On Saturday, May 11 Third Time’s a Charm won first place in the High School category at the annual Juvenis Festival Battle of the Bands competition in Kingston. The win comes on the eve of the May 18 release of the band’s debut single, ‘Fading Innocence.’

TTaC played an all-original set to a packed house at The Broom Factory, which included ‘Fading Innocence’ and two other original songs—'Self-Sabotage’ and ‘Car’—which they hope to record in the fall along with some other new music as part of their debut EP.

“We’re fresh out of the oven as a band,” says Brock Pettifer, drummer, “but we’ve all been involved in music and bands since our early teens and have brought a lot of different influences and styles into this group. We’re using that experience to create a unique sound.” TTaC began their journey in December 2023 after meeting at the Harmony Lounge and Music Club where two of the band members, Joseph Hauser and Brock Pettifer, are mentors in the Rock Skool program.

“It's a weird thing to compete in music,” says Ryland Murray, Belleville-based lead vocalist and guitarist. “It was great to take home a win, but listening to all the other bands I felt the community more than the contest. The scene we are going to get to be part of in the next few years is incredibly talented. There are some crazy good nights of rock and roll in all our futures. Audiences will not be disappointed.”

The all-ages event, held at The Broom Factory, brought together eight of the best under 30 bands in Eastern Ontario, with four bands competing in each of two categories. The competition was judged by Kingston singer-songwriter Savannah Shea, and Mark Bergin, a musician, writer, and coordinator of St. Lawrence College’s Music and Digital Media program. Finalists included:

Secondary School Category:
1st - Third Time’s a Charm
2nd - Switzerville Sound
3rd - Nonesuch Luck

Post-Secondary Category:
1st - Exogen
2nd - The Petras
3rd - Rust Pump

The timing couldn’t be better for this next-gen band, as TTaC will drop their debut single, “Fading Innocence”—on Saturday, May 18. The song was produced and engineered by Jonas Lewis-Anthony of The Wilderness (web link), and recorded this past March at Evergreen Recording Co. The debut release party will be held in Murray’s hometown of Belleville on May 18 at The Bistro 116. Tickets are still available at: web link. Posted: May 13, 2024 Originally Published: May 12, 2024