By Will McGuirk
Andy Shauf, photo by Angela Lewis
Annie Sumi and Brava Kilo
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ben Caplan and Terra Spencer, Brava Kilo and Annie Sumi, Alok, Sigala, and Ellie Goulding, Barbra Lica, and Abigail Lapell
By Will McGuirk
"All too often, talking about your feelings is like sharing YouTube videos: everyone's smiling and nodding and waiting for their turn to take over, The lyrics to this song are the words I'd love to hear more in hard times, and the words I endeavour to practise myself. Empathy is too rare and extremely beautiful." - Barbra Lica
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Zoon, Amanda Sum, Super Duty Tough Work, Dan Mangan, Dan Pallotta, Noah Derksen, TFD, NGHTMRE, and Jamie,
By Will McGuirk
“As a young person I’d find ways to escape my reality, sometimes I’d lay in a field and watch the clouds shape shift in the sky, just like wasakeechuk, an old mythical creature that lived with the first indigenous people of Turtle Island.” - Zoon
“Being a Gen Zer feels shameful and comedic. It’s important to laugh at that, I think. This music video will investigate the complex feelings that come with dancing through life as a member of the Gen Z club.” - Amanda Sum
“Art happens to be our discipline so we always attempt to use it to further our cause, and create the world that we would like to see, in this case, a world where "justice" is actually served.” - Brendan Grey, Super Duty Tough Work
“This song is about being emancipated by the beautiful humility of littleness." - Dan Mangan
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Jason Collett, Margo Price, Boy Golden, Golden Feather, Emi Jeen, Amanda Sum, White Lung, and Speaker Wars,
By Will McGuirk
"In absorbing the tumult of the times, there's a lot of shit to write through, that Bruce Cockburn line comes to mind, ‘you've got to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight’, and the challenge is to get to the other side with something positive to contribute," - Jason Collett
“You get stuck in the same patterns of thinking, the same loops of addiction. But there comes a point where you just have to say, ‘I'm going to be here, I'm going to enjoy it, and I'm not going to put so much stock into checking the boxes for everyone else.’ “ Margo Price
“You can put a lot of energy and discipline into a project while leaving room for spontaneity, fun, and authentic creativity. In the end, why are we so serious about life?’’ - Emi Jeen
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Butcher Brown & Michael Millions, Valerie June, Jenny Berkel, Colyn Cameron, Triptides, Matoma and ARIZONA, Datura4, and Bruno Capinan
By Will McGuirk
"I was thinking about cycles when I wrote this. Life, death and all points in between. About how things change and how things seem to just stay the same. The only thing I want to stay the same is my family, so that what I wrote about. I recorded it straight thru too, no cutting up the vocals because Butcher Brown cut they demos straight through, that was the only way to do it. This whole collaboration has been a gem and I’m excited to share this music." - Michael Millions
“The songs themselves are a study of proximity, bringing big fears into small spaces. They’re intimate examinations of a world that often overwhelms." - Jenny Berkel
“That all tech progress is fruitful, but maybe not always ready. And that maybe it's just my own occasional aversion to this kind of societal focus that is awry, but not necessarily having the right view. It’s inspired by that and All Algorithmic realities.” - Colyn Cameron
“This song, along with the hopes of raising autism awareness, carries a special notion in general that we should remember to cherish and protect the ones we love in our lives. Sometimes we can be all they have, or vice versa.” - “A R I Z O N A
Sampa The Great
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Bonnie Raitt, Margo Price, Abigail Lapell, Ada Lea, Ken Yates, JAD, Henry Chadwick, and Sampa The Great
By Will McGuirk
"all dressed up" is a fever dream of isolation and claustrophobia, circumscribed by all these obsolete media machines -- but with a semi-hopeful note, too, about making the best of an absurd situation, or at least, 'this too shall pass'.” - Abigail Lapell
“The only thing to do is ride out your last few moments with the people you love.” - Ken Yates
"We’re not going to stay in one lane, we’re going to create multiple ones. . . My truest self encourages me to explore different lanes, and go beyond what I think I know of myself.” - Sampa The Great
Ada Lea @ the Axis Club, Toronto Tuesday May 10 2022
Ken Yates @ the Cameron House Toronto Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Cola, photo by Colin Medley
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Ghostkeeper, OMBIIGIZI, Bishop Briggs, Cola, Domanique Grant, Jesse Northey, Kao Wonder, Juliana Eye, and JoJo Worthington
By Will McGuirk
"The two protagonists are seeking new eyes in an attempt to understand the reality of MMIWG. With the help of four Spirit Creatures, they witness what was broken become whole again." - Sarah Houle, Ghostkeeper
“‘High Water’ was written from the depths of my despair as a love letter to my best friend who I miss so dearly. “ - Bishop Briggs
“Being in a car reminded me of going on long road trips with my family where sometimes you want to kill your siblings before you even get to the destination. It symbolizes feeling trapped while moving forward very quickly. For two years, many of us had to stop doing what we loved, while time barrelled forward.” - JoJo Worthington
Begonia, photo by Calvin Lee Joseph
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Best Coast, Yukon Blonde, Begonia, Cat Power, Jarvis Church, Blake Morgan, The Crowleys, Matt Pike, and Felly
By Will McGuirk
