Loud, fast, and catchy, Perfect Strangers deliver modern hard rock with classic implementations. Their live shows are energetic and packed with roaring sounds, just like their brand new album, Social Decay. Focus track, “Tear Me Apart,” offers an adrenaline rush, spotlighting the band at their very best.

As a bystander, lead vocalist and guitarist Anthony Vitanza saw alcohol being abused and observed that “it’s all fun and games from their perspective but to everyone else it’s a real drag.” The ever-growing drinking problem of the song’s protagonist starts to tear them apart.

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 

This song came about after a really long stint of writers block and lack of inspiration. I had been writing a lot of riffs and pretty much had a lot of the instrumentation for Tear Me Apart finished. I really loved how the instrumentation was coming along but the song was lacking in the lyrical department. After a night out with some friends I had noticed a lot of drinking going on and as the one person who wasn’t doing any drinking that night I had to deal with a lot of drunken antics that were just getting annoying as the night progressed and that inspired the lyrical premise of the song. The choice to visualize this song was mainly due to it being one of the main singles and one of the stronger songs on the new record but we wanted to keep the visuals somewhat away from the main concept of the song. 

2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

The main inspiration for the video of this song was just using a bunch of footage we captured of ourselves recording this song as well as the rest of the record. We wanted to keep it fun and fresh!

3.What was the process of making this video?

The process of making this video was really simple but honestly a lot of fun. We were recording the record at Catherine North studios in Hamilton, ON and we wanted to record ourselves on video while making the record. At the end of the weeklong recording sessions we had about 25 minutes of video and we picked the best parts for the music video for Tear me apart!
Perfect Strangers released their first EP, self-titled, in 2022, followed by their second EP, Running From A Nightmare, in 2023. Social Decay was inspired by hard rock music of the ’70s and ’80s, and indie rock music of the early 2000s. Produced and arranged by Anthony Vitanza, it was mixed at Catherine North Studios by Will Crann.

Energetic, hard hitting and hooks for days, Royal Castles make nostalgic but contemporary garage-power-pop. Hailing from Guelph, Ontario, the three-piece blend riffy guitar licks, wooly bass and ear-candified harmonies. They have partnered again with Zane Whitfield (The Glorious Sons, The Blue Stones, Luella) who produced their sophomore album, Just The Hits (2021), on five new songs for their EP called Singles Night.

“I Don’t Think I Like You” is their summer vibe song. It’s the focus track from Singles Night. Put it on and go for a long drive!

“There was a friend who had been around for years; someone we all thought we liked, because we were supposed to like him,” songwriter Jordan Gabriel explains. “He was a part of the crew. But as time went on, that little nagging feeling became clearer and clearer. We just didn’t like him.”

In the era of streaming where every song is its own piece of content, the idea was to release each of the five tracks as singles. So why not call it out in the name? Lyrically, these songs mark a shift towards storytelling and allegory. Royal Castles have also upped the production level to craft poppier, catchier tunes.

“Our fascination with pop has continued to influence us lyrically, thematically and from a crafted production standpoint,” says Jordan Gabriel. “We are chasing the elusive earworm. And we simply want to bring our audiences a little bit of head-bobbing happiness.”

Described as, “a multi-genre marvel,” Kellie Loder (they/them) is a JUNO Award nominated singer-songwriter who began their musical journey on the shores of Newfoundland & Labrador, lending to their unmatched songwriting prowess, and distinctive blend of folk, Americana and indie pop influences.

Loder’s highly anticipated fourth studio album, Transitions, offers a stunningly crafted masterpiece of stories of love, heartbreak and life. Produced by Cory Tetford in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, the focus track “Honey I’m Scared” came about in a writing session, where co-writer Keith Mullins shared an anecdote. “His girlfriend, Tracey, was in the next room and he proceeded to tell me that they were at Toronto’s 360 Restaurant the night before and she was really afraid of heights,” Loder shares, which inspired the song title.

