An Interview with The Manic Boys and Girls Club
What happens when you grow up between Toronto and Portugal, raised on language, travel, and a subtle sense of wanderlust? For siblings Bela and Fernando Ferreira of The Manic Boys and Girls Club, it becomes the root of something bigger: a pulsing alt-pop sound with cinematic flair and lyrics that aren’t afraid to peel back the layers. In this conversation, the duo opens up about their upbringing, the magic of DIY video shoots, working with Gavin Brown (who offered some tough love), and why they’ll take 500 fans who really care over 50,000 clicks.
The Indie Distributor: Thanks so much for joining us today. We’re here with The Manic Boys and Girls Club—a band born in Toronto but with deep roots in Portugal. Let’s start from the beginning: tell us a bit about where you come from and how your background has shaped your music.
Fernando Ferreira: We were born in Toronto, actually. But we spent a big part of our childhood going back and forth to Portugal. That back-and-forth really shaped us. Our parents always made sure we stayed connected to our roots. We spoke the language, spent time with our grandparents. There was a plan, I think, in their minds—that we’d move back eventually.
Bela Ferreira: Yeah, our mom especially. It was hard for her to leave her parents. So she made sure we had that bond, and honestly, now I see it as a blessing. Back then, I sometimes found it frustrating. I wanted to stay back, be with my friends, grow up in one place. But now I look back and realize how lucky we were to have spent that much time with our grandparents, and to have that exposure to a whole other culture and pace of life.
Fernando Ferreira: It definitely seeped into our music. That feeling of not quite fitting in anywhere—it’s part of who we are. And part of what the music reflects.
The Indie Distributor: When did music start to become more than just something you were around?
Fernando Ferreira: It started pretty young. I think our parents just wanted to keep us out of trouble, so they threw us into music thinking it would be a hobby. But we became obsessed. We were writing songs when we were kids. Bela Ferreira wrote her first one at seven.
Bela Ferreira: It became this world we built together, like a secret language. We were always bouncing ideas off each other, even long before the band officially existed.
The Indie Distributor: When did the idea of forming this band become real?
Fernando Ferreira: It’s been in the works for a long time in spirit, but The Manic Boys and Girls Club came together more recently. But it feels like we’ve been doing it forever. Even though it’s only been a few years, it’s all built on years of shared experiences and creative conversations.
The Indie Distributor: Let’s talk about that performance at the Portuguese Music Awards. What was that like?
Bela Ferreira: Wild. We had just won Video of the Year at the International Portuguese Music Awards the year before, which was already surreal. Then out of nowhere, we get this email asking us to come back and perform. When we got there, they casually dropped the bomb that we’d be opening the entire show.
Fernando Ferreira: There was a full video montage leading into our performance, and they flew us out a couple of weeks early to film B-roll to weave into it. Everything was next-level. Like, someone was setting up my guitar. That doesn’t happen. We were fully expecting to lug our own gear and change our strings in the green room.
Bela Ferreira: Our gear had already been shipped. There was a tech asking us what gauge of strings we use. We’re like—wait, is this real? Definitely ruined us for future shows. That level of treatment… we got used to it real quick.
The Indie Distributor: It’s a high bar once you’ve stayed at the Four Seasons.
Fernando Ferreira: Exactly. You don’t go back to the Super 8 after that.
The Indie Distributor: Let’s talk about the name—The Manic Boys and Girls Club. There’s something inclusive about it. You often talk about your music as a community rather than fan base. Can you expand on that?
Bela Ferreira: I’ve always wanted to feel part of something. Maybe it’s because we spent so much time floating between places growing up—Toronto, Portugal—we never really had that one set group or clique. But with music, especially with bands I loved, I always felt like I was part of a secret club.
Fernando Ferreira: And for whatever reason, we’ve never really been part of a scene. We’re not downtown Toronto. We’re not part of a defined genre circle. We just do our thing, and the people who connect with it—that’s the club. It’s this little crew of outsiders finding each other.
Bela Ferreira: You go to a show, and suddenly you’re surrounded by strangers who all know the same lyrics. That’s a kind of magic we wanted to recreate. Not just songs and lights, but a moment where people feel seen. We’re all a bit lost, a bit clueless—and that’s okay. That’s the club.
The Indie Distributor: Let’s shift gears a bit. You worked with Gavin Brown on a set of songs. What was that experience like?
Bela Ferreira: Tough love. Whatever studio experience we had before, Gavin flipped it. He wasn’t there to flatter us. He’d be like, “Nope. That’s not good enough. Start over.”
Fernando Ferreira: Yeah, and it wasn’t just technical stuff. He challenged us emotionally. We sometimes hide behind metaphor in our lyrics—Gavin called us on it. He’d go, “I don’t know what you’re trying to say.” And when we explained, shyly, what we meant, he’d say, “There it is. That’s your lyric.”
Bela Ferreira: It was eye-opening. Stripping the ego, the fear of being vulnerable… just putting the truth out there. Since then, that’s the standard. Say what you mean. The more honest we are, the more people connect.
The Indie Distributor: Did it change the way you write?
Fernando Ferreira: Definitely. And it changed how we record, too. A lot of people go in with 20 demos and choose the best 10. We go in with four songs and leave with six. Something always sparks in the studio. It’s not textbook. It’s 75% done, and the rest is left open for spontaneity.
Bela Ferreira: That latest track we did in LA? It started in Toronto, but once we were in this old house in the hills—with all this old Hollywood energy—we rewrote parts on the spot. That last 15% is the souvenir you bring back. A postcard from the process.
The Indie Distributor: Let’s talk about your videos. They’re striking, cinematic, personal, and emotional. But they don’t feel overproduced.
Bela Ferreira: They’re not. It’s usually just the two of us, maybe a couple of friends, a borrowed camera, and some peanut butter and jam. We do our brainstorming at a taco place in Studio City called Mexicali. We get the margarita jug, and by the end of the night, we’ve got the video mapped out.
Fernando Ferreira: It’s pure DIY. One time, we needed a cool car. So we rented a vintage Mustang off a guy who rents it out for dates. Another time, we shot at a pumpkin farm. Another day, we were filming with a fashion designer in his insane downtown LA loft—he ended up becoming the main character of the video. No actors, just real people.
Bela Ferreira: And the guy had a man-made lagoon with a waterfall in his backyard. We wrote a scene where our friend jumped off it. Didn’t plan it, but it became the perfect ending. That’s how it goes—we work with what we have. And people connect to that.
The Indie Distributor: So, what advice do you have for artists trying to make videos without big budgets?
Fernando Ferreira: It’s not about the gear. It’s about the idea. A great idea filmed badly can still connect. A bad idea filmed well won’t. Use what you’ve got. Shoot with your phone if you need to. If it feels authentic, people will feel that.
Bela Ferreira: Some of our favourite videos are just bands performing. It doesn’t need to be complicated—just real.
The Indie Distributor: Last question—what’s coming up next for you?
Bela Ferreira: More shows. We’re heading back to Portugal this summer. Last year, we did this cool tour of music/bookstores, kind of like cultural spots. This year we’re stepping it up with club dates. We’re also recording new music, and yes, more videos. One song at a time.
Fernando Ferreira: Yeah, we don’t really plan too far ahead. When we do, nothing goes the way we thought it would. But when we just focus on the song, the performance, and the people, cool things tend to happen.
The Indie Distributor: That’s the spirit. Thanks again for being here. Can’t wait to see what you do next!