Québec City garage-punk band The Carringtons are broadening their sound with The Reunion, a 10-track album released Oct. 2, 2026, combining the group’s established punk-rock economy with bigger melodies, electronic textures and a more polished production approach.
Arriving 12 years after the band first formed, The Reunion reflects the evolution of a group that has spent the past several years rebuilding its lineup, increasing its touring activity and extending its reach beyond Canada. The record was recorded and mixed by Adrian Popovich at Mountain City Studios in Montréal.
The Carringtons Build Beyond Their Garage-Punk Foundation
The album retains the sharp guitars and compact arrangements associated with The Carringtons while introducing synthesizers, layered guitars and electronic elements. Those additions give the songs a broader alternative-rock and power-pop sound without significantly changing the band’s preference for short, direct compositions.
The current lineup of Ben Fortier, Joey Savard, Alex Charron and Dave Chamberland regrouped with renewed focus in 2023. Since then, the band has maintained a steady release schedule, appeared at festivals and toured across Canada.
Its touring activity expanded internationally in 2026, when The Carringtons crossed the Atlantic for eight performances in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom. The band’s live approach mirrors the pace of the new album, with sets capable of fitting 15 songs into approximately 30 minutes.
The Carringtons’ sound also draws from a longstanding Québec garage-rock tradition that has included acts such as Les Secrétaires Volantes, The Spaceshits, Scat Rag Boosters, Les Sexareenos, CPC Gangbangs and Demon’s Claws.
With The Reunion, however, the band moves beyond a strictly garage-rock framework by placing greater emphasis on melody and production, bringing elements of indie rock, power pop, punk and alternative rock into the mix.
Adrian Popovich Helps Broaden the Album’s Production
Popovich brought extensive Canadian rock experience to the recording process. A former member of garage-rock group Tricky Woo and guitarist and vocalist with American Lips, he has also been connected through recording and production work with artists including Sam Roberts, The Dears and Sebastien Grainger.
His production allows electronic instruments and additional textures to sit alongside the band’s core guitar, bass and drum arrangements. Rather than replacing the raw elements of The Carringtons’ sound, those layers are used to strengthen choruses and give the recordings more depth.
Creative director Hugo Mudie, longtime frontman of The Sainte Catherines, also contributed to refining arrangements and musical ideas. Marc-André Beaudet mastered the completed album.
‘Emptiness’ Leads Release-Week Focus
Among the album’s key tracks is “Emptiness,” a two-minute song selected as the release-week focus. The track explores regret and emotional emptiness while maintaining the band’s fast, melodic approach.
Its central refrain captures the contrast between the song’s darker subject matter and its immediate delivery: “I would like to start a revolution, but I lost my mind somewhere.”
Other highlighted tracks include “Nightfall,” “Embers” and “Isolation.” Across the record, titles including “Trust,” “Hope,” “Romance,” “Isolation” and “Obsession” reflect a shift toward heavier themes and more mature songwriting.
Rather than responding to those themes with slower or more elaborate arrangements, The Carringtons continue to rely on concise songwriting. Melody remains central, while distortion and electronic elements provide additional scale.
A New Phase After More Than a Decade Together
Despite its title, The Reunion is less a traditional comeback record than a snapshot of where The Carringtons have arrived after more than a decade of activity.
The band’s return to sustained recording and touring began several years before the album’s release, making the new project a continuation of that momentum rather than a restart. Its production reflects an effort to preserve the immediacy and DIY character of the group’s earlier work while developing songs capable of reaching a broader rock audience.
With international touring now part of its schedule and a more expansive studio sound in place, The Carringtons are positioning The Reunion as the next stage in a career rooted in Québec’s garage-punk scene but increasingly extending beyond it.