UKULA Magazine was an independent arts and culture quarterly founded in 2004, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was created by co-founders Kevin Renton and Graeme Maclean, who first started out DJing under the now well known UKULA moniker at the city's Andy Poolhall in 2002. Copies of UKULA were to be found throughout the cities of Toronto, Montreal and New York City. Plans were underway to extend full distribution to include London and Edinburgh, though limited distribution was available in these two cities. The print edition is no longer being published.
In addition to publishing its glossy magazine, UKULA also had event planning and arts/culture consultancy departments catering to local bands and haute coutre fashion houses interested in promoting their brand.
The store and magazine was described by Canada's national newspaper The Globe and Mail as the "ground zero for all things impossibly cool in music, books and fashion"
History
After a year in Toronto, Renton and Maclean relocated to Montreal in 2003, where they continued their series of popular DJ nights. A year later, the first issue of UKULA Magazine hit the streets, a slim staple-bound 32 page paperbacked-sized volume that included interviews with then up-and-coming bands Arcade Fire and Kasabian. By the third issue, the magazine had evolved into the high physical and editorial standards that it is known by today: a vibrant glossy (with an average length of just over 100 pages) professionally bound, and printed on high quality pages, with content about film, literature, travel and fashion.
Renton and Maclean returned to Toronto in August 2006, and opened the UKULA boutique on 492 College St. A multi-purpose venue that can be quickly converted to stage concerts and parties, the eponymous storefront features a street-level lounge-style cafe, in addition to an indie books and magazines section, CDs, and imported hard-to-find men's and women's clothing brands. Fashion labels stocked at UKULA include the Swedish jeans brand Nudie, UK-based Fenchurch, as well as Zeha Berlin footwear and Milk Berlin customized handbags. The magazine offices are located in the building's basement.
Events at the UKULA store included the Canadian book launch of Stephen Hall's The Raw Shark Texts, as well as concert performances by Born Ruffians and The Coast. On November 5, 2005, the UKULA Bright Lights Festival in Toronto's Distillery District featured bands such as Elbow, The Duke Spirit, Stirling, The Call Up and the Meligrove Band.
The 2007 Virgin Festival Afterparty hosted at UKULA featured appearances by The Cinematics, Metric, Smashing Pumpkins and The Killers. The magazine folded in 2008.