NEW: twin duo Softcult expose the cost of being a woman in "Queen of Nothing"

SOFTCULT RELEASE NEW SONG, "QUEEN OF NOTHING" CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO DEBUT ALBUM, WHEN A FLOWER DOESN'T GROW, OUT JANUARY 30, 2026 VIA EASY LIFE RECORDS SUPPORTING LIGHTS ON 2026 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

1) Intro 2) Pill To Swallow 3) Naive 4) 16/25 5) She Said, He Said 6) Hurt Me 7) I Held You Like Glass 8) Queen Of Nothing 9) Tired! 10) Not Sorry 11) When A Flower Doesn’t Grow

Fresh off US and UK headlining tours––plus a stop on Coheed and Cambria's SS Neverender cruise––Softcult are set to the release their long-awaited debut full-length, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, on January 30, 2026.  The Ontario-based twins, Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn, have built a reputation for saying the stuff everyone else is too afraid to even consider. When A Flower Doesn't Grow is their most unapologetic, impactful collection yet; an 11-track mission statement with as much fire as it has heart. Today, Softcult drops an album standout, "Queen of Nothing"––a grungy confrontation of the crushing weight society places on women, revealing how these pressures manifest on both personal and systemic levels.

SOFTCULT - 'Queen of Nothing' (Official Music Video)

Mercedes  explains: “This song is about the double standards, harsh judgements, and unrealistic expectations that patriarchal society places on women. We’re expected to be sexy, but only as it applies to the male fantasy; somehow a virgin and a slut. We’re expected to constantly nurture the men in our lives, and shamed if our aspirations exceed becoming wives and mothers. The world demands maturity from us, but discards us when we’re old and 'unfuckable,' our value reduced to our ability to attract men. And when we attract men, we’re labeled 'whores.' We’re expected to be “cool” and “like one of the guys”, but not too abrasive, loud, or “unladylike.” Our intelligence and our success is tolerated so long as it isn’t too threatening or intimidating to our male counterparts. From unconscious biases to blatant sexism, misogyny and gender violence, women face an impossible amount of discrimination in the world today. And no matter the amount of vitriol or ignorance we endure, we’re still expected to smile. This song is about the realization that these cycles of abuse are bigger than our personal experiences. It’s recognizing the systemic nature of mistreatment and discrimination.”

Photo: Kaylene Widdoes

When A Flower Doesn't Grow is a self-produced, self-recorded, and fiercely independent collection of songs that detail trauma to rebirth and transformation. Its title comes from a quote by Dutch author, Alexander Den Heijer: "when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”  For Mercedes, those words hit during one of the most pivotal moments of her life: ending a nine-year relationship, coming out as queer, and confronting the cycles of oppression she had been internalizing for years, despite being so outspoken about empowerment. “The person I portrayed myself to be on stage was not the same person making the decisions that governed my life,” she explains. “I was root bound. I was disappearing, shrinking, withering away… and I felt ashamed of it." As a result, this album is a conceptual work about the various stages of one’s own internal metamorphosis; written from the perspective of someone who has been radicalized by trauma, empowered by their own resilience, and who ultimately healed and blossomed into the person they were always meant to be. Musically, Softcult continue to expand their rich blend of grunge, shoegaze, and alt-rock textures, weaving fuzz-laden riffs and dreamy soundscapes with raw, confessional lyricism. The result is both intimate and universal: a record for anyone who has ever felt trapped or diminished by their surroundings, and a rallying cry to nurture ourselves and each other in the pursuit of freedom and authenticity.

The album follows last year’s acclaimed Heaven EP, which flipped the concept of an afterlife on its head, critiquing a culture fixated on the future while ignoring the urgent need for change in the present. That release saw the duo land the cover of Spotify’s MARROW playlist (over 4.7 million followers) and embark on tours across North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Along the way they’ve won fans in artists like Hayley Williams and Bring Me The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, opened for Incubus and MUSE, and earned praise from outlets including Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Paste, Consequence, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, CBC, The Gay Times, and more. Born in the studio and committed to carving out their own universe, Softcult embody a fiercely DIY ethos. Phoenix handles production, engineering, and artwork, while Mercedes writes, produces, directs, and edits their deeply personal and impactful videos. Together they create and distribute a monthly zine, SCripture, and remain deeply engaged with their community through the Softcult Discord server. Their music and message are constant reminders that the revolution is very much alive - proof that true liberation begins when we change the environment and allow ourselves, and each other, to grow.

Fri Jan 30 - Toronto, ON - The Drake Underground Mon Feb 9 - Winnipeg, MB - The Park Theatre Wed Feb 11 - Saskatoon, SK - Capitol Music Club FEBRUARY Fri Feb 13 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall Sat Feb 14 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall Wed Feb 18 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox Fri Feb 20 – San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club Sat Feb 21 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre Tue Feb 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall Wed Feb 25 – Denver, CO – Summit Fri Feb 27 – Austin, TX – Empire Garage Sat Feb 28 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall MARCH Sun Mar 1 – Dallas, TX – Trees Tue Mar 3 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre Wed Mar 4 – St Paul, MN – Amsterdam Bar & Hall Fri Mar 6 – Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall Sat Mar 7 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrew’s Hall Sun Mar 8 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Café & Music Hall Tue Mar 10 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club Wed Mar 11 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club Fri Mar 13 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza Sat Mar 14 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom Tue Mar 17 – London, ON – London Music Hall Wed Mar 18 – Ottawa, ON – The Bronson Thu Mar 19 – Quebec City, QC – Grizzly Fuzz Fri Mar 20 – Montreal, QC – Le Studio TD