ZINNIA has a way of spinning tiny mirrors til they catch the light like disco. 

This is music as a bedazzled catharsis of divorce anthems, rebound ragers, and indie ballads. 

Guts and glory, baby.

Longer story: 

ZINNIA is the art of Rachael Cardiello: a mountain kid who grew up in Montana

and later venturing out to Victoria, British Columbia where she completed a degree in classical viola

(focused primarily on quartet and symphonic playing as well as modern extended technique). 

For the past fourteen years Cardiello has lived in Toronto where she pours her heart into many music scenes 

as a recording artist, touring musician and session player (viola/synth/vocals). 

After releasing music and touring as Rachael Cardiello 

and TIDAL MOUTH (collaboration with writer Daccia Bloomfield),

Cardiello birthed ZINNIA with the November 2019 release Sensations in Two Dot. 

ZINNIA can regularly be  found in collaboration with bandmates 

Chris Pruden, Kat McLevey and Mackenzie Longpre

as well as videographers, choreographers, and photographers.

 ZINNIA's sophomore album Dollar Store Disco was recently released deep in the winter of 2025 marking an epoch of perseverance: 

one part broken, one part rage, one part escapism. 

To celebrate, ZINNIA hosted a Winter Carnival of Weddings and Woe at Christie Pits Park in Toronto 

amidst two feet of freshly fallen snow, sledding hills all around, and a bright but freezing day. 

"In celebration of love, and (when necessary) divorce plus the final release of Dollar Store Disco" 

The event featured I DO and I DON'T photo booths, disco-tear decorating stations,

 craft booths for paper snowflakes and lyric decorating, timbits, cookies and hot chocolate for all. 

Dollar Store Disco
with love ❤️ from ZINNIA

Side A
1. Try
2. Rebound
3. Two Winters before a Thaw
4. All the Other Lovers
5. Reaching for You
6. Folded Origami

Side B
7. Summer Jam
8. Virginia Ray
9. Outta my Head
10. Night be Mine
11. Always a Romantic

These songs were born in the wreckage of a marriage and slow-brewed through years of pandemic isolation in a Toronto basement suite. They were eventually captured in a six day stint with beloved bandmates Chris Pruden, Kat McLevey and Mackenize Longpré at The Unknown Studio in Anacortes, Washington amidst espresso breaks and ping-pong tournaments with Nicholas Wilbur and Cathy the dog. They were later brought back to Toronto and given new depth through mixing sessions with Michael Fong and Franny the dog who was usually wrapped up in a blanket.

All songs written and produced by Rachael Cardiello.

Michael Fong (mixes and additional production on Reaching for You and Summer Jam)
Nicholas Wilbur (recordings) at The Unknown Studio
Jason Randall (masters) at Capture Studio

Album cover photo by Oriah Wiersma
Design by Jon Cardiello

Rachael Cardiello (vocals)
Chris Pruden (piano, synths, mellotron, organ)
Kat McLevey (bass, guitar)
Mackenzie Longpré (drums) 

This album was made possible with the generous support of Canada Council of the Arts

Out now on Anything Bagel