In his final year of high school in Hamilton, Ontario, James Alphonse received a diagnosis for a chronic illness that he thought would end his ability to perform. He disengaged from a lot of the activities that gave him pleasure until the community from his university and music scene encouraged him to return. Their kind efforts to help him return have inspired him to make and perform music to foster those same community values that brought him back to songwriting.

Departing from previous rock, folk, and jazz projects, James immersed himself in sounds more reminiscent of Pop/R&B, although soul and rock remain inspirations. 

After a 3-year writing hiatus, James has released his new song, “What Are We Doing Here”, with 80s video game synths, punchy chord progressions, and catchy guitar riffs.

“Right Back Where We Started,” the first single Max is sharing from the forthcoming EP, is upbeat yet sentimental, and imbued with a feeling of nostalgia as if you’re going back in time to a happier place.

Listen in here:

https://soundcloud.com/max-ciuffetelli-parker/right-back-where-we-started-1/s-T3V3BAlvJbS

18-year-old Max Parker, a Canadian singer-songwriter and pop artist from Toronto, ON, burst onto the music scene with versatility and hooks galore back in 2018. Now, with award winning producers and songwriters, including John Nathaniel (One Republic, Switchfoot, Marie Mai), Derek Hoffman (Ralph, Caveboy), Connor Seidel (Charlotte Cardin, Ralph), Joel Stouffer (Ria Mae, bülow, Dragonette) and more slated to work on his forthcoming project, Max is looking forward to releasing his debut EP later this year. 

Speaker Face is an award-winning earthy electronic band that melds the sounds of nature and machines. Combining acoustic instruments, voice and wilderness sounds with computers and synths, Speaker Face creates beats and sonic landscapes that immerse the listener in melody, groove and mood.

Listen in here!

The band recently released a rhythmic new single, “Work Friends,” that is warm yet melancholic about the way we live our lives today. This is a song for the people who work jobs they don’t like with people they have to pretend to like – letting that person know that their real friends love them.

All Sam the Astronaut wants to do is move you. Whether that be by way of their infectious beats and melodies sparking a blaze throughout your body that turns into a dance, or emotionally through those same elements weaving around powerful lyricism. The combination of Garrison Johnson’s distinct rich vocals and TJ Gibson’s dynamic production offers up anthemic West Coast alt-pop that feels both contemporary and reminiscent of the classic hits across your favourite party playlist. 

“High for You,” the newest single off of the duo’s forthcoming Midnight Carlight LP (out August 28), is a bonafide summer anthem and an ode to the nostalgic sounds of 2000’s electro pop.  Midnight Carlight is a discipline of love. While Sam the Astronaut explored (and you will hear) many decades of inspiration on this record, the foundation is very much in the ’80s. In production, the pair sprinted down every hallway they could. In song, they only recorded what they thought was lightning in a bottle. 

When the world went into lockdown earlier this year Matt Mays took the opportunity to challenge himself as a songwriter, musician and producer. His album Dog City was written from the perspective of a rescue dog and recorded in a makeshift studio in Mays’ garage. On May 17th, Mays uploaded Dog City to Bandcamp. On August 28th, Sonic Records/Warner Music Canada will release the mastered album to digital music services worldwide and the vinyl LP will be available September 25th.

The focus track for the album is “Dan N’ Shaniqua,” a light, uptempo song about a rescue dog on a journey to meet it’s new parents for the first time.