HollywoodSines

BIO Hollywood Sines is a Yonge Street visionary. Born in Los Angeles and raised on the streets of downtown Toronto, Sines makes music shaped by an unusual childhood with hip-hop, rock, and electronic influences born out of a drive to set himself apart in an oversaturated industry. A product of ’90s Americana—bi-coastal parents shuffled him between L.A. and New York—Sines spent his early years entranced by skateboarding and cartoons, the latter interest later resurfacing as an obsession with painting. At 9, however, he left the U.S. for Toronto with his mother and entered the third grade a year early, forcing him to grow up fast to defend against his older classmates. From age 14, Sines continued fending for himself while living in group homes due to an unstable home life. Teachers at the various schools he attended across the city always described him as bright but complained he didn't apply himself. His idleness was cured when music entered his life. Influenced in part by his uncle Steve Wynn of 80s band Dream Syndicate and the reality of downtown life around him, he began making beats and recording demo tracks in an attempt to pursue his new passion. High school was also when he got his stage name: friends christened him Sines because of a tattoo on his forearm depicting his initials in sign language. Constantly switching up high schools proved lucky in the end and Sines was able to take advantage of recording studios at Central Technical School. The music he made happened to land in the hands of now-defunct Atlanta label, Medu Records. At 16, Sines got signed and recorded three tracks for the Medu Movements Vol. 1 mixtape in Atlanta. The opportunity gave him insight into the hip-hop game at an early age and led to a gig opening for Juelz Santana and State Property in Philly, but industry politics made Sines skeptical and he left the label. What would work, he thought, was an indie set-up where he could collaborate with Karnige, a Toronto based label, including artists Judge Dredd, Killa Loqi, and King Melodik. By ducking the law and selling dope on city streets, Sines was able to finance his first solo album the Revolver Mixtape, released in 2006. But moving back in with his mom and a couple of close brushes with police made him rethink his path again. A lucky break landed him in the white-collar world, selling ads in magazines and gaining a new perspective on life. Art took on new meaning and Sines threw himself into painting which kept him creative during the corporate tenure. Eventually, however, restlessness took over and in the summer of 2008, Sines began to envision his follow-up album Plan It Hollywood. A self-produced record set to be released in the summer of 2009, Plan It Hollywood is a fusion of genres inspired by artists from Gucci Mane to Cut Copy. Chopped up samples from forgotten ’80s movies and blog-buzz electro tracks are combined with hip-hop sensibilities and Sines narrating tales of office monotony and heartbreak over top. A January 2009 performance with local rap peers helped create buzz over an early track, "Paint the Town Red." Sines' new perspective in tandem with his unconventional life makes him an artist for everyone or, as he explains, "it's party music for party people."

Band Members

KARNIGE