Toronto emo/alt-rock trio da nang return with Kids, a nostalgic, sun-soaked EP about the messy intersections of love, loss, heartbreak, and joy. Anchoring the record is title track “Kids,” a bittersweet anthem that celebrates the rush of young love while staring down the heartbreak it’s destined to bring.

da nang‘s Kids EP plays like a scrapbook of adolescence, with songs that hang together like faded Polaroids – warm, raw, and brimming with emotion. From cottage recording sessions surrounded by worn furniture and summer air, to riffs that grew into full-fledged songs almost by accident, the band leaned fully into nostalgia in both sound and spirit.

What can you share with readers about your new project?

First of all, we cannot believe someone is actually asking us questions. This already feels like the peak of our career. Honestly though, we are just happy these songs are finally out in the world. They were some of the very first tracks we wrote together, so they have been sitting around for a while. Somehow we still like them, which feels like a small miracle, and we hope listeners feel the same.

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

We are definitely having more fun this time around and you can hear it. Kids especially leans into that playful, nostalgic energy. It is upbeat but still has that emo ache under the surface, like smiling through a breakup in a mall food court. Calum keeps insisting it is a summer anthem even though none of us remember actually writing it in summer. John just likes that it tricks people into dancing when they were expecting to cry.

What about this single makes you most proud?

It feels so good to finally give a handful of people the songs they have been asking about for ages. A few folks have been patiently waiting to hear these tracks on Spotify, and now that they are polished and streaming it makes us feel like we have some kind of purpose as a tiny Toronto band of absolute nobodies.

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

Our main goal was to make music that gives people those sweet nostalgic smiles. Beyond that, we just wanted proof that we exist. Releasing this single makes it slightly harder for friends, family, and exes to pretend our band is imaginary. It also clears the way for the new material we are working on now, which we swear is real and actually sounds good.

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

For John, making music is less of a hobby and more of a survival mechanism. If he goes too long without writing or recording, the whole band starts to notice because he gets weird and twitchy. Calum is in it for the chaos and the joy of shaping noise into something that sounds halfway decent. Sean, on the other hand, just lives for the stage. Playing live is his oxygen and he would probably choose it over eating, sleeping, or having a functional adult life.

If you could collaborate with anyone, dead or alive, famous or unknown, who would it be and why?

This question is impossible because we all like completely different music. The stuff we make is just the result of everyone pulling in different directions until something sticks. John would probably say Ariana Grande. Calum would say Jimmy Page. Sean would probably cut through our indecision and pick someone practical just so we could actually make it happen. Thanks Sean.

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands or artists?

Right now John is deep in an Ethel Cain phase. He is still in mourning over the fact that he missed her Toronto show, choosing instead to spend the week in Spain with hairy gay men. The regret has been described as Biblical and frankly it may never leave him.

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

We are on Instagram, which is very millennial of us: @banddanang.

Is there anything you would like to share before we sign off?

Please stream our music so Calum can stop sending us screenshots of our “monthly listeners” like it is a stock price. Also, if you are looking for the next big thing, it is not us. We are just three regular, normal guys from Toronto who like doing regular, normal things like writing regular, normal music.