Carmen Toth: Toronto Power Pop Singer-Songwriter

Carmen Toth is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter known for her hook-driven power pop, heartfelt storytelling, and retro-influenced sound that you can hear throughout her work.

You hear her drawing inspiration from artists like Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, and Sheryl Crow, and you feel how her music blends vulnerability with classic pop-rock grit.

Over the past two decades, Toth has evolved from solo acoustic sets and her early duo Social Potion into a fully realized indie artist, and you can trace that evolution as she performs in both band and solo formats and builds a loyal following through regular livestreaming.

Your introduction to her modern pop sensibility may come through her 2018 EP Safety Net, produced by Derek Downham, which marked a shift toward a more contemporary sound.

In 2020, Toth began work on her most ambitious project to date – Fix the World, an 11-song album co-produced with Joel Wasson and John Critchley (13 Engines). Featuring performances from members of The Discarded, Lowest of the Low, and Ace of Wands, the album captures Carmen’s growth as a guitarist and vocalist and cements her identity as a powerful voice in Canada’s indie rock and pop landscape, something you can hear in every track.

A woman walking on a suburban street dressed casually with a scarf, home, relaxed style, confident walk.

Have you always been interested in music? Was there a particular song/performance that made you say “Woah! I want to do that!”

I’ve always loved music and have always been interested in performing, but I never took the steps necessary to make it a reality until I had a dream about Stevie Nicks in 2001. I was her backup singer and she was furious with me for not knowing the parts and she screamed at me “No, no, you’re not listening!” Well, shortly after that I started listening to her music A LOT and made an effort to learn to play the guitar I recently got as a gift and got to the point where I could play my own songs at an open mic in 2002. Stevie Nicks made me feel like “If she can do it, I can do it” because as I got to know her and her music, I felt like I could relate to her the most on an emotional level. She doesn’t try to be perfect, she’s very honest and that vulnerability is beautiful and relatable.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?

I typically call it Power Pop and/or Adult Alternative. But a fellow artist recently called it “sensual pop rock” which I just love.

What’s the best show you’ve ever played?

“Worst Show” was easy to answer and “Best Show” not so much because I truly do get something from every single show I play! There’s an expression I heard recently: “You grow with every show.” And that couldn’t be more true for me. So I’m going to mention some shows that were really special for me and shaped me as an artist. Horseshoe Tavern in 2017 was my first time playing my own music with a full band. It was a Monday night, but I managed to get a good turnout. My first show of a monthly residency at a (now closed) bar called The Beach House, when the owner said to me: “You have to keep playing. Here’s some more money.” It’s always nice when the crowd demands more. My sold-out release show for my EP Safety Net at The Paddock Tavern in 2018 was pretty epic. My very first livestream show in December 2018 is special to me because it opened doors for me big time and got me out of my comfort zone. More recently, playing the Cameron House in 2022 and 2023 with my band was really awesome, and the 2023 show sold out. I also had a blast playing The Bovine Sex Club in 2024. Everyone was there to have a good time, and the vibe was perfect.

What’s the worst show you’ve ever played?

The worst show I’ve ever played would have to be my first gig ever at age 17. I was singing in a cover band called Norm and the Gang in a ‘Battle of the Bands’ event at a dive bar in Mississauga, Ontario called ‘Erin Station.’ I’m pretty sure the place is no longer open or is now open under another name and new ownership. I was a backup singer in this cover band, but at the very last minute the lead singer told me to sing lead on the last song, which was ‘Under the Bridge’ by The Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I started singing the song and this very drunk woman tried to take the microphone from me and sing the song herself. The sound guy turned the mic off and the crowd laughed and the mic was returned to me. I did a pretty good performance of the song even though I wasn’t used to singing lead on it and everyone applauded and cheered. I was enjoying the moment when out of the corner of my eye I saw a fist flying at me. The drunk woman from earlier punched me in the throat and then a full-on bar brawl broke out. I’m told somebody from the bar beat up the woman who assaulted me. My parents showed up, furious with me for being at a bar underaged, and I was too scared to tell them what just happened. In hindsight, I should have told them to take me to a hospital or clinic and I should have charged the drunk woman with assault but I think I was in shock. I still have trouble with my neck where she hit me to this day. What kind of a monster hits a 17-year child just trying to sing a damn song? So yeah, that was my worst show ever. AND my introduction to the local music scene LOL.

