# Good Kid
**Good Kid** is a Canadian indie rock band from Toronto, Ontario, made up of singer [Nick Frosst](https://www.edgepedia.org/nick-frosst), guitarists David Wood and Jacob Tsafatinos, bassist Michael Kozakov, and drummer Jon Kereliuk. The five met as computer science students at the [University of Toronto](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-toronto), have never signed to a record label, and built a large online following before releasing their debut album, *Can We Hang Out Sometime?*, on April 3, 2026.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) • [2](https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/five-artists-to-watch-in-2026/) • [3](https://listenharder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PR-Good-Kid-Release-New-Single-Eastside-Debut-LP-Arrives-April-3.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada; formed by University of Toronto computer science students[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) |
| Members | Nick Frosst (vocals), David Wood and Jacob Tsafatinos (guitars), Michael Kozakov (bass), Jon Kereliuk (drums)[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) |
| Label status | Fully independent; "we've never signed to a record label" (Tsafatinos)[2](https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/five-artists-to-watch-in-2026/) |
| Catalog before the album | Four self-titled EPs (2018–2024) plus a bit-crushed video game soundtrack, all self-released[4](https://www.slugmag.com/music/national-music-reviews/review-good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime/) |
| Debut album | *Can We Hang Out Sometime?*, April 3, 2026, about 26 minutes, produced by John Congleton in Los Angeles[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) |
| Streaming | Over 700 million streams before the debut album arrived[6](https://rocksound.tv/features/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-the-album-story) |
| Recognition | JUNO-nominated; *Good Kid 4* artwork nominated for Album Artwork of the Year at the 2025 Juno Awards[2](https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/five-artists-to-watch-in-2026/) |
## Formation and day jobs
All five members attended the University of Toronto as computer science majors and hold day jobs as software engineers and entrepreneurs; the band writes songs collectively, with no primary songwriter.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) Frosst co-founded Cohere, a Canadian AI company, and Kozakov also works there; Tsafatinos previously worked at Uber.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) • [5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) All members have worked in tech and continue working remotely while on tour.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime)Sources differ on the founding year: AllMusic lists 2013 in Toronto, while SOCAN Magazine describes a 2015 inception.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) • [2](https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/five-artists-to-watch-in-2026/) Before Good Kid, Tsafatinos and Wood played together in a band called Streets Ahead, named for a *Community* reference, and Frosst played in a band whose "weird" music included a glockenspiel.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime)
## EPs and online growth
The band released music gradually and deliberately, starting with the 2018 EP *Good Kid*, which collected tracks written over the preceding three years, including "Nomu," "Atlas," and "Witches."[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) Their audience grew largely among online streamers and gamers, with songs placed in Twitch broadcasts and the video game *Fortnite*.[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234) By 2024, still independent with only singles and EPs out, the band reported about 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.[7](https://thesoundboardreviews.com/2024/03/27/ep-review-good-kid-good-kid-4/)
In late 2023 the band released a cover of Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey's "From The Start," which spread widely on social media and later earned a Gold Single certification from [Music Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/music-canada).[8](https://demomagazine.ca/2026/02/24/entering-good-kids-world-full-of-rock/) Their songs have also been featured in a MrBeast YouTube video.[8](https://demomagazine.ca/2026/02/24/entering-good-kids-world-full-of-rock/)
Critics have described the band's sound as fast-paced, guitar-driven indie rock blending J-rock and pop-punk influences, with comparisons to [Two Door Cinema Club](https://www.edgepedia.org/two-door-cinema-club), Young the Giant, and Panic! At The Disco.[4](https://www.slugmag.com/music/national-music-reviews/review-good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime/) • [9](https://staccatofy.com/rock/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-review/) • [10](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good_kid_2_album_review) The second EP, *Good Kid 2* (2020), paired sunny instrumentation with lyrics of self-conflict, bitterness, loneliness, and heartbreak.[10](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good_kid_2_album_review)
## Can We Hang Out Sometime?
The debut album was recorded in January in Los Angeles with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton at his Animal Rites studio, during the 2025 wildfires that confined the band to their Airbnb and the studio for about three weeks.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) • [6](https://rocksound.tv/features/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-the-album-story) Guitarist David Wood said the pressure translated into "a slightly darker roster of songs," including the distortion-heavy opening pair "Eastside" and "Rift," while the album keeps high-tempo love songs such as "Coffee" and "Cicada."[6](https://rocksound.tv/features/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-the-album-story) The record runs about 26 minutes and its lyrics center on friendship, loneliness, love, and connection.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) • [6](https://rocksound.tv/features/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-the-album-story)
To support the album, the band announced an extensive 2026 tour beginning April 10 in [London, Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-ontario), crossing the United States and Canada and then continuing to their biggest UK and European shows to date.[3](https://listenharder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PR-Good-Kid-Release-New-Single-Eastside-Debut-LP-Arrives-April-3.pdf)
## Lore and multimedia world
The band maintains an interconnected fictional universe built around its mascot, Nomu Kid, a character introduced with the first single "Nomu" and drawn by their friend Gabriel Altrows.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) • [11](https://www.avclub.com/good-kid-band-fortnite) The story follows a group of friends who work at a pizza shop in a fictional city called Neo-TO, an idealized version of Toronto.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) Fans explore the world through music videos, hidden websites, augmented reality games, chatbots, and a video game; guitarist Tsafatinos built the 8-bit game *Ghost King's Revenge* from assets of an earlier 8-bit music video, tying it to the lore and releasing it alongside an 8-bit Good Kid album with an ARG in which Nomu Kid disappeared from the band's social pages.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime) • [11](https://www.avclub.com/good-kid-band-fortnite) Tsafatinos says he has 70 pages of ideas for the world and would like to eventually create a comic book or animated series.[5](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime)
## References
1. [Good Kid – Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/good-kid-mn0003636234)
2. [Five Artists to Watch in 2026, SOCAN Words and Music](https://www.socanmagazine.ca/features/five-artists-to-watch-in-2026/)
3. [Good Kid Release New Single 'Eastside'; Debut LP Arrives April 3, press release](https://listenharder.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/PR-Good-Kid-Release-New-Single-Eastside-Debut-LP-Arrives-April-3.pdf)
4. [Review: Good Kid — Can We Hang Out Sometime?, SLUG Magazine](https://www.slugmag.com/music/national-music-reviews/review-good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime/)
5. [Good Kid Create a Universe of Lore, Exclaim!](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good-kid-interview-can-we-hang-out-sometime)
6. [Good Kid 'Can We Hang Out Sometime?' | The Album Story, Rock Sound](https://rocksound.tv/features/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-the-album-story)
7. [EP REVIEW: Good Kid – 'Good Kid 4', The Soundboard](https://thesoundboardreviews.com/2024/03/27/ep-review-good-kid-good-kid-4/)
8. [Entering Good Kid's World Full Of Rock, Demo Magazine](https://demomagazine.ca/2026/02/24/entering-good-kids-world-full-of-rock/)
9. [Good Kid, Can We Hang Out Sometime? Review, Staccatofy](https://staccatofy.com/rock/good-kid-can-we-hang-out-sometime-review/)
10. [Good Kid Bring Listeners Back to a World of Chuck Taylors and Side-Swipe Bands on Second EP, Exclaim!](https://exclaim.ca/music/article/good_kid_2_album_review)
11. [Meet Good Kid, the Programmers-Turned-Indie Rock Band Defining Twitch's Sound, The A.V. Club](https://www.avclub.com/good-kid-band-fortnite)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › Indie and alternative bands › Indie pop bands › Canadian indie bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license