With ‘Opening Scene’, SoulNidus’ release the rarest of love songs; one that draws as much emotional weight from the everyday feelings that accompany loving someone as it does from the enormity of love’s impact on every aspect of life.

As lead singer/songwriter, E states:
“It’s not about anyone or any moment specifically. It’s purely about how I feel about love.” For E and Sal, SoulNidus is a fusion of the disciplines each excels in and a byproduct of their creative lifestyle. “We’ve always looked at this as more than a band,” E explains, citing Sal’s contributions musically and as a photographer and designer, which, ever since their first shows at venues like Sneaky Dee’s in the mid-2000s, and in tandem with E’s uniquely personal lyrical sensibilities, has been a driving factor in their work together. E refers to that work as the result of an “addiction to creation” – an addiction that began during his youth in their family’s home, and only deepened after he began sharing his music with others.

SoulNidus cemented their reputation for music that was impossible to pigeonhole with a sound that, while reminiscent of Coldplay, Mumford & Sons, and Nick Cave, was entirely their own. They also expanded on the interplay between their recorded music and visual artistry; self-producing and directing videos for multiple singles.

“Opening Scene’ is a meditation on the blend of frailty and strength that compels us to risk rejection and seek out those connections over and again.
“It’s about loving and the fear of losing what you love, but it’s also about letting go, and dealing with all of that while feeling completely helpless the whole time,” E says. “These aren’t 21st-century problems. They’re not first world problems. They’re universal and, perhaps, one of the few common elements left in the world for us to share.”

Odario releases his epic new single and video “Low Light (In This Space)” for the delight of our ears. Odario is the leader and MC of live hip hop band, Grand Analog. He is also the host of CBC’s national afterdark radio show. He was prominently featured on A Tribe Called Red’s single Ba-Na-Na along with Haviah Mighty as well as the video. He was similarly featured on Ghost Caravan’s single Damn You and, again, in the video.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Odario, to dive a bit deeper into his video and world. Catch it below!

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

Low Light (In This Space) is basically about checking your ego at the door before entering a space. It’s about being responsible for the energy you bring into a space. I feel ego is the main issue with our political and social make-up today… and there is far too much negative energy in the fabric. I enjoy the sporadic movement of this song. I like that Low Light feels contained, but has very little structure to it. So I chose to reflect all of that visually. The space provided in the video is contained, but the movement happening inside (by the dancers) has no structure.

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

I’ve wanted to work with dancer & choreographer Dammecia Hall for some time now, but never had the perfect song to chop it up with. We’ve been close friends for many years and I’ve always admired the way she listens to my music and interprets it in her own unique way. I’ve always wanted to make a video that allowed dance & movement to define the lyrics. I really appreciate the art of dance… maybe because I wish I was a better dancer. I’m always intrigued with what visual artists see when listening to my music… it usually results into something I never see. For this video, I wanted the dancers to define this song I wrote about the gospel of anger… a hunt for an answer.

3. What was the process of making this video?

I worked closely with cinematographer Lucas Joseph and editor Max Taeuschel. They are brilliant. We all agreed that the visuals should match the high energy bounce of Low Light, but also match it’s sporadic nature. I wanted the dancers to own their space, while being in the moment at the same time, and not be concerned about where the camera is. It was up to Lucas & Max to capture those moments. We went with a raw approach to shooting… no steady cam, no blocking. The stacks of speakers in the video were actually being used, and turned up to the max! It was a loud space that night. And we definitely felt the music when shooting.

Find Odario via:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/odariowilliams 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Odario/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/38HVjlel5vjoDZZNDdxEgG 

Website:https://odario.com/

Two words describe Jacquie Drew’s latest single “Affliction” best – soft and strong. Although these seem a bit oxymoronic, there is no better definition. To the listener’s ear, the instrumentation and Jacquie’s voice are unbelievably soothing; however when one dials into the lyricism, “I wouldn’t say you’re an addiction ‘cause I don’t want a cure” it’s clear the content Drew is discussing is a deep pull and longing for her love. The powerful word choice shows just how intense these feelings run for Drew. It really is a wonderfully conflicting universe she creates between content and soundscape.

Songs like “Affliction” are a breath of fresh air in modern music due to their rawness. This track is a cleverly arranged masterpiece with a mix of modern folk and a nostalgic sound similar to Fleetwood Mac. Drew did an amazing job preserving the organic beauty by not over saturating the original recording with modern effects.

According to Jacquie, “Affliction asks about commitment – whether one should plunge into something fully, or continue hanging on by the edge. It can be interpreted as a relationship with a person or with a passion, and the similarity between the two.”

Listen to “Affliction” below:

“Along the Way: The Journey Begins” is the debut release of Peter Hlavin, also known to his fans as Journeyman which he shared on the first of February 2020.

Hlavin wasn’t wrong when choosing his artist name, because we have never had an artist take us on such an extensive and colorful journey, musically. With extremely different and unique vocalists on each track of this album, Journeyman is the visionary behind each song, with his mission to bring joy through music to all who are on a path of their own, and walking in the midst of their own journey… because if you think about it- aren’t we all?

Journeyman is an eclectic artist, mastering tracks in various different genres, it’s hard to put this artist in one single genre box, so we won’t even attempt to.

When listening to this album, it feels as though we are on a journey around the world, listening to different artists, at different levels of their career, in a lane of their own. As almost any and all music has the ability to do, this album makes you feel at home, comfortable yet excited to get into the next song, and join in on the journey with the next featured artist.

It’s as if our favorite artist did a feature album, and brought in brand new artists who you have never heard of, yet have fallen in love with them from the second you heard the first note sung. Journeyman is a master at choosing features to be in his project, and we have full trust in him and his musical capabilities. With that being said… you can find us playing “Along The Way: the Journey Begins” on rotation for the next few weeks

https://open.spotify.com/album/3S5tOZ3z9JXe2YofbFpsyk?si=0lkwF4adQ0SzYDcWjYEozQ

Nashville artist Matty Ride is gearing up for a ton of new releases this year. The first of many, “Lower Case Love” was released along with an awesome video that we got the chance to get Matty’s insights on. Read his answers below!

Happy Freuds is one of our favorite gems of the year. Releasing the new single “Why,” the track was written by award winning Spanish poet and author, Fernando Garcia, who is a major fan of the band. The group who currently hails from Spain, puts Rock n’ Roll back on the map.

Happy Freuds share of the collaboration:

“During a concert in Valencia 2 years back, we met Fernando, who attended our concert. Establishing a friendship bridging both generations and music. Fernando has since been a strong support of the Happy Freuds music. Publicly stating things like “among the best band coming from Spain the last years”.

Early December, we drove to Valencia to attend one of his first public performances in long time at a very small venue on the backstreets of Valencia. There Fernando performed WHY. Less than 24 hours later, back home in the studio, we played it more or less straight through and got it recorded. Low key production and yet, such a brilliant track.”

The track is a full on musical explosion,  that shows the very essence of the band. They bring to life the music and hard hitting rock of the 70s and 90s, as their music comes to life within every note. It’s raw and real, and in your face…in the best possible way. Swirling instrumentation carry throughout the song that brings the very essence of the band to life.

“Why” is taken from the group’s upcoming full length album that should see the light of day this year….and are ears are ready for more.

Find the group via:

Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Youtube Channel