The Duo Redefining Canadian Pop
Few acts capture the spirit of modern pop with as much heart, humour, and genre-defying charm as YASSiN & Sean Terrio. Hailing from Oakville, Ontario, the breakout duo first crossed paths at a local open mic in 2019 and have since become one of the most exciting rising acts in Canada’s music scene. With a shared passion for authentic storytelling and a playful sonic palette that fuses pop, soul, R&B, blues, and even touches of country, their music offers a fresh yet nostalgic twist on contemporary pop.
Following the success of their acclaimed debut album Just Try and a growing digital presence boasting over 90 million views across platforms, YASSiN & Sean Terrio are back with their latest single “Time Alone” a buoyant, introspective summer anthem that arrives via Believe Digital. Produced by YASSiN and mixed by JUNO Award-winner Jay Dufour, the track is a breezy, high-energy ode to romantic uncertainty and the need for solitude in a hyper-social world.
As the duo embarks on a series of exciting Ontario performances including marquee stops at Toronto’s CNE (Aug. 22), Casa Loma (Aug. 27), and the National Bank Open (Aug. 2, 3, and 7) TorontoPages caught up with YASSiN & Sean Terrio for an exclusive interview. From their creative process and viral moments to friendship, quirky habits, and everything in between, the pair reflect on their journey so far and where the road ahead might take them.
Stories from the Studio and the Stage
You first met at a local Oakville open mic night. What was that experience like, and how did it lead to you deciding to team up as a duo?
Yassin: Hello! Yassin here! The moment we met was serendipity at its finest. I had just decided to take my career into my own hands, and be an artist myself instead of just a behind-the-scenes guy. My friend’s dad actually invited me to go to this open mic, which I had heard of many times but had never gone myself. For some reason, I said, “yeah I’ll go with you.” As we sat down, Sean was up there singing his first of two songs on stage. It was his first time at an open mic as well. I had a song I had already written and produced most of, that I knew he’d sound amazing on as soon as I heard his voice. Once he sat back down with his entourage, I told him I’d love to work with him and we should talk more. The next day we went to get a drink, and then the week after that we were in the studio. Not only did it feel completely natural while recording, we became fast friends. After two songs that were just “YASSiN feat. Sean Terrio,” I knew we had to formally form a duo. Sometimes you gotta just listen to what the universe is telling you to do.
Your debut album, Just Try, came out last year. How would you say the vibe of that album compares to the sound of your new single “Time Alone”?
Yassin: Just Try was a culmination of what has been a 10-year journey of making music for me. We worked with the same session folks I’ve been working with since I was 18 years old. Every song felt like it flew out of us, and as we were recording it really felt like Sean and I found what our “sound” is. After making that album, we were in a creative funk for a long time, but with “Time Alone,” and all the new music we have coming out, we did a major switch up. We worked with all new people. Each new person we worked with, challenged us and made us want to make something differently than how we did it before. This single still has the classic YST energy as our first album, but I’d say there is a little more quirky energy in this one compared to anything we’ve done before. Even thematically this tune is about something we have never written about before, compared to our usual love songs.
What inspired “Time Alone,” and how would you describe the song’s sound or mood?
Yassin: The way Sean puts it is, this song is about an introvert cosplaying as an extrovert on the lookout for love. We weren’t really looking to write about that, but we had set up a writing session with our good friend Heather Janssen at my place, and as Sean was driving over he was beatboxing and singing a melody into his voice notes. He showed us that right away. I found the chords, and then the first lyric just showed up, and we went from there! This song is romantic, fun and full of good energy. It’s the type of tune you want to listen to while driving to the cottage with the windows down!
YASSiN produces much of your music. How do you split creative duties in the studio when you’re writing and producing together?
Yassin: I have a couple more years of experience in the writing and producing field than Sean, which really helps us flesh out ideas into full songs. I don’t know if we ever think about it being a split on creative duties. Sometimes Sean sings a melody and I say, “Oh, let’s explore that.” Other times I come in with a song, and Sean takes the melody to a whole other level and can pretty quickly solve lyric moments I may be stuck on. Our process is ever-changing and flows between us. What Sean may lack in the technical skills I have, he greatly exceeds in talent and capturing a raw feeling. I’m just here to help tie the bow on the package, if that makes sense.
Your music blends genres like soul, pop, blues, R&B and even country. How did you develop this genre-bending style, and which artists influenced you growing up?
Yassin: We both grew up listening to EVERYTHING. We were never ones to listen to only one genre, which I feel like most people our age can relate to. So it was only natural that all our favourite sounds blend when we’re making music. At first, when we met, I thought Sean just had his country/soul voice, but shortly into our creative partnership I discovered he had an outrageously good falsetto, which unlocked even more possibilities. Basically, the more I find that Sean can do, the more I want to try in our songs. I grew up listening to everything from The Beatles, Billy Joel, Jay Z, System of a Down, City & Colour and more! Sean listened to the same, but just add more classic R&B from Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway, and then heavy metal like Meshuggah.
