WANTS Are Building Something That Lasts

The Calgary synth-pop duo harness slow-burn momentum on In Plain Sight.

By Khagan Aslanov

Photos by Shannon Johnston

Published on January 9, 2026

WANTS didn’t arrive fully formed or with a master plan in place. The Calgary-based synth-pop project grew gradually, shaped by circumstance, trust, and a shared sense of momentum between longtime collaborators Jeebs Nabil and Tom White. What began as a loose idea has since developed into a focused and increasingly confident band, one that has spent the past few years steadily expanding its reach across Western Canada and beyond.

Calling in from his home studio, Nabil is joined by White as they reflect on the project’s evolution — from early songwriting experiments to a fully realized debut album. Together, the duo have built WANTS on songs that favour strong melodic hooks, shimmering textures, and an undercurrent of emotional urgency that rewards repeat listens without sacrificing subtlety.

“I was not planning on doing vocals for this project. I reached out to a bunch of people, but everyone was busy, Nabil tells RANGE. “Tom encouraged me so much. And it all turned into WANTS.”

Both musicians have spent years embedded in Calgary’s ever-evolving underground, crossing paths multiple times before formally joining forces. That shared history now informs every aspect of WANTS, from its sound to its structure. The project feels less like a fresh start than a distillation — the sum of accumulated experience and a deep understanding of how a grassroots band operates.

“My last band, Melted Mirror, taught me a lot. I learned how to write and tour this sort of music. It brought me into this whole world. There is a whole scene and community surrounding goth and new wave. So I knew I wanted the band to sound like this,” says Nabil.

That vision comes into sharp focus on In Plain Sight, WANTS’ debut album — an exuberant yet economical collection of synth pop built on luxuriant textures, post-punk tempos, and dancefloor-ready restraint. The record brings to mind the melodic turn taken by bands like The Sound, trading early nervous energy for richer, chorus-forward songwriting without losing edge or intent.

The duo rely on delays, subtle overdrive, and analog chorus pedals to shape a sound that feels both lush and precise. It’s a glassy, crystalline melodicism that has quickly become WANTS’ calling card — immersive without being indulgent.

“To start a song, I sketch out a hook that convinces me it’s worth putting the time in,” Nabil explains. “A rough beat and synth loop are the starting points. And then I build the palette. Then, I throw guitars into sections, and slowly iron out the track. I form vocal ideas as I go, but usually, lyrics and vocals come in dead last.”

Those musical instincts are inseparable from Nabil’s personal history. A child of Malaysian immigrants, he experienced Western mainstream music with a kind of time delay — absorbing it years after its initial cultural moment. Despite technically qualifying as a latter-day Gen-Xer, the music that shaped him was firmly rooted in the ’80s: The Cure, Killing Joke, Depeche Mode, and other foundational touchstones of post-punk and new wave.

For Nabil, this lineage doesn’t feel like revivalism. It’s simply the music he grew up with — formative, familiar, and deeply personal. That sense of lived connection carries into In Plain Sight’s lyrical themes, which explore both internal emotional states and the quiet disorientation of identity and belonging.

“There’s personal upheaval within the album, but yes, there’s also belonging and identity. You go to one place and you’re one person who acts a certain way, and then you go to another. You never 100% feel that any place is where you belong. It’s disorienting. And there are songs on the record that speak to this feeling,” he says.

As Nabil reflects on this, he contrasts his experience with people who have lived their entire lives in one place — the comfort that can bring, and the limitations that sometimes accompany it. At that point, White laughs and gestures toward himself.

“That’s this guy right here! Born and raised Calgarian.”

Momentum has been steadily building around WANTS, and while the band isn’t blind to the advantages a label or booking agency might offer at this stage, they’re in no rush to give up control. For now, independence remains central to their identity. They self-fund their releases, book their own tours and press, handle social media, stage design, lighting, and shoot their own promotional material — operating less like a traditional band and more like a compact, self-sustaining ecosystem.

“I think it will come to us when it makes sense,” says White.

“There has to be a reason for it. Aside from maybe helping us get into newer markets, we are not actively seeking a label right now,” Nabil adds.

That clarity — paired with discipline and mutual trust — is a large part of WANTS’ appeal. Beyond their musical chops, the duo project a quiet confidence: unflashy, hard-working, and deeply invested in their scene. They thrive in live settings, value the communities they move through, and remain open to growth without chasing it blindly.

Looking ahead to 2026, WANTS aren’t slowing down.

“We have built some very good momentum! And we want to continue building. We’re writing our next record, we’ll be releasing more singles soon. Tom and I just want to play!” says Nabil.

For a band that’s taken the long way forward — deliberately, patiently, and in plain sight — that momentum feels well earned.