Sled Island Festival Series: Cartel Madras Interview

Cartel Madras on Sled Island, Sub Pop & Their New Era - The Sonic Collective Interview

Darren Scott of The Sonic Collective continues the Sled Island interview series with Cartel Madras, the Calgary-raised, Chennai-born sister duo Eboshi and Contra, discussing their roots, early hip hop influences, and rapid rise from SoundCloud demos to their 2018 debut show and a standout Sled Island performance that led to being noticed by Ishmael Butler and ultimately signing with Sub Pop Records. They reflect on Calgary venues and Alberta’s broader music scene, share artists they’ve discovered at Sled Island, and describe the festival’s unique audience, community, and role in creating career-changing opportunities. The duo previews their return with the new single “Evident 2 Me,” leading into a new chapter and a debut full-length album planned for 2027, plus upcoming festival and tour appearances.

Evident 2 Me Releasing June 18. Pre-save here: https://music.subpop.com/cartelmadrasandjide_evident2me

https://www.instagram.com/cartel.madras
http://www.youtube.com/@cartelmadras

Cartel Madras Bio

Beckoning you down narrow hallways and into smoke-filled, bass-pumping rooms, Cartel Madras returns with a new world and a new sound. After four years of experimenting, traversing, and creating since their 2021 EP, The Serpent & The Tiger, sisters Eboshi and Contra emerge from the smoke of a shattered global era with vengeance on their mind and adventure laid out before them. 

Building off their signature experimental electronic hip-hop foundation, the duo expands their sonic domain, summoning listeners onto the blazing hot tarmac of their motherland and into a seductive world, they call you to the beach, the streets, and the uncertainty of this timeline through a new sound. Radical, racy, and raucous as ever, Cartel Madras continue to unfold an uncharted epoch entirely their own.

Born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu and raised in Alberta, Cartel Madras crafts a cultural syncretism of house, trap, punk, industrial electronics, and razor-sharp rap. Known for explosive live performances that channel the energy of underground queer and punk scenes, the duo have built a reputation for music that is confrontational, playful, cinematic, and impossible to pin down. After being scouted during their 2018 Sled Island performance, they signed to Sub Pop Records and have since released three acclaimed EPs alongside a growing body of striking visual work directed and produced through their own multidisciplinary practice.

Cartel Madras have shared stages with artists including M.I.A., JPEGMAFIA, Jack Harlow, Wu-Tang Clan, clipping., Mac DeMarco, and toured with Sudan Archives. In 2023, they returned to India to open for M.I.A.. Alongside their music career, Eboshi and Contra have expanded their artistic universe into film, installation, and visual storytelling through their production house FOREIGNERZ, creating immersive worlds that blur the boundaries between music, cinema, fashion, and contemporary art.

Their full-length studio album is set for release on Sub Pop Records & Royal Mountain Records in 2027.

00:00 Show Intro
00:42 Cold Open Track
01:12 Sled Island Series Setup
03:46 Origins and Influences
05:50 First Shows and Breakthrough
08:26 Discovered at Sled Island
11:00 Sub Pop Signing Story
14:00 Calgary Venues and Scene
15:47 Sled Island Discoveries
18:01 Festival Crowd and Etiquette
22:13 New Era and Upcoming Music
23:33 Shows and Tour Plans
25:05 Local Artist Recommendations
26:38 Final Thoughts and Farewell
28:03 Outro and Credits

Photo Credit: Michaela Neuman @Equidem

The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Les Gigantiques from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. https://www.instagram.com/lesgigantiques/

Transcript

0:02

Welcome to The Sonic Collective, where music's past meets its future. Join hosts Alan, Scott Scott, and Darren Scott, as we explore the albums, artists, and movements that shape the music we love today. From legendary records and influential musicians to rising artists creating tomorrow's soundtrack, we're passionate about helping music fans discover what matters. While streaming algorithms push what they're paid to promote, we dig deeper, connecting you with the classics you need to revisit and the new artists you need to hear. Rediscover the music that shaped the past. Discover the artists shaping the future. This is The Sonic Collective you know when a bitch