Confident woman with a guitar, expressing strength and passion in a studio setting.

What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened at one of your shows?

I was playing an outdoor fundraiser in the sun and there were these huge patio umbrellas for shade on the stage. It was really a windy day and one of them fell on me while playing. A guy from the crowd jumped up on stage and put it back and I kept playing the whole time. It doesn’t sound so funny when I describe it now, but it was pretty hilarious at the time.

Do you have any rituals before you hit the stage? If so, what are they?

I do my 45 minute vocal warmups while I get showered, do make up and hair and pick an outfit. I also usually lose my shit with my anxiety, wonder why I do this myself and will I even enjoy it. And then I play the show and I’m euphoric afterwards. Rinse and repeat. LOL.

What is your creative process like?

Sporadic. Sometimes songs come to me quickly and I write it in one shot while practicing and sometimes they take years to finish. My songs usually start with a riff/melody, or a profound phrase that sounds lyrical to me. The song I’m working on now with my band started with a producer in LA sending me a set of lyrics he wrote. The common denominator is emotion – all my songs come from me feeling something about something, and me trying to express that feeling. Since 2020, my current produce/drummer helps me to finish and arrange the songs I play with the band. It helps me get them done faster. I play them on acoustic for him and he suggests stuff, then we work on it with the band, and it seems to work pretty well.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

Stevie Nicks.

If you could go open a show for any artist, who would it be?

See the above answer.

With the pandemic, how have you found a way to get your music and your message out there?

Yes, I started livestreaming in 2018, so I continued livestreaming throughout the lockdown. I kind of wish I still had the time to do it like I used to, but I don’t miss the overall isolation of the pandemic.

What is one message you would give to your fans?

THANK YOU. For listening, sharing my stuff online, coming to shows, buying merch and for telling me what my music means to you. And thank you also for supporting independent and local music in general. There would be no indie or local music scene without you!

What would you be doing right now if it weren’t for your music career?

I would probably be doing a lot more advertising and marketing writing work, which is how I pay my bills. I might be higher up on the corporate ladder, but I’m sure I would be regretting not learning an instrument as an adult, performing my own songs and pursuing my dream of music. There’s also a pretty good chance I would be doing more voiceover work and tarot card reading instead – which are my two other side hustles.

Where have you performed? What is your favourite and least favourite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?

I have performed in a lot of Toronto, Ontario venues and notable ones I’ve played (which are still currently open and running) are The Horseshoe Tavern, The Cameron House, The Bovine Sex Club, The Paddock Tavern, The Piston, Handlebar, Free Times Café and The Linsmore Tavern. I’ve really enjoyed playing all those places. But my favourite venue I’ve played to date is the VIA Rail Train as an Artist On Board, where you play 3 sets a day for the passengers in exchange for a free trip and food/accommodations on the train, which is how did my first tour in 2018. On tour I played Le Saint Sulpice in Montreal, Quebec and The Fickle Frog and The Economy Shoe Shop in Halifax, Nova Scotia. My least favourite venue is no longer open. It was a dive bar in Mississauga, Ontario called Erin Station where I performed my first gig ever in a battle of the bands at age 17. (See my answer to “worst show ever.”)

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?

It would compensate music creators fairly.

What can we expect from you within the next 6 months? Any releases planned? Future gigs?

I actually released two singles (Sept 9, 2025): Time Bomb Heart and its ‘B-side’ L-Bomb. The full 11-song album called ‘Fix The World’ will be out Oct 7. We’re doing a couple of shows in Toronto to celebrate its release: a smaller show at Dystopia October 17 and a bigger show at The Cameron House November 7. I plan to apply to play as a VIA Rail Artist on Board again in spring, 2026. I’m also working on new material with my band.