The Purple Helmets return with a renewed spark and a lifetime of stories, led here by vocalist‑guitarist Jon Kini, who reflects on the band’s unlikely origins, their evolution, and the creative fire behind their new album Weirdo Squad. Born from a tongue‑in‑cheek high‑school joke that somehow stuck, the band grew into a beloved force across Nova Scotia’s indie scene before life pulled its members into the world of “real jobs.” Now, older, sharper, and writing with a deeper sense of purpose, the trio have crafted a record shaped by three distinct voices, rich harmonies, and a matured perspective on the chaos, pressures, and beauty of modern life. With fresh energy, a new label home, and a desire to simply make great songs that endure, The Purple Helmets are stepping confidently into their next chapter.
Who is answering the questions?
This is Jon Kini from The Purple Helmets where I am one of three vocalists and I play guitar.
How did you get to the band name, and what does it mean to you?
Well, the name was kind of a lark or a bit of a joke. We came up with it when we were in high school where we entered ourselves into a school music event. I think we thought we were being smart and a bit punk as the school would announce our name in front of the student body. Rather juvenile really but we were 15 to 17 years old. However, people really liked the music and what we were doing. We started playing more shows and rigging more original music. We eventually moved to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia (NS) and played regular circuits throughout the NS and the nearby Provinces. By that time the name had stuck and while we did receive some pushback from various venues it really was too late to change. Punk all the way!!
When did you realise that you wanted to do music full time?
I feel when we were all younger and just turning heads in the industry in Nova Scotia, Canada we all thought this might be something we could do full time. We were signed to EMI but in the end things didn’t quite work out how we had hoped. The band moved on from that and eventually really moved on with everyone getting “real” jobs. Now, we are excited to be making music again but from a different perspective and with different goals. We still just want to make great music.
How did the idea for your latest release come about?
It started after having watched a band made up of our friends, Burnt Black, come out with new music after a lengthy hiatus. It kind of rekindled the collective interest in writing again and so we started down that road. We wrote about 30 new songs and picked what we felt were the best 10 songs, all legitimate singles, to become our latest album Weirdo Squad. It offered us an opportunity to write again but with a more mature perspective on life and reaching into our individual experiences to really drive and guide this album.
Can you tell us about the themes and influences that run throughout?
Our band has three active writers and composers namely Chris our bass player, Don our guitar player and myself. All three of us also trade off quite equally on vocals as leads and contributing with harmonies. So you really are seeing three perspectives and varying writing styles and themes throughout the album. Chris’s song Lets Blaze a New Path Forward is about embracing the unpredictable currents of life’s journey, daring to be brave in the face of critical voices, and refusing to conform to expectations. The narrative speaks of rising from humble beginnings, fueled by the courage to express innovative ideas and inventions that enrich the world. Ultimately, the song beautifully articulates that the true reward lies not just in the destination, but in the transformative experience of the journey itself. Whereas one of my songs, Escape From Which Mountain? is a song that reflects the demands, expectations and pressures society has placed on our youth and young adults through social media influences and how many "likes" one must achieve for acceptance. It delves into the struggles with confidence, fitting in and conforming to presumed societal norms. And while there may be supports around you, one needs to experience the struggles to transform and finally realize a metamorphosis to freedom.
Who produced the release, and what were they like to work with (If you produced it yourself, then what do you love the most about working that way?)
Paul Suarez recorded and co-produced the album at Ironshores Studios in the Cayman Islands. What can you say about Paul? The protege of the infamous producer Andy Wallace (he recorded everybody!) Paul brought that learned experience plus his own ear and genius to the mix. Paul engineered and recorded Korn, Biffy Clyro, Dave Mathews, Gojira, and even Guns and Roses. While his portfolio clearly leans to heavy rock, his process fattened our sound and added a professionally fidelity we hadn’t necessarily encountered before as an Indie rock band. Paul was really great to work with and really helped to bring out the best in our songs.
How would you say that the sound of the band has grown/changed over the last couple of years?
The backbone of our sound has and continues to be guitar based however the vocal melodies and harmonies are the centerpiece. I don’t think we have deviated from that formula over the years, but we have evolved in our songwriting and improved upon our sound overall. The only real difference is a little more use of synth on our latest album. It’s something we added for this album to create a little more atmosphere, but it’s not overdone or overly highlighted in the songs.
What do you want your latest release to do for the representation of the band?
I guess we just want listeners to enjoy well crafted and performed songs. We really do feel we have a strong album, with different styles, themes mixed with solid compositions. We want to highlight our strong vocals and harmonies, where often we are belting out smart, 3-piece harmonies wrapped around attractive and addictive melodies and all of that being driven by guitars and a solid bass and drums foundation. Ultimately, our goal is to simply create an attractive indie tune that stands the test of time. Some listeners have referred to our sound as Americana Big Star meets UK Badfinger but to us it’s just Canadiana and in the end, a good song never goes out of style.
What else can we expect to see from the band in the future?
We recently signed a deal with Sodeh Records from Montreal Canada. Sodeh is a boutique label with bands from all over the world, crossing many styles and genres of music. A really cool label to be part of at this moment. We’re looking to promote the new album, really expose it far and wide and gain more admirers of the band and our music. We would like to tag on to a few festivals in Canada, the US and Europe obviously to perform but to also be fans.
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