Complete List Of Len Band Members

Feature Photo: Athena Kay from Toront-oh, Canada; cropped by Padraic, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Len, a Canadian alternative rock duo from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 1991 when Marc Costanzo began recording music independently under a pseudonym derived from a high school friend named Lenny. The band consists primarily of siblings Marc Costanzo on vocals and guitar, and Sharon Costanzo on vocals and bass, who officially became a duo in 1992. Throughout their active periods of 1991–2005 and 2011–2016, Len released five studio albums: Superstar (1995), Get Your Legs Broke (1997), You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush (1999), a compilation titled The Diary of the Madmen (2005), and It’s Easy If You Try (2012), along with an extended play released in 1992.

The band achieved widespread commercial success with their third studio album, You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush, which spawned the international hit single “Steal My Sunshine” in 1999. This track peaked at number three on the RPM Top Singles chart in Canada. It charted within the top ten across multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In 2000, Len received a Juno Award nomination for Best New Group, while You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush received a nomination for Best Alternative Album.

Following the early 2000s departure of their label Work Group due to perceived lack of commercial viability for subsequent releases, Len underwent a seven-year hiatus beginning around 2005 before reuniting in 2011 to release additional material. The band operated primarily as a core duo supported by a revolving cast of touring and studio musicians who contributed to various albums and live performances. Marc Costanzo maintained creative control as the band’s chief songwriter and producer throughout its existence.

Marc Costanzo

Marc Francis Costanzo was born on August 1, 1972, and initiated Len as a solo recording project in 1991 when he was in his late teens. He began recording music recreationally at age thirteen and established Len under the pseudonym that became the band’s official name. Marc officially formed the duo with his sister, Sharon, in 1992 and remained the constant creative force throughout Len’s existence.

As the primary songwriter, producer, and vocalist, Marc maintained creative control across all five studio albums, serving as producer under various stage names including the Burger Pimp and Mumble C. His songwriting credits include “Steal My Sunshine,” which he wrote and produced following his attendance at an electronic music festival north of Toronto in the summer of 1999. On Superstar (1995), Marc contributed vocals, guitar, and production work that defined the album’s punk rock sound with pop influences.

The Get Your Legs Broke album (1997) featured Marc’s compositional and production efforts recorded in a home studio setting using primarily lo-fi equipment. You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush (1999) showcased Marc’s evolution toward hip-hop influenced production, with tracks like “Man of the Year” and “Hot Rod Monster Jam” demonstrating his blending of sampled loops, rock riffs, and rap verses.

Beyond his work with Len, Marc Costanzo founded Four Ways to Rock Records (later known as Funtrip Records), the independent label through which Len released their early albums. He also founded Vice magazine, a national urban and skateboard publication. Later, he became Senior Creative at EMI Music Publishing, where he signed multi-platinum acts and writers including Deryck Whibley of Sum 41.

Following Len’s 2005 hiatus, Marc retreated to a home he owned at a British Columbia ski resort while continuing to record and work with other musicians. He and Sharon released It’s Easy If You Try (2012), returning Len to active status before Marc announced in 2016 that further album releases were unlikely.

Sharon Costanzo

Sharon Costanzo, Marc’s older sister, contributed vocals to his early recreational recordings beginning in childhood and officially joined the Len project in 1992. This transformed the project from a solo endeavor into a sibling duo. She remained with the band through both active periods, serving as bassist and co-vocalist from 1992 through 2005 and again from 2011 through 2016.

Sharon’s vocal contributions appear across all five studio albums, with her voice featured prominently on Superstar (1995) and Get Your Legs Broke (1997), where she provided melodies that complemented the band’s indie rock and punk rock sound. On You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush (1999), Sharon’s vocals contrasted with the hip-hop influenced production and guest rap appearances, delivering memorable lead vocals that balanced the sampled beats and rock instrumentation.

According to Sharon’s own recollection, Marc brought her into the studio for “Steal My Sunshine” without advance notice, asking if she wanted to sing on the track. She described the recording as quick and instinctive, with both siblings being satisfied with the result immediately. She performed bass and vocals on The Diary of the Madmen (2005) and It’s Easy If You Try (2012) during the reunion period.

