Altered By Mom Want You To Feel It
The Toronto alt-rock project are proving that positivity and intention can still go a long way.
By RANGE
Interview by Em Medland-Marchen
Photos by Jules Collarile
- Published on
Altered By Mom are in the business of vibecrafting. But for a band self-described as “chaos with a party vibe,” it’s not all fun and games. There’s a method to their madness—one that songwriters Gina Kennedy and Devon Lougheed are constantly refining.
“I think honestly our biggest focus right now is kindness,” says Kennedy. “I think that’s the biggest door to accessibility — kindness and humour.”
Lougheed nods in agreement as Kennedy elaborates. “The fans and the people that come to the show are just as important as us putting on the show. Part of our way of thanking them and making our project attractive is that you can put down your worries and put down the stuff that’s bothering you… we’re here to give you the space where you can relax and be yourself, enjoy the music, have a good time, and party with your friends.”
The duo have the chops to back it up. Kennedy spent years as a hired gun, earning a reputation playing in bands across Toronto and Nova Scotia before joining Altered By Mom. Lougheed, meanwhile cut their teeth managing crowd energy in Vancouver’s punk and alternative circuits before relocating to Toronto. Together, they’re seasoned road warriors, taking their music across Canada and abroad—with an AeroPress coffee maker in tow.
They’ve been writing, recording, and producing posi-energy alt-rock for nearly a decade, dating back to their debut EP Body Feels Weird in 2016. Over time, they’ve honed their craft through sheer volume, writing and recording 52 songs during the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021. Their 2025 full-length Better builds on that momentum, delivering 11 tightly constructed, hook-driven tracks. The album earned recognition as one of the top Canadian releases of the year and helped launch the band onto international stages for the first time. That included a 10-date run through Japan, bringing their live show to clubs and schools in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and beyond.
Lougheed and Kennedy’s experience gives them an edge in Toronto’s often “snipey” and “aggressive” music scene—but the competition only fuels their drive. What sets them apart is their commitment to positivity, a refreshing approach to both collaboration and professionalism that makes them as engaging offstage as they are on it.
“It has to be possible… It has to be possible in this day and age to run a successful enough musical project without stepping on the shoulders of other people,” reiterates Lougheed.
Kennedy agrees. “It’s just the ebbs and flows of the music industry. I feel like right now we’re in a great time where people are turning back to having community again. And what better way to welcome people into the fold than to be like, ‘come have a great time?’”
That emphasis on community over pretension is paying off. The band is currently in the studio working on a new album with longtime collaborator Mike Young, bassist of fellow Canadian alt-rock act Mother Mother. The record is being crafted at Taurus Recording, a community-driven space that has hosted artists like Arkells, Dear Rouge, July Talk, and Yukon Blonde.
Altered By Mom are finding themselves in good company—and it shows. Throughout their conversation with RANGE, they’re all smiles and laughter, balancing a sense of ease with a clear focus on their work.
“When you get into the weeds with making a record, it can be a bit of a personal journey,” says Kennedy. “So it’s really nice to have a place that you’re really comfortable in. The vibe at Taurus is really great… It’s a top-tier studio, and it just has a soul in a way, too. There are so many great artists that record out of there, and when you’re there you do actually feel like you’re creating something really cool and that you’re part of this cool community. Tom’s really great at introducing us to everyone who’s there, and it just feels like a big family whenever you’re there.”
Bringing that same energy into both their creative process and live performances remains central to the project. At the same time, Kennedy is mindful of the systemic barriers that continue to affect women, non-binary, and femme artists in the industry—and emphasizes that rock has always carried a political edge.
“Our goal is to try and get these messages, get our viewpoints, and get these stories out there in a kind of a way that appeals to a larger audience,” says Kennedy. “I think that a lot of situations can be diffused by humour… I do believe that a lot of hate or anything like that towards certain communities comes from places of fear.”
Kennedy identifies as non-binary, though the band is sometimes labelled as femme-fronted. They’re quick to acknowledge the nuance in that framing—recognizing both the value of visibility and the limitations of categorization.
“I think that a lot of people like to put labels on things and I’m just not really that kind of a person,” says Kennedy. “I also understand the back half of it, too. It brings more attention to having more female players, and more female session musicians, with people who are backing them up. I was a hired gun for many years and a lot of the time I was the token gal in the band. It’s a checkmark that you can have on your diversity list when you’re applying to things… I do think it’s a bit of an extinction burst as well with the whole female-fronted thing. It’s so common now — maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’ll just be normal to have bands of all genders, sizes and shapes.”
Lougheed is quick to add that the band is firmly in its “Gina dynasty” era. “I think we’re living in a Gina dynasty now,” he says. “I think Gina’s really coming to her own as a songwriter and performer. I think you were always great, but I can’t believe the new album. You’ve really come into your own.”
And how does Kennedy feel about that? For them, it all feeds back into the broader mission of Altered By Mom—creating spaces where people feel welcome, safe, and seen.
“It’s a really cool time in rock music where people want to hear stories coming from non-men, women and non-binary folks,” they say. “There is a little bit of a resurgence happening right now with real guitar music… and with the rise of AI, I think the live show is going to go back to taking the main stage, especially in the way that people consume music. I think it’s just a really exciting time and maybe that’s feeding into my creativity… hearing Devon say that makes me happy to tell my stories and that there’s an audience for that. I think that’s a really good thing for all the bands that are coming up, because we’ve got lots of stories to hear.”
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