Victoria and Vancouver Island have a lot of musical talent, and Victoria Buzz wants to highlight some of the best and brightest local artists and bands.
Every Monday, there will be a fresh ‘New Music Monday’ article to help people find and support local artists and bands that are up-and-coming, well established or hidden gems!
For this endeavour, Victoria Buzz has partnered with our good friends at CFUV 101.9 FM, UVic’s campus radio station, to find and select the musicians and bands for this regular column.
To date, there have been 72 New Music Monday features published through this collaboration.
This week, Standard Issue Pleasure Model is the New Music Monday highlight!
Standard Issue Pleasure Model is a four-piece psych-rock band from Victoria that was originally formed by Raine Balson and Shea Morgan back in 2017.
The band has seen a couple different lineup renditions in their rhythm section, but now features the talents of Ben DeCicco on drums and Wilson Kyne on bass, with Balson on rhythm guitar and vocals while Morgan handles lead guitar and also sings.
Since Victoria Buzz last spoke with Standard Issue Pleasure Model for their 2024 single, “Call Me Tomorrow,” DeCicco says the band has been playing as much as possible and has been working towards the release of their full-length album Tripsitter, which was just released on Thursday, March 29th.
“We did a little tour on the island that summer,” DeCicco told Victoria Buzz. “Then we immediately got back to writing the bulk of what is on this album after that and we just spent all summer jamming.”
In 2025, the group was no less busy, playing lots of local Victoria shows, playing at the Capital Ballroom and touring across the country with the Earth Freaks, another local psych-rock band.
Once back from tour, Standard Issue Pleasure Model jumped back into the studio and began recording Tripsitter.
DeCicco says that since joining the band and heading into writing and recording Tripsitter, he feels Stand Issue Pleasure Model has leaned even further into a psychedelic sound.
Though the first few tracks on the record are previously released singles, he noted that throughout the album there has been a lot of growth in embracing dynamics and experimentation.
The album touches on themes of addiction, self-discovery, psychedelic experiences and more.
“Those are kind of the main themes, and if you actually do sit down and listen to the words and everything, you will understand why this album is the way it is,” said DeCicco.
“Because our lives have so many aspects to them, so we’re trying to touch on all those.”
Highlight Track – “Biig Triip”
The band chose “Biig Triip” as the highlight song for New Music Monday, because they feel it captures the essence of the record.
“We do have a title track, ‘Tripsitter,’ but this one is definitely the most representative of a tripsitter — someone who is there when you’re going through this psychedelic trip, or some induced state of mind,” DeCicco explained. “Someone that can help guide you, make you feel calm and safe.”
He added that this was one song on the record that started out with rhythm and then had 18 guitar tracks layered over it along with synth to make the sound feel big, epic and trippy.
Balson agreed with DeCicco that the song is about going through an intense psychedelic experience with someone to help keep you safe, but also surrounding oneself with a community that embraces the qualities of trip sitting.
“In a metaphorical sense, it’s about having a person to brave the storm with,” she said.
“Someone you can rely on to be by your side and hold you through all of the trials and tribulations; the high and lows of life.”
She noted that musically, she wanted it to feel like riding the waves of a psychedelic storm on the ocean in a big, sturdy, wooden sail boat.
Check out “Biig Triip” from Standard Issue Pleasure Model’s new album Tripsitter below:
To listen to “Biig Triip,” and the rest of Tripsitter, check out Standard Issue Pleasure Model on Bandcamp, Tidal, Spotify and Apple Music.
The band just played a big release show for Tripsitter at Lucky Bar alongside Ghost Darling and Blush. last week on the day it was released.
Following the release, there are two big shows that Standard Issue Pleasure Model is looking forward to.
The first is a show at Wicket Hall on April 17th opening for Montreal-based punks NoBro, who won the 2025 Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year.
Then, DeCicco says they are playing an all-ages show at Influence Skate Shop in the halfpipe on May 21st. He added that this will serve as an album release for their all-ages fans who couldn’t come to the Lucky Bar show.
To stay in the loop with future shows and releases, follow Standard Issue Pleasure Model on Instagram.
Related:
- New Music Monday: Blush. releases chaotic house party music video ahead of upcoming EP
- New Music Monday: Slugger releases new album and embraces new band members
- New Music Monday: Braxton Glass pays homage to Nanaimo’s owls on latest album
CFUV is a non-profit campus and community radio station that plays a ton of local music of all kinds across Vancouver Island. If you like to support local music they are an amazing resource with a plethora of new local tunes in their arsenal.
“We’re big fans of CFUV — they do so much to help local bands and how to push them or support them in any way they can,” said DeCicco.
“They do it in such a way that feels so welcoming and that they genuinely care.”
Tune into CFUV 101.9 FM on air or online!
Let us know what you think of Standard Issue Pleasure Model in the comments below!
