Photography & Text Nayan Sthankiya
Inside Rainy Day Recording Co. in Saskatoon, the familiar sounds of guitars, drums and powerful vocals fill the room as local indie-rock band GreenWing prepares for another major step in its growing journey. With upcoming performances at The Capital Music Club in Saskatoon and Toronto’s Second Summer Festival, the band is using rehearsal time not simply to run through songs, but to sharpen the high-energy live show that has become one of its trademarks.
For GreenWing, Rainy Day is more than just a recording studio. Owned and operated by guitarist and vocalist Matt Stinn, the studio has played an important role in the band’s development. GreenWing recorded and mixed much of its music there, including its debut material, making the space a familiar creative home for the group.
Now, with Toronto on the horizon, the rehearsal room takes on a different energy. Every guitar change, drum fill, vocal entrance and transition is scrutinized. The goal is to make the songs feel effortless when the band steps onto the stage. GreenWing’s music is built around driving rhythms, pop-inspired melodies, memorable hooks and a healthy dose of punk-rock attitude. Their live performances are equally energetic, with the band known for turning songs into loud, communal moments between musicians and audience.
The preparation is particularly important because Toronto represents an opportunity to introduce GreenWing to audiences outside Saskatchewan. The band has already built a reputation through extensive Canadian touring and appearances alongside established acts, but festival performances bring a different challenge. A band may have only a short time to win over listeners who have never heard its music before.
That makes every minute of rehearsal count.
Second Summer Festival is especially fitting for a band like GreenWing. The Toronto festival describes itself as a multi-venue celebration built around independent music, discovery and community, with its 2026 edition taking place across Toronto’s West End. GreenWing is scheduled to appear among a diverse lineup of independent artists during the September festival.
For GreenWing, the rehearsal sessions are therefore about more than technical perfection. They are about capturing the personality of the band—the humour, intensity, imperfections and sheer enthusiasm that make a live GreenWing performance memorable. The songs need to sound tight, but they also need room to breathe and explode once the audience gets involved.
That balance has helped GreenWing establish itself as one of Saskatoon’s notable independent rock acts. Since forming in 2021, the band has released albums including Late Bloomer and Eatin’ It, toured extensively and earned recognition within Saskatchewan’s music community.
As the final notes ring through Rainy Day Recording Co., Toronto feels a little closer. The gear will soon be packed, the highways will stretch eastward and another chapter of GreenWing’s story will begin. For now, though, it is back to the songs—one more run-through, one more adjustment and one more chance to make sure that when GreenWing arrives in Toronto, they are ready to turn the volume all the way up.