Intro 0:43

Workin'. I got big plans, you know when a bitch workin'. You know when a bitch workin'. I got big plans, you know when a bitch workin'. Workin', workin', workin'. I got big plans, you know when a bitch workin'. You know when a bitch workin'. I got big plans, you know when a bitch workin'. Try the sack dance, come on, let me see you twerkin'. Look me in the eyes, come on, let me get some work in. Work a new drug and I feel like a virgin. Madonna playing all night and I stay curvin'. While I drive by, I be looking for a sub. Cartel hunnies stand up up to the club. Double red soda topped up with the mud. And he spill the tuba when Welcome back to our special Sled Island interview series, where we're exploring the artist, the stories, and creative connections that have made Sled Island one of Canada's most important independent music festivals. Throughout the series, we've been speaking with artists performing at Sled Island in 2026, learning about their music, their creative journeys, and their role in this unique Calgary festival and how it plays into helping artists connect with new audiences and building their careers. Today's guests are perhaps one of the clearest examples of that impact in action. Cartel Madras is the genre-defying duo of sisters Eboshi and Contra. Born in Chennai, India, and raised in Calgary, they've built an international reputation by blending hip hop, electronic music, punk energy, industrial textures, and fearless experimentation into a sound that is entirely their own. Their explosive live performances and striking artistic vision have earned them opportunities to share stages with artists like M.I.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Jegpago-- JPEGMAFIA, Clipping, Mac DeMarco, and Sudan Archives. But what's especially fitting for this series is that Cartel Madras relationship with Sled Island goes far beyond slim pl-- But what's especially fitting for this series is that Cartel Madras, their relationship with Sled Island goes far beyond simply playing the festival. They were discovered by A&R representatives during an early Sled Island performance, a moment that ultimately helped launch them toward a reco-- ultimately helped launch them toward a recording contract with the legendary Sub Pop Records and an international audience. Now, after several years of refining and reinventing their sound, the duo have returned with Evident to Me, the first glimpse into a bold new artistic chapter that-- the first glimpse into a bold new artistic chapter that will lead toward their The first glimpse into a bold new artistic chapter that will lead toward their debut full-length album in 2027 In this conversation, we talk about their Calgary roots, their connection to Sled Island, the evolution of their music, and how independent festivals can create opportunities that change an artist's trajectory forever. I'm Darren Scott, and this is the Sonic Collective. Here's my conversation with Cartel Madras

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 3:46

we're gonna dive into about you and a bit about Sled Island today. So let's start back in the beginning. you, were you, born in Calgary or did you move here?

Eboshi 3:56

We were born in Chennai, which the former colonial name of is Madras. So we were both born in Chennai, as we are and then we Calgary, the rest is history.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 4:13

Yeah So how did you get into hip hop? Like how did this even start?

CONTRA 4:18

Yeah. I think we've always been people who have gravitated towards the arts. we grew up in a family that we were put in, like music lessons and piano and all of that from very young, like dance, music. So it's cultivating that muscle has been a part of our lives since we were very young. But our parents also, loved entertainment. we grew up in a house where, movies were always running. We were always going to go see films. our parents were big characters in their own way, our mom was a big, on stage all the time type of mom. So from young, our interest in cinema and film ha- and cinema/film music has been pretty high. And then when we were young growing up here, when we immigrated here, I think we say this a lot, we were weird internet kids, We were online a lot. We were going on our weird internet rabbit holes in the early 2000s, and I think we loved music. It was such a big part of our identity and always informed us. and we found hip hop like every other kid did on the internet, but something about the genre, something about how intense it is and how bold it is, and in a way rooted for the underdog, it felt so right to us. So we were always secretly trying to be rappers really