You have over 90 million views on TikTok, how has social media helped your career, and do you have a favorite viral moment or fan interaction?
Yassin: Social media has always been a challenge for us, and we’re super grateful people have started to find us and show love for what we do. It’s gotten more eyes than we can believe looking at the brand that is YST. That is HUGE for marketing and getting our names out there. The trick now is getting all those folks to check out the music we make. It’s been a fun and exciting challenge to face, though! I think our favourite moment would have to be the very first video of ours that went viral. We posted it in the morning and then went to soundcheck for a gig that night. On TikTok at that time, we’d only get 200 views on videos. I checked in after soundcheck, and it was at 10 thousand and we were like, “Whoa, that’s crazy!” After the gig, we were on a rooftop patio with our friends, and my friend opened TikTok as I was telling that story – it was at 900,000! We kept refreshing and literally watched it hit a million views. What a time!
You’ve got some big shows coming up (Toronto’s CNE, Casa Loma, National Bank Open). Which upcoming performance are you most excited about, and why?
Yassin: We’re excited about all of them! We’ve done the CNE and Casa Loma before, so I guess we’d have to say the National Bank Open will be the most exciting since we don’t know what to expect! All the folks who run all these places are amazing to work with, and the environment is phenomenal at all of them. Can’t wait! Sean is also singing the national anthem on the last day of the Open, which he’s never done before!
What does it feel like to play at iconic Toronto venues like the CNE and Casa Loma, especially as artists who started in Oakville?
Yassin: It’s incredible! We both grew up going to all these places, and now going there to play them is surreal. We just played the main stage at The Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, which I used to go to as a kid and fantasize about being up there. It’s all been a dream!
Sean, you’re set to perform the national anthem at the National Bank Open tennis tournament – how are you preparing for that moment, and how do you feel about singing such an important song?
Sean: Practice, practice, practice. Though we’ve performed thousands of times, across the country, in various kinds of venues, this moment will be different. The spotlight will be solely on me and my performance, to join the list of countless others who have received the same honour; one could say there’s a tad bit of pressure. Despite the eventual nerves I will feel as we approach the finals, I am excited to do my best and to be in that moment with everyone watching. Although I will be the focus for a few minutes, it’s going to be about all of us.
What do you each enjoy most about being on stage together? For example, do you feed off each other’s energy or have a favorite part of your set you look forward to?
Sean: I think the chemistry we’ve had from the get-go is a real comfort while we’re in front of a crowd. With that comfort comes the freedom to have fun and let loose, even when we make mistakes. Yassin and I are equally different people as we are the same person, adding each of our separate strengths and melding our similarities, so we are able to communicate with little more than a glance and how we’re feeling at that time. There are certain songs we get excited for, but the way we compliment each other is the top dog in terms of positive duo factors.
You come across as a really fun and genuine duo online. What’s one quirky habit or inside joke you share that always makes you laugh?
Sean: Well, that’s a relief to hear, haha. We’ve definitely got a bunch of inside jokes that were formed over the past half decade, but I think the fact that we know each other just as dudes with certain abilities and weaknesses, who are Just Trying to do what we think is good, failing and succeeding behind the scenes and on camera, helps us keep ourselves grounded and not take ourselves too seriously. I think the best version of ourselves, if we’re talking about being in the public eye, is the one that’s close to home. At the end of the day, folks are just people, and we are people.
After spending time creating a full album, was it a challenge to come up with a new single? What made “Time Alone” the right next step for you musically?
Sean: That’s a good question. I think whenever you create something you are proud of and that you yourself deem it is “good”, you can run into this mental trap of being overly concerned with “how we’re going to follow it up?”, or “who are we now and what does that sound like?” You can feel like you’re starting from scratch but now with certain expectations hanging over your head and spoiler. It’s all of us holding these expectations over our own heads. A good way to move forward is to just put something down on paper or some new melody into the air. It’s also good to remember that, at the time you created whatever it is you had created, you in some way had no idea what you were doing. You were just trying stuff, and some of it landed nicely. So with that in mind, “Time Alone” represents us sitting back down and being honest about our own experience while making all attempts to withhold judgements and/or expectations.
If “Time Alone” could be a color or a place, what would it be and why?
