Hi friends, it’s been a while! So much has been happening in the EMO IS FOR LOVERS world—our Discord and Instagram are growing, we’ve welcomed new admins, built teams, thrown parties, and connected with even more emos across the globe. But today, I want to share a special story about SUCKERPUNCH! and their lead vocalist, Fred.
Back in the early days of EMO IS FOR LOVERS, Fred joined our Discord to promote his band’s very first single. Their YouTube channel was brand new, with only one upload at the time. Despite that, Fred was chill, kind, and genuinely passionate about what he was doing. We became friends, followed each other on Instagram, and later, I had the pleasure of interviewing him about his band, his dreams, and his aspirations. One thing that stood out to me was his goal: to tour with another Canadian pop-punk legend—SIMPLE PLAN. He jokingly called it “SP2,” and honestly, that would be an incredible tour.
Here’s a quick video of that interview from early last year:
Since that interview, we’ve both been working hard—Fred, pouring his heart into his band, and me, expanding EMO IS FOR LOVERS, bringing emos together and creating a safe space where they can be themselves. As our community grew, so did SUCKERPUNCH! They consistently dropped killer singles with amazing music videos. My personal favorites? Freak Show and Night Call—you should absolutely check them out. They even landed a spot at ALL YOUR FRIENDS FEST 2024, sharing the stage with massive names like FALL OUT BOY, JIMMY EAT WORLD, SILVERSTEIN, LIGHTS, MAYDAY PARADE, DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL, and more.
And then, something happened that completely floored me.
One day, I saw Fred wearing an EMO IS FOR LOVERS tee. Not just in a casual post, but in the official promo video for one of SUCKERPUNCH!’s singles—featuring none other than one of my high school favorites, WE THE KINGS. Seeing that collab was already surreal, but then realizing Fred was rocking a tee that I designed in the video? That was next-level. I nearly teared up. The fact that someone I once listened to religiously in high school was now collaborating with a close friend I made through this community, while repping a piece of EMO IS FOR LOVERS—it was one of the coolest full-circle moments of my life.
Here are some photos from that shoot (and the collab reel with WE THE KINGS!):
And it didn’t stop there. Earlier this year, in 2025, SUCKERPUNCH! kicked off their first-ever headline tour in Canada. Even though we were cheering them on from afar, Fred repped EMO IS FOR LOVERS again, wearing our tee on tour. It meant the world to me—not just because he loved the shirt, but because it symbolized everything we’ve been working toward: building something real, something that connects people through music, nostalgia, and a shared love for emo culture.
From a small Discord promotion to sharing stages with our idols, from an interview about dreams to actually living them—this journey has been insane. It’s proof that when you put yourself out there, when you stay true to what you love, the universe has a way of bringing everything full circle. Similarly, EMO IS FOR LOVERS was a small discord server to now page with much larger presence, opening vendors to Emo Festivals and throwing emo parties and building a brand for ourselves, we are here to see SUCKERPUNCH! grow and thrive even further as I am 1000% sure they will make even greater name for themselves, and hopefull EMO IS FOR LOVERS will be there to also support them proudly.
To Fred and SUCKERPUNCH!—keep killing it. And to everyone reading this: keep chasing what makes your heart beat faster. You never know where it’ll take you.
Much love, DJ
