Partners In Crime

Toronto-based duo Partners in Crime — Colin Whiteford and Doug Pegg — developed their melodic, harmony-rich pop-rock sound from a friendship that began in grade school and carried into their first high school bands. Drawing on the close vocal blend of the Beach Boys, the melodic directness of The Beatles, and the energy of classic British rock, Whiteford and Pegg built their music around strong hooks, layered harmonies, and an instinctive creative partnership.

By the early 1980s, Partners in Crime were recording at Kinck Sound Studios in Toronto with engineer and producer Fred Kinck Petersen, whose collaborative approach became central to their early studio work. The duo later became one of the early 1990s acts to appear on MuchMusic’s Electric Circus and secured distribution through A&M Records for Abnormal Psychotic Behaviour, a release that received national radio play and later found a second life online. Their music also reached sports audiences, with tracks played in MLB and NHL arenas.

Their 2024 single “Randy Girls” began decades earlier, recorded when Whiteford and Pegg were in their early twenties before the tape was eventually thought lost. Rediscovered on cassette and restored, the track was reimagined with fresh mixing by Doug McClement and mastering by Noah Mintz, with production by Fred Kinck Petersen and Terry Gadsden. Blending power-pop, vintage rock, and bright brass accents, the song captures the energy of summer travel, new encounters, and the easy optimism at the heart of the duo’s sound. Its re-release gained international airplay across Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, and France.

The self-titled album Partners in Crime brings “Randy Girls” together with archival recordings and new material, presenting a cross-section of Whiteford and Pegg’s long-running partnership and their commitment to melody-driven, feel-good pop-rock.

-Robert Williston

Lineup
Colin Whiteford: guitars, vocals
Doug Pegg: drums, percussion, vocals

partnersincrimetor@gmail.com