'68 (band)

Lore & Background

Josh Scogin formed '68 shortly after his previous band, The Chariot, played their final show in November 2013. A countdown timer on the website theyare68.com led to the December 2013 announcement of the new band and the release of a two-song EP, Midnight. The EP's title and songs—"Three Is a Crowd" and "Third Time Is a Charm"—referenced the number three, which Scogin described as representing the third act of his life after Norma Jean and The Chariot. The band's name came from his late father's '68 Camaro.

The band's debut album, In Humor and Sadness, was released on July 8, 2014, via Good Fight Music and eOne Music. The first single, "Track Two: e", was originally written by Scogin while still in The Chariot but was not used. It was released on YouTube as two separate videos meant to be played in unison. After the release of their second album, Two Parts Viper, drummer Michael McClellan parted ways with Scogin, and various session and touring drummers have since performed with the band. The band has released three more studio albums—Give One Take One (2021) and Yes, And... (2023)—and remains active with no announced disbandment or final show.

Reader's Guide

'68 was a two-piece noise rock band that operated primarily as a duo throughout its existence, first with drummer Michael McClellan and later with Nikko Yamada. The band's music was characterized by raw, energetic performances and a minimalist approach, often featuring only guitar and drums. Their debut EP, Midnight, sold out in less than one day, indicating early underground interest. The band's unconventional release strategy for "Track Two: e"—requiring listeners to sync two separate YouTube videos—demonstrated a playful, experimental side. Over their 13-year career, '68 released four studio albums and three EPs, maintaining a consistent presence in the noise rock and independent music scenes. Their final album, They Are Survived, and farewell tour marked the end of a project that Scogin had described as the third act of his musical life, following his work in Norma Jean and The Chariot. The band's legacy lies in their stripped-down, high-energy sound and their ability to sustain a dedicated following without expanding beyond a two-member lineup.

Did You Know?

• The band's name came from Josh Scogin's late father's '68 Camaro.
• The initial pressing of the EP Midnight sold out in less than one day.
• The song 'Track Two: e' was originally written by Scogin while he was still a member of The Chariot.
• The band has not announced any final show or disbandment; they remain active as of the latest updates.

From Bedroom Tapes to Halifax Studios

Len's story begins in a teenager's bedroom, where Marc Costanzo started experimenting with recordings at just thirteen years old. His older sister Sharon would occasionally layer her voice over his tracks, planting the seed for what would become a sibling partnership. By 1991, Marc was producing material under the moniker Len—a name borrowed from a high school buddy called Lenny—and the following year Sharon stepped in as a full member, cementing the duo format. Their early sound blended punk energy with pop sensibility, and between 1992 and 1997 they independently put out a self-titled EP along with two full-length records, Superstar and Get Your Legs Broke. Superstar was tracked in Halifax, where the pair shot videos for tracks like "Candy Pop" and "Show Off" and welcomed contributions from local musicians including Joel Plaskett and Chris Murphy. They even played the 1995 Halifax Pop Explosion as part of a No Cases No Records showcase. Despite Marc estimating sales of ten to fifteen thousand copies per album, major labels largely overlooked them, and their first real spark of recognition came years later when "Candy Pop" earned retroactive praise after serving as the theme for CBC's Streetcents.

The Year Everything Changed: 1999

In 1998, Len crossed the border and signed with the American label Work Group, marking a significant shift from their independent roots. The following year they delivered You Can't Stop the Bum Rush, an album that leaned noticeably toward hip-hop production, a departure from their earlier punk-pop sound. The record's standout track, "Steal My Sunshine," wove in a sample of the Andrea True Connection's disco classic "More, More, More," creating a hook that felt both nostalgic and fresh. Released as a single, the song rocketed to number three on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart and cracked the top ten in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It became, by a wide margin, the duo's signature hit. The momentum carried into the awards circuit: Len received a 2000 Juno nomination for Best New Group, while You Can't Stop the Bum Rush was put forward for Best Alternative Album. For a brief, electric window, the Toronto siblings who had once sold a few thousand tapes in Halifax were suddenly a household name across multiple continents.

Disbandment, Silence, and a Comeback

Once the initial wave of "Steal My Sunshine" subsided, Len's public profile faded considerably. They pressed on, releasing additional albums through 2005, but the spotlight had dimmed. What followed was a seven-year stretch of silence. In 2008, Marc posted a message on the band's MySpace page declaring that it seemed unlikely they would ever record another Len record, admitting they simply couldn't get themselves and the surrounding people aligned. Yet he stopped short of a permanent door-closing, noting that he and Sharon still intended to make music together in some capacity. That promise materialized in October 2012, when the sibling pair reassembled and dropped their fifth studio album, It's Easy If You Try. The record was supported by a single called "It's My Neighborhood," whose music video took a distinctly local approach: it featured real Toronto residents lip-syncing to the track, grounding the band's comeback in the city that had always been their home base.

A Band Defined by Its Siblings

Len has always been, at its core, a project built around the Costanzo siblings. Marc handles vocals and guitar while Sharon contributes vocals and bass, and around that fixed nucleus the band has relied on a revolving cast of touring and studio musicians rather than a permanent ensemble. This flexible structure allowed them to shift genres freely—popping in and out of punk, hip-hop, and alternative rock across their catalog—without the friction of a locked-in lineup. Based in Toronto, they carry the DNA of both that city's scene and the Halifax music community that shaped their early work. By 2016, Marc publicly acknowledged that another Len album was unlikely, effectively drawing a line under the project's active chapter. Yet the duo's footprint endures: a Canadian alternative rock act whose single most recognized song, "Steal My Sunshine," remains a touchstone of late-nineties pop, and whose story of independent hustle, a brief international spike, a long quiet period, and a modest reunion captures the unpredictable arc of many sibling-driven bands.

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