Singles Spotlight:
Wine Lips – “Projector”

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Today, I’m excited to discuss another great but perhaps underknown band from Canada. Toronto’s own Wine Lips. The band, often described as both fuzz-heavy and psych-punk, consists of four members: Cam Hilborn (vocals, songwriter, electric guitar), Aurora Evans (drums, vocals), Wesley Martin (bass guitar, backup vocals), and Andrew Donofirio (electric guitar). Their bio within the press release for the first single off their fifth album, TV Dinner, which is out Friday, August 28th via Stomp Records, elaborates on the band’s history well, saying, “It’s been one hell of a wild ride for Wine Lips. Originally formed in Toronto back in 2015 as a part-time project between Cam Hilborn (vox, songwriter, guitar) and drummer extraordinaire Aurora Evans, Wine Lips quickly escalated into a full-blown, full-time, full-on international phenomenon. Their debut album took them across North America, followed immediately by an intensive and unexpected tour of Hong Kong and China in 2018. They released their massive Stressor album the very next year (2019) to rave reviews and massive critical acclaim. Multiple tracks from Stressor charted across North American and European radio, while several songs ended up being featured in broadcast and Netflix series. Endless touring ensued.

Then 2020 happened. The band used their mandatory downtime to fully dedicate themselves to crafting their groundbreaking third full-length Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party (recorded by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack). The record was released in October 2021, and then shit really hit the fan. The international music press lost their collective minds, penning over 250 glowing features and super positive reviews spanning 35+ countries. At the time of writing, the album blew past 40 million spins on Spotify alone. The vinyl release of MDSBP is currently in its 7th pressing with 9 different colour variants. The lead track ‘Eyes’ has been licensed to a metric ton of films, series and video games including ABC’s The Rookie, Hockey Night In Canada and Population 11. Even more endless touring ensued, except this time the venues were huge and mostly sold-out.

The 2024 follow-up album Super Mega Ultra was an absolute beast. Recorded by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack in Ontario, the album packed 12 ramped-up supersonic ear-scorching auditory delicacies and racked up millions of plays. SMU showed an ambitious evolution of the band, exploring new thematic territory while firmly maintaining their signature psych garage punk rock panache. 

Which brings us to the new album, TV Dinner, slated for an Aug 2026 release on Stomp Records. These 13 new tracks have a laser-focused urgency and undeniable intensity honed from relentless touring and experimentation. Punk rock, garage and psych collide in a glorious, swirling concoction that has come to define Wine Lips’ beloved signature sound.” As a long-time appreciator of those subgenres and many many bands that fit within them, I dig every word of that description and the sound created in my head. Bring it on.  

Lead songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Cam Hilborn said of the new album, “I wasn’t trying to take it too seriously or overthink anything, which probably helped with a lot of the subject matter of the lyrics. I definitely took a bit more of a candid approach with the lyrics. I didn’t want the record to sound too polished, so we left a lot of mistakes and natural weird things that might normally be fixed in the mix. It’s the first time Aurora has taken a lead vocal role, which is cool, and her voice works well with the songs she sings on!” 

Now that I shared the band’s bio, discography, and a little bit about the new album, let’s explore the album’s first single, “Projector,” a bit more. Via the press release, “‘Projector’ wastes no time making its intentions clear. Driven by Evans’ commanding vocal performance, the track takes aim at the kind of person who projects their insecurities, frustrations, and baggage onto everyone around them. Every sneering lyric lands with purpose while the band barrels forward behind her in a glorious racket of overdriven guitars and barely contained momentum. It’s direct, cathartic, and impossible to ignore. The song offers the first glimpse into TV Dinner, a thirteen-track collection shaped by the absurdities of contemporary life. Across the album, Wine Lips tackle burnout, addiction, doomscrolling, dead-end jobs, housing frustrations, and the low-grade anxiety humming beneath modern existence like fluorescent lights in a suburban strip mall. Rather than wallow in any of it, the band responds the only way they know how: louder, faster, and with zero interest in cleaning up the mess.”

At SWT, we’re looking forward to the entire release, and after being able to listen to “Projector”, I knew I had to share it with y’all as part of our Singles Spotlight series and a good introduction to Wine Lips. I think this song is a blistering-paced good time as it is full of energy, and the lyrics are full of defiance and catharsis. The guitars and vocals are definitely punk to their core. I dig the vibe and sound, and I know that you will too. Evans’ voice is perfect for the song’s catchy melody. It’ll leave you wanting to hear more from the band’s album. And see the band live. But you’ve got to wait a bit for more. First-time listeners, luckily you’re aware of the band now, so you can explore their discography in the meantime.

Do you want a burrito?  Take a look at and listen to the awesome video for the song “Projector” from a collab of Wine Lips and Stomp Records YouTube channels:

(All credits and rights to Wine Lips and Stomp Records)

Its official release is August 28th, but take an early look at the cover art for TV Dinner:

Alex M Theel

Co-Founder, Reviewer, Content Creator, Business side, Editor at Scummy Water Tower Productions | Web

Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com