House of Wonders Presents: Boniface w/ CEC, Synthetic Friend

ALL AGES

TICKETS ON SALE THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT 10 AM

BONIFACE

Boniface was on top of the world when the world stopped. As one of Canada’s most exciting up-and-coming indie pop bands, they had earned critical acclaim and an ever-growing following through their electrifying live show and grand, heartfelt singles. The band became a go-to opener for a number of the biggest UK indie acts of the 2010s, regularly performing to thousands. Their hard work was set to culminate in 2020, with the release of a debut album and an accompanying world tour. The album was released, but the pandemic-era tour was cancelled.

The change of plans was devastating; it also may have saved a life.

Lost in the currents of writing, touring, and release was the space for healthy rest and self-discovery. In the blink of an eye, amidst the loss of every plan that they’d been working towards, the band’s lead, Michele ii, had the time to sit and process a lifetime of emotion. It was at this time that she unlocked a major personal truth and came out as a trans woman to her family and close friends. Publicly, however, she laid low, wondering how she’d be accepted even as she amassed a pile of new material.

In the spring of 2023, Michele ii faced her fears, came out to the public and unveiled the new Boniface. The return show was a watershed moment in the Winnipeg music scene; greeted with a rapturous, teary-eyed sold-out crowd, the band performed an incandescent set of songs both old and new, and left the audience with the sense that they’d witnessed the beginning of something special. Michele ii followed up the show with a string of bold and inventive off-the-cuff demos, revealing an artist finally untethered, finding herself anew. 

Now, Boniface prepares their return to the wider world. Fresh from the signing of a new record deal with House of Wonders Records, the band is readying their first full-fledged body of work since their 2020 debut. The songs that make up the new EP blend the worlds of their beloved self-titled LP and the hyperpop demos of their soft-launch return into something uniquely their own. Produced and engineered by Michele ii, with additional engineering from Mark Rankin (Adele, Harry Styles), Adam Fuhr (Yes We Mystic, Amos the Kid, Virgo Rising) and Ryan McVeigh (Boats), the EP will be released in the first half of 2025.

CEC

Familiar as an old friend; comfortable as a memory; unexpected as a dream. CEC’s music is the deep sigh of release after recognizing that you’ve been holding your breath for no reason at all. CEC uniquely blends contemporary RnB and neo-soul while writing in both English and Spanish.

An artist and producer from Treaty One Territory, CEC believes that people are attracted to authenticity, and that confidence comes from expressing their true self, which is why they feel liberated in writing more explicitly queer music.

SYNTHETIC FRIEND

Synthetic Friend is a vibrant indie-rock 5 piece from Winnipeg, Canada. The band earned a reputation as one of the city’s most exciting young acts after selling out their debut show in the summer of 2023. Lyricist and vocalist Emma Stevens crafts heartfelt, emotionally resonant lyrics and catchy melodies that sit atop the band’s intricate and playful indie rock. Stevens, alongside bassist and backup vocalist Kaity Cummings, guitarists Aaron Simard and Ashton Fontaine and drummer/keyboardist Tomi Lawrie have an infectious charm on stage—the unmistakable glow of five friends excited to be performing together.

Host or Publisher House of Wonders Records