Considering that it feels like an entire tier of the indie band touring circuit has been hollowed out by the harshness of post-pandemic economics, it’s gratifying to see that some smaller bands are still willing to pile into a van and traverse the continent – if not the world – to try and build their audience the old-fashioned way.

So kudos to Los Angeles’ Soft Blue Shimmer, who released their second full-length Love Lives In The Body back in November 2022. They follow a template pretty familiar to fans of current dreampop – soft vocals overtop guitars textured with shimmer and grit – but their tunes are solid. Let’s just say there’s no false advertising in their band name.

So even without the benefit of TikTok buzz or a high-profile Netflix sync, they’ve just announced a coast-to-coast tour to support the record, and that includes a date in Toronto at The Monarch in April. I’d be there with bells on, if not for the fact that I’ll be on a plane to Japan when they hit the stage.