“Tough Love” is the newest single from Toronto-based independent musician and band Amelia Maxwell. Released on February 12th, this vibrant and electric single describes a volatile relationship that is wearing its narrator down to a breaking point. Maxwell herself features as singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She’s accompanied by bandmates Robyn Bond on drums and Steven Noronha on bass. 

Maxwell is up-and-coming, having been a part of Exclaim! Magazine’s Class of 2025 lineup and having toured across Southern Ontario last fall promoting the debut EP Lap Dog. Lap Dog was a four-track project released in April of 2025. It’s highly confessional, with keening vocals by Maxwell soaring over instrumentals that vary in genre, occasionally leaning more into folk for some tracks and indie rock for others. “Tough Love” does less shapeshifting. The rock song is explosive, which fits well with its subject matter. The song sounds like what it feels like to make a hard decision. Maxwell takes turns with hurtling drum and guitar parts, singing short verses and sticking to her refrain that she’s “cutting off [the] tough love” between her and her partner. 

‘Tough love’ describes stern and often dispassionate care meant to correct someone’s irresponsible behaviour. Amelia Maxwell rejects the term’s meaning. The ‘tough love’ the narrator is experiencing isn’t healthy or transformative. The narrator and her partner are in a constant cycle of sabotaging and salvaging their relationship even though they still love each other. It’s that love that keeps the two of them shackled together despite their unhappiness. Maxwell begins the song reminding her partner that they’re “coming home for New Year’s, no more waiting for the takedown,” but by the end of the song she’s still stuck in the same cycle, declaring that she’s “in it for another year.” 

In the music video for “Tough Love,” Maxwell and her bandmates play their instruments in a dim and hazy boxing ring. The video cuts between shots of the band and of Maxwell in bright blue boxing apparel, fighting a scowling opponent. Both fighters are throwing punches, but by the end of the video, Maxwell’s losing. She’s spitting up blood, and suddenly the whole band is dripping blood and sweat from their faces. The video ends with a slow zoom towards Maxwell as her bandmates douse her in water. Even though she’s claiming she’s finished with ‘tough love,’ it looks more like Maxwell is getting ready to step back into the ring for another round.

“Tough Love” seems to be the promising start to a new project by the girl-and-band. See Amelia Maxwell live this March at JUNOfest, a festival presented by CBC Music and hosted across several venues in Hamilton, Ontario.