“Transitions: we’re always changing, evolving, growing, learning, and becoming, where pain is always necessary and pleasure is always nice, but we must embrace both. May you stop chasing what isn’t yours and accept the love you can give yourself.” – Kellie Loder

Loder’s signature sound coupled with their magnetic stage presence has earned them notable accolades including, “Songwriter of the Year,” and “Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year” at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards, and placed as first-runner-up on Canada’s Got Talent (2022).

Tennyson King is an award-winning, nomadic, folk musician from Hong Kong and Canada with a charismatic stage personality and magnetic energy. Pairing songs written in English, Mandarin and Cantonese with kick drum, Zhongruan, electric and acoustic guitar, he captivates audiences with positivity, interactive songs, and playful stories of life on the road. He’s appeared solo from great halls to intimate theatres and brings his band to festival stages with a restorative sound that brings crowds to their feet; folk-rock infused with earthy roots, pop, and subtle psychedelic ear candy.

The first of three upcoming collaborations with notable fellow Canadian songwriters, “Where I Make My Home” is a song that highlights the recognition that home can be found within ourselves, the people we love, the strangers we meet, and in magical places we never knew we’d find. 

Written in a small Canadian mountain town by JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega and Tennyson King, the song was inspired by their experiences of life on the road – traveling from city to city, venue to venue, arriving and leaving in the dark, feeling the loneliness of a nomadic lifestyle, and battling homesickness amidst the constant unknown. Ultimately, the song reflects on finding comfort in the realization that happiness can be created wherever we choose to make our home.

“Lindi and I became friends after many hiking and snowshoeing adventures,” says Tennyson King. “We eventually wrote this song and recorded it in the house I was renting, surrounded by mountains, between our hiking adventures. We had long talks about life on the road as a touring artist, and the idea of finding home in our own happiness. I was happily calling Creston, BC, my home and ending up there, meeting Lindi was all a happy accident during my travels.”

4x JUNO Award nominated, Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is sharing the first glimpse of his upcoming new album, Pathways, the downtempo yet empathetic “Weighing Down.” Pathways will be released on September 27th.

Following his recent critically acclaimed albums, 2020’s The Ridge and 2022’s Beyond The Reservoir, Taylor considers Pathways to be centered around finding one’s happiness. “It’s about trying to find a way to simplify our lives and look for what really matters and makes us feel at home within our own hearts, soul and mind,” he explains.

Taylor wrote “Weighing Down” during a time of overwhelm over the constant pressures we face in this world, as he also grappled with navigating the heaviness of some of his own life decisions and where they had led him.

Pedal steel guitar cries against the warmth of Taylor’s vocals, coupled with acoustic guitar and drums that are intentionally barely there. The song’s backing vocals are intended to make the recording sound “warm and connected to a haunting but optimistic place in the human psyche,” Taylor details.

Mawzy is the brainchild of songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Cooke. Through earnest storytelling, Mawzy lyrics capture the unnavigability of life and romance in his city, Toronto. His use of crafted melodies and lush synthesizers work together to create the trademark Mawzy sound.

“Start Again” is about giving love a second chance. The lyrics describe a day spent with a past partner, walking through the city, saying things that were never said, and reconnecting to start again. There is a shared sentiment between the two that things were never quite finished and to make things work it would require honesty and a fresh start. Sonically, this song pulls from 70’s influences like Steely Dan and Fleetwood Mac, and features the vocals of Kirty (Fast Romantics). 

Long View is Mawzy’s introspective debut LP from this project and draws greatly on themes of love and loss, pulling from Cooke’s past experiences with partners and friends. There has also always been the influence of the east coast in Cooke’s music and ocean/nature imagery is a recurring motif in songs like “Forever Wild,” “Where I’m From” and “Regrets & Wonders.” Using these metaphors and personal anecdotes, the album conveys an overall sentiment that through the ups and downs of life, we can choose to see the brighter side.