Today, Toronto-based band Motorists dropped the self-directed music video for “The Damage.”
The track serves as the third single from the band’s upcoming album Never Sing Alone, set for release on March 6, 2026 via We Are Time.
“The Damage” is a scorching slice of classic lo-fi rock—raw, melodic, and effortlessly catchy—capturing Motorists at their most immediate and unfiltered. It’s the kind of tune that leans into grit and hooks in equal measure, further building anticipation for what’s shaping up to be a standout release.
About the track by Motorists:
Matt Learoyd shares, “This is a song about the absurd, humiliating, and strange experiences human beings will expose themselves to in pursuit of something good and pure. If love hurts, it must do some damage.
It’s also about the fact that we have created a type of entertainment which turns this struggle into a public spectacle: the reality tv show.”
This single was an experiment for Learoyd in terms of his usual approach to lyrics:
“My lyrics usually use abstractions and metaphors to capture the anxieties of being a living, breathing thing in a world which has gone insane. For ‘The Damage’, I created characters and a narrative, and reference real life situations. Though ultimately, it is still about being a living creature with an immortal soul which willingly subjects itself to the meat grinder of capitalism for attention, so it’s still in the mix.”
The accompanying video features the band members as contestants on an otherworldly, lo-fi TV dating show. Motorists’ Craig Fahner explains:
“For the video, we wanted to lean into the dating reality show premise of the lyrics. We took a lot of inspiration from 80s VHS video dating service clips and 90s public access TV shows. Our friend Shelby Wilson helped us shoot it in front of a green screen. We introduce ourselves as a rag tag group of characters who, to the host’s chagrin, can’t seem to make it work with each other.”
Nick McKinlay adds: “the video cost 21 dollars to make (Hair Gel $7, Pastrami Sandwich $14)”
The Damage gets: 📷📷📷📷📷📷📷/10.
Motorists – The Damage [Music Video]