“You don’t really need to compete with yourself, you just need to challenge yourself.” - Jeffrey Innes, Yukon Blonde
“. . . I’m a work in progress and always will be” - Felly
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Julian Taylor, Haviah Mighty, Charlie Houston, Geoffroy, Felly, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, and Dave Monks,
By Will McGuirk
“These days, I don't have time to waste, so I’m getting better at determining early on who/what is worth investing my time into. This song focuses on the fact that I know I'm a prize, so act right, or you'll miss out." - Haviah Mighty
“It’s definitely one of the most introspective songs on the album. I guess it’s a very mature version of myself who wrote this, hah. It’s about accepting and coming to terms with the fact that a relationship has come to its end. It’s about moving on, letting go, and feeling okay about it." - Geoffroy
“It's the feeling of like, once you've gotten over your heart hurting for someone else that it's not even about them anymore - it's about you. Your longing to not feel crushed anymore. It's almost this pathetic request to feel ok, to feel loved.” - Felly
“For me this album and the sum of its parts are a discovery of that bigger and truer sense of “me”. The title which came from a dream and stuck, could be my charmed reaction upon realizing that. Like I’ve just heard the final masters and blurt out, “Well, good! I’ve always wanted to be me!” - Dave Monks
Hot Kid
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Charlotte Cornfield, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Kyle McKearney, Cat Power, Robert Glasper, Hot Kid, The Brandy Alexanders, ModernFolkRevolution, Mary Jennings,
By Will McGuirk
“Sometimes desire betrays logic, and you end up at somebody’s door even after you’ve talked yourself out of it, in all of the ways. And that feeling can be intoxicating. And it can be painful.” - Charlotte Cornfield
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with KTheChosen, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Ariel Posen, Billy Strings, Natalie Hemby, Triptides, Ryan Bourne, Tennyson King, Bad Skin, and Star Goes Nova
By Will McGuirk
“The lockdown has given me time to reflect as well as a shared experience with others in terms of dealing with grief and the uncertainties of life. Things have happened globally and locally, to people I know and care about, and also to strangers that I may never meet. The necessity of this project seems to have grown daily within the year that we've been working on it. This makes me proud to have captured the feelings and thoughts of my family and friends and excited to share these expressions and observations with the world. This is my favourite body of work thus far.” - KTheChosen
“I’ve always doubted myself, and I still do, but this album makes me think, ‘Hey, you’re doing all right, kid. You just need to keep going.’” - Billy Strings
“It just seemed like everyone was looking for answers but there weren’t any, people seemed angry at the wrong things, and there was just a lot of hate and not a lot of peace and love. . . I realized that there is nothing I could say to make anyone feel better or much I could do. I felt that all we can really do, is slow down our pace of life, listen to each other, be there for each other, try to enjoy the small things, and do the small things to be kind to each other.” - Tennyson King
Fleece
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Chastity, Ekelle, Charlotte Day Wilson, Ada Lea, Joy Crookes, Alex Cuba, Fleece, Graham Wright, Talleen, Mary Jennings, Jon Stancer, and Rise Carmine,
Ekelle
By Will McGuirk
“‘When You Were Mine’ is a song I wrote about an ex-partner that ended up being with a man after we broke up. It’s a song about accepting their love, but wishing the same for myself. I wrote it with the backdrop of Brixton because that is where their love unfolded and where I spent a lot of my childhood. We recorded a brass section (it was my first time recording brass and excited was an understatement); we wanted it to sound messy so Japanese whiskey was involved and listening to lots of Ebo Taylor.” - Joy Crookes
“My social media feeds are crammed with dire and insistent warnings from scientists, experts and activists, and newsreels showing floods, fires, hurricanes and other horrific, climate related catastrophes. All of this chatter and imagery were swirling around in my head at the time of writing this song.” - Jon Stancer
“We wanted to reflect how our society can sometimes be shrouded in mystery and symbolism, money being the driving force behind the illusion.” - Alex Crow, Talleen
Slowcity.ca Open Mic with K-Os ft. KAGE E, Common, AHI, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Miloe, T. Buckley, Alias, Flossing, and The R Train
By Will McGuirk
“What does a new day, a brighter day feel like being told through an emcee and some gifted musicians? How could this music be an example of the beautiful aspects of revolution that include joy, self-love, compassion, dreams, peace and good times? “ - Common
“This universe can often leave us feeling small and insignificant. But I truly believe that our lives are part of something bigger and more meaningful than we understand. You and I are the prospect, and it’s important to live our lives like they’re worth something because our impact on each other is far more immense than we can ever imagine.” - AHI
“When I was writing the record we were in the middle of a pandemic and our future looked pretty bleak. I just continue to try to write from a place of hope. Then my own neurosis, and maybe being a libra gets in the way, and I can’t make up my mind.” - Nathaniel Rateliff
"American statistician Edward Tufte once said, 'There are only two industries that refer to their customers as users: illegal drugs and software.’” - Flossing