Chasing Good After Bad

Separated by geography yet brought back together by the pandemic, my band has weathered many ups and downs. We hadn’t spent much time together recently, but last summer, we aimed to demonstrate that what seems finished can rise again with our new project, Revivals: three tracks that reconnected us and marked our first fresh music since 2015.

Authentic yet ambitious, Revivals became the little demo that exceeded expectations, landing spots on over 60 playlists, receiving airplay on stations across Canada, the US, Brazil, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Asia. We garnered a dozen positive reviews, a nomination for an online radio award, and more than 150,000 plays since its June release.

Wow!

Does it come with a trophy?

While many artists rack up thousands of streams daily, for indie garage-rockers like us, this is monumental. We were simply thrilled to be back in sync, and the reaction has genuinely amazed us—especially the reviews.

Filled with flattering descriptions and comparisons to bands like the Runaways, these reviews are some of the kindest words ever penned about my music across any of my projects.

Reviews that shine!

However, it hasn’t always been this way—quite the opposite, in fact. Have you ever encountered the word "sucks" in a review? I certainly have. Years ago, during the First Person Shooter era, what began as pure joy when a major Canadian music magazine reviewed our album turned into utter devastation upon reading the content.

“I can’t tell if it’s First Person Shooter that totally sucks or just their singer.”

To this day, it stands as the most devastating critique I’ve encountered.

With all the venom of an ex-boyfriend’s tirade on social media, this harsh review aimed its sharpest barbs at me and my vocal abilities. The fact that it contained a glaring error—there were TWO singers on the record!—only added to the sting.

What kind of music critic can’t distinguish between two unique vocalists? What purpose would highlighting this mistake serve?

There is indeed such a thing as bad publicity.

The most challenging aspect was that he had a valid point. My vocals were lacking. They were the weakest link, and no one could appreciate the music due to my subpar performance.

I felt as though I had let my band down.

The most exasperating part was that singing wasn’t fundamentally the issue. We performed frequently, even at prominent venues like Lee’s Palace and the Mod Club. My voice was powerful during live shows; it was the recording process that I struggled with.

Cue the Montage Music

Like a writer who decorates their walls with rejection letters, “that totally sucks” became my personal slogan. It echoed in my mind as a constant reminder during countless hours spent alone in rehearsal spaces, singing to myself.

I was determined not to disappoint either my band or myself again, aiming to make recording sessions less painful and to avoid seeing the word "sucks" in any future review.

Recording sessions that feel rewarding.

Years have passed and multiple bands have come and gone since then. I’m not sure what ever became of that harsh critic, nor do I want him to know how seriously I took his words. Yet, inspiration can stem from the most unexpected places, and I’m grateful to have transformed such negative feedback into a source of motivation.

With impressive streaming numbers suggesting that listeners beyond my family are tuning in, along with the kind of sparkling reviews that every musician dreams about, it has been a remarkable year for Dynasty Four.

And not a single negative review to be found.