The third edition of Project Nowhere is taking over Toronto’s west end October 2 to 4, making Dundas West its ground zero. Listeners can catch performances across six venues within a two km radius, including Nineteen Seventy Eight (Expo Vintage Outlet), St. Anne’s Parish, The Garrison, The Baby G, BSMT254, and Hank’s Liquor.

The DIY spirited, artist-run festival digs into underground music to spotlight emerging artists from Toronto and neighbouring music scenes like Montreal, Detroit and Michigan. The program melds genres and pairs performances with live visuals by local artists, promising vibes that are weird, underground, and heavy. 

“We’re looking to a lot of close markets, and trying to expand our network of promoters, artists, and audience members within sort of a day’s drive,” says festival organizer Juliana Carlevaris, who performs bassist and vocals in Toronto psych rock band Hot Garbage. 

Unlike many festivals driven by corporate investment, Project Nowhere is a non-profit run entirely by people within the community it exists to serve. The small organizing team includes Juliana Carlevaris (Hot Garbage), Matt King (Absolutely Free), Desiree Das Gupta (Kali Horse), Anna Timoshenko (Peeling), and touring technician Niki Prekop who serves as the festival’s tech director. 

Their combined experience across bands, venues, and festival production enables the event to deliver professional-level experiences without compromising its grassroots heart. “We all hang out at these venues. We play at these venues, we know these bands, We’re trying to support it from within it,” says Carlevaris. 

Now in its third iteration, this year’s festival lineup includes boundary-pushing acts like Brooklyn-based noise artist Dreamcrusher, Dearborn’s Arab post-punk band Prostitute, and Detroit’s hardcore punk collective The Armed. Local legends like Luge return, alongside emerging Toronto acts including Holofernes Head, Xicada, STELLA (of Slash Need), and Glum. 

To help artists bridge scenes and reach larger audiences, this year’s festival also includes partnerships with Montreal-based label Mothland, California’s Desert Daze, local collective Dancing for Heaven, and media partners including RANGE Magazine, each co-presenting different showcases. 

“We’re trying to carve out something that feels authentic to us, that feels like that scrappy DIY background that we all come from, ” says Carlevaris. “I think that really resonates with people in a time where a lot of festivals feel like a little bit manufactured, or their goal is mainly profits.” 

A 3-Day Pass grants access to over 15 shows, subject to capacity, with space reserved for pass holders at every venue. Tickets can also be purchased for individual shows. 

To get a deeper look at the local talent lighting up this year’s lineup, we spoke with five Toronto artists performing at Project Nowhere 2025. Here’s what they had to say about the city’s scene, the DIY ethos, and the artists they’re most excited by. 

HOLOFERNES HEAD

Where and when can we see you perform at Project Nowhere this year? 

October 4th at The Baby G., alongside Witchrot and Bonnie Trash.

What is your relationship to Toronto?

Vocalist Kayley Bomben: Toronto has always been a beacon point for me. I was born in Hamilton, raised in Kitchener, but there’s always been an undeniable pull towards Toronto. That pull can be positive and electric, while also being dark, like a car crash….either way, it’s kept me here for over 16 years!

What role does Toronto play in your music?

The role the city plays in our music writing would directly correlate to the issues facing the city. I work at a community health centre and former safe injection site in the city’s downtown core. I see the way government decision-making and corporate greed have affected us all, but primarily the most marginalized people, and I can’t help but air those frustrations and heartaches in my music, on stage. It’s visceral. This city can be harsh and our music reflects that.

How would you describe the Toronto music scene?

This city’s music scene is resilient. It feels like every year it’s harder and harder to make art here, but we always come out swinging. When I first moved here, you could see a show in a basement, and DIY space. Those places are being pushed out by gentrification, but they are never gone. As fast as one DIY space is forced closed, another reappears. It’s a community like that that keeps us all here, right? 

What do you think sets the Toronto creative community apart from other cities you’ve encountered?

The resilience is part of what makes this scene what it is. You really have to slug it out in the trenches here if you want to make art AND survive. The wealth inequality and cost of living means folks have to be resourceful. Everyone I know who makes art here is deeply committed to their craft and are willing to bleed for it . There’s no other way. 

Are there any under-the-radar Toronto venues or spaces that have been meaningful in your journey?

This is an easy answer for me, as I spent 4 years of my life dedicated to its survival. Coalition. I worked at Coalition from (almost) day one until its closure in 2019. I spent 4/5 days a week in that place, seeing bands, learning the industry ropes, starting my first band Haxan,… that place was my blood, sweat, and tears (quite literally). It was an era I will never forget, for all its peaks and valleys. 

