Toronto’s pop punk scene is buzzing with The Mendozaz’s new EP, The Completely Fictional History of This Great Nation of Canada, released November 3 via Cartridge Heart. This eight-track concept album blends sharp satire, heavy riffs, and punk energy, showcasing the band’s fearless, high-octane style.
Led by guitarist-vocalist Jonny, with Michael on bass and vocals and Dic on drums, The Mendozaz are known for their wild live shows and catchy anthems. This EP amps up their signature humor and raw sound, featuring contributions from Joan Smith and the Jane Does and The Meringues on some of the most intense tracks.
The lead single, “A Piercing Shriek of Death,” is inspired by a fictional Canadian legend about ice fishers attacked by great white sharks near Hudson Bay. Jonny describes it as a mix of heavy riffs and absurd humor that sets the tone for the entire record.
With relentless drums, wild guitars, and sing-along choruses, the EP is perfect for fans of Green Day, Descendents, and other punk greats. The Mendozaz’s latest release is a loud, fast, and fun celebration of chaos and Canadian self-deprecating humor.
Has your musical journey had a deliberate direction, or did it simply gradually evolve in whatever direction it found?
We started The Mendozaz as a Green Day rip-off band. It was definitely more fun to write our own songs than just cover theirs. We had the intention to record four songs, play a couple shows, then move on. But a funny thing happens when you have good musical chemistry. Four songs became six became twelve. We quickly moved on from playing only Green Day rip-offs and started stealing from absolutely everyone. We never set out to be original. We just want to have fun. And we do.
What is your creative process like?
It varies from song to song. Sometimes the band will mess around at practice and we’ll record a voice memo on my phone. I’ll then revisit the voice memo on my own and try to turn it into a song. Other times I get a great vocal hook/melody and we go from there.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
It’s done immense good and irreparable harm at the same time. It’s managed to democratize music distribution in a way that anyone with a project can reach an audience. That’s good. It’s also flattened time. Out-of-print records from defunct bands have never been more accessible. A band’s back catalogue is as available as its new material. You can deep dive on just about anything. That’s also good. It’s also commodofied music to the extent that only real enthusiasts put value into it. You really can’t make a living off music anymore. That’s bad. And you have all these online social media distractions that keep you from writing your songs. That’s also bad. It’s hard to keep someone’s attention when there are so many other options and they’re so accessible. That’s a challenge.
Do you have any other plans relating to this release? A video? Online Shows?
We’ve released three videos: a lyric video that I put together myself for “Late Stage 12 Gauge”, a quick and dirty performance video our pal at Zeebrah Media was kind enough to make for us and a creepy indie-horror mini-movie directed by Anastasiya Lutsyshyn. Each video is very different and had a completely different process behind it.
We’re hitting the road this fall to support the EP. We’ll be in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Barrie, Sudbury, Ajax and Kitchener.
When you create music, what is your personal purpose or goal?
We just want to have fun. And make music that we want to listen to. There are often times I’ll crack a stupid joke and proclaim “we’re turning that into a song!” The challenge then is to make it into a good song. I’ll let you decide if we succeeded or not.
What would you do if you were the only survivor of a plane crash?
Spend the next four hours on hold trying to make an insurance claim.
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Jason Momoa. He doesn’t look a thing like me. I just want to see him try.
Which fictional character do you wish was real?
Ruby Sparks. It would either create a creative feedback loop and destroy the universe or really mess with Zoe Kazan’s career. Or both.
What is your most expensive piece of clothing?
A solid blue Atlanta Braves road jersey back when they had the blue text on the blue uni. #22 Jason Heyward.
If you could have any superhero power, what would it be and why?
To never drop my guitar on stage.
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