Initially inspired by the mesmerizing “Eminence Front” by The Who, “Beginning of Life” took shape the night before a studio session. Originally recorded for his 2019 EP Is+Was, the track evolved over the years, with Powell describing it as “a blueprint for a song that would never end.” The band’s reprise of the track in 2024 cements its place as an eternal, ever-evolving anthem.

“My Maker” takes a different path. Written in a sudden burst of inspiration, Powell only later recognized its profound theme of rejecting immortality. “As endless as eternity seems to be, I have to laugh in its face and ultimately thank Mother Nature for the chance to live,” he explains. Originally featured on his 2023 album Fear Be Gone, the song captures an indifference to the inevitable while embracing life with fierce resolve. The band’s performance immortalizes their synergy, recorded live in just a few hours at Aaron Goldstein‘s studio in Toronto.

Keegan Powell creates music that explores the mystery of pain, the release of demons, and the miraculous nature of life. From his early experimental EPs (Is+Was, Headspun) to the haunting melancholia of Fear Be Gone (2023), Powell‘s career is marked by constant evolution. In 2024, Powell released Alien Radio, a compilation of unreleased tracks from 2016 to 2019, solidifying his reputation for crafting quarter-life anthems steeped in raw emotion. Now, with his band The Jetpacks, Powell delivers a high-octane sound that fuses classic rock influences with a distinctly modern edge.

The double single release of “Beginning of Life” and “My Maker” marks a milestone in his artistic journey, immortalizing the power and chemistry of the band’s live performances.

Canadian musician Keegan Powell makes songs that explore the mystery of pain, the release of demons and how through it all, life actually may be some kind of miracle. Imbued with infectious hooks and ferocious energy, Alien Radio is a compilation album composed of tracks previously released and unreleased from Powell‘s archive, spanning across several separate recordings from the years 2016-2019. Inspired by wanting to contextualize his current albums with bits and bobs that were lost along the way, the tracks are a glimpse into an artist trying to overreach his ability and achieving it, only to forget about it altogether.

An ultimate companion piece to Powell‘s previous work (including the college radio staple Fear Be Gone LP), Alien Radio consists of crystal clear pop songs in the guise of quarter life angst.