CAR287 recently released ‘End Of The Day’, delivering an upbeat track that feels perfectly suited to the band’s energetic live identity. The band debuted with a self-titled EP in 2022 before releasing their first full-length album, ‘Looking Through The Lens’, in 2025. Their music blends classic rock grit, indie energy, and storytelling inspired by life on the Canadian prairies. Alongside their original recordings, CAR287 has become a regular presence on Winnipeg stages, playing venues, summer concerts, and festivals.
“A feel-good rock song with a memorable guitar hook, infectious refrain, and plenty of live energy.”
‘End Of The Day’ feels like exactly the kind of upbeat rock song that can lift the mood without trying too hard. The idea is simple and relatable: after all the chaos of life, finding that person who makes you feel complete is what really matters. The guitar hook immediately catches attention, giving the song a strong rock identity. There is a warm, optimistic energy throughout, with the classic Canadian rock influence coming through naturally. I really love the hook; it really catches you with its lively rhythm and elevates the song. You must listen to this track once!
We caught up with the members of CAR287 to talk about ‘End Of The Day’, their journey as a band, and what’s coming next. With three members sharing their thoughts, the conversation gets refreshingly honest, fun, and candid, offering a glimpse into the people and personalities behind the music.
- CAR287 has grown from releasing its debut EP to playing major festivals and sharing stages with established acts. How has this journey shaped you as a band and influenced your musical identity?
Jay – Vocals and Acoustic: I don’t believe it’s shaped our musical identity in any way. We are maybe just becoming more comfortable and proficient at writing songs. Playing these festivals has given us more confidence and drive to pursue these types of shows. We seem to be hitting our stride with every show we play, and we are having a blast. Maybe that comes through in the newer music as well.
Travis – Guitar: I feel that we’ve grown as a band in the six years that we have been writing our own music. Each member has their own influences, and it shows in the broad array of songs that we have created. Our identity still remains somewhat unknown, and we want to keep it that way. By doing this, we’ve stayed true to our (nonspecific) identity, and I believe that the listeners appreciate that.
Terry – Bass: It’s really early in terms of doing bigger festivals, so it hasn’t really sunk in, but playing the festivals and seeing the big acts pulling in huge crowds singing their tunes is very inspiring, and I think it drives us to play more and continue on.
2. ‘End Of The Day’ explores finding someone who makes life feel complete. What inspired you to write a song about love and connection during difficult times?
Jay – Vocals and Acoustic: A lot of this song came from personal experience and just a level of comfort I have with my partner. Sometimes it’s as boring and mundane as appreciating which bands someone enjoys or even the way they like their eggs cooked. Love doesn’t have to be all mushy and dramatic. When you’re truly comfortable with someone, it can be about the mundane, and this is everyday life. It’s also about being interested in all those mundane things when a relationship begins and all the butterflies that go along with it.
3. The track blends classic Canadian rock with modern indie energy. How did you approach finding the right balance between these influences while creating ‘End Of The Day’?
Jay – Acoustic and Vocals: Travis had come up with the guitar riff, and I think he had more of a New Sensation vibe to it. Then I took it and put these lyrics to the song, and it morphed from a driving rock track to a pop-rock punky song that you hear. What someone hears in their head when they come up with a riff usually doesn’t end up that way once the band gets their hands on it.
Terry – Bass: I think that the combination of musicians we have just organically produces that sound. Everyone is in charge of their own parts, so it just ends up being a sum of the influences we all have.
4. ‘End Of The Day’ carries an upbeat, feel-good message that feels especially relevant today. Did you set out to create something uplifting, or did that feeling develop naturally during the writing process?
Terry – Bass: I don’t think we started out intending it to be as feel-good as it ended up being, but these are difficult times for many, and the world needs more music that gives us respite from the craziness. So, we will continue to create music that transports you somewhere else.
Jay – Acoustic and Vocals: With five different musical influences in the band, you never quite know what we are going to get at the end of the day (pun intended).
5. You have received a great response performing the song live. How does the audience’s energy change the experience of playing ‘End Of The Day’ on stage?
Terry – Bass: I think that this song in particular gets people bopping and smiling. That energy does drive us, and I think subconsciously it makes us want to produce more music that makes the audience feel that way!
Jay – Acoustic and Vocals: It’s a very happy and upbeat song, and we really enjoy the energy we see happening in the crowds when we play this song.
Travis – Guitar: I think we kind of anticipated there might be a positive response. We had played it for close to a year live before it was released and elicited positive responses from those audiences. The message is very positive in a world where it appears more difficult to find those types of songs.
6. With a five-song EP on the way, what can listeners expect from CAR287’s next chapter? Are there any new sounds or creative directions you’re excited to explore?
Terry – Bass: The five-song EP is the solidification of this five-piece configuration of musicians. We have become closer and musically more in tune with each other. I expect audiences will hear a tighter, cohesive sound with many intricacies woven into each song. I am looking forward to seeing what our fans think of the next four songs off the EP. And we are refining our additional material that we will be recording for our second full album in 2027!
Jay – Acoustic and Vocals: I think the way songs are written is still the same, and I feel that we understand what a good song sounds like and understand a little better as to what a song needs to make it stand out or be a little different. We are a Canadian rock band, and we will just keep writing songs, bringing all our influences together, and just see how that turns out in the end. I think they can expect authenticity and passion and hopefully get a sense of what we bring to the table through these songs. We are very proud of these new songs and can’t wait for people to hear them. It is a similar sound to what we’ve done before, but at the same time, a little different. The greatest thing about this band is that we aren’t pigeonholed into a certain genre. We explore all of our influences, and I think every song we have is unique.
Catch the muse here:
Want to discover more such similar tracks? Check out our Rock Muse playlist on Spotify:
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