Beyond Len, Sharon was involved in music publishing work alongside Marc and pursued various business ventures. Following the band’s hiatus, Sharon relocated to Los Angeles where she continued recording songs and working with other musicians alongside her brother.

Brendan Canning

Brendan Canning, born in 1969, is an indie rock musician and founding member of the Toronto-based collective Broken Social Scene. He had a brief but notable involvement with Len during their commercial peak in the late 1990s, contributing a spoken-word introduction to “Steal My Sunshine” on You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush (1999).

Canning’s connection to Len came through shared Toronto rehearsal spaces and mutual acquaintances, representing an accidental collaboration that exposed him to pop crossover elements and radio promotion strategies. According to Canning’s own account, he played the Andrea True Connection record “More, More, More” for Marc Costanzo at his apartment, which directly inspired the sample that forms the foundation of “Steal My Sunshine.”

For his contribution as spoken-word performer on the track, Canning received $2,500 from Len’s label Columbia Records, which he subsequently used to purchase guitar pedals for himself and Kevin Drew to record Broken Social Scene’s debut album Feel Good Lost. After his departure from Len, Canning co-founded Broken Social Scene in 1999 with Kevin Drew, establishing himself as a central figure in Toronto’s indie rock scene.

As a founding member of Broken Social Scene from 1999 forward, Canning recorded and performed on all major releases including Feel Good Lost (2002), You Forgot It in People (2002), and numerous subsequent albums. He has maintained a solo career, releasing three studio albums: Something for All of Us (2008) through Arts & Crafts, You Gots 2 Chill (2013) on his own Draper Street Records label, and Home Wrecking Years (2016).

Canning has worked as a music supervisor, composer, and musician for various film and television projects, including work on The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), The Tracey Fragments (2007), and the television series Baroness Von Sketch Show (2016). He founded Draper Street Records as his own label and signed Vancouver artist Rosie June, whose debut album Listening Post was released in 2014.

Brian “DJ Moves” Higgins

Brian Higgins, performing under the stage name DJ Moves, was part of Len’s expanded lineup during the band’s 1999 commercial peak with You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush. DJ Moves provided turntable work and hip-hop production elements that characterized the album’s shift toward rap-rock fusion.

His involvement marked Len’s expansion from a core sibling duo to the larger rotating ensemble the band employed for major-label promotion and live performance. DJ Moves contributed to tracks that blended sampled beats, scratching, and electronic production with rock instrumentation.

According to interviews and band accounts, Marc Costanzo mentioned plans for DJ Moves to pursue a disco-inspired solo album project with Sharon Costanzo, indicating his continued involvement in the broader Toronto music community during the late 1990s. Beyond his documented work with Len, Higgins’ extended career details remain limited in available sources.

Philip “Planet Pea” Rae

Philip Rae, known by the stage name Planet Pea or Kudu5, joined Len’s lineup during the You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush (1999) era to provide rap verses and hip-hop vocal elements. Rae contributed to the track “Steal My Sunshine” and other songs on the album featuring hip-hop elements, delivering rhyming verses that balanced the pop-influenced production and melodic hooks.

His addition to the band represented the Len Crew’s integration of the Toronto hip-hop scene, which Marc Costanzo had become increasingly involved with during the late 1990s. Planet Pea’s stage names, including the alternate moniker Kudu5, reflected the creative aliases commonly used within Toronto’s underground hip-hop and alternative music communities of that era.

Limited biographical information is available regarding Rae’s activities beyond his Len involvement, though his tenure with the band coincided with the group’s most commercially successful period and widespread radio promotion.

Derek “D Rock” MacKenzie

Derek MacKenzie, performing as D Rock, was a member of Len’s touring and studio lineup during the band’s 1999 commercial peak period, coinciding with You Can’t Stop the Bum Rush. MacKenzie made instrumental contributions and brought stage presence to the band’s promotional tours and live performances.

His involvement with Len was part of the larger Len Crew community, which Marc Costanzo described as encompassing approximately 30 to 40 musicians and supporters working in various capacities to support the band’s operations. Beyond his documented association with Len, MacKenzie’s extended music career history and post-Len activities remain limited in publicly available sources.

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