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 5:50

I guess when did you first step out? what was your first show in Calgary,

Eboshi 5:54

so in 2018, leading up to January 2018, the summer of 2017, we were going to a lot of shows, seeing our favorite rappers, our favorite artists. We were immersing ourselves in the art scene in the city as well. We got to know a lot of, fellow musicians and people that were really involved in the community. And a big turning point for us was we had been writing secretly for so long, and recording and uploading onto SoundCloud with different names, and it was something that we always wanted to to the finish line, but we weren't entirely sure how because we didn't really have the infrastructure to be official artists at that time, and we didn't really see that as an opportunity or an option for us. And after seeing enough shows, we were like, "We just have to do this." we're watching people that we love the music of, and if the music is good, that's all that matters, and we love to perform. We know how to do these things, so let's just try. So from a couple of demos on SoundCloud to performing at Big Winter Classic in January 2018, that was our sort of debut as Cartel Madras. And it was funny because December of 2017, we were in Chennai, we were in India when we heard back from the festival saying that we got in and we can play, and we were like, "Oh, cool, so we're gonna spend the rest of our time in India working on our set on the

CONTRA 7:31

Yeah.

Eboshi 7:32

building."

CONTRA 7:33

Because we literally had nothing. We had, two janky songs on SoundCloud and we're like, "We have to build a set now."

Eboshi 7:39

So we, we basically built like a 40-minute set from scratch, and involved, we had a lot of stuff already written, but we had to rework a lot of things and create sort of the structure of the set. And it's interesting because leading up to that show, we were really, hustling every day, practicing, getting to a place where we felt comfortable. And the biggest thing there for us has always been, like, if you can put on a good show, you can do anything. And the basis of a lot of our practice is performance and being able to entertain people. And I think the testament to that is after we did that first show at Big Winter Classic, we basically got booked to play every weekend leading up to Sled Island 2018, and that's where we got discovered by Sub Pop

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 8:26

yeah. Awesome. And let's dive into the Sled experience, 'cause that's what, one of the biggest subjects we're talking about here. So I heard that story, and then you are playing your first Sled Island show, and then you, were discovered by, Ishmael Butler. he came from Digable Planets. I love that band. That's my vintage. he can't see me, this is, audio only, but I'm an older dude. But I always had a love of hip hop. But like, how... he just happened to be at Sled Island and see you?

CONTRA 8:56

So he is, like his other music project is Shabazz Palaces, was one of the headliners at Sled that year. And we didn't know that he also had a, w- was secretly A&R-ing in his own way, right? so i- it's funny, like I think even when we were playing before them, but not on the same stage as them. Like we were upstairs at the Legion. He was downstairs at the Legion after us. In fact, I think we thought his set cuts into ours. So we were like, "Oh my God, it would be so cool if he could see us." But I do remember us always having this kind of feeling with that Sled Island show I remember us being like, anything could happen. Anyone could watch us. anything could happen." And it was a we- it was a weird thing to even say and think of as a mantra because that isn't even really how music works like that anymore. But that is something we grew up with that idea, like you never know who's watching you. And so we were like, "So we have to put on the craziest show." And it was a really crazy show. Like for being upstairs at the Legion in like a midnight slot or something, it was like, it was full, the room was packed, people were standing on the tables watching us. I think we had a lot of, noise around what we were doing, and we were very different. So I guess he was watching us, and then he like came down to do his set. But like we honestly didn't know. We didn't know who was watching us. We couldn't see anything

Eboshi (2) 10:24

We had no idea that he even saw us till after his set was done, 'cause we were, like, waiting after the show. Everyone was just standing there, and he was, like, walking through the crowd, and we were like, "Oh my God, your set was amazing." then he was like, "You guys are dope." And we were like, "Excuse me?" And he's

CONTRA 10:46

Yeah.

Eboshi (2) 10:46

saw your set."

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 10:48

Yeah that's fantastic. And that first Sled Island experience, like how did that happen? How did Sled reach out to you, or did you reach out to them to even get to that point?

