Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Adrian Sutherland, The Trade-Offs, Evan Redsky, Terez, Julia Wolf, Jesse Roper, Handsome Jack, and Arctic Monkeys

By Will McGuirk

“"I teach at an elementary school in Beachburg, Ontario. My grades 6/7 and 7/8 classes are looking for ways to continue with ideas from the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We heard the song Walk With Me by Adrian Sutherland and decided to reach out," wrote Steve Pritchard.”

“Throughout the 20th century many Inuit families recall the Royal Canadian Mounted Police deliberately killing sled dogs to force Inuit into government run settlements, ‘Put ‘Em Down’ is about this sad story and about the effort to put us as a people down and erase our culture. A truth many do not know a lot about because it has been kept so quiet” - Josh Qaumariaq, the Trade-Offs

“It's a reflection of not just myself, but of an entire community of young people who lack access to mental health resources, cultural resources, and positive role models - where young First Nations folks just want to escape their realities in exchange for Oblivion.” - Evan Redsky

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Slowcity Open Mic: Jerry Leger, Georgia Harmer, Abigail Lapell, Handsome Jack, the Bros Landreth, Marc Jordan and Amy Sky, and Amy Nelson

By Will McGuirk

“Every morning we’d sit on the roof of the neighbouring house as the sun rose and drink our coffee, eat our breakfast, and bask in the rising light. We were very connected at the time and had a telepathic quality to our communication. This song is essentially about the telepathy and mind-reading that goes on between close friends.” - Georgia Harmer

“It’s a pretty straightforward love song that tries to answer the question — what would I do without you in my life?" - Dave, Landreth, Bros Landreth

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Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Kacey Musgraves, Mimi Webb, Sam Weber, Alex Cuba, Samantha Fish, Mastiff, Terouz, Handsome Jack, Matthew E. White, and Flossing

By Will McGuirk

“Through confronting my deepest, heaviest truths through these songs I am able to see the world in a new way. 'Here's To The Future’ was that song for me, but also a toast and a prayer to the better and brighter days ahead.” - Sam Weber

“When I began to imagine this album, I knew I didn’t want it to be small in any way. Neither did I want it to be known forever as the album that was born out of the pandemic. I was convinced that it definitely was the moment to aim at creating something very special, unique and vibrant, fuelled by the very deep emotions that this time has brought out of all of us.” - Alex Cuba

“If you need cheering up, this may not be the best place to start. Unless, of course, the sound of the world consuming itself from the inside out and spitting in the face of humanity is your idea of a good time” - Mastiff

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