At their core, Softcult is a band with something to say—and every intention of saying it with their full chest. The Ontario-based sibling duo of Mercedes (she/her) and Phoenix (they/them) Arn-Horn are set to release their highly anticipated debut record, When A Flower Doesn’t Grow, on January 30, 2026. Pre-orders are currently available via Easy Life Records.

Softcult also shares 16/25, a fearless song that confronts predatory older men who groom younger women, while exposing the double standards and impossible expectations placed on them by a patriarchal society. “It points out the cognitive dissonance men perpetuate while trying to possess and control younger women,” Mercedes says

Watch the music video for 16/25 here:

When A Flower Doesn't Grow is a self-produced, self-recorded, and fiercely independent collection of songs that detail the journey from trauma to rebirth and transformation. Its title comes from a quote by Dutch author, Alexander Den Heijer: "when a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” For Mercedes, those words hit during one of the most pivotal moments of her life: ending a nine-year relationship, coming out as queer, and confronting the cycles of oppression she had been internalizing for years, despite being the one speaking out about empowerment.

“The person I portrayed myself to be on stage was not the same person making the decisions that governed my life,” she explains. “I was root bound. I was disappearing, shrinking, withering away… and I felt ashamed of it."

As a result, the album is a conceptual work about the various stages of one’s internal metamorphosis; written from the perspective of someone who has been radicalized by trauma, empowered by their own resilience, and who ultimately heals and blossoms into the person they were always meant to be.

Musically, Softcult continue to expand their rich blend of grunge, shoegaze, and alt-rock textures, weaving fuzz-laden riffs and dreamy soundscapes with raw, confessional lyricism. The result is both intimate and universal: a record for anyone who has ever felt trapped or diminished by their surroundings, and a rallying cry to nurture ourselves and each other in the pursuit of freedom and authenticity.

The album follows last year’s acclaimed Heaven EP, which flipped the concept of an afterlife on its head, critiquing a culture fixated on the future while ignoring the urgent need for change in the present. That release saw the duo land the cover of Spotify’s MARROW playlist (over 4.7 million followers) and embark on tours across North America, the UK, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Along the way they’ve won fans in artists like Hayley Williams and Bring The Horizon’s Oli Sykes, opened for Incubus and MUSE, and earned praise from outlets including Stereogum, BrooklynVegan, Paste, Consequence, Alternative Press, Kerrang!, CBC, The Gay Times and more.

Born in the studio and committed to carving out their own universe, Softcult embody a fiercely DIY ethos. Phoenix handles production, engineering, and artwork, while Mercedes writes, produces, directs, and edits their deeply personal and impactful videos. Together they create and distribute their monthly zine SCripture and remain deeply engaged with their community through the Softcult Discord server. Their music and message are constant reminders that the revolution is very much alive - proof that true liberation begins when we change the environment and allow ourselves, and each other, to grow.

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