CONTRA 10:57

No, they reached out to us.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 10:59

Yeah

CONTRA 11:00

it was weird. They reached out to us after Sled. some time had passed, like a couple months had passed, and we were doing our thing. We were touring, we were like... It's weird to say we were touring, 'cause we had just started, but that is our trajectory is that we were immediately performing. We were immediately in Montreal, in Toronto, in Vancouver. we were dipping our toes into, being on stage way before we had a project out, which made for a very interesting, growth for us. But couple months after, Sub Pop reached out and they were like, "We wanna talk," and I think we thought... First of all, we should say, we grew up on Sub Pop's music. we grew up on The Shins. that kind of indie rock stronghold had a huge, power over us when we were young. So when Sub Pop reached out we were like, "Huh?" we were really confused, and I think we, we thought maybe, they wanted us to jump on a single with Ishmael or something. I think we were like, "Oh, maybe we can be on a song with him." And then, they were like, no," "We wanna sign you guys." And we were like, "What?" it was so early, right? we were literally, five, six months in. So it felt almost like a fairy tale kind of... What you'd, imagine, in an old movie about rock and roll. you're like, "Sign us?" it was, like, so unbelievable and crazy. and crazy things were happening in our life. I was getting fired from my corporate job. So we were like, "Huh?" so it wa- it was wild. And then, we, there's like a process of... There were a lot of other labels who were courting us at the time too. just 'cause, that's just how it happens. your name gets out, it starts, you start becoming known, and we were offering something very different than what was on the scene in Canada, and I would still say we offer something very different. so there were people who were curious and asking questions to our manager, and Sub Pop just felt right.

Eboshi (2) 12:58

And at the time as well, their whole team had to have basically unanimity on who they were signing, and a big part of that process was they sent their whole team to come see us perform. We did a show few months after Sled at the King Eddy, and they had sent, so much of their team to come check it out, and it was basically, the vetting process of, is this up to snuff? is the hype real? And that was another one of those shows where we're like, we gotta bring it." But a big part of our ethos from the very beginning, which is each show we have to perform it like it's our last. it's a big reason why there's so much energy and, the crowd is going crazy, but it's also, that's what makes it really worth it for us and really enjoyable, is that immersive quality of having a set, a performance, an experience that is singular

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 14:00

you're talking about a lot of the local venues, and I think I always like to give a shout-out, 'cause here we are in Calgary, Alberta. I think Alberta, especially in modern times here, politically is looked at as, crazy and political and all country western. but really, I think when you know you live here, there's so much more, and there's such a great music scene, in Calgary and in Edmonton and around Alberta that is not just the traditional country western. But I guess what, establishments, clubs, m- places would you play back then or even now? you mentioned the King Eddy, the Legion, and these are, like, smaller places that will just feature these artists that you can get really intimate shows. Like, where were you playing back then?

Eboshi (2) 14:39

Yeah. A huge one for us that we loved and really came up on was Hi-Fi Club, which no longer exists. Hi-Fi Club was big. We saw a lot of our favorite artists there because there's a huge, hip hop, electronic, underground scene that was coming through there, so some of our very favorite artists and bands had played there. so that was a big one for us. Obviously, Palomino, Commonwealth, especially, Commonwealth we've performed at, we had seen so many of our favorite acts at. That was, like, a real key space for us. And seeing so much of, the music that we were using as inspiration and fuel for our creative process in these venues made it feel really embedded to Calgary as well. So when we were coming up, we pride about the scene, about our venues, about where we established ourselves and our music, and that's why, the prairies, Alberta, it's a huge part of our musical identity. And even though, I live in Toronto now, I'm still representing Calgary all the time

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 15:47

speaking of SLED, and you mentioned it, what artist have you discovered by attending SLED?

CONTRA 15:54

Oh, yeah. So much. one that I remember really clearly is, 2017, and I think Flying Lotus brought Tierra Whack on stage with him. And, Iglooghost was also

Eboshi (2) 16:12

brilliant

CONTRA 16:13

which is a really... It's funny, that show in that venue, 'cause that's the venue we're gonna play this year with Clipping. So it- And it's the one venue in Calgary we haven't played,

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 16:23

Interesting.

CONTRA 16:24

The Palace.

