BBQ Pope Explore Grief, Growth, and Gratitude on New Album 'UNFURL,' Featuring Cathartic Focus Track "Pool Hall"
Toronto indie rock trio BBQ Pope return with UNFURL, their long-awaited sophomore album, and a bold reflection on grief, growth, and navigating adulthood’s uncertainties. Written after a three-year hiatus and shaped by loss, friendship, and perseverance, the record delivers nine songs that balance raw heaviness with gratitude, maturity, and the DIY spirit that has fueled the band since day one.
At the heart of the record lies “Pool Hall,” a cathartic track about memory, loss, and carrying the spirit of those we’ve loved into the future.
UNFURL finds BBQ Pope – Reid Millar (bass/vocals), Sean Hackl (guitar/vocals), and Duncan Briggs (drums) – sharpening their sound and voice. Produced by Dylan Frankland (Tallies) at Wychwood Sound, the sessions struck a balance between play and discipline, pushing the trio to capture both emotional intensity and sonic clarity. “This is the first time recording a record where I really felt like I wasn’t faking it,” says Millar. “It feels like we came into our own sonically.”
Listen to UNFURL in full HERE. Watch the official “Pool Hall” video HERE.
At its core, “Pool Hall” is about grief’s duality – pain and gratitude living side by side. Inspired by the passing of a close friend, the song revisits familiar haunts like Toronto’s Annex Billiards and transforms nostalgia into a pulse of memory and loss. “The reason grief is so painful is because you loved someone so deeply,” Millar shares. “It’s the price you pay for knowing that person and eventually you learn to be grateful for those memories.”
While early versions leaned subdued, producer Dylan Frankland encouraged the band to amplify the emotional weight into a soaring, hook-driven arrangement. “Pool Hall” evolved into a poignant indie rock anthem – layered guitars, timeless melodies, and a vocal performance pushed into its most vulnerable and powerful territory. The result feels both intimate and universal: a heavy theme carried by pop sensibilities.
Grief is gratitude
I wear you like a tattoo
Since forming in 2015, BBQ Pope have carved out their place in Ontario’s thriving indie and punk rock scene with high-energy shows that border on the acrobatic, blending grunge, shoegaze, psychedelia, garage punk, and power-pop into a sound both nostalgic and forward-driving. Their electric performances have landed them alongside acts like The Dirty Nil, Chastity, Single Mothers, Luna Li, and Fat Tony.
With UNFURL, BBQ Pope delivers their most mature and focused work yet: a nine-song collection that faces loss, adulthood, and the shifting weight of friendships with honesty, grit, and gratitude. Recorded over two years, the record stands as a testament to patience, persistence, and the enduring strength of friendship and DIY spirit.
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