Spandex Effect

The Spandettes are a fiercely energetic disco band hailing from Toronto, Canada. Drawing inspiration from jazz-funk, soul and rock-steady, their original music combines a classic 70's disco approach with a fresh and contemporary edge. The band's leading ladies, Alex Tait (co-producer of the album), Maggie Hopkins and Lizzy Clarke lead this dynamic 10-piece outfit through musical terrain that balances sugary sweet vocal stylings, air-tight horn passages and hard hitting grooves from their stellar rhythm section.

Inspired by the infectious sunshine melodies and slick 2-step boogie grooves of the Pointer Sisters, and The Jones Girls, The Spandettes carry on the tradition of delivering soulful harmonies backed by some of the brightest young musiciand from Toronto's jazz scene. This powerhouse band is comprised of drummer Mackenzie Longpre, keyboardist Thomas Francis, bassist Mason Stoner, guitarist Kevin Neal, flautist and alto saxophonist Allison Au, tenor saxophonist Chris Brophy, and trumpeter Patrice Barbanchon.

Their debut album Spandex Effect is a celebration of empowerment and liberation. The songwriting team within the band always seeks to push the envelope of whatever subject they are exploring, combining tongue-in-cheek playfulness with deeply raw emotion. "A lot of what we write dances that line between romantic and totally sarcastic and dry." Alex adds, "We have to give a special shout out to all ex-boyfriends of the three vocalists (you know who you are) for giving us never ending fodder for our song writing fires." The first single from the album, "Sweet & Saccharine", was released in summer 2013 and generated a buzz in the global dance music community. It was played by Gilles Peterson of BBC Radio 6, KCRW in L.A, and spent 8 weeks on J-Wave Radio Tokyo's influential Tokio Top 100 chart .

From the sassy latin-house inspired "Let's Go to the Beach" to the island vibes of "Shine A Smile", to the confessional tone of "Dig Deeper" and "Waking Dreams" which explore heartache in relationships, The Spandettes never shy away from honesty or demonstrating that they are comfortable in their own skin. Above all, the spirit of their music celebrates individuality, and everyone is invited to join their party - "sequins for all people equal"