Softcult Celebrates the Release of ‘When a Flower Doesn’t Grow’ in Toronto

Toronto, Ontario - January 30, 2026

Canadian alt-rock riotgaze duo Softcult celebrated the release of their debut album When a Flower Doesn’t Grow with a night at the iconic Drake Underground in Toronto. Softcult is twin siblings Mercedes An-Horn (vocals/guitar) and Phoenix An-Horn (vocals/drums) taking a DIY approach to the music scene and carrying on the riot grrrl movement. Returning to the venue where they played their first ever show, the proceeds are going towards the 519 – a non-profit organization providing service, space, and leadership to the LGBTQ+ community.  

Fans were welcomed in with a zine exchange where they could take a zine created by the band, leave a zine they brought, or make their own zine with a variety of supplies provided. Softcult has a long-running monthly zine called “SCripture”. “SCripture” was created to foster community, create safe spaces, and spark important and meaningful conversations through art and poetry. The When a Flower Doesn’t Grow edition given out at the show features lyrics to the title track and the meaning behind the title.  

An opening drag performance from Miss Conduct lit up the stage with a commanding energy and an undeniable presence, setting a bold tone for the rest of the night. During her last song, she jumped into the crowd and turned the room and the audience into part of the performance.

Softcult immediately created a dreamy, immersive atmosphere with grunge-laced textures blended with shoegaze and dreampop. Their set felt hazy and expansive with distorted guitars and was full of politically-charged anthems confronting misogyny, racism, transphobia, and systemic oppression head-on with songs like “16/25” and “Tired”. The latter marked the emotional and sonic peak of the night; the band pushed their sound to its most forceful and urgent alongside a passionate delivery.

Mercedes took the stage solo to play the title track “When a Flower Doesn’t Grow”, completely entrancing the crowd. She explained that the song is about her coming to terms with her own sexuality, orientation, and discovering her queerness. Acknowledging that the process can be scary, she offered words of reassurance and hope to those in the crowd who might be questioning, “You owe it to yourself to be true to yourself, and the people that love you want to see you thrive. I want to see you thrive. We all want to see you thrive and live your most authentic life.”

What made the show resonate the most was its collective experience. The band turned the venue into a space of solidarity. One where heaviness, resistance, and resilience could exist side by side. Listen to Softcult’s debut album, When a Flower Doesn’t Grow, here.