(Toronto)

Surf dipped in psych-pop fuzz, steeped in heavy reverb and wrapped in a live show to go

Bio: The Hoas Hoas (pronounced The Wah Wah's) - Femke Berkhout, Lee Brochu, Calvin Brown and Richie Volume - are the crown jewel of Toronto's emerging Optical Sounds label, a psych-pop based act that has two critically-acclaimed releases to their name.

To this day, the band does not shy away from noting their appreciation for the Niagara region, the friends and social networks that made up their lives there and the support they have received from the very beginning. Lee and Richard spent their entire childhood in Niagara, while Femke spent the formative years of here life there.

"Maybe those who do not know Niagara won't recognize it, but I think the whole band knows of the direct influence growing up there still has on us" - singer/guitarist Lee Brochu.

Reviews of The Hoa Hoas live:

"volume and reverb, and both were doled out in equally healthy portions. Vocals were delivered in a near-monotone, which only amped up the austerity of the whole endeavour like a Stephin Merritt meets Ian Curtis sort of thing. The Hoa Hoa's songs swooned and swirled in a psychedlic fog of guitars and bass. Through it all, the band drew out the melody, which made for a set that was at once soothing and captivating while still driving with an unrelenting ferocity." - CHART ATTACK

" the always satisfying, post-psychedelic pop that this rad little band offers up seriously pleased the crowd. Picking up where Brian Jonestown Massacre, Sonic Youth and Spacemen 3 left off" ... " it was clear they are one of the tightest, well-synchronized underground acts on the Toronto scene. Getting people dancing and even moshing thanks to their beautifully layered, supersonic psychedelic sound " -SOUNDPROOF MAGAZINE