The OBGMs

THE OBGMs WITH BRENDAN PHILIP — LIVE AT MILLS HARDWARE!

2026 JUNO NOMINEES FOR ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

“This is rock music that hits differently. It’s Kurt Cobain shit. It’s Jimi Hendrix shit. It’s the Steve Jobs of this rock shit.” That’s vocalist/guitarist Densil McFarlane talking about his band the OBGMs and their Polaris-shortlisted 2021 album, The Ends . If he sounds like a man who doesn’t lack confidence, that’s because he doesn’t. “The whole album is about not being bashful and just going out and getting it,” he says. “A lot of people who do music sink into self-deprecation, but we’re comfortable telling people how we feel about ourselves—good and bad—and the good is: I don’t think there’s a band that does what we do on a record.” If there’s something crucial beyond the music, it’s that the OBGMs—rounded out by drummer Colanthony Humphrey and bassist Joseph Brosnan—aren’t your typical rock band. “This is a black-fronted punk band, and that’s really important,” McFarlane says. “Rock n’ roll is mostly white suburban kids—that’s what gets promoted. But we are black and we out here. I was inspired to make rock music when I saw a black guy onstage, and if someone sees that in us, I hope it will inspire a new generation to go after this.” Behind his confidence, the title The Ends reflects a dark period in McFarlane’s life—one that almost ended the band. Back in February of 2018, at the end of the OBGMs (that’s The oOoh Baby Gimme Mores) last tour, McFarlane was ready to pull the plug on the whole operation. “I thought it was over,” he says. “I thought me and music was over. My life wasn’t very good at the time, people around me were dying, and everything I was making sucked. I thought it was a sign that I needed to do something else.” After a six-month hiatus and a whole lot of soul-searching, McFarlane started writing again. “I basically had a conversation with myself and found that the reasons I was making music were wrong and upside-down,” he says. “I was making it to fit a certain mold, but it lacked truth. It lacked honesty. That’s why it wasn’t able to come out the way I wanted it to. So I changed my strategy on songwriting. I started talking about things that were more relevant to me and more relevant to my community—and just talking about how I actually feel in words that are not compromising.” That pivotal attitude shift resulted in a completely different approach than the one McFarlane took in writing the OBGMs’ self-titled 2017 debut. “I approached this one in the darkness and alone,” he says with a laugh. “The last album was an album built on compromise. The thought process was other people first as opposed to ourselves. So this time I was just thinking about me and us—the team—and how we do this. That’s the biggest change between the approaches: I stopped thinking about other people.” Self-assurance restored, McFarlane rehearsed the songs with his bandmates before hitting Dream House Studios in their hometown of Toronto with Grammy and JUNO award-winning producer Dave Schiffman (Trash Talk, PUP, Rage Against The Machine). Those sessions resulted in The Ends , released in October 2020 on Black Box. Given the current state of the world, opinions will surely vary. Not that McFarlane cares one way or the other. “You can love us or hate us,” he says. “I’m aiming for that. We’d prefer the love—we’re full of love—but I’d rather you hate me than feel indifference.”

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Brendan Philip is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter known for his genre-defying sound, blending psychedelic soul, experimental rock, and avant-R&B. Since winning the Harbourfront SoundClash Award in 2013, he has steadily carved out a unique artistic identity. His 2015 self-titled EP on Dine Alone Records featured the standout track “Warning,” showcasing his introspective and innovative style. From 2018 to 2023, Brendan independently released singles leading to Lizard King, his first major release with producer Andrew Gordon Macpherson, earning admiration for its raw and boundary-pushing sound. In 2024, Brendan released “The Witness” and “Desert in My Head,” tracks exploring Zamrock and black psychedelic soul influences. That year, he also co-produced the soundtrack for a Nuit Blanche installation Tizita by Winta Hagos and scored Emergency Arm Candy, a short film directed by Vanessa Magic for the Canadian Film Centre. Brendan’s What You Fear Already Happened , promises another bold artistic evolution. A live performance of the record and earlier repertoire took place at 918 Bathurst Street on Saturday May 10th, 2025 with special guests, the Polaris-prize 2025 nominated The OBGMs as his band and up and coming Ants Are Plants as opening support. A live concert recording of that show will be released later in 2026 . Brendan Philip's talents have always been evident in his creative pursuits as a vocalist and songwriter. He honed his talent in a city known worldwide for its vast impact and diverse culture. He released music with the first two EPs from Toronto-based label Dine Alone Records and independently under his own label, Unltd Ltd. for these latest two releases. He was a founding member of groundbreaking hip hop art collective 88 Days of Fortune, and has supported major artists like Bilal (2010), BADBADNOTGOOD (2013), SZA (2015), and Thundercat (2015) for their Toronto shows. Being more focused on world-building, Brendan Philip ultimately defies a singular genre to present music that's more reflective of the human experience we’re all having.

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