FIVE QUESTIONS WITH DEAN FROM TRAGIC HEARTS
By Ben Rispin
03/03/2025
I've known the members of Tragic Hearts in different carnations for going on two decades and I've admired every project they've ever contributed to. I was a bit out of the loop on Tragic Hearts until I had the chance to catch them a couple months ago and in my opinion, they blew every band off the stage that night, including my own.
When watching Tragic Hearts, if you have a heart, you'll be reminded of what made you fall in love with live music in the first place. Calling them a fucking-sweet-power-pop-anthem-filled-punk-rock-quartet doesn't quite do the band justice.
The spirit they broadcast from the stage is pure love of the sport. No bullshit, and everyone in that band is there for all the right reasons. Fun.
But don't get confused, while you're having fun, you'll also witness some of the best punk rock players Toronto has to offer.
We highly suggest you catch their set this weekend at Hard Luck Bar in Toronto with The Crease Rule, Burning Out, The Down Cast and Cinde. Get your tickets here or by hitting the poster image below.
LISTEN TO TRAGIC HEARTS
BIO:
Tragic Hearts have been dominating the Toronto underground punk scene for more than a decade, with members from previous punk elites like Closet Monster, The Victim Party and The Artist Life. Exclaim Magazine described a previous release as “insanely infectious […] sincere pop punk [with] soaring choruses and engaging melodies”. Their newest release, Extinction Rebellion 2012-2022, offers up three brand new songs and a collection of previously exclusive-to-Bandcamp EPs: 2012’s freshman “Empty Art” and the 2013 self-titled offering, produced by Juno-nominated Derek Hoffman. As a collection the release will chronicle the early years of the band and where they are now, with the band’s signature saccharine melodies, wistful lyrics and anthemic energy.
FIVE QUESTIONS WITH DEAN FROM TRAGIC HEARTS
WHICH MEMBER OF THE BAND ARE WE TALKING TO?
Dean
WHEN AND WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC FORM?
I think I fell in love with music back in Junior High. Several of our elementary schools combined into a bigger school, and I met a bunch of dudes who were into Pennywise, NOFX, Screeching Weasel and all the early 90s Southern California Fat Wreck punk stuff. A few guys knew how to play guitar and we just started hanging out and teaching each other how to play, and we instantly formed bands with hilarious names like “Rat Bag Heroes” and “Trauma”, and from there I was hooked, though I could hardly play a note. This was all in the relative obscurity of Charlottetown, PEI, where I grew up.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST CONCERT YOU WENT TO?
We were lucky enough to have local shows at this pace called The Arts Guild or “The Guild” as we affectionately called it, in downtown Charlottetown. I guess it was a small art gallery? But a few older people in the scene would put on local shows there and sometimes we’d have bands from Halifax come over. I was in Grade 7 and I remember being so nervous because all the older guys that I skateboarded with were asking me if I was going to go into the pit, which seemed terrifying. I was a pretty small kid and the two headliners playing were these super heavy grindcore bands from Halifax called System Shit and Global Holocaust. They were actually called “GLOBAL HOLOCAUST”! I did go in and looking back it’s still one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. I can’t believe I didn’t die.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST “BIG SHOW”? OR YOUR FIRST SHOW EVER?
Again, this is all relative because I was in Charlottetown, but sometimes we’d get bigger bands come play a place called The Barn at the local university. It was the end of first semester in Grade 12 so like, middle of winter and Sum 41 and Treble Charger were playing. I had a big exam the next day, but I really wanted to go to the show so I just blew off studying and went out and had an awesome time. It was packed, and as a really old and shabby venue, I remember everyone talked about how it felt like the floor was going to cave in during all the jump up and down parts with Sum. Looking back now as an adult it’s kind of funny to think just how likely it was that the entire building collapsed (the place was condemned like within a year), but you never think of that shit when you’re young. The night ended with me getting in a fist fight with a jock from university out in the snow, but I made it to my exam the next day and passed the class. Doesn’t get more punk than that!
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST SHOW OR FUNNIEST SHOW MEMORY?
Oh man - I have played so so many bad shows over the years. My old band The Artist Life did some touring before we got signed and we played a lot of shows to nobody but the sound guy and the other bands on the bill. One of the funniest shows we played was The Sound Academy (now it’s called Rebel) back in like 2008? We’d just signed to Underground Operations and it was their big Holiday show. It was a Protest the Hero headline show, so it was packed, but we played along with Hostage Life who were huge on the radio at the time, and then there was Lights who was like indie pop and starting to blow up but not at all metal. It was just like a really funny and weird mess of bands, acoustic acts during change overs, but it was awesome for us because it was the biggest show we’d ever played up until that point, even though nobody knew who we were. We opened for Protest a few times over the years we were on UO, and it was awesome that they took us out, but their fans hated us. Always weird every time.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOUR BAND?
We have some new songs that we’ve been working on that will be out later this year! We’ve been writing more political stuff and less heartbreak stuff. The first song is called “Wellness Retreat at the White Nationalist Convention” and it talks about the weird overlap with body fascism in the wellness industry and the white supremecist lunatics leading the far-right political groups in Canada. I wrote it after reading Naomi Klein’s “Doppelganger” which I highly recommend to anyone looking to make sense of the insane social and political moment that we’re in.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BEN RISPIN
Ben Rispin is a critically acclaimed musician, producer, writer, podcast host and co-founder of Fannatickets. Ben has been featured in several publications including High Times, Forbes, Exclaim Mag and many more. He has been nominated for several fancy awards but rarely wins. Visit him on instagram @benrispin
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