Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Parlour Greens, Masino, Porches, J.R.C.G., Walt Disco, Of Montreal, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, and Orquesta Akokán
Read MoreParlour Greens, photo by Whitney Pelfrey
Haviah Mighty
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: The Odds, Danny Michel, Haviah Mighty, Haley Blais, Bells Larsen, Matt Paxton and the Pintos, The Sextones, and Johnny Eaton
"I want people to feel they’re not alone, and still find hope in things that are painful,” - Danny Michel
“Anytime I listen or play this song, I can smell the basement of my childhood home, or my best friend’s cigarettes (she quit now), and I can see myself, talking to myself in the mirror, doing my best Late Night show wisecracks” - Haley Blais
Russell Louder
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Zoon, Wayfinding, Justin Rutledge, Skydiggers, Russell Louder, Chris Picco, The Ironsides, and Mouraine
By Will McGuirk
""Come to My Senses" is the moment of clarity that follows the realization that everything will be okay… that everything fades in importance after life and death… and all the little things we sweat and worry about don’t amount to anything when we look back on our lives;" - Skydiggers
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: William Prince, Arctic Monkeys, Bruce Cockburn, Orchestra GOLD, miles from nowhere, Mimi O'Bonsawin, and Ryan Wayne
By Will McGuirk
"’Easier and Harder' is about giving love a chance to mature. The lessons we learn when we get past the honeymoon stage. The benefits of not giving up and getting to love someone entirely; not only for their strengths but their shortcomings as well. There’s a comedy to it that I feel gives a peek into what long-term love is like. Live and learn. Give and take.” - William Prince
Debby Friday, photo by Chinelo Yasin
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Nat Myers, Fred Davis, Andrew Gabbard, Bohannons, The Brothers Comatose, Zoe Ackah, and Debby Friday
By Will McGuirk
“It dawned on me that the real epics were being told by these itinerant musicians from the ’30s and ’40s, even before recorded sound. That’s when I did my deep dive into the blues, so I could write my own epic,” - Nat Myers
“You meet someone and you idealize them, you project onto them and they do the same to you and it’s all fun and games until it isn’t.” - Debby Friday
U.S. Girls
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: U.S. Girls, Payphones, Orchestra GOLD, Okonski, New Pornographers, and Lexy Panterra
By Will McGuirk
“I really wanted to concentrate on women empowerment and what makes us strong and unique. We made it pop with the music video with all my girls and I hope all the fans really enjoy this.” - Lexy Panterra.
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Status/Non-Status, Jill Barber, Debby Friday, Ernie Vincent, Hammock, Celeigh Cardinal, plus James Yorkston, Nina Persson and The Second Hand Orchestra
By Will McGuirk
“While each song is deeply personal, at the time it felt as though they pushed the album further into the rural-folk spectrum than we envisioned for ourselves, but together now make for a sentimental journey that sounds just right on the cold winds of winter,” - Adam Sturgeon, Status/Non-Status
"It’s a gentle reminder that its okay to not feel okay… and that sometimes just getting through the day is enough" - Jill Barber
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Metric, Eloi El, Orchestra Gold, Sunnsetter, Begonia, River Tiber, The Arcs, Gabrielle Shonk, and Forester,
By Will McGuirk
“It was intensely gratifying to play 'All Comes Crashing' live on the Doomscroller tour and see how the audience responded. I know the lyrics are morbid on the surface, but when the band plays it, the energy in the room lifts and everyone who wasn't already dancing suddenly is, and it feels like we're all suspended there in the disappearing present moment.” - Emily Haines, Metric
“This song is the breakdown of a horrible life-changing relationship in three parts.” - Begonia
“The Forester project is ultimately a conservation project. We want to spread the word that our planet is pretty awesome.” - Xander Carlson, Forester.
The Trade-Offs, photo by Joshua Qaumariaq / Jeff Maurice
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: The Trade-Offs, Ellen Froese, Mimi O'Bonsawin, KT Laine, Brendan Benson, Kendra Morris, Fousheé, and Soccer Mommy
By Will McGuirk
"It is a song I wrote mixed between losing people in life and learning from life in general. Let go of regrets and give in to that one thing you have been holding off on, falling down and learning to get back up." -Josh Qaumariaq, the Trade-Offs
"For me, growing food and writing songs are very much the same. It starts with a seed, a story, or a thought… and with the proper care it can blossom into something beautiful. Music has always been healing to me and has always been a friend I can turn to. This song is the perfect example of that." - Mimi O'Bonsawin
Julian Taylor
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Julian Taylor, Chuck D, Orchestra Gold, Zada, Ellen Froese, Marcus Paquin, Gord Downie and Bob Rock, and Tanya Tucker
By Will McGuirk
“This land is my land, this land is your land, This land was made for you and me, poor choice of words by Woody Guthrie. The land was stolen and in the first verse I say and now everyone can see and in the second verse I say that it was built on slavery.” - Julian Taylor
“I am moving past old ideas and into a realm of music that incorporates some newer techniques that I have been opposed to in the past (doubling vocals, drum machines, synths), and recognizing that folk music can be anything I want it to be” - Ellen Froese
“It celebrates an awareness that a myriad of beautiful experiences exist in every moment and that it’s up to each of us to be present in those moments so we can absorb and reflect that energy back onto others.” - Marcus Paquin
Adrian Sutherland, photo By Nadya Kwandibens
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
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Adam Baldwin, Jill Barber, Pierre Kwenders, Ombiigizi, Cave States, Robinson Kirby, and Denzel Curry,
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
Slowcity.ca Open Mic: She & Him, Amythyst Kiah, Valerie June, Mauvey, Will Stewart, Chemical Club, Andrea Nixon, and Mimi O’Bonsawin
By Will McGuirk
“‘Hitchin' a Ride ‘is one of those songs that I loved to head-bang to when I was alone in my room, but I never really gave much thought to what Billie Joe Armstrong was actually singing about. I ended up revisiting it for this project, and when I read the lyrics while listening, I was really blown away to realize that it's a song about a person struggling with addiction.” - Amythyst Kiah
"If you’ve ever found yourself in a completely different place then a friend or partner, CURFEW is for you. Being on different timelines can be the best thing to happen to a relationship. It’s only the worst timing if you don’t do anything about it. “ - Mauvey
“One side striving for positive change and habits in your life, the other pulling you down into things that have short term reward but will leave you worse off. Learning how to care for yourself through actions and habits. Sorting through which impulses are beneficial and which are not." - Chemical Club
“‘Earthquake’ is the transformative tale of a woman scorned. Written by a team that spans the continents and collaborated through Covid, I believe this song has a powerful story to tell and packs a pretty hefty musical punch.” - Andrea Nixon
“I was raised by incredible women and continue to learn from them. They have had a hand in making me who I am and I am always inspired by them. Their strength drives me.” - Mimi O’Bonsawin