Bill and Qu Mi, the duo known candidly as World News 808909, hit the road again.

Another show in paradise, playing mostly to the cactuses sitting lifeless in the sand. And while the gigs weren’t exactly selling well, the most recent involving two hecklers demanding "more guitars", the duo were buoyed by the fact that they were only slightly in the red for the tour thus far.

Speeding across the Arbusto Marchito in a fully loaded semi-truck – a big rig – the pair knew exactly where they were headed... “Lacey Lucy’s.”

If you didn't already know, Lacey’s – "the last stop in town" – is a truck stop, motel and bar in the middle of nowhere and at the crossroads to everywhere. It’s a great place to rest, fill up the tank and smash a beer or two in between the endless hours of driving.

The sun was hot but cooling as it set. As it fell the sky became a blanket of brilliant orange and purple, with the heat causing barren mountains to flutter in the distance as it warped the air in-between.

The thing with Lacey Lucy’s was, if you knew how to ask, you could get pretty much anything you wanted there…

A fresh tank of gas.

A dive into a cool pool of water.

A prescription for spice.

A pair of eyes looking back at yours.

Or perhaps something a little more dangerous?!

Bill had once met a guy at the bar who swore that Lacey's was run by witches. Knowing the superstitious nature of Qu, he had decided quite sensibly never to mention it to him. Why worry him?

Eager to get there, Bill drove like an arrow towards their destination while Qu sat contently in the passenger seat on "watch duty". What they were watching for exactly, neither knew, nor had they really ever discussed it, not even since Bill acquired the gun.

You see, a few days earlier when they stopped for gas, Bill had stepped inside to pay when a dusty, 70-something guy startled him by shouting – “Number?”

Taken slightly aback, Bill shot a glance through the blinds of the window towards the pumps...

“That one there!” he had said, pointing at the only semi-truck, which for that matter was the only vehicle of any kind in sight.

“Do you know the number to call if you get into trouble out here?” the old man muttered over the counter discontentedly.

He had blonde hair, like a scarecrow, but with a taught button up plaid shirt and a pair of oversized jeans. He certainly didn’t seem modern, but he gave the impression that he knew how to take care of himself.

Feeling slightly concerned and realising he needed to diffuse the weirdness, Bill laughed unconvincingly and said – “Look buddie, we’ve got a long drive ahead. I don’t mean to be rude, but can you just tell me how much it is?”

Barely adjusting his gaze, the cashier leaned forwards in slow motion and whispered - “I see you boys out there, not drawing attention to yourselves or anything.”

He shot Bill a sudden, piercing glance with the weight of a thousand daggers.

“And I’m just a good guy trying to keep people safe in these parts because hell, lately, I got to. You don’t just travel across the Arbusto without no protection. They say it’s cursed, and hell, when it doesn’t rain for 34 years in a place, that sounds like a curse to me."

His mouth curled into a dry smile as he raised a mid-sized weapon with a wooden stock above the counter.

"You can take the rifle for 50.”

Bill knew full well that there was always something lurking around an unsuspecting corner to cause an inconvenience – be it human, plant, animal, insect or a serious weather system.

The mountains were rushing closer alongside the truck windows now, looming jagged, raised like red cliffs from the earth’s floor.

After what felt like hours, Bill felt the sun slowly begin to creep over the horizon again, illuminating the sky for enchanting panoramic views.

They were almost there! Qu had his fingers firmly crossed that Alexandrité would be working today. They had met just once before where Qu had fallen for her elegant but fierce charm. He was certainly known to play with fire.

Alexandrité had long, silky dark hair with a soft face and sharp energy. She was so calm that it felt like you could probably run her over and it wouldn’t phase her… she’d just glide away like she did when serving tables at the main bar.

Whenever he got close, Bill always felt like he could hear the electric hum of the reddy-pink neon light above the entrance to Lacey Lucy's, even from a few miles away.

The sign really was quite a feat - a 15-foot Lucy, wearing a long dress with one leg extended, but then the neon lights alternate ever few seconds revealing a rather raunchy leg as she pulls up her skirt to the knee and simultaneously slams a shot of tequila!

As the motel complex and hot tubs finally came into sight, World News parked up and walked into the office to check themselves in.

The hum of the neons was so vibrant, even first thing in the morning, that it felt like walking into an electrical storm. Had they known what was to come, they surely would have turned around and fled right there and then...

Another World was written by World News (Bembridge, Cooksley, Mitchell).

Alexandrité was mixed by Brandon Bak (Possum, Kali Horse, Ooz). Lot Lizard was mixed by Josh Korody (Breeze, Nailbiter, Tess Parks). Another World was mastered by Asher Gould-Murtagh.

The cover for the Another World project created from concept artwork by artist Leesa Westwood.

World News 808909 are back with an electrifying new single, ‘Lot Lizard’.

Okay, let’s just start by clearing this up – you might see World News being touted as World News 808909 – the boys tell us nothing has changed... “We are World News. We are World News 808909. We are 808909.”

Thanks guys for clearing that up.

This is the first ever World News song to be written and recorded by all three members previous members! That’s right, this one was co-written by founding member Tyler Cooksley who also plays the DSI Tempest, which is the heartbeat of World News.

This time we see World News link up again with producer and mixing engineer, Josh Korody (Breeze, Nailbiter), and you can hear Josh’s thumping tones loud and clear on Lot Lizard. Asher Gould-Murtagh mastered this beauty in a single pass, cos he gets it.

