What to know
- In an exclusive interview with Now Toronto, The Free Label draws on their childhood love of disco and funk, from Earth, Wind & Fire to James Brown, to shape their signature sound.
- Years of touring and creating together have made the six-piece band feel almost telepathic, finishing each other’s sentences both on stage and off.
- Their songwriting thrives on spontaneity, letting vibe and groove dictate the flow of each track in the studio.
- With tracks like “Chuckii’s Jam” and a string of dance-driven singles, The Free Label keeps disco alive while making crowds move worldwide.
Dance. Sweat. Disco. Toronto’s own The Free Label says that’s exactly what fans can expect when they take the stage for their homecoming show this weekend.
The city’s music scene is no stranger to experimental sounds, but The Free Label has carved out a space entirely their own. As the only Canadian disco band actively rising on the global stage, the six-member group is on a mission not only to become the next big name in the genre, but to prove that disco is a sound capable of transcending generations.
The band’s members, all between ages 25 to 30 years old, trace their love of music back to their childhood. Lead vocalist Josh Tsakas and bassist Mathew Fantini credit their parents’ record collections for shaping their tastes, recalling a steady rotation of icons from Earth, Wind & Fire to The Beatles.
“I think that energy of the 60s to the 80s is just something that I fell in love with as a kid and has brought me through till today,” Fantini told Now Toronto.
“We all grew up on James Brown, all that kind of music, and it just influenced us from day one. We’ve always wanted to do it like them–live–like James Brown,” Tsakas echoed.
Formed in 2017, the band rounds out its lineup with guitarist Malik Mungo, keyboardist Cole Mendez, drummer Jason Martin, and synth player Jacob Thompson. And according to Tsakas, being in The Free Label is exactly what you’d expect from a group of six guys making music together: chaotic in the best way, loud, and full of inside jokes. “A lot of fun,” he laughed.
Fantini says that brotherly energy is what makes their collaboration so natural. “I think that we spent so much time together, playing and travelling that it really is quite easy. We’re like almost finishing each other’s sentences at some points,” he added.
What truly sets The Free Label apart is their spontaneous songwriting process. Rather than coming to a studio with pre-written concepts, the band often enters with nothing more than a ready-to-go vibe, letting creativity and groove take the lead.
“We don’t talk about anything beforehand. No old ideas, only new ideas. We just start playing and vibe off each other,” Tsakas explained. “Once it feels really good, that’s where we start to build on and create.”
Fantini says that constant touring and spending nearly every day together keeps them on the same wavelength before they even step into the room.
“Since we live life together, I think that creating the music just kind of comes very naturally. We’ll start, and the words will come, and the music will come. We just try and let everything flow out of us,” he said.
That style is front and centre on their latest single, “Chuckii’s Jam,” a tribute to singer and instrumentalist Chuckii Booker and the dance-funk spirit of his Niice ‘n Wiild album. The track had been a staple in their live shows long before it ever hit streaming platforms, and after months of fans asking for an official release, the band finally dropped it in late September.
“It’s kind of a collective of all his Soul Trilogies that kind of formed how we play music. And it’s a cool, fun jam,” Tsakas said.
“Chuckii’s Jam” is the newest addition to a run of dance-driven releases from the band this year, following the singles “DANCING ON YOUR OWN,” “GALS4U,” and their earlier deluxe funk project, Songs For Sienna.
“We’re in our Disco Daddies era right now,” Fantini laughed. “We’re heading into dance music. We’re heading into late nights. We’re heading into getting everybody packed up, sweating in that room. We want people to move, and our next record will reflect that.”
The duo says all of these tracks, and then some, are primed to go off at their upcoming Toronto show alongside Ripe and Allen Stone at HISTORY on Dec. 6.
“It’s always amazing to come home. Toronto has always been our most wild and energetic crowd every time…it’s gonna be wild,” Tsakas assured.
“This is the city that made us, made our name, and the reason why we play the music we do,” Fantini said. “The reason why we perform what we do is because that’s what Toronto crowds deserve.”
With a European tour on the horizon, the band is preparing to take their sound across the pond. While they stayed tight-lipped on upcoming collaborations, they promised that their 2026 takeover is imminent, and that a return to the 6ix is definitely in the cards.
“A whole lot of music is coming next year – expect disco, funk, and soul for sure,” Tsakas said. “So many festivals lined up, so be ready for a very big year!”
For information on tickets to The Free Label’s upcoming show, check out Ticketmaster.
