Forget the British invasion, it’s the Canadian musicians we should be watching. Mariana’s Trench, a punk pop band based out of Vancouver, have finally made their big break into the US, charting in the top 40 with their latest hit, One Love. 

The band had started getting some acclaim here in the US for their 2011 album Ever After, but immediately after its release, lead singer Josh Ramsay fell onto hard times. Ramsay, who was also a lead writer on the hit “Call Me Maybe”, was struck by three terrible tragedies: the end of his engagement with Actress Amanda McEwan, the self proclaimed love of his life; the loss of his health, which left his hospitalized; and the decline of his mother, who is ill.

Ramsay, not to be underestimated, used these tragedies to fuel his music, which turned into their newest album, Astoria. A concept album, much like Ever After, Astoria flows as if it is one track, with musical interludes that are reminiscent of a movie score. It’s based around ’80s pop culture, with the Goonies being the main inspiration for the art style of the album.

“One Love”, the first single from the album, is a song about Ramsay and his ex-fiancé and getting through the pain of the breakup. A hauntingly beautiful song, the lyrics really portray the agony of ending a relationship, and the music video is even more poignant. In the video, the band members appear to be drowning in their own home, which, if you’ve ever lost love suddenly, is a rather accurate metaphor to how it feels.

Marianas Trench is continuing their US tour and then starting their Canadian tour in the next few months. To purchase tickets, go to their website here. You can also find the band on their Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram accounts. The band members also have various personal accounts, all of which are rather active.

Collegian Blogger Sarah Ross can be reached online at blogs@collegian.com or on Twitter at @HowSarahTweets. Read more of her content on AltLife.collegian.com or at collegian.com under Music. Leave a comment!