Moonriivr, photo by Colin Medley
“Like all my albums, we recorded Donlands mostly live in the studio with my band The Situation [Dan Mock, Kyle Sullivan, Alan Zemaitis] in a circle—no headphones, just listening and existing, breathing as a whole. To me, it’s a record that lives in its own world.” - Jerry Leger
“Pain is a hard thing to let go until you’re ready. And that’s kind of where I was at with this record. Music, for me, is a release – it’s a place where I can go and express what it is that I want to say.” - Kevin Drew
Shakura S'Aida
By Will McGuirk
“It’s about balancing the good with the bad. It’s encountering a landscape that is completely surreal to you but also the closest thing to home. This project involves the arch of self-realization & leans on the generosity of the unexpected. It is a space for thoughts, discovery and new connections.” - Edwin Raphael
By Will McGuirk
“My dream is that like the kaleidoscope, all people can come together and see how beautiful the world is with all of our differences together.” - Ryan Hicks
By Will McGuirk
“Sadly, the persistent undervaluing of music forces so many of us musicians to trade it all in—often in a defeated way, much like those willing to trade in their most valued possession out of pure desperation to have cash in hand.” - Jill Barber
Ombiigizi - Nov 05 - Oshawa, ON - The Biltmore w/Tuns
Adam Baldwin, photo by Griffin O’Toole
By Will McGuirk
“It's my love letter to all of us who defy convention, whether by choice or necessity. It's my plea to everyone to follow your heart. You never know what other underdog you'll inspire to be heroic.” - Adam Baldwin
Alvvays, photo by Eleanor Petry
By Will McGuirk
“It’s about watching someone grieve and being in awe of their ability to keep going, despite being in a lot of pain.” - Bells Larsen
“the song is about gambling, getting rich, and a dog being put down.” - Jesse Northey
Bells Larsen at the Drake Underground Tuesday Sept. 13 2022
Jesse Northey at the Garrison Friday Sept. 2 2022
An album I have been listening to in the background a lot has been the effortlessly engaging ‘Sad Hunk’ from Bahamas. Its a gentle sway, even the dancey bits are subtle in their soulfulness. The kids may call it yacht rock but don’t get stung by the saltiness man. To celebrate the release of the album which came out last year Bahamas (Afie Jurvanen) is organising a jam-a-long with some rad company for a free Live to Tape series beginning today Sat Jan 16 at 9 pm ET. The studio-to-studio performance stream will be running every second week for the foreseeable future. The 400 Unit join Bahamas for the first one. Upcoming guests include Dawes, Teskey Brothers, Sam Weber, Brody Simpson and there are loads more. On the Socials Bahamas says he is missing playing with other musicians and this is his way of getting past the lockdown lonelys, AND. . . we are invited!!
Link via the vid below.
Rob Baker, via supportcanadianvenues.ca
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.
“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
“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
“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
“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
“This song has a real solitary, lonely vibe that I think really reflects the times we’re all living in right now.” - Mo Kenney
“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
nêhiyawa, photo by Levi Manchak
By Will McGuirk
The wave is the wind’s masterpiece. The artist is as a wave swelling on the tide, the artist can break and wash and dissolve, leave a wake, be seen, be heard, move the environment, be moved by the environment. The artist is aware of the tide, sees context, place, history, the continuum, and rises.
“I felt like there is an incredible love story to be examined between Michaelangelo and Tommaso, As well to point out to some of the realities of having the master’s work commissioned required the spoils of colonial exploits. For me the idea of having another indigenous artist (Maria Buffalo) visualize concepts knowing some of the back story of the lyrics in the music, but relating that to images of Maskwacis First Nation, the body, hands, and indigenous people; I could imagine an incredible juxtaposition. The story of the song deepens with additional perspectives working their own ideas into this piece.”
- nêhiyawa
"that the fate of the water resolves in the sand, that maybe all we’re doing's for nothing.”
- Lucas Fogale
“The song's about how I feel trapped sometimes because of the overwhelming media that's all around us these days. It's discouraging because it often makes you forget what’s important to yourself. If you don't slow down and take the time to question your beliefs and the beliefs of those around you you're gonna get drained by the Vampire's Jaws.”
- The High Loves
“I was watching an old film noir when I stumbled upon the main bassline that would form our new single,”
- Golden Cinema
"So often we can find ourselves feeling trapped in the mundane cycles of life. This song is a reminder to take a step back and shake things up,” - Once A Tree.
By Will McGuirk
Nature has been playing enough japes on us so there’s no need for the annual con on this April 1. We have a full line-up of known and new, stars and starters for the open mic. The list has Yoke Lore, Justin Wright, The Strumbellas, Close Talkers, Lydia Persaud, Tim Moxam, Jenn Grant, Radical Face, Luca Fogale, Tariq, Middle Kids on it. We are getting a lot of players as you can see and hear so we may have to add another open mic day, maybe Wednesdays. Dig in.
SHOWS
Middle Kids - Mon. May 27 @ the Phoenix, Toronto
Tim Moxam - Tues. April 9 @ The Burdock, Toronto
Lydia Persaud - Wed. June 19 @ the Drake Underground, Toronto
Jenn Grant - Sat. June 1 @ the Danforth Music Hall, Toronto