It’s hard not to do what you love. Kim Ho, born in Montreal, knows that all too well. In 2012, he was having a blast trotting the globe while fronting his alt-dance pop band, Creature. Nominated for a JUNO Award, the band recorded their second album in London with a big time American producer, only for the label to decide not to release it.

Kim unveils his self-titled debut album under the name Apollo Lovely on June 10, 2022. Combining the old school soul and R&B that Kim loved as a kid, with his previous band’s pop sensibility, Apollo Lovely is the cool older brother; smoother, and just a little more laid back. The music has an upbeat and sultry swagger that is perhaps a reflection of Kim’s new found confidence and freedom as an independent artist.

The latest single, “Next To You,” is about the protagonist sitting next to the beautiful woman initially spotted across the room in a crowded bar, hitting it off and falling head over heels. But, this is a fantasy, later revealed to be an imagined love which can sometimes feel just as real.

JULIANA EYE is an alt-pop artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based out of Toronto. Her obsession with pop melodies, 90s & early-00s guitar tones, paired with a mesmerizing voice has given EYE’s sound a unique blend of nostalgia and melancholy. 

Ethereal new single, “Dreaming,” is a lush and evocative rendition of the 1970’s Blondie hit; fusing subtle hints of new wave synth textures, dreamy guitars, and alluring vocals.

https://www.liinks.co/julianaeye

With nods to Blondie videos and Debbie Harry’s style, the “Dreaming” video mimics being in a dream-like state. Slow-motion performance shots are intercut with vignettes of everyday objects used in an abstract way.

Olivia Pasqueralli, a.k.a. Baby O, is a Toronto-based queer musician. So far, she has released a handful of singles such as “Love Letter,” “Fast Lane,” and “29,” which have garnered attention from CBC Music and Exclaim!

Now, she’s back with her feel-good anthem, “N.G.B.,” written about her experience growing up queer in an Italian-Canadian Catholic family. It’s a playful and proud song for folks who might be experiencing a lot of self-doubt or are uncertain about their future. 

“There’s a common pattern in my life – and probably in the lives of many women, femmes, and queers in general – sacrificing our own joy just to be pleasant and not abrasive to others,” said Baby O. 

Filipina woman: assimilating to achieve validation, feeling alienated amongst her peers, and the anxieties of editing or censoring herself to blend in. 

Her playful follow-up single, “Five-Year Plan,” is inspired by the often toxic 9-to-5 work culture and looking at it through a critical lens. 

“Not to be facetious, but when I was writing this song, I felt pop-ish and playful with it in a ‘fuck capitalism’ and ‘fuck the corporate machine’ kind of way,” explains Nucum. “It’s a mix of being nonchalant but still very much annoyed with capitalist-hierarchical-bureaucratic bullshit.”

“In my corporate career, I went through severe burnout and stress that led me to come home from work crying almost every night for several weeks,” said Nucum. “I eventually developed anxiety and had to go to therapy in order to be able to function as a human being. Anxiety is something I’m still managing to this day and I recognize it may never go away. This is reality for countless people working in the corporate world, where employers prioritize profits and their “five-year plan” over the health and wellbeing of their workers.”

At the age of 20, Avery Raquel isn’t new to songwriting, and has won numerous awards including as a Finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest three times. In late 2018, Avery released her third solo album, My Heart Away, which was composed of all original music, written by the accomplished and maturing artist. 

Above all her other projects, Avery’s fourth album is a true representation of who she is as an artist. She’s found her voice, her sound, the style of music she loves to create and perform. That’s why this album is self-titled – it’s like re-introducing Avery Raquel to the world.

Stream + share the LP in full: https://ffm.to/averyraquel

Punchy new single, “You Said,” evokes a moment of new love and how exciting that feeling can be. After so much depression and isolation, it’s refreshing to feel awake again.: https://soundcloud.com/averyraquelmusic/you-said

Melted Wings is the multi-genre musical project of Michael Wynn, guitarist and founding member of bands Trains of Winter and Vicky von Vicky. His ‘80s synth pop-inspired new single, “Deep Scars,” follows the success of “Capture Love,” both from his upcoming LP, Cheer For The Deer.

“This album was a labour of love, over the course of the early part of the pandemic,” said Wynn. “The process was similar to a painter painting a picture – adding colours (in this case sounds) with deliberate and improvised paint brush strokes until the sought after mood was found.”
The record was self-produced and self-recorded at Wynn’s home over the course of the last few years, and mixed by Nixon Boyd (Hollerado, Anyway Gang, TV Sets). Cheer For The Deer is out now.