Sean: What a question! I love that. I think “Time Alone” is a large, orange or purple cityscape. Orange is my favourite colour and purple is right up there, partially because, in my mind, there is an awkward boldness to these two colours; they aren’t clean-cut primary colours and therefore might be seen less, but when they are, they POP. And I say cityscape to kind of highlight the context of the lyrical journey and intent in the writing. It is to say, “Here I am, in this big ole city, with hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in a relatively small space, each of whom has their own vibrant and real experience of life. Here I am, and here is a little bit about me, in this sea of identity”. Some people are able to jump right into whatever it is they find in front of themselves; I just need some “Time Alone” before I take the next step.
You’re creative partners and friends. How do you handle disagreements during the songwriting process or when making decisions about your music?
Sean: Tough question; a real knuckleball. We do have disagreements and varying tastes, sometimes in areas that really matter regarding whichever specific thing we are working on. One thing that has helped is the fact that we know our roles in this unit, even when those roles bleed into one another. Our strengths are different but can overlap, which leads to clashing as we both have things we want to be, see and say. FORTUNATELY for us, our natural temperaments complement each other, and each of our understandings of the opportunity we have together to make something really great, far outweigh the need for one mind to shine over the other. There are compromises, sacrifices, internal and personal struggles to give our own egos space to breathe. But we are both aware of what is at stake, while simultaneously maintaining that feeling that we do not have much to lose and everything to gain.
Fans are curious: what’s one surprising thing about each of you that your listeners might not guess?
Sean: It may be more obvious than I realize, but other than performing on stage or in front of a camera, I am not one for much attention or big socializing. Of course there is the basic human need for some form of it, but for me I typically treasure my *cough* time alone. That’s not to say I can’t be the life of a party, just that more often than not, an evening by myself, playing video games, is top tier.
Yassin: I’m an ordained minister in the state of California, and no, you can’t afford me.
Programs like the RBCxMusic First Up Program and Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artist program have recognized you. How did being part of those opportunities impact your career?
Yassin: Both programs have done so much for us and our careers. The hardest thing about the music industry is finding a point of entry. It feels like there are a hundred doors locked that you can’t get by to proceed to the next phase of your career. These programs opened a lot of doors for us, and we were ready when those opportunities came to show up and do our best.
Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines to get pumped up or calm your nerves before performing?
Yassin: We used to listen to this song called “Go To The Show” by the guy who actually hosted the open mic where we met. Shout out Neil. Now I feel like we play so many shows that crazy nerves aren’t quite there anymore. We still get very excited about playing shows, but these days we pretty much try to take it as easy as possible before we have to go up there and give it our all. When a new type of show or opportunity does come up and we do feel some nerves, we still end up playing that song to get us in the right headspace.
You both came to music at different times – YASSiN started writing songs very young, while Sean found his path a bit later. How do your different musical backgrounds complement each other in this duo?
Yassin: I said it earlier, but it’s incredibly beneficial that our backgrounds are so different. When I approach something, there tends to be more structure and theory behind it, but when Sean comes in with a great idea, it doesn’t have any limitations of knowledge or “is this good enough to make it to radio.” It’s just good. That’s 90% of great art. I can do the other 10% with years of experience.
As artists releasing a summer single, what’s your idea of a perfect summer day off? Do you have favourite summer activities or traditions?
Yassin: Our summer has been so busy with shows and recording, honestly our ideal day off is a glass of wine and the time to do anything we like haha. That could be going to a movie, sitting on the couch and mindlessly watching Netflix…you know, the usual.
Your songs have both high energy and meaningful lyrics. How do you balance writing upbeat music while keeping the message thoughtful?
Sean: Yeah, I think it’s reflective of how we and a lot of people can be. You want to be truly heard, and you want what you say to sound nice, for your and the listeners’ sake. It may start with a negative feeling, or a collection of differing emotions that someone wants to externalize, but the very fact that this person wants to discuss the matter is where the upbeat music comes into play, or rather, where the seemingly contradictory tone meets the thoughtful message. Like flavoured cough syrup, what you need sneaks in behind what you want. And yes, sometimes it may feel like a challenge, but I think we are all adept to some degree at filtering what we think into how we express that. Nor is it a problem if a sad or thoughtful message is conveyed in a sad or emotional track. Sometimes the best way to feel better about a bad or complicated feeling is to conceptually or literally dance it off.
Looking back on everything you’ve achieved so far, what are you most proud of accomplishing together as a duo?
Sean: I think we are the most proud of creating exactly what we’ve wanted to create from the start, when it comes to our music and our comedy. And that we have an audience who gets both and wants that. There have been many times where it’s felt easier to go in a more common direction with our music and marketing, but we are stoked that we found our own path and that we’ve done so much ourselves before any team came along!
Your message for us at TorontoPages magazine.
Sean: Thank you for all the thoughtful questions! We really enjoyed answering them, and greatly appreciate the time you all put in to research everything YST!
