Canadian musician Drew Thomson, best known for leading Single Mothers and The Drew Thomson Foundation, has unveiled his newest solo project, SMUG LLC. The debut EP New Exciting Doom arrives October 3 via Anxious and Angry, marking a fresh chapter for the Greater Toronto Area–based artist.
Thomson has long been a fixture in the punk and indie landscape, earning two Juno Award nominations and touring alongside groups like Title Fight, PUP, Touche Amore, The Bronx, and Quicksand. While his previous work centered on full-band collaboration, the isolation of the pandemic pushed him toward a different approach. What began as experiments on a free version of Ableton Live soon evolved into SMUG LLC: loop-driven songs built from drum machines, samplers, and synthesizers, designed to exist entirely within the frame of a laptop.
New Exciting Doom captures that shift with six tracks that merge minimalism with immediacy. Drum loops and samples twist against basslines and synthesizers, forming a rough-edged mosaic where chaos meets hooks. The EP’s themes tackle inner turmoil and outer decay, reflecting on whether the challenges we face are new or have always lingered beneath the surface.
Tracks like “Shoulda Died” confront the past through the lens of sobriety, while “Campaign Finance” addresses frustration over the limits of control in a fractured world. By contrast, “Little Gusts” is playful and direct, serving as the spark that reignited Thomson’s passion for writing. Together, these songs present a project that feels raw yet deliberate, grounded in both personal recovery and social tension.
What began as an outlet in solitude has quickly expanded into something larger. With support from the hardcore and punk community, SMUG LLC has moved beyond bedroom production into live performance. The upcoming EP release coincides with U.S. tour dates alongside Off With Their Heads, bringing these laptop-born tracks into a new environment.
New Exciting Doom introduces SMUG LLC as more than a side project—it’s a bold new phase for Drew Thomson, blending electronic experimentation with the sharp lyricism and energy that have defined his career.
