SHY FRiEND Embrace the Ugly on Snaggletooth
SHY FRiEND. Photo by Daman Singh (@damaann_).
It’s immediately clear when speaking with Jubs that their artistic philosophy is deeply genuine. For the creative force behind Calgary’s indie-punk six-piece SHY FRiEND, the journey to their new album, SNAGGLETOOTH, started with a tooth—not a perfect, pearly white one, but the snaggletooth they’ve always felt insecure about. This act of transforming a personal flaw into a banner of strength is central to the album’s defiant spirit.
“It’s part of my personality; it's what makes me interesting and not so boring,” Jubs shares. This philosophy marks a deliberate shift from the “sad introspection” of their earlier work, which began as a DIY solo project. “Word of advice, don’t use your full legal name!” they laugh, recalling the nightly Twitch streams during the pandemic that built an online audience. That community funded their first record, Frank, a melancholic album recorded alone in an abandoned church in Medicine Hat. The identity of a solo project transformed after its release show, where Jubs enlisted friends from college to help perform the material. The energy of a full band was a revelation. “It sounded way better than it ever could have sounded on my own,” Jubs recalls. “I didn’t want to do it alone anymore.” The solo persona was shed, and the collective SHY FRiEND was born.
Embracing this collaborative energy, SNAGGLETOOTH is the product of the band’s immersion in Calgary’s DIY punk scene and Jubs’ desire to “get ugly.” The record draws on influences ranging from Paramore and Le Tigre to Queen and David Bowie. Modern inspirations like Chappell Roan’s campy, rage-filled pop also play a role. “It’s indie sleaze turned girliepop,” Jubs says of the band’s aesthetic. “Grimy, DIY, fruity, feminine, fun—high energy but with this layer of ’80s nostalgia.”
This grimy, instinctual sound is born from a tactile creative process. Jubs often composes using a five-channel live looping pedal, building songs from the ground up. “I’ll figure out a little hook, a melody, or a riff that I find interesting,” they explain. From there, they add layers: “basic percussion by hitting the shit out of my guitar or using shakers and tambourines,” a bass line created by dropping the guitar an octave, and backup harmonies. The method allows them to create a full “groove” on the fly, figuring out a song’s structure organically before it’s ever brought to the band. “It just allows me to begin figuring out what everything sounds like before putting hours into something,” they say, preserving a raw, “demo-like quality” that defines the album.
The album prioritizes raw feeling over polished perfection. The lead single, "Freaky Nightmare," embodies this ethos. First sketched out during unpopular-but-productive Twitch streams using this very method, the track is a cathartic jab at a "knockoff genius," synthesizing Jubs’ frustrating experiences with men. “Everyone around me was like, ‘what the fuck are you doing?’” they recall of a specific relationship that inspired the song. “In hindsight, those rose-tinted glasses were thick.”
Lyrically, the album explores anger not as an inward reflection but as a confrontation with the people who cause pain. “I don’t want to be a doormat anymore,” says Jubs. “I want to make music that empowers people to respect themselves.”
Community is central to SHY FRiEND, which is reflected in their live shows. Known for their themed dress codes, a concept inspired by a Chappell Roan concert that Jubs attended in Detroit. “It became this sort-of ‘church’ for everybody locally that was weird, punk, DIY, funky, and queer to get together,” Jubs says. From a personal insecurity to a powerful album theme and a vibrant live experience, SHY FRiEND is building a world where imperfections aren't just accepted, they're celebrated.
One of SHY FRiEND’s most memorable shows was a devils-and-angels themed night at one of Calgary’s more intimidating and grungy venues, but the space was transformed by a crowd in Sunday-best and costume, creating a safe, vibrant community in an unlikely place. It’s a testament to the scene that shaped them, a scene Jubs is eager to champion with shoutouts to local bands like Astrocaster, 2 Litre-Superpunk and Oranje, and drag performers like Comrade Yulia Borscht and Dani Phantom.
Their advice to other artists mirrors their own journey with SNAGGLETOOTH: “Don’t wait to be good enough. You’re never gonna be happy with the first couple things you make… Give it a shot.”
This recently led them to submit a track to BBNO$ during his early October music review stream on Twitch, garnering praise from the Canadian rapper and internet legend. Jubs shares “I’ve been a fan of his for years so finally getting to interact with him as a fellow artist was so gratifying.”
With this album, SHY FRiEND isn’t just taking a shot; they’re baring their teeth, and the result is a beautifully ugly, empowering triumph.
SHY FRiEND is performing at the Sled For the Island Festival Fundraiser at Dickens on Friday Nov 28. Tickets are available at sledisland.com.