April 13th—Toronto. Earlier this month, I was invited to an event that epitomizes why Toronto’s music scene thrives in its hidden corners. At the Monarch Tavern, local enigma Harkness—a psychedelic-pop oddball with a cult following—delivered a dreamy guitar, synth-soaked performance. Next came a screening of a documentary about him, HARKNESS, at the Royal Theatre. Directed by Maria Markina, the film traces his 30-year grind from ’90s Toronto hopeful to basement-dwelling DIY icon. I’d never heard of Harkness before Bad Media Club invited me along as a fellow guest. But now? I’m embarrassed that Blast slept on this psychedelic gem—this is our pledge to hype his genius moving forward.

The Performance: Brian Wilson meets Tame Impala, plus a Hot Sauce Pitch

Before the documentary screening, I met up with Jake and Mike, co-hosts of the Bad Music Club podcast. As fellow champions of Ontario’s underrated artists, they’ve been hyping Harkness since their early episodes. The Monarch Tavern became a testament to his eccentricity as Harkness didn’t just perform music; he staged an entire concept.

Clad in his signature uniform—a purple gown, skin-tight cap, and oversized visor that obscured his eyes and much of his upper face—Harkness transformed the stage into a psychedelic playground. His guitars, mounted on a swivel rig, swung with precision and flair, adding kinetic drama to every chord. The sound? A glorious mash-up of ’80s new wave vibes, funky bass grooves, and processed guitar pedals. The performance leaned hard into psychedelic pop textures. It was like Tame Impala and Brian Wilson colliding mid-jam. Backed by an electric drum kit, he layered dreamy harmonies over rhythms that bounced between groovy and frenetic.

His energy never dipped, even as he theatrically collapsed mid-bow towards the end of the set.

Between songs, he pitched his eponymous hot sauce with deadpan sincerity, urging the crowd to hit the merch table. My bank account didn’t have the margin, but I’m ordering a bottle ASAP. Whoever heard of a musician who sold you condiments and vibes? Once Harkness blows up, I hope more indie-pop acts make them. Maybe we could get a whole line of local sauces going.

Harkness – A Story of Grit and Glitter

After the show, we had a quick bite. Then, the Bad Music/Media crew and I hustled to the Royal Theatre for the documentary screening. Fittingly titled HARKNESS, what followed was a story as eccentric and layered as the man himself. Director Maria Markina and producer Ed Barreveld introduced the film. Explaining how it came to be, Markina shared how she’d pitched the project after working alongside Harkness in food service. Her opening plea set the tone: “Support independent art—it means so much for humanity.”

The doc dives into Harkness’s history. Starting with his father, Alan Harkness, a teacher and orchestra leader; moving through his younger years in Toronto’s ’90s music scene; then trying to make it big in London; and hitting a bad acid trip. Central to the story is his mom’s basement, located in a home that looks like a time capsule of yellow floral wallpaper and mid-century charm. His haven of sorts, Harkness has recorded there for decades. Yet it’s also endearingly funny, with great production value.

For instance, the film stitches together home videos, stop-motion animations, and behind-the-scenes clips of him mailing fans handwritten thank-you cards stuffed with glitter, recording earnest social media videos, and recruiting collaborators—harpists, cellists, trumpeters—to realize his maximalist vision.

I love seeing the people he pulls in from harps, to cellos, trumpets, percussion and gongs, it’s really inspiring to see that sort of collaborative spirit and vision to just be like, “I will find someone who can play this part in the larger vision”.

I wonder how many other amazing artists aren’t lucky enough to have a mom who lets them stay and record in the basement well past their youth (or for whom such a proposition would be at odds with the goals of creativity). It’s unfortunate. I hope we one day have a society where more creative savants can pursue their esoteric, all-encompassing goals, be they musical, visual, or any medium.

Dedication to the Craft

Throughout the documentary (and indeed, the entirety of his public appearances that day), Harkness is always wearing the visor (if not more of the outfit) and always just what is presumably the last name he inherited from his father.

Its most gut-punch moments for me are its near-breakthroughs: a music video airing on MTV, leading to a NYC show where no one showed up. “Next time, maybe pray for people to come to the show,” he tells his mom afterward. He gets his record in stores, he performs at NXNE. He brings in crowds across Ontario at shows where he’d play with unshakable energy, even for an audience of one. It resonates with what we support at Blast Toronto, which only added to our embarrassment at not having crossed paths sooner.

The doc leaves you wondering: Is Harkness a late bloomer, or a testament to the beauty of chasing a dream that never quite arrives? Either way, his decades-long grind—still unfolding in his mom’s basement, still fueled by glitter-filled fan mail—is a reminder that art isn’t about “making it.” It’s about having a vision, refusing to stop. It’s about doing it yourself for yourself.

The screening wrapped with a Q&A and a second performance, but by then, my phone was almost out of juice and adult responsibilities loomed the next day for all three of us. We slipped out between the Q&A and 2nd show, buzzing about hot sauce and basement studios. The screening reminded me why Blast Toronto and other outlets like us exist: to shout about artists like Harkness before the world catches on.

Final Thoughts on Harkness

What sticks is Harkness’s shameless persistence. In the docs’ present-day scenes, he’s always in character—street clothes paired with his signature visor, even casual conversations a part of the performance. It’s the story of a guy trying to make it work, full stop. Whether rallying collaborators for a gong-heavy symphony or playing to a lone attendee in small-town Ontario, he never lets the energy drop. Something is inspiring about that relentless confidence, especially when stardom feels perpetually one or two steps away.

In summary, I’d describe his music as psychedelic pop, with some folk influence and modern sampling sensibility. “All the Things You Are” is probably my favorite track that I’ve heard from him thus far, although I’ve yet to exhaustively listen to all of his music. Perhaps it’s poetry in the lyrics, its mixture of happiness, sadness, and nostalgia. Maybe yet, it’s the contrasting of epic strings, the dreamy guitars and drums like something The Smiths would record, and the harmonies in Harkness’ vocals keep me returning. Regardless, I look forward to posting more articles about his events and experiences in the future.

The HARKNESS documentary was produced with the Participation of Canada Media Fund, Ontario Creates, Rogers Telefund, with the assistance of Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund, with the support from Doc Institute Breakthrough Rogers CBC Award, with the cooperation of the Canadian Federation of Musicians, film and television tax credit assistance from the Government of Ontario, funded by the Government of Canada, produced in association with Documentary Channel.

Listen to Harkness’ new album “Ciao to the Beauty” (and his previous one) on his Bandcamp, or stream on most major services.