“Five Minutes With” Toronto indie pop artists A is for Arrows

Toronto electronic-pop duo A is for Arrows couldn’t be more different from each other, but their bond over music led to the creation of their debut EP, Roses, a highly personal, vulnerable, and self-deprecating collection of songs with a get-back-up resilience, produced by Joel Stouffer (bülow, Dragonette, Ria Mae) .

From the fear and anxiety expressed in “Talking In My Sleep” to the hope of “All The Stars,” self-confidence of “Go Slow” to the loneliness of “Without You,” confusing toxicity of “Every Now and Then” to the maturity of “Roses,” A is for Arrows offers a complicated dive into the feelings of a young man and woman, many shared.

Singer Alessia Balasbas and guitarist Eric Robbs, both multi-instrumentalists, met in 2009, through their parents. Like family now, they have proven that you don’t have to like the same food, movies, wardrobe or have similar personalities to work successfully together. Their early collaborations began with original pop-rock songs, but three years ago moved in a more pop direction.

Copy of A is for Arrows-Photo by Maria Jose Govea - @Supermaniak
Copy of A is for Arrows-Photo by Maria Jose Govea – @Supermaniak

Name: A is for Arrows

Genre: indie pop…we think

Founded: 2014

# of Albums: 0

Latest Release: Roses

Latest Single: Roses

Latest Video:

Favourite Restaurant:

I love to go for Pho any chance we get, for two reasons. 1. It’s delicious 2. It’s open late and I’m a night owl!

Favourite band as a teenager:

Paramore

Favourite band now:

Now, Now

Guilty Pleasure Song:

I think “guilty pleasure” carries such a negative vibe and we stand behind the things we like! From the Jonas Brothers to Billie Eilish, and everything in between.

Live Show Ritual:

a shot of Jack Daniels before we get on stage and vocal warmups in an underground parking lot…the acoustics are insane. We want to start “Parking Lot Sessions of Toronto”. Think it will stick?

Favourite local artist:

Jade The Moon

Sneaky Dees nachos, pasta from Terroni or a superfood salad from Fresh?

Pasta from Terroni…two orders please!

Queen or College St?

Queen street! But we love College street too.

Trinity Bellwoods or High Park, Riverdale or Kew Gardens?

Trinity Bellwoods…Dippies is right across the street. Does it get any better?

EP or LP?

EP

Early bird or night owl?

“Whooo whoooo” … are dad jokes in still? Or just dad bods?

Road or studio?

Road because it’s inspiring, even in the shitty days. Travelling and meeting new people…how can you lose?

Swiss Chalet or Roti?

Roti…easy on the spice!

Where can we follow you?

We don’t condone stalking, but we recommend following us on Instagram (@aisforarrows), Facebook (@aisforarrows)…we suck at Twitter (@aisforarrows) but plan to give it a shot soon!

Any shows or albums coming up?

Find us on Spotify and check out our two latest singles (‘Roses’ and ‘Without You’). Another single coming in early April.

 

 

 

About Joel Levy 2623 Articles
Editor-In-Chief at Toronto Guardian. Photographer and Writer for Toronto Guardian and Joel Levy Photography