Toronto rock trio Altered by Mom make the kind of music they describe as “chaos with a party vibe”. Which seems about right for a band whose CV already includes Japan, a haunted Laser Quest, huge festival stages and a JUNO Award, and whose bassist was once crowned Lobster Queen.
We caught up with Gina Kennedy to talk making music you can dance to while capitalism burns, taking the piss out of party poopers, and why sometimes the placeholder lyric is the one you should keep.
Who are Altered by Mom?
Gina Kennedy on lead vocals and bass, Devon Lougheed on lead guitar and vocals, and Max Trefler on drums and SPD.
We’re rock and rollers living in Toronto! I’m originally from Pictou County, Nova Scotia, on a farm no less.
And we’re all a little altered by mom, ya know?
Tell us about the music.
Our debut album BETTER came out in September 2025. It’s about being better, doing better and, obviously, it’s better than anything else we’ve ever released.
We’re really proud of the collection of songs. We involved as many friends and people from our community as possible, and what we created together was nothing short of magic.
It’s full of hooky guitar riffs, it’s a little unhinged, and it takes the ridiculous business of being alive and turns it into something you can dance to.
What’s the Toronto scene like?
Toronto’s music scene is incredibly diverse and collaborative. There’s room for everything, and bands are expected to build community, not just promote themselves.
We absolutely stir it up. We’re irreverent, positive, a little cheeky and have zero interest in taking ourselves too seriously. Everyone needs a little chaos sometimes.
If you could rip up the music industry rulebook, what would you change first?
Well, this is probably a larger conversation about capitalism, but money should not buy access. We should all be given equal opportunity to fulfil our artistic desires, across all disciplines, not just music.
And bring back going into a music shop and picking out an album you know nothing about. I miss the connection of asking someone what they’re listening to without an algorithm recommending it.
Tell us about the haunted Laser Quest.
We played inside an abandoned Laser Quest and, before the show, all the bands went exploring in the spooky maze underneath.
We barely made it out alive!
It ended up being one of our best shows and opened a lot of doors for us. It felt like the set of Scott Pilgrim.
Touring Japan was another wonderfully strange experience. One of our first shows was packed, the other bands were amazing, people were smoking inside and they were making food. It felt like we’d gone back to the ’90s on the other side of the world, listening to brilliant music in another language. We made some amazing friends that night too.
Which songs really get people going live?
We have a song called ‘Sucking on a Lemon’ that pokes fun at the party poopers: the people who go to shows, stand there with their arms crossed and give nothing back because they don’t feel like they’re allowed to have fun.
It’s always a great icebreaker and gets people dancing, whatever mood they’re in.
There’s also an unreleased song called ‘As If’ about not wanting to work every day until you die. It’s basically a rallying cry against capitalism, and people really love singing along to that one.
What have been the big pinch-me moments so far?
Winning our JUNO Award for our songwriting contributions to Aysanabee’s album Here and Now in 2024, and touring Japan for the first time.
We’ve also played some huge festivals including Summerfest, SOMMO and Folk on the Rocks, and selling out our album release show was an amazing feeling.
Who would be on your dream bill?
Shiv and the Carvers + Altered by Mom + Amyl and the Sniffers + Mother Mother.
And we’d absolutely love to write or perform with Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Melissa Auf Der Maur, Spiritbox or Madi Diaz.
What’s next?
We’ve just wrapped a 20-date North American tour and new music is on the way.
Our next album, Make Lemonade drops 2027
Catch Altered by Mom at LOUD WOMEN Fest Halifax at The Seahorse Tavern on Saturday 24 October, alongside Alanna Matty + Amygdala Hijack + Burry + Freya Milliken + Penny & The Pits + SALTLAMP + Shoulder Season + Warlet + We, Cassie. Get your tickets here.
