Toronto’s Featurette are back with a new five-song EP, coming out July 17th, 2026. Titled MULTISTATE, this new release finds the trio continuing their exploration of the darker corners of the human experience, while illuminating the thin line between passion and self-destruction the way only Featurette can.
Featurette has spent years refining a sound that feels entirely their own. Combining razor-sharp electronic production, towering alternative rock guitars, industrial textures and moments of devastating vulnerability, vocalist Lexie Jay alongside producer and multi-instrumentalist Marc Koecher and drummer Jon Fedorsen, creates music that feels cinematic without sacrificing immediacy. Every song pulses with tension, constantly balancing beauty against chaos.
Born from a state of spiritual psychosis, MULTISTATE is about realizing a version of yourself that’s been blurry, or out of reach, crossing emotional and physical borders in search of your meaning, and place in the world. That perspective becomes the EP’s defining strength, turning stories of obsession, delusion and emotional collapse into something deeply human. All delivered in Featurette’s signature genre bending, dance inducing style.
Opening single “BadLook” perfectly establishes that emotional landscape with its dark, femme-forward alternative vibe. Driven by trip hop Phantogram-style industrial tension, expansive Ethel Cain hooks, and a vocal that feels both intimate and feral, the song captures the intoxicating moment when red flags become irresistible. Rather than warning listeners away from toxicity, the song examines why we’re often drawn toward what can be as seductive as it is unsettling.
The EP reaches one of its emotional peaks with standout track “Castles,” a soaring indie-rock anthem wrapped in shoegaze textures and nostalgic warmth. Inspired by the band’s recent UK performances, it’s an ode to artistic obsession and the urge to chase something only you can see. Jay’s recurring refrain “I think God’s been calling me” sparks startling conviction before giving way to the freeing realization that “I’m already gone.” It’s equal parts existential meditation and triumphant declaration, with a haunting element that lingers long after the last note fades away.
Elsewhere, Featurette continues to prove their willingness to confront uncomfortable subjects head-on. “Xanax” is a haunting dark-wave examination of numbness, exploring the appeal of disappearing when feeling becomes unbearable. Rather than glorifying escape, the song examines its allure with unsettling honesty, pairing washed-out guitars and cavernous drums with Jay’s eerily restrained vocal performance.
“Animal” shifts gears into explosive alt-rock territory, driven by distorted synths, blown-out guitars and one of the EP’s most cathartic choruses. Beneath its muscular production lies a pointed critique of toxic loyalty—both personal and professional—while its accompanying AI-inspired visual cleverly examines the transactional nature of the modern music industry. It’s aggressive, emotionally raw and impossible to ignore.
The EP closes with “Exit,” a song that may be Featurette’s most devastating work to date. Written as a confrontation with childhood trauma and abuse, the song abandons metaphor in favour of something far more direct: reckoning. It’s a difficult listen by design, but also one of the band’s most powerful artistic statements. Rather than offering neat resolutions, “Exit” acknowledges the lasting impact of pain while reclaiming ownership of the narrative. The result is emotionally overwhelming in the best possible way.
What makes MULTISTATE such a compelling listen isn’t simply its darkness, but its refusal to separate suffering from hope. Every song acknowledges that transformation is rarely comfortable and that healing often begins by confronting the parts of ourselves we’d rather leave behind. Featurette understands that vulnerability can be explosive, and throughout these five tracks they channel that volatility into music that feels fearless.
“We tried to capture the tension between ambition and isolation, delusion and meaning, safe and at-risk. To the casual listener they’re a dissection of the human psyche” says Lexie Jay. “MULTISTATE explores the darker side of love: passion, obsession – even delusion – but to me, they’re all still love songs. If something moves you enough to sing about it, there’s love in it somewhere.” Lexie shares. Even our deepest wounds are often just the other side of love. I’ve never been one to tell people how they should feel when they hear our music – I just hope they feel. Then I’ll know we’re onto something.”
Not feeling was never a possibility.
With MULTISTATE, Featurette have crafted an immersive and elegantly cathartic emotional experience. With its bold, cinematic, brutally honest and unapologetically ambition, this EP is a reminder that some of the most compelling art can come from life’s most uncomfortable places. There’s such power and beauty from that level of creation, and Featurette have shown us that’s what they do best.
Nadia Elkharadly