Eboshi (2) 16:24

yes.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 16:25

Yeah

Eboshi (2) 16:26

everyone there

CONTRA 16:27

yeah

Eboshi (2) 16:28

that Flying Lotus show. It was so great because we were already fans of Flying Lotus, but we got to see Tierra Whack right before she, blew up

CONTRA 16:37

Blew up.

Eboshi (2) 16:37

it was a very powerful show. We, hung out with them after. It was really fun and

CONTRA 16:43

Yeah

Eboshi (2) 16:43

it... Exactly, like Iglooghost was a huge Sled discovery. Hood Joplin, who's from Alberta, she's amazing

CONTRA 16:50

Yes. Saw Disco as well. Yeah, she played at Ink that night

Eboshi (2) 16:53

the coolest thing about Sled in being a discovery festival is that we have this amazing, headliner guest curator who's selecting really great artists that they are in community with, which is why we're being brought back to Sled this year through our friends and label mates Clipping. But there's also this really powerful element of local community in that local artists are opening for these massive headliners, which is how we came up opening for Shabazz Palaces, opening up for Jack Harlow the following year and actually putting him in a casket. We totally outdid his show.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 17:30

I love it. I love it. that's fantastic. And you hit the nail on the head. The Sled Island's really a discovery festival, and, you don't necessarily see all the big names, but these are going to be big names, and many have come through and blown up. And, you think of, the South by Southwest or North by Northeast, these big festivals, and yeah, they have some great main stage that are big acts, but the, losing the luster a bit when you just don't get to go into a, the Palomino basement and you're underneath, or like you said, the Palace Theatre, and you really get up close to these acts. how do you find playing a Sled au- audience difference than just one of your, say, regular tour shows?

CONTRA 18:09

Sled is a very magical festival that we tell everyone about because Sled is not only something that this city needs. So once Sled happens, the people who love Sled and, the arts community, the music community, this underground scene here is like waiting, right? So there's this feeling of release that happens during Sled here within those communities, but there's a real, I think, love of music and experimentation and a kind of joy of anything can happen. that feeling is present in the audience of Sled and the Sled team and the people who come out to support it. I think especially in the past few years, post-pandemic, Sled surviving, and I think people have really understood the value of a festival like that whe- a- and I think Sled really chooses to be who they are in a specific way. 'Cause if they wanted, they could be way bigger too. I think they're like, "This is a very magical spot we're in. let's service this population and these artists." it's a really specific festival, and I think it feels very different from a lot of festivals we've played

Eboshi (2) 19:23

And I think, from our experiences of attending and also performing, the audience of Sled is very aligned with the people that come out to Cartel shows. It's like a Cartel show you will see hop heads, old school hip hop heads, new school hip hop heads. You will see hella gay people. You will see a lot of people of color. You'll see a lot of alt people dressed up in really cool ways, and that intersection of, culture, community, people vibing that are, like, unafraid about who they are and where they fit into this world. That's sort of something that you see at Sled too, and a lot of my memories as a young one at Sled, sometimes sneaking into venues, harder to do these days. But there's something very, there's always an excitement, there's always an edge, and there is, this level of, this is the underground coming to support the underground, but there is this safety you feel there. I think a huge part of that is because great people come out to Sled and great people are supporting the artists that are performing at Sled. but there is this feeling of oh, we have each other's backs here in this audience. Even if the mosh is going crazy, people are gonna pick each other up and take care of each other, and that's something that is really important to the community of people going to, punk shows, underground shows, trap shows, and that is something that I think is a bit of a challenge with contemporary audiences as well, because audience etiquette is something that I have seen kind of falter and lose a bit of its stability in the past couple of years. it's a bit of a, it's harder to, inculcate that level of care when a lot of younger people have not been raised into the music scene the same way, where they have the respect of, the venue, their peers, the artist. So we've seen and been to shows where, the audience is acting wild and not in a good way, a little unpredictable, a little unsafe. And thing that I love to see sometimes have been seeing a little less of is that just, we have each other's back in the crowd type of mindset

