John Southworth

A crafty English-Canadian singer/songwriter, John Southworth has consistently painted the corners of smart pop eccentricity since arriving on the Toronto scene in the late '90s. With a penchant for thematic projects, Southworth's shapeshifting music ranges from the quirky indie pop of 2000's Banff Springs Transylvania to 2012's lush, orchestral Easterween and the understated jazz and folk of his 2014 double-LP masterwork Niagara. In addition to directing his own videos and publishing an obscure Japanese children's book, Southworth has continued to explore and refine his songs on releases like 2019's Miracle in the Night and the comprehensive and 2023's When You're This, This in Love. A period of travel throughout Europe yielded 2025's The Red Castle, a dark-hued set that combined elements of early music and lush chamber pop. He was quick to follow it up, releasing Rain From the East the following year.