Kingston, Ontario’s post-punk force, The Meringues, are already make waves with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Pavlova’s Dog, which dropped on September 16, 2024. At the core of the band are Amanda Pants and Ted Evans, whose vocal back-and-forth injects a volatile yet playful energy into their performances, teetering between friendly banter and fiery rivalry. With Jackson Baird’s solid basslines and Alastair Morrison’s commanding drums driving the sound, The Meringues create a raw yet polished atmosphere that feels on the verge of chaos but always under control.
On Pavlova’s Dog, the band seamlessly blends punk, post-punk, alt-rock, and new wave, giving listeners a whirlwind of sound that’s both nostalgic and forward-thinking. The record’s driving rhythms and power-pop melodies pull from the best of these genres, bringing to mind influences like Pixies, The Strokes, and Wolf Alice while carving out a unique space of their own. It’s no wonder they’ve landed gigs with Protest the Hero and graced the stages of festivals like Spring Reverb.
The Meringues’ rising acclaim isn’t just limited to live performances—charting across Canadian college radio and winning Best Music Video for “The Lottery” at the Kingston Canadian Film Festival in 2020, they’ve proven their staying power in both the studio and on the screen. Their sound is sure to resonate with fans of PUP, Wet Leg, Amyl and the Sniffers, and July Talk.
Pavlova’s Dog was recorded across several iconic locations, including Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Todd’s Place in Harrowsmith, and Fake Cake Lodge in Kingston. The drum work was engineered by Camille Comeau, with additional recording by Ted Evans, and the mixing and mastering were skillfully handled by Ian Docherty and Elisa Kady Pangsaeng, respectively. The result is an album that balances raw intensity with polished production, capturing the emotional and physical extremes the band poured into every track. Reflecting on the recording process, Ted Evans shared, “We gave it everything—mentally, physically. I was icing my arm between guitar takes and running on energy drinks. It was grueling but deeply rewarding, especially getting to work alongside some of our heroes.”
Pavlova’s Dog promises to solidify The Meringues as a band that can’t be ignored—a perfect blend of post-punk grit and power-pop melody, set to take listeners on a wild ride.