Crash World is the long-running creative partnership of Graham MacDonald and Glen MacLeod, two veterans of Vancouver’s storied music scene whose paths have crossed, collided, and reconnected over decades.
Graham first made his mark fronting Big Electric Cat, a late‑80s Vancouver favorite known for sold‑out shows at the Commodore Ballroom and 86 Street. After the band burned bright and burned out, he moved on to Liquid, only to watch that project fracture just as deals were on the table.
A devastating car accident in the early 90s nearly ended his ability to sing at all — until an old friend came calling. That friend was Glen.
Glen cut his teeth in the punk band Contraband, playing legendary rooms like the Smilin’ Buddha and Town Pump before years of relentless touring led him through a string of West Coast projects. By the late 80s he was working with producer Brian “Too Loud” MacLeod and later co‑founded Shy Thunder, another regional powerhouse with a loyal following.
Graham and Glen finally joined forces in Subrosa, a wildly ambitious, multimedia-heavy rock project known for its massive live shows and cult following. Between 1999 and 2005 they released three albums and an EP, leaving behind a legacy of creativity and chaos before hitting pause in 2011 after 3 albums, 1 EP, a single and a legacy of creativity and audacious live performances.
A chance meeting at a Nick Cave show in 2014 sparked their next chapter. After a year of rehearsing, the acoustic‑driven duo Crash World debuted in 2015, bringing storytelling, musicianship, and a live‑radio‑show vibe to intimate rooms across Vancouver. Their sound — often described as Progressive Canadiana — blends history, harmony, and heart.
In 2022 they released their full‑length debut “So The Story Goes,” earning glowing reviews worldwide and closing in on 340K Spotify streams. They followed with the uplifting single “Cup of Coffee” in 2023 and their first Christmas release, “Ol’ Christmas Mission,” later that year.
Crash World continues to evolve, connect, and create — proof that some musical partnerships don’t fade; they just keep finding new ways to shine.
Unbelievably versatile — Crash World can jump from straight‑up traditional blues à la Robert Johnson to a full‑on Stones vibe, then slide into R&B and Classic -Punk you name it and all without dropping an ounce of authenticity. Solid guitars, acoustic and leads, and vocals... well, I honestly wish I had on a couple of my own songs.
Welcome to The IMH Boys!
-Rob | The INDIE Musician
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