Concept artwork for the Another World project was completed by artist Leesa Westwood as part of a failed bid for funding… but her work is amazing and we're pleased to share it was used in a collage form as part of the cover art in addition to your usual World News weirdness.

We are also pleased to announce that this is the first of two Another World singles, and Alexandrité, the follow-up will be released in July 2025 so watch this space.

It's release day here at Safe Sounds with a brand spanking new four-track EP from Your Grandad!

500mg [SS127] is premiering now exclusively on bandcamp. It's the Toronto post-punk trio's most spontaneous record to date.

For this EP, Your Grandad have embraced their collaborative instincts, taking a fluid approach to the writing and recording process –

"On July 6th 2024 in sunny Muskoka we got it cookin’ with a Line 6 Spider, Peavy practice amp, a cute little Pearl Midtown drum kit and a 4-track cassette recorder. The result was 500mg."

In order of conception: 'Letting Go', 'Alleviate', 'Gummy Worm Snake' and 'E, Bud!' are a glimpse into the creative capabilities of Your Grandad. If 500mg is the product of one day, imagine what the band could accomplish in a week? A month? In a high fidelity recording studio? With government funding?

Until then, enjoy the low-fi-fun-loving-rock’n’roll essence of 500mg, captured by Cam, Max and Will of Your Grandad.

You can grab a limited edition cassette copy of the EP at their Exclaim! Class Of show on Friday... it's gonna be a belter!!

A. A. A. F. vol. i [SS126] arrives today across the world for human and animal kind to enjoy.

The title, an abbreviation of Art As A Foundation VOLUME i, intentionally marks World News' least commercial and most sonically ambitious EP to date.

The overriding concept revolves around the focus on art NOT marketing. World News has put a frame around this work – if when you look you feel, then great, but if not, they are happy for it to simply hang on the wall for the rest of eternity.

Combining elements of techno and ambient music in a way we've never heard before, World News create a sonic landscape that melts and flows between dark corners of the imagination.

Speaking of A. A. A. F. vol. i, World News had this to say:

"THIS IS THE EP WE WANTED TO CREATE. NOBODY TOLD US IT HAD TO SOUND THIS WAY.

DOES ART HAVE TO BE COMMERCIALLY VIABLE? NO.

A. A. A. F. IS ELECTRONIC MUSIC EXPLORATION. IT WAS PAID FOR IN FULL BY WORLD NEWS. IF YOU EVER CAME TO A SHOW OR BOUGHT OUR MERCH, YOU PAID FOR IT TOO.

THE MODERN MUSIC LANDSCAPE IS BROKEN. MUSICIANS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PLAY THE GAMES OF CORPORATE BEHEMOTHS. THIS RELEASE HAS NO SINGLES, NO WATERFALL PLAN, NO BULLSHIT. IT DOESN’T FIT NICELY INTO A GENRE. IT WASN’T MANUFACTURED TO A FORMULA. IT’S NOT A CARBON COPY OR EVEN A REASONABLE FACSIMILE.

AND WHAT ELSE?

MUSIC IS ART. MUSIC IS NOT MARKETING. WE DEFY THE BLOOD SUCKING VAMPIRES, THE VULTURES AND THE PARASITES. THIS EP ISN’T FOR THEM. IT’S FOR US.

IF YOU FEEL OUR SOUNDS RUN THROUGH YOUR VEINS, AMAZING! IF NOT, WE TOTALLY GET IT. IT’S WEIRD.

SET YOUR CASSETTE DECK TO INFINITE LOOP ∞"

A. A. A. F. vol. i is designed to be played for infinite looped playback. This can be achieved digitally by setting the album to loop. It is also being released on strictly limited edition cassette.

If you want a copy, come celebrate the release of this EP with World News at The Baby G tomorrow, Saturday 30th November. It's an interstellar lineup and you can grab tickets here.

The EP was recorded and mixed by World News at, you guessed it, Safe Sounds! Stem mastered by Asher Gould-Murtagh. Go listen now on Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Bandcamp or anywhere you listen to music.

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

A DREAM IN A DREAM

It's officially the last days of summer.

What better way to celebrate the change of seasons than with a World News single so blistering bizarre that it will leave you wondering quite what happened?

It's not just another day!!

Nudist Beach [SS125] arrives worldwide, accompanied by a music video by animator Dave Bell and amazing remixes by some of Toronto's finest talents. You'll find it on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and everywhere you listen to music.

World News worked on this one with producer and many-hat wearer, Josh Korody. Korody was responsible for the mix and also gave the track a hardware master that added dynamic and sparkle.

Speaking of Nudist Beach, World News told us –

"The sea has that calling that never really goes away, and being from Toronto, the only sea we have close by is the Great Lakes."

"Yes, you can argue that its not sea, but given the beautiful Ontario beaches plus the huge bodies of water with the added bonus of them being fresh and not salty, it's good enough for us."

"This track is about finding peace by the water, and then arguing how special it is to someone who lives right next to it. It might be normal for all you cottage folks, but for city-dwellers, any chance to stand by the water is special."

You'll be hearing more about the remix crew in good time, which includes Toronto psychedelic sleuth Cam Kirk (Your Grandad, Kali Horse, G.A.G), Maxine School of Dance, Dark Tapes, Ryan Beverage and LVTHNN.

Support the band directly via Bandcamp.