Get To Know (Un)Decided at TD AMPLIFY Episode 2
Photo credit: Daman Singh
At the heart of Calgary’s downtown arts scene, Werklund Centre hosts the eccentric and memorable TD Amplify program. The second episode in its series isn’t just another showcase — it’s a collision of rhythm, movement, and storytelling, anchored by one of the city’s most dynamic emerging groups: (un)decided.
The eight-piece collective, whose name still makes listeners pause and crack a smile, has built its reputation the old-fashioned way: live and loud.
“We haven’t put anything out yet,” they admit with a grin, though that’s changed now. Their debut single, “Pull Up”, has officially arrived, an open-armed invitation that mirrors the band’s ethos: come hang out, see what we’re about.
(un)decided’s origin story feels distinctly Calgarian. The project began in late 2023 when vocalist Jon Oshone set out to put on a show and was told to check out The Alcove jam sessions — a grassroots incubator for instrumentalists and vocalists alike. There, he met guitarist and producer Sean Akira and trumpeter Jessie Yogya. From that spark, the group expanded organically: drummer Julio Cesar Ginter-Agreda, percussionist and vocalist Tatiana Olufemi, keyboardist and vocalist Mo, vocalist Pinky, and bassist Orein Ferdinandus rounded out the lineup.
Their first-ever show was tied to The Alcove community, known as a launchpad that the band credits with much of their early momentum. Though their schedules have grown busier, they remain deeply connected to the space that helped shape them.
Community, for (un)decided, isn’t just a buzzword. Several members have lived elsewhere — Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Vancouver — but Calgary’s music scene, they say, feels uniquely collaborative.
“It’s not super competitive,” Julio notes. “Everyone wants to share and support each other.”
That spirit is audible in their music: layered harmonies, call-and-response grooves, trumpet lines weaving through Afrobeats-inflected percussion and hip-hop rhythms. Sean describes the sound as a blend of Sade, prime-era Black Eyed Peas, and Red Hot Chili Peppers and is an eclectic shorthand that only scratches the surface. R&B, neo-soul, Afrobeats, funk, and hip-hop all collide in their arrangements, anchored by groove and playfulness.
Their name was pure serendipity. The WhatsApp group was titled “Undecided” while they brainstormed a show. The show itself became “The Undecided Show.” When venues asked for the band name, they’d respond, “Undecided,” prompting confusion — and laughter. After attempting (and failing) to settle on something else, they realized the placeholder was perfect.
“It’s the truest thing to our process,” Pinky explains. Even when they try to decide, they can’t.
That openness to process is exactly what makes (un)decided such a natural fit for TD AMPLIFY.
Episode 2 brings together the band with dancer Gisele Ardosa of Decidedly Jazz Danceworks and storyteller Matthew Mooney. The result is a multidisciplinary performance where music doesn’t just accompany movement, but it responds to it.
During their first collaborative rehearsal, the group flipped the traditional formula. Instead of composing to pre-recorded choreography, they asked Ardosa to dance first. The band watched her movements and built sound around them in real time.
“What would it look like,” Tatiana reflects, “to move your body first and then see how that correlates to sound?”
The experiment unlocked something new. For a dancer whose practice is usually grounded in music, leading with motion required vulnerability. For musicians used to driving tempo, responding to physical gesture demanded attentiveness. Abstract concepts — emotion, fragility, tension — had to be translated into performance language.
For several members, the program has also created space to integrate artistic passions that usually sit on the sidelines. Dance, visual art, theatre are elements that might not always fit within a standard band show and now have room to breathe. TD AMPLIFY’s format encourages cross-disciplinary risk, pushing artists beyond their comfort zones.
The result promises something more immersive than a concert: a living conversation between bodies, beats, and breath.For a band still at the beginning of its recording journey, the opportunity to step into such a layered collaboration feels catalytic.
“We wanted a challenge,” they say simply.
Beyond TD AMPLIFY, (un)decided’s calendar is filling quickly. They’ll perform at Studio Bell at the National Music Centre for Black History Month and are slated for additional local dates, including a March 13 show in Lethbridge alongside Midnight Channel. Conversations about a mini Alberta tour are already underway.
For tickets to TD AMPLIFY Episode 2, visit here.
