Born Ruffians proudly release their anticipated new album Beauty’s Pride. The record arrives on the heels of acclaimed singles “Mean Time,” “Supersonic Man,” and “Athena.”
Produced by Roger Leavens and mixed by Gus Van Go (Metric, The Beaches), the album blends the band’s alt-rock roots with electronic and experimental textures. It opens with “Mean Time,” a euphoric, synth-driven anthem that Lalonde admits he never expected to become a Born Ruffians song. “I wasn’t writing it as a Ruffians song at all,” he says. “I just wanted to create something completely out of the mold.”
Though the album’s title may suggest themes of parenthood—especially with a cameo by Lalonde’s child on the final track—it actually stems from a trip to India, where Lalonde borrowed a child-sized bicycle bearing the phrase “Beauty’s Pride.” The resulting miscommunication sparked the album’s title, which Lalonde sees as a metaphor for both personal and artistic rebirth.
For the first time in the band’s history, Beauty’s Pride features a track written and sung by multi-instrumentalist Maddy Wilde, who joined the band in 2022. Her contribution marks a significant expansion of the band’s sonic palette. “Her fingerprints are all over this album,” says Lalonde, underscoring Wilde’s impact on the group’s creative process.
Formed in 2004 in Midland, Ontario, Born Ruffians have built a reputation for evolution—shifting from the scrappy indie rock of their early years, to the polished indie-pop of Birthmarks (2013), the Richard Swift-produced Uncle, Duke & The Chief (2018), and the anthemic, E Street-inspired sound of JUICE (2020). Beauty’s Pride marks yet another bold creative leap.
To support Beauty’s Pride, Born Ruffians will embark on a North American tour this summer and fall. The band will tour across Canada in July, with performances at the Sound of Music Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, Whitby Music Fest and more. In October and November, they’ll bring the show to U.S. cities including Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and more.
