Doomed Confessionary: Jim, Lucas & Ryan (Tijuana Taxi)
Tijuana Taxi is a three-piece noise rock/shoegaze band from Toronto, Canada. Formed in 2013, the group consists of guitarist and vocalist Jim Ritchie, bassist Lucas Anderson, and drummer Ryan Caley.
Melding elements of modern psychedelia, post-rock, desert rock, and post-punk, Tijuana Taxi crafts a sound that’s as ethereal and melodic as it is heavy and disorienting. Their debut EP, »Paracusis«, released in 2019, earned modest acclaim and helped build a dedicated fanbase through consistent social media engagement and DIY promotion. Mainstays of the Toronto underground music scene, Tijuana Taxi has spent the past decade delivering high-volume, high-energy performances as both headliners and support for international touring acts.
Tijuana Taxi’s debut full-length debut album »Mirages« will be released on January 16th, 2026. Written and recorded over nearly eight years, »Mirages« is a labor of love shaped by production setbacks, shifting creative visions, and a global pandemic. The debut LP is a record that explores the disorienting blur of nostalgia, substance use, and the slow decay of time – not through a linear narrative, but through sound. The lyrics are surreal and metaphorical, offering fragmented impressions, while the music itself carries the emotional arc: a story of memory, detachment, and psychological unraveling.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We’re Tijuana Taxi, a Toronto based rock band composed of Jim on vocals and guitar, Lucas on bass and Ryan on drums, and we’ve been making music since around 2013!
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Probably the recording process for our upcoming album »Mirages«. One of the tracks in particular, »Wander/Mirages« was one of the first songs we ever wrote together and it took almost a decade to get it recorded in a way that made us happy and proud enough to release it into the world, but generally speaking the recording process with our style of music was unbelievably difficult and it’s incredible how streamlined and easy Jesse Turnbull and Jon Drew made the process when we started to work with them throughout the production process. They managed to do what we couldn’t do in 5 years on our own in about 3 months haha. True professionals. So yeah that’s probably the biggest challenge we’ve faced as a band… that or trying to drive from Nashville to Dallas for gigs on back to back nights (that’s a 10 hour drive for those unfamiliar).
What can you be most proud of so far?
I hate to answer two questions with the same answer back to back but it’s without a question this album for us. This is something we’ve worked so hard on for so long to bring to life and we’re just so excited for everyone to hear it.
What was your biggest regret?
Probably would’ve liked to play some more shows than we did. We sorta promised ourselves after a show in 2024 it would be our last until the record was completed but I don’t think we anticipated it taking another two years almost haha.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
This one’s so difficult to narrow down for us. Our first show back after the pandemic was incredible, so much energy and the place was packed. It was really memorable, but the 2019 Paracusis tour was also awesome and it was fun to be put through a month-long grind like that for the first time. Our very first tour also stands out, a real short 4 show tour, it was with Sianspheric and Pia Fraus, two bands I’d been an enormous fan of for years. It was an absolute whirlwind for us at the time as we had only just started playing in front of people and all of a sudden we’re absolutely starstruck watching these bands we’ve been listening to since we were teenagers from the side of the stage, it was just wild.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
I think one of the biggest surprises has been how supportive and interconnected the scene feels right now. There’s a real sense of people showing up for each other, and post-pandemic especially, the turnout at shows has been incredible. It’s made playing shows more exciting, but it’s also made going to other bands’ shows genuinely fun again.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Lucas: Outlander, Draag, KARP.
Jim: Grandaddy, Model/Actriz, Sprain.
Ryan: Alexisonfire, Son Volt, The Trees & The Wild.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Lucas: Don’t let people know that you’ve made a mistake when playing live.
Jim: Keeping things simple helps you get your point across.
Ryan: It never hurts to ask anyone anything, the worst they can do is say, “no”. (Nardwuar!)
What are your guilty pleasures?
Lucas: Charli XCX – Brat.
Jim: My yogurt consumption is on an unhealthy level.
Ryan: I’m a big sucker for those corny MTV reality shows and those 2000s butt rock bands like Nickelback and Three Days Grace.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in Toronto?
Toronto music is just so diverse it feels like there’s several dozen scenes happening concurrently. You almost can’t go wrong just going to any random gig you might be walking by on a weekend night. Could be hip hop, metal, pop, jazz, whatever; there’s a ton of talent here and it’s always awesome when artists like Alvvays, PUP or METZ get their due, break out and bring the spotlight back onto the rest of us for a while. It’s honestly pretty inspiring when you were sorta there watching them play small shows in front of a few dozen people to what they ultimately become.
Where can we see you live soon (concerts/tours)?
We’ll be playing our record release show here in Toronto on January 31 at The Baby G, as for more shows and touring those gears are definitely turning. We’re itching to get back on the road for the first time since 2019.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
We’ve just been working on this album for so long it’s gonna feel nice to have it done with but I also think a lot of the creative juices have been marinating for some time and with all the rehearsals and recording sessions we’re really excited to get back to writing new material for a follow up.
How can people best support your band?
You can buy our new album both digitally and/or physically on vinyl over at our Bandcamp page but honestly just listening to our music and telling your friends about it does wonders for us.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thanks so much to everyone that stuck it out with us through all the delays, the recording process of this thing took so much longer than we ever expected it to but we’re so proud of what we’ve created and hope you all feel it was worth the wait.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well