da nang Capture the Joy and Heartbreak of Growing Up on Nostalgic Kids EP, Helmed by Bittersweet Title Track
• LISTEN TO + SHARE KIDS HERE •
Toronto emo/alt-rock trio da nang return with Kids, a nostalgic, sun-soaked EP about the messy intersections of love, loss, heartbreak, and joy. Anchoring the record is title track “Kids,” a bittersweet anthem that celebrates the rush of young love while staring down the heartbreak it’s destined to bring.
da nang’s Kids EP plays like a scrapbook of adolescence, with songs that hang together like faded Polaroids – warm, raw, and brimming with emotion. From cottage recording sessions surrounded by worn furniture and summer air, to riffs that grew into full-fledged songs almost by accident, the band leaned fully into nostalgia in both sound and spirit.
Listen to Kids HERE.
“The title track is about being in love when you’re young, knowing it’s probably going to blow up but going all in anyway,” says frontman John Thai. “It’s grief dressed up in sunshine – holding someone close while everything feels like it could collapse at any second.”
Musically, “Kids” blends bright, celebratory guitar riffs with an undercurrent of melancholy, creating a tension that perfectly captures the feeling of teenage heartbreak. The song pulls you into the past with the raw intensity of first love, while its production – meant to feel like a hot summer drive with the windows down – grounds it in the nostalgia that defines the entire EP.
I swear I been here as a kid
“The EP’s themes circle around those juvenile milestones – birthdays, first loves, being awkward, even botching your first breakup,” John shares. “At the end of the day, they’re just life lessons dressed up in catchy songs.”
While their music often sounds joyful on the surface, da nang’s strength lies in layering those sounds with heartbreak underneath. As John reflects: “Many of our songs live in the messy places where happiness and sorrow collide. That’s what makes them feel real.”
Formed by John Thai (vocals), Calum Shaw (bass), and Sean Leckie (drums), da nang thrive on contrasts – queer and straight, raw and polished, sad and joyful. The band’s name nods to John’s Vietnamese roots and his journey from closeted small-town kid to songwriter unafraid of turning unspoken experiences into music.
With Kids, da nang delivers an instinctive, heartfelt snapshot of youth’s chaos and beauty – an EP that feels both like looking back and living right in the moment.
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