Exclaim! New Faves alumni No Frills have announced the upcoming release of their sophomore full-length, previewed today by new single "Shopping in the Toothpaste Aisle."
Sad Clown arrives March 7, 2025, via We Are Busy Bodies. The follow-up to the Toronto lo-fi pop group's 2022 debut Downward Dog was recorded by the band — lead songwriter Dan Busheikin, bassist Maddy Wilde (Rapport), guitarist Matt Buckberrough and drummer Jonathan Pappo — and engineers Chris Shannon and Nate Vanderwielen (Bart) at 500 Keele, with additional contributions from Eliza Niemi (cello), Alex Hamlyn (saxophone) and Kristina Koski (flute).
"These songs might be intensely fixated on death, depression, and self-loathing, but they're also really silly," Busheikin explained in a statement. "Coming out of the Downward Dog album cycle, the dissonance I experienced between performing as an entertainer and writing songs about depression led me to the concept of the 'sad clown paradox,' which I find very relatable."
Of the record's strummy lead single, he added, "If you've ever had a panic attack in Shoppers Drug Mart, this one's for you. You're maybe 90–95 percent sure you're okay, but there's still that sense of an impending breakdown, and of course, the store is out of Colgate Total Advance MaxFresh."
It sounds a lot more chill and laidback than that perhaps suggests — but if you know the experience too well, you'll also know that dulcet indie pop tones and drugstore dissociation kind of go hand in hand. Watch the "Shopping in the Toothpaste Aisle" video below, where you'll also find the album tracklist information.
Sad Clown:
1. Drive Me
2. The Day-to-Day
3. Mr. Mean
4. Stephanie
5. Wringing It Out
6. Never Enough
7. The Scraps
8. Open Book
9. Shopping in the Toothpaste Aisle
10. Nothing
11. Under the Gun
12. The End