Emerging from the depths of Basement, Ontario, a fictional town with real town spirit, Nothing Serious are John Ward, Edward Lee, and Connor Ricketts. The trio have spent the last 16 months writing, creating, and re-branding themselves, resulting in the release of their brand new EP.
From desperation, to wishing to run away forever, to difficult conversations, Welcome to Basement, Ontario captures the absolute whirlwind of emotions that followed having to be locked down for several months at a time.
Produced and recorded by Anton Delost, latest single, “Tongue Tied,” is about a fallout with someone once close to you.
From The Wilderness of Manitoba’s inception, the band has redefined itself with every new release. Following a three year hiatus, they return with a new line-up and forthcoming album, Farewell To Cathedral – about leaving your safe place in order to move forward and grow. Many of the album’s songs deal with loss through the eyes of hope – believing in the hope one can find through melancholy.
The LP’s latest offering, “Sometimes,” centres around disillusionment and doubt – an anti-love song in the folk tradition about all of the parts within a relationship that don’t seem to quite fit together at times. However, hopefulness prevails in the chorus’ refrain which is an ultimate reminder that we only feel this way “Sometimes.”
Created and directed by Maggie Gray using both stop motion and timelapse photography techniques, the video depicts the common experience of grieving a relationship’s end.
Made up of Jacq Andrade and Alex Zen, Favours are readying the release of their Left Behind EP for later this year. Embodying a fresh dream pop, new wave sound inspired by the duo’s shared love of 80’s new wave and DIY post-punk, Left Behind features Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene) on bass, the engineering chops of Dylan Franklin (Tallies), and the mixing prowess of Alexandre Bonenfont.
The EP’s newest single, “Call Me,” is about life/relationship cycles and the possibilities that come from a new start. Acoustic guitar brightens each verse while the synth becomes the musical through-line of the song. Produced by Mark Andrade, this tune is infused with a harmonious combination of Mark’s pop sensibilities with Alex’s stream-of-consciousness type lyrics. Add a dash of Jacq’s synth-pop sensibilities in the chorus and hook and “Call Me” becomes a blend of dreamy, shoegaze, and 80s inspired sounds.
5omerset is a genre bending singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist creating catchy and unique melodies with memorable lyrics. After years of playing in rock bands and touring, 5omerset started a solo career inspired by songs from the past and sounds from the future.
“SAID TO ME (Feat. J.Roque)” incorporates hip-hop and rap, a breakup song about moving on from your past and cutting ties with any toxic relationships or behaviour that held you back in the past.
Ekelle is a multi-genre artist and songwriter from Toronto who rhymes about what she knows best: her real-life experience. Money, sex, drama and identity stir together to create a style that she calls Hood Pop – popular music with a street edge that combines elements of hip hop, pop music and R&B.
Sexy ‘80s inspired single “Slide” brings back the fun of looking forward to getting together with someone you desire. This is the push to slide into those DMs, send that text, and make your move.
As an Emergency Department Administrator, Christian singer/songwriter Howard Lull is no stranger to pain and the woes of our world. He experiences daily the agony of people who suffer physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds. These connections with people are what have inspired his music and his ministry. With contemporaries such as Keith Green, Paul Clark, Randy Stonehill, Casting Crowns, and Neil Diamond, Howard’s goal in the field of music is to take the classic sounds of worship and share it in all it’s raw and real stories.
His new album, A Blue August Journey, released September 21, contains 14 songs, each about the glory of God and how He not only changed Howard’s life, but how He can affect your life too. As a child, Howard’s father died in Vietnam, leaving a fatherless hole in his life that he has since tried to fill. A large part of the mission of his music is to minister to those who walk in those shoes. “I had to come to a place of total reliance on God for all areas of my life. I had to live Matthew 6:33. Seeking not only His kingdom, but also His righteousness,” exclaims Howard.
The album opens with a powerful song called “Yeah I Failed,” a Michael Jackson meets rock style of music accompanied by Howards voice, similar to that of Toby Keith. It’s about how he has failed, and failed big. But in the end, God forgave him anyway, even if he didn’t necessarily deserve forgiveness. He sings “Yeah, I failed and found out who I am, fell right in your hands, one more imperfect man” about his own journey to finding his faith. We are all flawed, but that’s what makes us human and that’s why Jesus died.
All of his songs are about Howard’s journey that can translate to other’s paths. To mix it up, every song is a different genre married with the broader Christian genre. You get “Can I Pray For You” and “Transformed” which employ the piano and organ to create more angelic sounds. You get “I Got What I Prayed For” and “Walk This Way” which lean more to country rock. He throws in some pop rock inspired songs with “I Will Die Young” and “Give A Damn” as well. But for those who really like the classic christian music sound, he gives you that too in “Stand Upon Your Knees” and “C’mon Let’s Dance.”
His most interesting song is “You’re Not Alone” as it’s a stark contrast to the rest of the songs on the album. Where every other track is through Howard’s point of view, “You’re Not Alone” is sung through God’s point of view. It’s a ballad to us humans that we are never truly alone, that God is always there.
Howard’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and strength to find out who he is and what his purpose is. He says “I can now walk with my head held high, having a relationship with a God that accepts me for who I am and who has forgiven me for who I was and uses me to speak of His love, forgiveness, and security to others. This is the essence of my music. I walked everything I sing of.” You can find A Blue August Journey on Spotify now. Be sure to give it a listen.
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