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 21:39

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And even again, I mentioned I'm an older guy, I love live music, don't get out all the time, but like Sled, I can go and get exposed to these acts. And you'd be surprised, like guys like me, older guys in their 50s are coming and seeing your show, and that might not traditionally, but you're like, "Oh my gosh, this is great music," like great hip hop. and you touched on as well, like you're really, Sled is really there for diverse voices and not just, I think sometimes it gets, pigeonholed to be like punk or indie, but really there's so much more. There's hip hop, there's even comedy and even film involved. but let's move on to what you're doing now. I guess what, do you two have planned for the next year for us?

CONTRA 22:20

Yeah. We're, the timing of Slut is awesome because we play our show two days after our single comes out, and the single kind of kicks off, in a way, our return. our lar- last full-length project was in 2021, The Serpent and the Tiger, and we've taken a little bit of a breather from music for, three-ish years, where we've still been playing live, but we haven't put new music out, and we've been exercising a few different muscles in the creative space, and really working on this album for, three years, and working on a new sound. So this kicks off Cartel Madras chapter two, and, we go into kind of a year-long return with new music and a lot of new things coming leading up to 2027, which, is when our album will probably come out. But it's exciting. This feels like the right place for us to be like, "Hey, we're back."

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 23:23

Yeah, exactly. And that's evident to me, correct?

CONTRA 23:26

Yes

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 23:27

nice. yeah. Excited for that. and happening right when SLED happens,

Eboshi (2) 23:31

Yeah

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 23:32

yeah, what a great time. so you have SLED coming up. do you have any other shows booked in the near future?

Eboshi (2) 23:37

Yes, we're playing Second Summer Festival in Toronto in September. and that'll be our first time playing at Mod Club, which is a venue I absolutely love here. So that's a really great and exciting way to reintroduce ourselves back into the Toronto scene, and it's a really cool discovery festival that I think has a lot of potential. Very awesome international headliners, great local acts. It takes place on, the west end of Toronto with a lot of big and medium-sized venues, and it's a really... It feels like the... a parallel in a way. we do this Calgary show in June, and then we do this Toronto show in September, and they're both really cool independent festivals that have a lot of exciting new acts that they're supporting. So that's a big one we're excited for. We have potentially little mini

CONTRA 24:27

can announce this. Yeah. Yeah. We, yeah, we can say this, 'cause I think

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 24:32

Yeah.

CONTRA 24:33

it'll,

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 24:33

share.

CONTRA 24:34

Yeah, I think it'll come out soon after our Sludge show, but I think in the fall, I think, no, we know, I don't know, we will be supporting Begonia on her, the Eastern,

Eboshi (2) 24:51

Yeah

CONTRA 24:52

yeah, of her tour

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 24:54

that's a big announcement. thanks for sharing with me. that's awesome. And, you, and this, yeah, the sled crowd will love that. hey, I meant to ask earlier, but what, high school did you go to in Calgary?

Eboshi (2) 25:03

Sir Winston Churchill High School

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 25:05

y- I asked about, artists you discovered at Sled, but, again, we're focusing on a bit of local, so what are some local Alberta or newer artists that, you're listening to now that you would recommend we check out,

CONTRA 25:16

Yeah. Okay

Eboshi (2) 25:17

Hood Joplin.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 25:18

Yeah.

Eboshi (2) 25:19

amazing. I think originally from Edmonton. really exciting electronic artist and DJ, producer, like

CONTRA 25:27

Yeah

Eboshi (2) 25:28

super cutting-edge stuff. Really cool

CONTRA 25:31

I always like to shout out Little Snake from Calgary. crazy producer, signed to Flying Lotus' label. there is the... there's a lot of new artists here, and there's a lot of new, interesting DJs and collectives here, making their mark. from kind of the punk scene, I, I do really like Cat Piss. I love Chain Whip. I love Chain Whip. they also, run a record store here called Neon Records. and then there's, there, there's an artist here who I don't think they've been programmed into Sled. I actually didn't even realize they were Calgarian. I couldn't place them at first, but they're... And this happens in Calgary. an artist will get really big, and then people don't know they're Calgarian. called Brothel in Belize. really new sound. people would think they're, like, yeah, from, Berlin or something, but they're actually, a couple Calgary kids.

