Following their comeback after a near four year hiatus with September’s explosive single “Burn In Heaven”, Toronto coldwave duo TRAITRS return today with their new single “i was ill, you were wrong”, available everywhere now. The track arrives alongside the announcement of their highly anticipated fourth album Possessor, set for release on Friday, March 13th, 2026, and the reveal of their full European and North American Possessor Tour for Spring 2026.
A melancholic meditation wrapped in gothic electronics, “i was ill, you were wrong” finds TRAITRS exploring their most vulnerable terrain to date. Echoing synths form a spectral foundation beneath surging guitars, while brooding vocals push through the darkness with stark emotional power, recalling the introspective weight of The Cure’s most haunted moments. It is a track that holds the listener close in the cold, balancing raw intimacy with a sweeping cinematic scale. The single deepens the duo’s position as essential voices within modern post punk.
The song confronts one of humanity’s most universal truths. It examines our denial of mortality and the complicated structures we build to distract ourselves from the fear of the inevitable. Within its hypnotic pulse,”i was ill, you were wrong” reflects on the fear of isolation, the illusion of an endless future, and the fragile bubbles we create to shield ourselves from the reality that unites us all.
“I felt that song connected me to everything and everyone, it is the one thing we all share and have in common,” says vocalist and guitarist Shawn Tucker. “It is also a wake up call to live the life you want to live. We only have one chance at this so go dance in the rain.”
The single provides a haunting gateway into Possessor, which Tucker describes as “the most personal record I have ever written.” The album was created during Toronto’s coldest winter months, shaped by storm battered days and a heavy emotional landscape. TRAITRS focused on capturing precise moods, with lyrics serving as the central force while the surrounding soundscapes grew to mirror the bleak beauty of the writing process.
Formed in Toronto, TRAITRS have built an international following through relentless touring and a discography that blends classic coldwave influences with a modern cinematic edge. Their work has been described by critics as evocative and deeply human, driven by themes of grief, isolation, ecstatic release, and the darker corners of the subconscious.
To support Possessor, TRAITRS will embark on an extensive European and North American tour throughout spring 2026. The run includes headline shows along with select dates supporting She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, and Ultra Sunn.
‘Possessor’ Tracklist
- Burn in Heaven
- I was Ill, you were wrong
- Seven Fictions
- Cold skin
- Selfish Hunger
- Prayer Taker
- Dream Drowning
- Mourn
- Japanese Picture Pony
- Crawl
About TRAITRS
With their cinematic blend of horror-based imagery, anthemic choruses, motorik drum loops, atmospheric synths and angular guitars, Canadian cold wave duo TRAITRS stare unflinchingly at our dystopian present while paying homage to artists from the post-punk past. In the decade since their debut record to now, the Toronto-based TRAITRS went from bedroom artists selling cassette tapes on a small boutique record label to accumulating millions of streams worldwide and performing hundreds of shows on massive stages across multiple continents.
With their much-anticipated new album Possessor, produced by long-time collaborator Josh Korody (The Beaches, The Dirty Nil, Japandroids, Tanya Taqaq, F*cked Up) and mastered by Matt Colton (The Cure, Depeche Mode, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, Dua Lipa, Blur etc), TRAITRS continue to develop their melancholic sound and imagery with the emotional follow up to 2021’s critically acclaimed LP Horses in the Abattoir.
Featured image by Daniel Cherney.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
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https://traitrs.bandcamp.com/
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https://www.tiktok.com/@traitrs
https://www.youtube.com/@TraitrsOfficial