We are well overdue for an update.

The last time we gave you a blog post on this site, it was 2022. Our latest release was the acoustic EP Undercurrent. Over the course of 2022, we played three shows - two of them private house events. The next year rolled around, and things must have seemed ever slower from your perspective. Through all of 2023 we only played one show - again, a private event - and we released no new music. We had a couple of videos go up on YouTube, and a major photoshoot that was meant to carry us through 2024 and a new release cycle. Behind the scenes, we've been working for years on new material worthy of our awesome listeners. 

But change is always just around the corner. Sid decided to the second and likely final time that he needed to step away from Kozen to focus on other pursuits. Max remains a contributor to Sid's project Overflow, but Sid's time with Kozen has come to an end. There are other significant changes that are happening within our ranks in terms of band membership, but we will save more updates on that for a later date. For now, we're reflecting gratefully on the time we spent with Sid in the band, starting basically 9 years ago. 

And it's been wild to think about just how long Kozen has existed as a band. In 2025 we will legitimately be looking at a whole decade of this band, and we couldn't be more thankful to have had this opportunity for so long. That being said, time is not a determining factor. We're just as determined as ever to bring you thoughtful, boundary-pushing music. And that process resumes this year.

We can't yet announce exactly what we have in store for you this year, but we can promise that you will hear some new material. The band has been hard at work creating a solid body of work, and I (Max) also have some more solo material on the horizon. We have also been booking shows, and those of you in various spots around southern Ontario will be happy to know that we already have three shows booked and are looking to extend our reach more - out from Toronto and into the rest of the province. Maybe even beyond, if it works out. We would love to see some Quebec friends again sometime sooner than later. Stay tuned to see what ends up happening!

The story of Kozen is not over, and in some ways the vision we have for our upcoming material may be some of the most engaging music we have created yet. Thank you for sticking with us through all the changes, the long dry spells, and the uncertainty that has followed this band for so long. You have made it worthwhile to continue existing.

With love,

KOZEN