Boniface was on top of the world when the world stopped. As one of Canada’s most exciting up-and-coming indie pop bands, they had earned critical acclaim and an ever-growing following through their electrifying live show and grand, heartfelt singles. The band became a go-to opener for a number of the biggest UK indie acts of the 2010s, regularly performing to thousands. Their hard work was set to culminate in 2020, with the release of a debut album and an accompanying world tour. The album was released, but the pandemic-era tour was cancelled.

The change of plans was devastating; it also may have saved a life. Amidst the loss of every plan that they’d been working towards, the band’s lead, Michele ii, had the time to sit and process a lifetime of emotion. It was at this time that she unlocked a major personal truth and came out as a trans woman to her family and close friends. Publicly, however, she laid low, wondering how she’d be accepted even as she amassed a pile of new material.

Now, Michele is facing her fears and preparing her return to the wider world with tour dates and a new EP that blends the worlds of their beloved self-titled LP and the hyperpop demos of their soft-l