KUBLA

Have you ever wondered what you would get if you combined the playfulness of

Stevie Wonder with the guitar skills and sensitivity of John Mayer? Kubla

captures that spirit with his performance, production, and songwriting, where he

explores the emotional and philosophical nuances of life and love. Having just

released his debut album ‘Close to the Sun’ in June of 2023 to a very warm

reception, this is just the beginning for this 29-year-old musician. Kubla can be

enjoyed both as a solo act, where you’ll get sensitive personal stories and witty

banter, or with his band of unbelievably talented friends. He has a unique

curiosity and taste which sets him apart from others, developing a craft that

pulls strongly from the Black American musical traditions, blasting artists such

as D’Angelo and Prince, Herbie Hancock and Etta James on his iPod touch

while riding his bike around the streets as a kid. He is strongly influenced by his

contemporaries as well, such as Tom Misch, Lianne La Havas, Bruno Major, and

Leon Bridges.

In the mid-late 2010s, he worked through his early 20s in the Victoria music

scene, where he was the semi-anonymous bandleader of the successful

Thursday night residency at Canoe Brewpub called ‘Electric Sex Panther’ for 4

years. When he moved to Toronto in 2020, he took that experience with him, and

has been a tour-de-force, going from busking for crowds at Trinity Bellwoods

park to selling out big venues across the city, completely independently. In

addition to his local success, his music has amassed over 3 million streams over

the past two years, marking the beginning of his international journey. Words

can only do so much to describe what’s in store for this artist, but it will become

clear to you when you listen to his music whether or not he is an artist you’ll

want to miss.