic, perfectly formed indie pop numbers. There’s moments that hint at the stark beauty of Perfume Genius, sparkling production reminiscent of Alt-J and still a touch of Vampire Weekend – the comparison that was placed so easily upon their three track debut EP from 2012(!). Despite only being two listens in, I can already tell this is going to be one of my favourite records of the year. - Crack In The Road

I love candy. Toronto-based band Shy Kids recently created a video for their song Rockets entirely made of candy. I knew I wanted to know about them from this fact alone. I had the chance to chat with Walter, Matt, and Patrick of Shy Kids about their new album Lofty, as well as this candy-filled music video.

Lofty, their full length album, was created in a Kensington market loft. Naturally I wanted to know as a fellow Torontonian where their favourite place to eat in Kensington is. Shy Kids top picks are Hibiscus for the soup and salad combo, Rasta Pasta for their $5 jerk chicken, and Burgernator for a solid burger choice. I had to ask about the band’s favourite kind of candy as well. Walter tells me his choice, if chocolate counts (I think it does) is a Twix bar. Matt goes for the unique choice of a two-toned UFO shaped lollipop, while Patrick’s choices include pull and peel as well as Popeye cigarettes. Who else wants candy now?
Shy Kids have a show coming up at Sugar Mountain in Kensington Market sometime in October. You can look for a finalized date on their Facebook here. - Fat Girl Food Squad