Born from the energy of a summer festival encounter, TAURO is what happens when two great minds follow their intuition. Led by pianist and singer-songwriter Cynthia Tauro and co-founded with Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene, the Toronto-based project is rooted in curiosity and a shared approach to collaboration.

Drawing loosely from indie, soul, jazz, R&B, and trip-hop, TAURO resists genre in favour of feel. Cynthia’s background in jazz piano and Brendan’s history in indie rock push the project into new territory for both, allowing songs to take shape without judgement or constraint. Over several years, the pair recorded across studios throughout Toronto, inviting a close-knit circle of collaborators into the process. The result is music that feels expansive yet grounded, anchored by strong melodies and emotional clarity.

Their debut album Act I is a collection of musings on change, distance, and emotional recalibration. Shimmering, keys-forward arrangements form the backbone of the record, expanded by thoughtful contributions from friends and collaborators including Matt Kelly (City and Colour), Shamus Currie (The Sheepdogs), Josh Trager (Sam Roberts Band), Thom D’Arcy (Small Sins), Spencer “Moose” Muscio (Jessie Reyez), and Kintaro Akiyama (Birds of Bellwoods). The album captures both immediacy and patience, with some songs coming together in a single afternoon and others taking months or years to fully reveal themselves.

Due out April 2 via Birthday Cake Records, Act I feels less like a definitive statement than a snapshot of a moment in motion. Shaped by patience and creative trust, the record captures a project taking form in real time, rooted in process and the simple pleasure of following an idea through to its natural end.

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