Cactus Vella Music

BIO

CAREER NOTES

1994: Cactus forms Rejected.

1996: Forms Bombshelter.

1997: Moves to Toronto and begins a solo career, becoming a regular fixture busking on Queen Street West.

1998: Secures a year-long residency at Toronto’s Rancho Relaxo.

1999: Joins 2-Pump Louie.

2002: Forms Sinkin’ Ships and DOGS.

2005: Sinkin’ Ships release their second full-length album, All Signs Are Wrong. Later that year, the album is picked up for worldwide distribution through Universal Records. DOGS win a Toronto Independent Music Award for Punk Band of the Year.

2006: Joins The Class Assassins.

2010: Participates in the world’s largest and longest burlesque/musical/arts performance, organized by Mysterion and Great Canadian Burlesque for Nuit Blanche, setting a 12-hour world record. Launches Anxiety Attack Recordings, an indie label.

2012: Forms Whiskey Hearts, a collective of acoustic musicians, and hosts a monthly event that runs for two years.

2013: Whiskey Hearts release their debut 7-inch record on Stereo Dynamite Recordings, distributed through EMI. Performs on four releases: a solo CD, a Sinkin’ Ships CD, a digital EP from The Class Assassins, and the Whiskey Hearts 7-inch.

2014: Releases a Folk-Punk Tribute compilation of Bruce Springsteen, featuring Canadian acoustic-punk musicians, as a free download on Anxiety Attack Recordings.

2015: Forms The Mud, The Blood & The Beer and joins Plan 37.

2020: Releases the Yonge EP on Little Rocket Records (UK).

2021: Releases Let Me Go: An Acoustic-Punk Tribute To Rancid, featuring 20 Canadian bands/artists doing acoustic covers of Rancid songs. Produced by Cactus and released as a free download on Anxiety Attack Recordings.

2023: Forms Public Mess.

To date, Cactus Vella and his various bands have toured or shared the stage with bands like Leatherface, Off With Their Heads, Rise Against, Bad Religion, Black Flag, NoMeansNo, Jello Biafra, Steve Ignorant’s Crass, Fucked Up, Glen Matlock, Dropkick Murphys, The Ataris, The Queers, The Bronx, Tommy Ramone, Face To Face, The Deftones, Yesterday’s Ring, Agnostic Front, GBH, The Mahones, The Creepshow, The Saint Catherines, None More Black, Pennywise, NOFX, The Business, Chi Pig, Eddy Spaghetti, and DOA.

Cactus has recorded with producers such as Ian Blurton, Dave Baksh, Jon Drew, Simon Head, and Rob Sanzo. He has performed at NXNE, CMW, KXKW, SCENEFEST, Envol et Macadam, Past Presents Future, and Pouzza Fest. His music has been featured in soundtracks for CTV’s The Bridge and indie films like The Third Eye and Zombie Beach Party.

He has collaborated with labels including Wounded Paw Records, Spine Razor Records, Insurgence Records, Rebel Time Records, Stereo Dynamite Recordings, My Fingers My Brain Records, and Little Rocket Records.

To date, Cactus Vella has performed on over 40 releases across various bands and projects.