Just The Two Of Us

Live show recap/review + musings on our evolution as artists

Photo by Darcy Walsh East Coast DNA

We keep trucking along, out of the snows of March into spring rains and foggy shores. The two of us have made a concerted effort to approach this new calendar year from a different perspective than 2025.

Allow me to explain.

2024 and 2025 were years of expanding and ramping up our musical presence. We began playing occasionally with our friend Tye on drums; once Amy was available to play bass with us, we took the form of a souped-up four-person incarnation of Cursed Arrows once more. We have played a few great shows in this incarnation and we can’t wait until our next big rock show with both of our friends by our sides (announcement coming soon!)

However, as we work slowly and tirelessly on our new songs - our first recordings since 2022’s CRONE - we have also felt a pull to play our own shows. Just us. No other bands on the bill. Intimate. True to our roots, and true to what we are when we write and play together in private.

Part of this pull makes sense in light of the fact that we’ve been a band for nearly 20 years, and yet have rarely (we could count on one hand) headlined our own shows. These days, we’ve noticed that we’re often limited to 25-30 minute sets sandwiched between other bands; such is the nature of underground shows with limited resources. We love a good punk rock show, and we’ve played hundreds of them, but we are also adept at commanding an entire evening of music ourselves.

So, we’ve started playing 1-2 hour sets in a variety of settings, and you know what? It comes very naturally to us.

Part of the shift might also have to do with our maturity as co-parents of a really cool 10 year old! We want him to be able to attend our shows with us, and to perform with us (he’s a musician in his own right), and we want to provide for him as artists. To show him that we can function as a band not only for the love of music, and because we are compelled to do it, but also as working musicians. We need to get paid, and we are discovering more ways to do so while maintaining our integrity and creative flow. We are always nurturing and continuing to build our reputation - an unending component of being performing artists, and one that we don’t take lightly.

It’s a beautiful thing, the life of an artist family. We cherish and nurture it with everything we have, because art and love are the antidotes to just about everything that is wrong with the modern world.

But, I digress. Do you want to see some more photos of us performing an intimate show last week?

Photo by East Coast DNA

We began the show with a semi-acoustic set of covers and originals, incorporating some synth for the first time in over a decade.

Then we ramped the songs up slightly, standing up with two electric guitars and our trusty drum machine. We keep debuting new songs - here’s a peek at one of our latest:

We continue to find ways to interact onstage even without a band to back us up…

We ended the evening by playing a few songs in our “usual” format: Ryan on guitar and me on drums. If you’ve ever been to one of our shows, this is probably how you know us best. We love playing in this setup, but it’s illuminating to mix it up when and where ever we can: the possibilities for what we can do onstage together are limitless.

All photos by East Coast DNA

That’s the real beauty of heartfelt, spontaneous creation: you never know what you’re going to end up doing next.

We’re here for it.

Here’s a lovely review of our show written by Darcy Walsh at East Coast DNA:

There’s something special about finally catching a band you’ve had on your radar for a while — and Cursed Arrows made that moment count.

A duo I first discovered some time ago, and later realized we even shared mutual friends, they’ve been on my “must see live” list for a while now. Friday night at Shoebox Cantina was that moment — and it didn’t disappoint.

Formed in 2007, Cursed Arrows, the duo of Jackie and Ryan Stanley, have crafted a signature romantic post-punk sound — equal parts tension and tenderness. Their songs pulse with driving rhythms, angular guitar lines, and haunting melodies, all underpinned by lyrics full of longing and emotional nuance. Live, that sound expands, and Jackie effortlessly slides between guitar, keys, drums, and vocals throughout the set, weaving a performance that feels both intricate and immediate. Ryan’s steady, dynamic presence complements this, giving the duo a full-band energy that belies their two-piece setup.

It’s the kind of performance that shows just how powerful a room can feel when the right band hits at the right moment — why these showcases matter, and why bands like this continue to leave a mark long after the set ends.

The wait to see them live was absolutely worth it — but it won’t be that long again. If you get the chance, go.

We’ve been a band for a long time, and we are constantly humbled by humankind. Thank you all for reading our blogs, hosting our shows, coming to our shows, dancing at our shows, helping each other out, taking photos of us, playing our music in your cars and earbuds, sharing our music, smiling at our merch tables, helping us carry our gear, watching our videos, and generally being wonderful people.

We’re so excited to see you all again, always.

We have more stripped down shows coming up this spring!

Check out our live show and market dates below.

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UPCOMING LIVE SHOWS + ART MARKETS*:

Saturday, March 28 - Halifax @ Teichert Gallery, 11-1pm & 2-4pm

Saturday, April 18 - Kentville @ Valley Vintage Showcase, Centennial Arena, 10am - 4pm*

Saturday, April 25 - Truro @ The Commune, 8 - 10pm