Based out of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Carleton Stone is an award-winning artist, a songwriter with a growing list of credits, and a founding member of the group Port Cities. 

Ahead of his new solo release this June 2022, Stone has shared the latest single, “Papercut.” Written with collaborators Mo Kenney and Kayleigh O’Connor, it’s upbeat with a driving acoustic guitar part like a Tom Petty song, but the darker lyrics juxtapose the music. The title “Papercut” encapsulates the emotions of the character in this song –  obviously not very happy with his current situation, he seems to be going through the motions in a life that isn’t completely terrible, but just slightly painful and annoying like a “Papercut.”

On New Year’s Eve 2021, Justin Wiesinger took a leap of faith to pursue a full time career in pop music and songwriting. He is thrilled to grab this year by the horns and show the world what it looks like to be a passionate dealer in hope through energetic collaborations with other up-and-coming artists and producers. Justin is armed with a chest full of catchy tunes he plans to release over the year, and backed by an amazing team of friends to support his pursuits in becoming a household name and inspiring thousands of young people.

The hopefully melancholic new single, “FOMO,” released under the name WIESINGER, encompasses the fear of missing out everyone felt during the pandemic. Instead of loving people and using things, we found ourselves using people and loving things. We all bought an air fryer and collected possessions in order to feel that hole that only connection with others and community can fill.

Mary Clements is a singer-songwriter based out of Hamilton, ON, who uses her music to explore the world around her. Rooted in piano and voice, her songs can sometimes sound like indie-folk, pop, classical or even country. Her sincere vocals combined with the textures of her production create an experience that is simple and authentic. New single, “Farmer Song,” was written from the perspective of a son who is contemplating whether or not he is willing and even capable of taking over his family’s farm from his father. Filmed, directed and edited by Clements on a family farm in Ontario, the video shows the song’s main character’s expression light and happy as he thinks about his family memories contrasted with the heaviness of the consideration to let the farm go.

Opeongo, the moniker of singer-songwriter Keegan Trumpour, is following up his 2019 debut, Miasma, with sophomore LP, we’ll all go with (the-will-o’-the-wisp), produced by Aaron Goldstein.

Kamouraska is a beautiful town along the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec and the title of his focus track, a ballad about an abused woman in Canada in the 1800s who murders her spouse to finally put an end to her suffering, only to find that she will now have to suffer in a very different way as a fugitive of the law. At least now the suffering is her own, and as such the protagonist feels a certain catharsis and justice in her actions. 

“The album title comes from a misheard lyric in ‘Farewell Transmission’ by Jason Molina. One of the alternating lines is ‘will-o’-the-wisp,’ which I always heard as ‘we’ll all go with.’ In literature, the phenomenon of the ‘will-o’-the-wisp’ acknowledges a fool’s errand, unattainable aspirations, a dark conclusion to a sought-after light. And so I put the two together as an acknowledgement of life’s futility and the inevitability of death and loss.” —Opeongo

After several years of working on different projects and touring across Canada, Tony, Simon, Deiz and Jack decided to form Tarbox. Through their post-grunge and alternative vibe, the band gives groove and a new flavour to these styles.The band has always been attracted by the 90’ sound in whatever they wrote. From the earliest stage of the project, nothing had ever been clearer. With this new wave coming back to life, Tarbox aspires to be a part of it and work towards making this 90’ sound relevant again.

Tarbox decided to create a Beatles cover of “Dear Prudence” after the release of the “Get Back” documentary series. It reminded the band of their admiration for The Beatles, and with the encouragement of their bassist, Simon, the band decided to rewrite “Dear Prudence” as a Tarbox song. They mixed the structures, played around with parts of the song and took on a more uplifting mood than their usual sound, while also keeping the original heart of the song intact.

The artwork of this new single is an homage to The Beatles’ self-titled white album. As for the clip of the song, it really refers to the “Get Back” documentary where Tarbox is playing in a big industrial-esque minimalist room. The cloudy temperature you see outside of the huge industrial windows evokes the stereotypical weather of London, UK, but at the same time, Montreal’s Jacques-Cartier bridge is painting the background as a shoutout to the city where the band comes from. The band also dressed up a little cleaner than usual to meet up the standards of the late 60s.

Fake Shape is an Alternative-Indie band from Hamilton, Ontario that formed in September 2018. All five musicians offer their own aesthetic, creating music that falls between funk, indie-rock, pop and ambient electronic. They have been writing and recording at Fort Rose in Hamilton and are getting ready to release their debut EP, Night Swim.

The band’s cynical and resonant new single, “’Nother Thought,” is about trying to convince yourself that you’re okay when you’re not. It’s about the feeling of trivializing your moods and emotions, instead of fully accepting them. In the end, the song ends positively about overcoming the dark creatures in your mind. 

Singer/songwriter Chester Edington wanted his voice to sound ragged for the recording, and to achieve that, he did jumping jacks before each vocal take. Though truthfully, the best way to hear that sound is to come see Fake Shape perform live, where the band really gives it their all and don’t have to try to fake the ragged vocals.