Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Georgia Harmer, Megan Nash, Keegan Powell, Cola, Astral Swans, Mad Ones, Terra Lightfoot, and Catherine MacLellan

By Will McGuirk

“‘Headrush’ is about wanting to go back to a moment and be completely present. Back to that summer day I didn’t realize was heaven until it had passed, only grasping its potency in retrospect.” - Georgia Harmer

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Slowcity Open Mic with Sam Jr., Simon and the Island, Hayden Thorpe, Bazooka Joe 204, Caroline Marie Brooks, Sam Weber, and Astral Swans

By Will McGuirk

“Jump the fence, break the window, be a weirdo. Fuck the masses. Question what you’re taught.” - Sam Jr.

“What I do in a professional capacity exempts me from the responsibilities that other people my age are beholden to, in some ways I feel very free, but in other ways I feel very lonely watching other peoples' lives unfold, like I’m stuck in the same place." - Sam Weber

“It’s essentially about a broke, young weirdo singing to their partner about wanting to move away together to someplace where they won’t feel so strange.” - Matthew Swann, Astral Swans

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Myles Goodwyn, Frank Turner, half • alive, Ouri, The Velveteers, Wine Lips, Jeremy Voltz, and Astral Swans with Julie Doiron

By Will McGuirk

“. . . i came to realize that there was an anger-sized hole missing in our songs. there were stories that i was restricting myself from writing because i wanted them to be perfectly processed, with happy endings to tie everything together. but sometimes the unprocessed, unhindered emotion is what the song needs.” - Josh Taylor, half•alive

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"Between fragmented souvenirs and sonic explorations, Frame Of A Fauna navigates mutable identity, magnetism and initiating a sense of belonging in an eclectic sound. Mixing classical, field recordings, and electronic and future trip-hop, this album provides a soundtrack to reflect your own shapes and space in this lifetime." - Ouri

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Jeremy Voltz · Hold Me Up

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“It’s about seeking out joy, and trying to escape pain in ways that backfire, within reference to the hamster wheel of late stage capitalism; consumerism, addiction, neoliberalism, the reduction of identity to social media posturing, etc ad infinitum. It’s about trying to escape something that seemingly has no escape, in spite of its glaring foolishness and lack, and the desperation which it brings to a person's humanity. In the studio we went for a 1970’s wrecking crew polished country vibe speckled with synth exploration a la Stereolab and Broadcast. Once again Julie’s vocals are the cherry on top. When I sent the final album to Jim Bryson (who’s one heck of a producer in his own right), He simply replied ‘you have Julie Doiron on it, you’ve already won the war’.” - Matthew Swann, Astral Swans

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Jasper Sloan Yip, Cots, Silver Pools, Homeshake, Charles Spearin, Astral Swans, Absolutely Free, and Bazooka Joe 204,

By Will McGuirk

This edition of the Open Mic is brought to you by the letter K and the number awesome. Thanks for the years of support Killbeat.

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“We all spent a year inside. Not just in our homes, but inside of ourselves. For me, it began with the surreal experience of life imitating art in a scary way. I was ready to accept certain fates... But it didn’t go the way that I expected, and now, the strange calm that I was struggling with for so long is gone, and the world feels new again.” - Jasper Sloan Yip

“Human bodies are like celestial ones; just as a planet’s course is carved out in relation to others, our course - where we go and what we do - is compelled by forces of attraction.” - Steph Yates, Cots

“ I see Christianity and Capitalism as large-scale pranks pulled by the powerful and this video aims to celebrate some shining slivers of artful resistance." - videographer Cashew Soda: Silver Pools’ “Crushed Hat”

“I just try to make music that is honest about how I’m feeling.” - Peter Sagar aka Homeshake

“To have time on my hands and a studio at my fingertips certainly helped in making this record, but thematically, there’s a kind of reflection in the music that maybe comes from having spent so much time at home as well.” - Charles Spearin

”Typical coming-of-age feelings of loss and confusion were further conflated by prioritizing an emerging potential of a new virtual identity more ‘real’ than a physical self.” - Matt King, Absolutely Free

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Once A Tree, Twin Flames, Luca Fogale, Dana Gavanski, Astral Swans, Mo Kenney, and Color Fields

By Will McGuirk

Music is fuel. Music is medicine. A music city is a healthy city. A music city is a wealthy city. Music is also labour not only leisure. Music is also work not only play. Slowcity.ca urges all our supporters to contact your local government reps to support for live music venues.

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“We live in a world where people want instant gratification. But sometimes, chasing after that can leave you feeling empty, and the things that used to feel like magic lose their lustre.” - Once A Tree

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“In the Arctic of Canada, Inuit People face the highest amount of suicides in the world, ‘Battlefields’ is a song to remind our people we have to fight our own minds to survive…” - Jaaji, Twin Flames

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“I wrote this song as a reminder to myself and anyone listening to search for beauty and meaning in every piece of this life, however simple or complex, no matter the circumstance.  - Luca Fogale

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“Due to the ongoing revelations of harrowing injustice, and systemic racism against BIPOC throughout North America, all Bandcamp sales of “Bird Songs” will be donated to AWO TAAN HEALING LODGE SOCIETY based in my hometown of Calgary, AB, Canada.” - Astral Swans

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“This song has a real solitary, lonely vibe that I think really reflects the times we’re all living in right now.” - Mo Kenney

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“Animal is a song about our tendency to hide our true selves from one another, and what happens when we stop,” - Scott Packham, Color Fields