TRAITRS BIOGRAPHY:
In late 2015, Shawn Tucker (vocalist/guitarist) formed TRAITRS with writer/keyboardist Sean-Patrick Nolan in Toronto, Ontario as the two shared a fondness for punk, electronic music and art house horror films and spent endless months developing their angular cold wave sound before recording with acclaimed producer and multi-instrumentalist, Josh Korody (The Beaches, The Dirty Nil, Japandroids, Fucked Up) at Candle Recording. In April 2016, TRAITRS released their debut cassette tape Rites and Ritual on Toronto’s hip boutique label Pleasence Records, which quickly garnered underground buzz in Germany, Peru, Brazil, Mexico and France.

That momentum carried the duo into 2018 when TRAITRS released their critically acclaimed second album Butcher’s Coin (Pleasence Records, Manic Depression Records, Alchera Visions). Based on the stratospheric success of lead single “Thin Flesh”, along with live favorites “The Lovely Wounded” and “The Suffering of Spiders'', Butcher’s Coin proved itself to be one of the seminal goth releases of the last decade. As of this writing, “Thin Flesh” has over 14 million streams on Spotify and in August 2024, the song featured in 2024’s version of the cult classic film The Crow starring Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs.

Since 2018, TRAITRS have performed in over 25 countries, including showcases at several international music festivals including Sanctum, Levitation Fest, Wave Gothik Treffen, Amphi, Castle Party, Extramuralhas, Nocturnal Culture Night, W-Fest, Wavefest, Canadian Music Week and Pop! Montreal. In November 2021, TRAITRS released Horses in the Abattoir (Freakwave Records) which was Sonic Seducer’s Album of the Month and topped several “year end” lists not to mention was Number 1 for weeks on the DAC Charts in Germany. TRAITRS spent the better part of 2022 on tour in support of Horses in the Abattoir throughout Europe and North America before supporting She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover and She Wants Revenge all across North America to close out the year.

From February 23, 2023 in Copenhagen, DK until April 25 2024 in Santa Ana, California, TRAITRS supported electronic group VNV Nation on the “Electric Sun World Tour” performing in theatres all throughout Europe and North America. TRAITRS also supported new wave legends Chameleons on a German tour in 2023 and She Wants Revenge. After successful stints all throughout Europe and the UK in spring 2025, TRAITRS just finished supporting Twin Tribes on their Darker Skies tour in historic venues and theatres across North America this past June. While the duo performs at festivals this July, TRAITRS looks forward to releasing their highly anticipated new record, produced by Josh Korody and mastered by Matt Colton (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, Dua Lipa, The Rolling Stones, James Blake, Blur etc), which will then be followed by a full European, North American and South American tour in 2026.