Secret City Records is a Montreal-based label that largely embodies the successes and ambitions of the independent music scene. It got its start in 2006 with none other than Patrick Watson, producing his album Close to Paradise. Twenty years later, its catalogue includes thirty-five artists, ranging from Daniel Bélanger to The Barr Brothers, including Alexandra Streliski.
It was only natural that, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Pop Mtl would celebrate the 20th anniversary of this Montreal indie gem.
The event took place over two consecutive nights at the iconic Sala Rossa: on Friday, September 25, featuring Antoine Corriveau, Basia Bulat, Brad Barr, and Klo Pelgag; followed by Saturday, September 26, featuring Fernie, Bye Parula, Shad, La Force, and Unessential Oils. I attended the second night, which was quite a success and definitely offered excellent value for the money, with three hours of music for 35 dollars.
The Sala Rossa quickly filled up and turned into a sweltering sauna. Opening the show, Fernie—a Brazilian-Canadian based in Montreal—turned up the heat with his almost feminine countertenor voice and extraordinary vocal range. This artist, who identifies as queer and has been taken under Patrick Watson’s wing, is sometimes reminiscent of Frank Ocean or Moses Sumney, but carves his own path with a rather mellow style of R&B, even though his voice can pierce right through you.
Fernie quickly won over the audience. However, he addressed them only in English—something I find baffling in Montreal, in 2026. Major international stars say a few words to us in French—so why not an artist based right here? Speaking of language, I’d be curious to hear him sing in his native tongue, Brazilian Portuguese. Still, Fernie has a bright future ahead of him. He performed two promising new songs for us.
Next up was Bye Parula, a quirky Montreal rock band. I have to admit: before September 26, I had no idea this band existed, but they won me over very quickly. The trio consists of Catalan Loïc Calatayud (bass), Chilean Sebastian Riquelme (guitar), and Italian Sergio D’Isanto (drums), all of whom have become Quebecers and Montrealers.
This band treated us to a whirlwind of funk-rock-indie—very raw and intense, less subtle than their recent album, Something Out Of Nothing, which features more acoustic elements and Latin influences. They’re definitely a band to watch, still in the process of defining their multifaceted identity.
As for the language, Bye Parula sings mainly in English, with a bit of Spanish and French. However, they addressed the audience almost entirely in French. And the large portion of the audience that was English-speaking didn’t seem to mind at all…
In the third segment, Shad, the veteran rapper who grew up in London, Ontario, treated us to his versatile lyrics and even managed to collaborate with Bye Parula on a track. These Secret City artists all seem to respect one another, despite their diverse genres. And it’s quite nice to see.
In the fourth segment, La Force, aka Ariel Engle, stole the show. This highly versatile singer-songwriter quickly silenced the entire audience. This Montreal native—who has performed with both Patrick Watson and the Toronto-based alternative band Broken Social Scene—treated us to a few tracks from her two solo albums, while hinting that a new album is on the way. Much to our delight.
Since “everything is in everything,” as the poet Raoul Duguay once said, Warren Spicer—who produced XO Skeleton (2023), La Force’s latest release—took the stage with his electric guitar to join in the celebration. We’d already gotten a taste of the evening’s finale, which featured a performance by Unessential Oils, the solo project of Warren Spicer, who is also a member of the indie band Plants And Animals. I really enjoyed their only album, released in 2024, a blend of languid Sade-esque grooves and fluid folk rock.
On stage, for Secret City’s 29th-anniversary celebration, Warren Spicer and his musicians—including a saxophonist who didn’t appear on the album Unessential Oils—played with more energy than on the record. And Ariel Engle provided backing vocals—what can you say… After all, these two collaborators have just recorded a version of “Wicked Games,” Chris Isaak’s iconic song, which was released this past June.
This old man here took his leave at 11:35 p.m., intoxicated by the music and good vibes. Long live Secret City Records. It embodies not only the best of Montreal’s creative scene, but also the many connections between musicians in this precious ecosystem—in French, English, and other Montreal languages.
