Cleopatrick

Lore & Background

Ian Fraser and Luke Gruntz grew up in Cobourg, Ontario, and had been friends since age 4. They became interested in music around age 8 after first listening to AC/DC, and later began recording their own music in their teens. Their debut EP, "14," was released on February 14, 2016, but they began to gain popularity with the single "Hometown" in 2017, which peaked at No. 7 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. That single was taken from their second EP, The Boys, released on June 29, 2018. The band's first music festival was the 2018 instalment of Lollapalooza in Chicago, and they continued into 2019 playing festivals including 2000 Trees Festival in England and Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta. The non-album single "sanjake" was released in March 2019.

On December 11, 2020, they released the single "Good Grief," the first single from their debut album Bummer, followed by "THE DRAKE" on March 11, 2021 and "FAMILY VAN" on April 20, 2021, alongside the album announcement. Bummer was released on June 4, 2021. Cleopatrick began an extensive European tour in March 2022, including a performance at the Electric Ballroom in London, then supported British rock duo Royal Blood during their North American tour from April 18 to May 24, 2022. They later performed at multiple European festivals including Reading and Leeds on August 26 and 27, 2022. The single "OK" was released on August 23, 2022, part of their 5-song EP Doom which released on October 21, 2022. On November 1, 2024, they released the single "HAMMER."

Reader's Guide

Cleopatrick's significance lies in their rise from a small-town Canadian duo to international festival performers, driven by the charting single "Hometown" and a steady output of EPs and albums on their own label. Their music draws comparisons to acts such as Highly Suspect, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, and Catfish and the Bottlemen, while the band cites AC/DC, Highly Suspect, and fellow Canadian alternative rock bands Zig Mentality and Ready the Prince as influences, along with modern hip hop production. Their debut album Bummer (2021) and second album Fake Moon (2025) mark key milestones, and their extensive touring—including supporting Royal Blood and playing major festivals like Lollapalooza, Reading, and Leeds—demonstrates their growing reach. The duo's self-released model through Nowhere Special Recordings and their stylistic blend of rock with hip-hop production elements contribute to their legacy as a contemporary rock act maintaining independence.

From Cobourg to the Stage

Cleopatrick — always written in lowercase — is a two-piece rock outfit hailing from the small Ontario town of Cobourg. The pair, vocalist and guitarist Luke Gruntz and drummer Ian Fraser, have known each other since they were four years old, making their partnership as much a product of shared childhood as musical ambition. Both boys first encountered rock music around the age of eight, when a record by AC/DC landed in their hands and sparked a lifelong obsession. By their teenage years, the friends had moved from passive listeners to active creators, setting up makeshift recording sessions and crafting their own material. Their earliest official release, an EP simply called "14," came out on Valentine's Day 2016, marking the first public stamp of a duo that would go on to build a career entirely on their own terms. They handle production duties themselves and release music through their independent imprint, Nowhere Special Recordings, keeping creative and business control firmly in their own hands.

Hometown to Headliners

The duo's trajectory from local Cobourg act to international festival presence accelerated rapidly between 2017 and 2019. The single "Hometown," drawn from their second EP The Boys (released June 29, 2018), became a breakout hit, climbing to number six on the US Mainstream Rock Charts — a remarkable peak for a two-person band from a small Canadian town. That chart success opened doors to major festival stages. Their first headline-level festival appearance came at the 2018 edition of Lollapalooza in Chicago, a landmark moment for a group still in its early years. The following year saw them crossing the Atlantic to play 2000 Trees Festival in England and performing at Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Between those headline slots, they kept momentum alive with the non-album single "sanjake" in March 2019. Throughout this period, every release was put out under their own banner, Nowhere Special Recordings, meaning the duo never had to answer to a major label for distribution or creative direction.

Bummer and the Road

The stretch from late 2020 through 2022 defined Cleopatrick's transition from rising act to established touring band. The single "Good Grief" dropped on December 11, 2020, serving as the first taste of what was to come. It was followed by "THE DRAKE" in March 2021 and "FAMILY VAN" in April 2021, the latter arriving alongside the official announcement of their debut full-length album, Bummer, which landed on June 4, 2021. The album's release kicked off an ambitious touring cycle. In March 2022 the duo embarked on a wide-ranging European run that included a show at London's Electric Ballroom. They then pivoted to North America, lending support to British rock pair Royal Blood on a tour spanning April 18 to May 24, 2022. Back in Europe, they headlined slots at Reading and Leeds festivals on consecutive days in late August 2022. The year closed with the five-track EP Doom (October 21, 2022), anchored by the single "OK," released in August.

Sound, Influence, and Fake Moon

Musically, Cleopatrick occupies a space where classic rock energy meets modern production sensibility. Critics and listeners have drawn parallels to Highly Suspect, Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, and Catfish and the Bottlemen, while the duo themselves point to AC/DC and Highly Suspect as foundational influences. They also credit fellow Canadian alternative acts Zig Mentality and Ready the Prince, and have spoken openly about the creative risk-taking and production techniques found in modern hip hop shaping their approach. This blend of rock grit and contemporary texture carried them into their second album cycle. After a four-year gap since Bummer, the single "HAMMER" arrived on November 1, 2024, signaling a new chapter. "PLEASE" followed on January 22, 2025, coinciding with the official unveiling of Fake Moon. The album itself was released on March 14, 2025, continuing the duo's pattern of self-releasing through Nowhere Special Recordings and maintaining full artistic ownership over their evolving sound.

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