Eboshi (2) 26:21

That's

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 26:22

that, that's cool.

CONTRA 26:23

Yeah

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 26:23

There's s- there's so much here. We've got the National Music Center here, which is the only in Canada. I don't think people realize how much musical culture Calgary has, and not just country and western, everybody.

CONTRA 26:34

Totally

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 26:34

so much more. s- trust me, don't trust all the headlines. with that, anything else you'd like to add or promote before we, sign off?

Eboshi (2) 26:42

it's really great to be back at Sled. It feels right. It feels correct. And it is really, our favorite music festival in this country, and we just wanna see it keep going year

CONTRA 26:56

Yeah

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 26:58

Yeah, I agree, and it's right in that sweet spot, and I hope it stays there and doesn't get ruined by big corporate money, but it is a cool festival. thank you to you both. I really appreciate it, r- talking to me today, and, I wish you nothing but the best. I will see you at your SLED show, and I'll pop up and say hi.

CONTRA 27:16

Awesome

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 27:16

I won't pop up on the stage and say hi. No, that's something to be done.

Eboshi (2) 27:19

dives.

Darren Scott - The Sonic Collective 27:20

No, but, thanks again, and I'm glad to get to talk to you, and like I said, trying to really help as much local as we can, and you two have done amazing. And yeah, that, Serpent with Tiger album, dynamite. Loved it. Loved every second, and really looking forward to your new stuff. join us at SLED, this year and every year, but, a big thanks to you both. Yeah,

CONTRA 27:37

Thank you

27:40

Yeah nalla. Yeah bitch, it’s Karton with Jass Gold on my neck, I’m a goonda Got guns in the air like a Utah Gold on my neck, I’m a goonda Got guns in the air like a Utah Gold on my neck, I’m a goonda Got guns in the air like a Utah Got white on the glass, it’s a puja I’m a sharpshooter Would you ever let a pretty thug come screw ya? Stompin’ shit like Kimura I made him so lithe That was my conversation with Cartel Madras, Eboshi, and Contra, one of the most innovative and internationally recognized acts to emerge from Calgary's music scene in recent years. A huge thank you to both of them for joining me and sharing their story, their creative philosophy, and their perspective on how festivals like Sled Island can create life-changing opportunities for independent artists, just like it did for them. Their journey is a powerful reminder of exactly why we're producing this series. Sled Island isn't just a collection of concerts. It's a place where artists discover audiences, where careers can take unexpected turns, and where creative communities come together to support something bigger than themselves. Cartel Madras is living proof of that. If you haven't already, be sure to check out their latest single, "Evident to Me," and keep an eye out for their debut full-length album arriving in twenty twenty-seven. And if you get the chance to see them live, take it. Their reputation as one of Canada's most electrifying live acts is well-earned. This interview is part of our ongoing Sled Island series. Be sure to check out the feature episode, The Sonic Collective Presents: Sled Island, the festival that changed Calgary music, along with our conversations with i-identity. What makes this festival such an important part of Calgary's cultural identity. Until next time, keep discovering music that challenges you, inspires you, and surprises you. Just like Cartel Madras did for me. I'm Darren Scott, and this has been The Sonic Collective. Thanks for listening. Thanks for listening to The Sonic Collective. If you enjoyed this episode, help us keep great music alive by subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the show with a fellow music fan. Be sure to explore our growing catalog of album reviews, artist interviews, festival coverage, and music discoveries from across Canada and beyond. The theme music for The Sonic Collective is Dust by Léger Gongtic from Calgary. Our thanks to the band for letting us use and feature their music. Be sure to check them out. Until next time, keep listening, keep discovering, and keep the conversation going. This is The Sonic Collective signing off