Who are some other Toronto artists that you feel are pushing boundaries and deserve more attention?

Man, this one is tough because I honestly think there’s so many amazing bands right now. I’m obsessed with Slash Need and their epic trajectory at the moment! My little black metal heart is always singing Nachtlich’s praises (truly a set everyone should see, given the chance). Theo Vandenhoff is a MUST. Olga is another band I find infinitely entertaining. This list could go on for ages.  

CUT CULT

Where and when can we see you perform at Project Nowhere this year? 

October 4th at BSMT254, alongside Expensive Shit and Lee Paradise

What is your relationship to Toronto?

Brian Borcherdt: A long standing affair- shaky at first but blossomed into 20 years of happy marriage. Also, Toronto, the best city to get away from. I’ve been living away for six years but moving back before Project Nowhere. Toronto is a great city to miss.

What role does Toronto play in your music? 

Toronto definitely ingrained itself into my music and expression. Toronto had a nice blank slate vibe, once upon a time, to me at least. I found freedom to experiment during a time when I really needed it, really needed to start fresh. May as well be yourself here. There’s no point trying to impress Toronto, beyond your friends. 

How would you describe the Toronto music scene?

I always loved it. I rarely go outside of my comfort zone to see any show other than my friends. I just see local bands. Now that I’m moving back, my six-year-old kid will probably wanna see big, dorky arena shows. But I just enjoy the fun of hanging out with friends and checking out each other’s shows. Making a successful go as an export from Toronto is a bit tougher. But I think there are nuanced reasons for that. 

What do you think sets the Toronto creative community apart from other cities you’ve encountered?

I think the local shows from more DIY roots tend to be a bit ahead of the curve. Toronto bands kind of do their thing, among friends in small clubs. At some later point we get re-sold the same kind of ideas from bigger artists on bigger stages. The cool music here gets exported, in secret, and sold back to us with way more hype. 

Are there any under-the-radar Toronto venues or spaces that have been meaningful in your journey?

I’m starting to feel like the old guy. But venues are always changing. And I like new things. Last I checked, Toronto needed new things, new promoters, new venues. I’m curious what is happening now- I’ve been away since 2019. 

Who are some other Toronto artists that you feel are pushing boundaries and deserve more attention?

I’m coming back with fresh ears. I’m sure I’ll find all the great new bands at this year’s fest.

KAT DUMA

Where and when can we see you perform at Project Nowhere this year? 

October 2nd at St. Anne’s Parish Hall alongside Johnny Jewel and Desire

What is your relationship to Toronto?

It’s where I grew up and where I’ve met my favourite people. I think that this city shapes you in ways you don’t always notice until you leave. 

What role does Toronto play in your music?

Toronto can feel like a churning machine but the seasons impose their own rhythm. That cycle of extremes seeps into everything… from the tone of the music to the pace of making it. 

How would you describe the Toronto music scene?

A constellation of small, interconnected communities. 

What do you think sets the Toronto creative community apart?

It’s really diverse here, and the longer you stay, the more you see the landscape of people shifting. It keeps it exciting because there’s always something new to find. 

Who are some other Toronto artists you feel are pushing boundaries?

Recently I worked on a video with an incredible team and I think they’re all pushing boundaries in their fields – director Kevin Hegge (if you haven’t seen his film Tramps! yet, you should watch it tonight), cinematographer Viktor Cahoj, and stylist/designer Colette Todoroff from 96 Tears. 

LUGE

Where and when can we see you perform at Project Nowhere this year? 

Oct 4th at St. Anne’s Parish Hall alongside Water From Your Eyes and Her New Knife  

What is your relationship to Toronto?

Vocalist Kaiva Gotham: Toronto is where we live so it’s basically everything. We spend almost all of our time here – thinking, working, creating, playing, etc.

Guitarist Tobias Hart: I’ve lived here my whole life. A lot of people end up here, a lot of people leave. Maybe I will too someday. There’s always someone new to meet and I like that.

Drummer Luca Caruso-Moro: I love Toronto. I was born here, but left for school and work for a long time. I’m really happy to be back. I don’t think it gets enough credit for how cool it is. I mean, people say it gets too much credit, but I never hear anyone actually give it credit.

What role does Toronto play in your music? 

Kaiva: To say that Toronto has a role in the music feels like an understatement. The city is making our music at the same time as our music is making the city. Just like every other creative process that happens here. It’s in the water, in the air, in the buildings, in the people. To be more specific, Luge fits into the same dimension of Toronto that makes it so intense, fast-paced, constantly meandering, going down every alleyway.

