garçons
Listen
new album
Nine songs, five years in the making. Real, honest, shaped by self‑reflection.
Latest release
“We’ve grown up, and we feel like the music has too. It’s real, honest and reflective of many of the things we’ve gone through.” — Garçons
Discography
Tap any cover to load it in the player.
About us
Garçons are a Canadian indie duo: singer-songwriter Deelo Avery and producer-director Julian Strangelove. They formed in Ottawa, Ontario, and are based between Ottawa and Toronto. Their music blends R&B, funk, soul, pop and rock with Afrobeat and highlife roots. Their latest release is the nine-song album rugged, out October 30, 2026.
Garçons are Deelo Avery and Julian Strangelove, an indie duo from Ottawa who now split their time between Ottawa and Toronto. They met in 2014 and started making music together in the summer of 2017. From the start they refused to be confined by genre. Their songs slide between R&B, funk, soul, pop and rock, with sounds rooted in Deelo’s Nigerian upbringing, from classic Afrobeat to West African highlife. Julian’s visual direction became just as central to the project as the sound.
Their 2018 debut EP Body Language and 2019’s Be Human built real momentum. “Ladybug” became the fan favourite, and Pigeons & Planes named the duo among its Best New Artists of October 2019. Support followed from The FADER, Complex, VICE/Noisey, AFROPUNK, OkayAfrica, CBC Music and more. The 2021 single “Like Water” marked a clear turn: more reflective, more intentional. Then they stepped away entirely.
The five years that followed weren’t a planned pause. Life pulled them in different directions, and that time ended up shaping the music. In 2025 they went back into the studio together. They came out with rugged, a body of work they describe as real, honest and shaped by self-reflection.
“We spent a long time in our heads about all of it, but we’re done overthinking. It’s time to get out of our own way and move forward.”— Garçons, on “in my head”
Deelo Avery and Julian Strangelove cross paths in the capital.
After years of friendship, they get serious about making music together that summer.
The seven-track debut EP. VICE premieres the “Numba One” video; “Pink Dress” lands on Kitsuné Musique.
Pigeons & Planes names them one of October’s Best New Artists; The FADER, Complex and AFROPUNK take notice.
A more reflective, more intentional single — then the duo step away.
After a five-year hiatus, they return to bring it all into focus.
“in my head”, “astro” and “blinded” lead into the new album, out October 30, 2026.
The garçons
vocals · songsSinger · songwriter
A self-taught singer who moved to Canada from Nigeria, Deelo grew up with Fela Kuti playing at home, on TV and on the radio. That Afrobeat “pedigree” (as in the 2019 single) runs straight into Garçons’ songs.
beats · visualsProducer · director
The duo’s record producer and filmmaker, inspired by Pharrell, Q-Tip and Dr. Dre. Julian directs many of Garçons’ visuals, from “Pedigree” to “Like Water” (co-directed with Kevin Kudu, which he also edited and colour-graded) to “in my head”, shot in Toronto’s Woodbine area.
Said about us
“A joyfully upbeat jam with a relentlessly catchy hook and a head‑bobbing beat.”
“Garçons gracefully toes the line of multiple genres.”
“Playful, edgy… an absolute toe‑tapper.”
“An afrobeat-inspired modern groove.”
“Their music is felt as well as heard, weaving in and out of genres with little resistance and pure finesse.”
Merch
Official garçons gear is on the way. Nothing is for sale yet: these are teaser mockups, not final products, so there are no prices or links to buy.
Truck logo, rugged lettering · coming soon
Blue six-panel, truck patch · coming soon
Canvas, truck logo · coming soon
Shows · events · collabs · press
Want garçons on your stage, at your event or on your record? Tell us what you’ve got. Date, city, capacity and budget get you the fastest answer.
Stay close
Booking & shows: booking form
General: [email protected] (as listed on the band’s SoundCloud)
Press (Canada): Listen Harder Music Publicity
There’s no newsletter yet. Following Garçons on Spotify is the easiest way to get every new release in your Release Radar.
Follow on SpotifyQuick answers
Garçons are a Canadian indie duo made up of singer-songwriter Deelo Avery and producer and director Julian Strangelove. The two met in 2014 and started making music together in the summer of 2017.
Garçons are from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and now split their time between Ottawa and Toronto.
Garçons make genre-fluid indie music that moves between R&B, funk, soul, pop and rock, with roots in Afrobeat and West African highlife from Deelo Avery’s Nigerian upbringing.
Their latest album is rugged, released on October 30, 2026. It has nine songs (about 26 minutes) and includes the singles “in my head”, “astro” and “blinded”. It marks their return after a five-year hiatus.
Garçons play the Garçons & Kyle Wildfern Tour show on Thursday, December 3, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. at The Garrison, 1197 Dundas Street West, Toronto. The show is 19+ and tickets are on AdmitONE.
Use the booking form at garcons.band/booking for shows, festivals, private or brand events, collaborations and press. General inquiries go to [email protected]; Canadian press is handled by Listen Harder Music Publicity.
Garçons are on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and SoundCloud. Their releases include the EPs Body Language (2018) and Be Human (2019), the single “Like Water” (2021) and the album rugged (2026).
