Toronto-based alt/rock artist SBSxTO explodes with a sound as diverse as her heritage. Imagine Hole's raw energy colliding with the intricate vocals of Susheela Raman, amplified by the thunder of distorted guitars and a full drum kit, then interwoven with the rhythmic pulse of tablas and the classical beauty of North Indian music.

This fusion reflects SBSxTO's own journey as a "daughter of diaspora twice over," born in Fiji, of Indian descent, and raised in Canada. "Being female trying to produce aggressive music," she explains, "I've always felt the tension of being made of many things. Music is how I make sense of this tension."

Her upcoming EP trilogy, "Strength," "Beauty," and "Shimmer," explores themes of loss and trauma, sexuality and femininity, celebration and renewal, forging new narratives around these powerful experiences.

As an Ontario Arts Council Chalmers Arts Fellow, SBSxTO is documenting the "punk diaspora" in South Asia and North America, capturing the voices and stories of those who find belonging in a non-ethnic specific cultural movement. This research, along with a formative residency at the Banff Centre, fuels her unique and captivating sound.

• Highlights:

  • OAC Popular Music grantee for “Beauty.” (2017)

  • Banff Centre for the Arts Alumni (2016)

  • Parsons College & Design, President’s Scholarship (2017)

  • Chalmers Art Fellowship (2017)

  • Voices of Asia Residency with Small World Music (2015)

  • Opening for Arkells at Hart House (2012)