Slowcity.ca Open Mic with The Dears, Kate Boothman, Partner, POSTDATA, Dirty Projectors, Matt Berninger, Wolf Saga, and Yes Nice,

Will McGuirk November 22, 2020

By Will McGuirk

“When we come to it
We, this people, on this wayward, floating body
Created on this earth, of this earth
Have the power to fashion for this earth
A climate where every man and every woman
Can live freely without sanctimonious piety
Without crippling fear”
~ Maya Angelou

“We wanted to avoid some clichés like chestnuts and sleighs or whatever. Instead it’s a very simple love song about how sometimes that time of year can highlight who you really want to be with and how that brings a huge smile to one's face as well as the warmest feeling. This is what we hope happens when people hear this song.” ~ The Dears

“It's about that confidence and arrogance that comes with being a spicy youth, and then all of a sudden you're an adult and you realize you knew nothing. You look back and can't help but examine everything you've learned and lost.” ~ Kate Boothman

Buy the vinyl here ->

Buy the vinyl here ->

“Every time I put on Future Islands my impression of the human condition improves. Their remix of One More Second kills me.” ~Matt Berninger.

WOLF SAGA · Fall Out

"Fall Out" is a song about leaving a toxic relationship, of any kind, and being able to keep your head up. Getting away from that and not getting caught up in the falling out”. ~ Wolf Saga

Illustration and video by Theo Kapodistrias

Slowcity.ca Open Mic with Haviah Mighty, Midnight Shine, Carmanah, The Dears, Krief, Kim Mitchell, Kadeema,

Will McGuirk July 1, 2020

By Will McGuirk

Evening sounds like a war zone, a thunderstorm, an overhead jet and an air conditioner on full all at once. It also sounds like peace, safety, security, celebration. At least here. Elsewhere perhaps not so much. The day has moved from quiet to noise but has not strayed from contentment. At least here. Elsewhere maybe not so much.

“I am a first-generation Canadian, born and raised. My father was born in Jamaica, and my mother is Bajan, born in England. I have locks, dark, beautiful skin, and a full nose and lips. As a Canadian, I’ve been told countless times that I don’t know what racism is, that I’ve never experienced racism, and that racism doesn’t exist in Canada. Because of our reputation as a safe haven, Canadians can be quick to separate themselves from Americans when issues of bigotry arise. Racism is alive and well in Canada, it is simply more covert. The 13th Amendment may be specific to the US Constitution, but it is not specific to US ideologies. Racism is worldwide. The perception of Black people has been destroyed globally.” - Haviah Mighty

“Everybody has a story to share, and I think it’s important for First Nations people to shed positive light on our culture and values. That’s what I hope to do with my music.” - Adrian Sutherland

“If you choose to take for yourself and leave nothing for others, sit down. If you intentionally hurt others or the planet for your own gains, sit down.” - Carmanah

“The question we’re asking in the music is, ‘how do we navigate so much bullshit in this world? We're still playing this dumb rock music. But there's always gonna be a little twist of the knife, cutting into something deep to make you feel like you're alive. To say, ‘I know what you’re going through. And I’m hearing you, and I’m with you.’ That’s what the music is supposed to do.” - Murray Lightburn, The Dears

Krief · 01 I Am The Pillar Of Darkness In Your Life

“I was sold a dream, but it wasn’t my dream.” - Krief

“Sometimes you don’t search for a part, you wait for it to arrive.” - Kim Mitchell

Hidden Pony · Kadeema - Beat Up Car

Slowcity.ca Open Mic - "Now it’s a doom that's within our grasp. It’s in the air. It’s between us."

Will McGuirk March 16, 2020

“There’s a direct line between the sort of doominess of ‘No Cities Left ‘ and this album. You could go straight from ‘Lovers Rock’ to ‘No Cities Left’ and it’s like they're interlocked. But it's a different kind of doom. Around 2001, it felt like, ‘We have no control. We don't know what's going to happen next.’ Now it’s a doom that's within our grasp. It’s in the air. It’s between us. But we do nothing about it.” - Murray Lightburn.

By Will McGuirk

It may be we all need this time. It may be we all need to slow down and digest the information we have consumed over the last day, week, month, year, years. It may be isolation will be good for our digestion. It may be we will emerge into a different world, not physically, but different. And it may be one in which we see the value of a pause. I hope it includes one where those who build pause into their business model emerge as winners. I have such a hope as I see people turn to music for solace and for communication, as a shared language. My hope is the acoustic environment, suggested by Marshall McLuhan as a consequence of electronic media, is one with pillars of music supporting it. And maybe when we emerge, if we do, we are willing to pay our musicians, our artists, our poets and storytellers their true value, because this time may be demonstrated just how much we need our artists, and I am guessing it may be, if not more than bottled water at least more than toilet paper.

Some music to hoard so.

“This song encapsulates the feeling of losing touch, reflecting the distance between two people that comes from a disparity in perceptions, emotions, and perspectives.” - Blurr

”This song is a reminder that by embracing those who love us within ourselves, we can find a sense of home and belonging in our own skin.” - Carmanah

“I’m a daydreamer of sorts, a little bit lost between some hard reality I can’t yet grasp and a dream from which I’m not sure how to wake,” says Davidson. “It would be easy to call this an artistic space, but I know it’s more so just a place in which to hide from things I won’t confront. Each morning I wake up with a sink full of dishes and a head full of wishes. I’m never sure which mess to clean up first.” - Slow Leaves