“It’s cool to be ending the band on our own terms”: Tokyo Police Club on their farewell tour

Twenty years ago, four Newmarket high schoolers formed an indie band, used an online name generator and Tokyo Police Club was born. After releasing their EP A Lesson in Crime in 2006, they shot to fame, appearing on Letterman and performing at Lollapalooza, Coachella and Glastonbury the following year. In the two decades since, the group has pumped out five studio albums and nearly two-dozen singles. After taking a pause during Covid, they decided to call it quits—but not before embarking on one last tour, which culminates in four nights at History, from November 26 to 29. We caught up with singer and bassist Dave Monks (shown above, second from left) and keyboardist Graham Wright (second from right) to talk about growing up in the burbs, bittersweet endings and ­Toronto’s music scene.

You released two final songs after a multi-year pause. What was that like?

Dave Monks: We wrote these songs around 2022, but we weren’t sure if we were heading toward another album or an EP. We don’t release stuff until we have an angle for it, so we were just waiting for the right moment. Eventually, we decided to just release the songs because they kick ass.

Why wrap up the band now?

Monks: It was a slow decision. We had been dormant during Covid, and we thought, Are we going to start this engine up again? We’re all really proud of Tokyo Police Club, so it wasn’t an easy thing, but wrapping up felt like the right move.

Graham Wright: Maybe we could have stayed ­dormant, but that would be halfway between doing it and not doing it, and we never half-ass anything.

You sold out the tour’s final four nights at History. That’s quite a homecoming.

Monks: We’ve done enough touring and spent enough time at merch tables to know that people really care about the band. Then something like this happens, and you feel so embraced by your audience.

What kept you together all these years?

Monks: We have really old friendships. We go back a long time—to high school—and so does our music.

Wright: There are lots of ways to keep a band together. If you hate one another but you’re making a billion dollars, then maybe you find a way to make it work. It’s tough when you’re an indie band, and it’s tougher when you don’t have the solid relationships we have.

Monks: Elephant Shell was our first studio record, and we were super underprepared. We started making these tracks that just weren’t us. So we decided to scrap it all and restart. That album is a second draft. You can only get through a process like that with people you trust.

How did Toronto influence your music?

Wright: Back when we were in high school, we’d take the bus into the city to go to shows. Other than the Opera House, those old venues are gone now, but at the time the city felt alive with possibility. It’s where I learned what a band could be.

This being your last tour, do you have a bucket list?

Wright: Touring is such a weird beast, and my best experiences are when I just let it wash over me. My bucket list is just to tour.

Monks: I want to make sure my reservoirs are deep for these shows. We need to be prepared to give it our all. If I run out of time to see the whales in Vancouver, I’ll do that on my next trip.

What’s next for you?

Wright: After touring, I don’t know. I’m going to be a totally different person on the other side of this. It’ll be interesting to see what putting this thing to bed feels like. It’s cool to be doing it on our own terms.

Monks: There’s still lots of music to make. It’s going to be a continued journey for all of us.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.