Tobias: I feel really lucky to have grown up here. This is one of the only places in Canada that bands play on tours. We get to see a lot of amazing stuff. It definitely made me a better musician getting to see so many artists from all-over my entire life and now getting to play with them. On top of that, Toronto is a collage. I think the same juxtapositions that exist in our music can be felt when going on a 30 minute walk here. I really like walking. Architecture, topography, language, wealth, the types of trees, the smell of the air, and everything else constantly shifts around you. I suppose that’s true of a lot of big cities but I’ll never know another like I know this one.

Luca: There are so many people here making very cool stuff. And everyone is always checking each other out. Like, ‘that’s a good idea,’ and ‘I hadn’t thought about that…’ Everything I’ve learned about drumming comes from, or passed through, Toronto, in one way or another. I remember watching the Last Waltz in my childhood home, and playing with groups as a kid on Geary St., and going to my first shows in some garage somewhere. And the things I picked up elsewhere, I’m playing here, now. So that counts, too. 

How would you describe the Toronto music scene?

Kaiva: It is much bigger than I will ever be able to experience. There are so many different scenes full of great musicians following their passions and sharing them generously. It feels like the music scene is bursting at the seams, always seeking more space and opportunity. It cannot be stopped.

What do you think sets the Toronto creative community apart from other cities you’ve encountered?

Kaiva: Nothing except for the material particularities that make up Toronto. For example: we’re in Canada, we have a diverse population, the city is expensive so most people have to work very hard for the things that they need (including time for creativity), many people have lived here forever and many have made it their home more recently. Everywhere has people expressing themselves and constituting the place that they live. Our place just happens to be Toronto. My sense and hope is that our cohort is starting to feel a responsibility toward our city and how we want it to be and realizing that we have more than we think. I don’t know how else to describe it.

Are there any under-the-radar Toronto venues or spaces that have been meaningful in your journey?

Kaiva: There have been many fleeting DIY venues over the years – basements, apartments, yards. Anything that’s able to last doesn’t stay under-the-radar for long. The people who put on shows make up the space more than a particular venue. I’ve always been a fan of Tad Michalak’s work in that regard. I will also shout out Select Bakery for fueling our latest stint in the studio.

Luca: I don’t know if it’s under the radar, but I’ve been blown away by the shows I’ve seen at Houndstooth, which are often totally unique and pwyc. That is exactly the kind of venue we need more of. One on every block. 

Who are some other Toronto artists that you feel are pushing boundaries and deserve more attention?

Kaiva: I recently heard about a band called Bag. It sounds like they might be putting a mirror up to the scene, really making us all face the music and have some humility. These are my impressions from a retelling of the Bag experience, I have yet to see for myself.

Tobias: I have to say Thantifaxath. I think they are just beyond… all of it. I recently met a member and got to dissect a few things. Deep stuff. They have been really getting me to rethink how I write atonal stuff and how to have a sense of catchiness in new contexts. I’ll also shout out Omhouse. One of my favourite bands in the city. Each of their songs has a moment that surprises me. It’s beautiful what rock can be sometimes, y’know?

STELLA

Where and when can we see you perform at Project Nowhere this year? 

Oct 2nd at The Baby G, alongside Dreamcrusher and Xicada.

What is your relationship to Toronto?

Stella Tago: Forever Toronto resident, longtime Toronto cynical optimist and stubborn Toronto defender.

What role does Toronto play in your music?

All the songs in my current set came out of a time in which I was living in Soybomb (R.I.P.) right before we all got evicted, watching the neighbourhood become unrecognizable as all the sites of my musical upbringing became swallowed by construction sites and spat out as empty condos in the epicentre of a housing crisis.  The music I was making at the time helped ground me during a period of rage and grief for the state of the city around me, and the only way to stay grounded is to move your body.

How would you describe the Toronto music scene?

The most incredible talented people putting all their energy into making cool shit happen in spite of a city whose administration seems hell bent on destroying its own cultural infrastructure.

What do you think sets the Toronto creative community apart from other cities you’ve encountered?

The constant willingness to find the next location, next location, next location…

Are there any under-the-radar Toronto venues or spaces that have been meaningful in your journey?

I would list them but they all have a (R.I.P.) next to them.

Who are some other Toronto artists that you feel are pushing boundaries and deserve more attention?

Everyone involved in the community around the shows put on by Ministry of Phonic Services, a local experimental music label who have been doing the lord’s work by hosting a huge variety of events in public spaces all over the city, always DIY, at found locations that are the antidote to any of the doom and gloom I’ve expressed above.

For more information and to grab yourself a 3-day pass, check out projectnowhere.org