Actor Ian Lake’s arrival in the Canadian music landscape has reached a new milestone, with his debut album, What It Is, sharing his journey from fragile vulnerability to courage and resolve. Written during the long isolation of 2020 and produced by Matthew Barber, the eight songs cover loss and hope, yearning and regret, and ultimately, the strength that comes from acceptance.

Upbeat and full of energy, the toe-tapping rocker “More” is unexpected after the slower, more emotional offerings Lake has made so far. With a wicked synth melody, a steady drum beat, and a vibe that will make you want to sing along in your car, the versatile performer reveals a personal struggle and recognizes that it’s time to let go.

Reeny Smith is a powerhouse on the stage and in the studio, whether she is playing with a full band, as a trio, or solo on the keys. A songwriter, musician, and producer, she was first recognized in 2011 with the Portia White Award for Excellence in Vocal Performance. Reeny has since amassed a long list of awards and accolades, including three African Nova Scotia Music Awards for Up and Coming Artist, Rising Star, and Artist of the Year.

Her extraordinary vocals, confident stage presence and energetic live show make for a truly unforgettable and entertaining experience. Now she shines on the empowering new single, “Goodbye,” of which she says “We’ve all had to walk away from something or someone. Hopefully this message will give listeners courage to say ‘Goodbye’ to the negativity in their lives.”

Mobina Galore are a vocally aggressive power chord punk act based out of Winnipeg, MB. With a decade together under their belts, Jenna and Marcia have been building their voices – musically and literally – since they first started out in their Fernie, B.C. jam room. Mobina Galore structure their sound around huge choruses, soaring guitar riffs, intense vocal and musical dynamics, and personal lyrics about life and death.

New single, “Whiskey Water,” is a party – a celebration of life, if you will. It’s about summer nights with friends you see on the road, drinking wine straight from the bottle and moments that you never want to end. Sometimes these moments are brought on by the pain of losing someone you love when you’re miles away from home, but it’s your family on the road that helps you through those times to create perfect moments.

Montreal-based pop punk band Blurry Eyes are releasing their fast and upbeat new single, “Quicksand.” This song was inspired by a little bout of depression that was felt during lockdown – where you feel stuck in quicksand, nothing moves, nothing changes, and everything feels heavy.

With this song, Blurry Eyes hopes to reach out to others to let them know that no one is going through hard times alone, and that there are people out there who will support you. 

“The group singing at the end represents to me the fact that we’re not alone,” says primary songwriter Marc-Andre Beaudet. ”By the end we’re a whole group feeling the same way together.”

Calgary based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Bourne returns with another fun breakup song in the form of “End Of Story.” 

“A psych-pop hymn to love in the ‘late time’, I wrote most of ‘End Of Story’ on my front stoop at golden hour, soaking up the rays in the aftermath of a toxic entanglement. Doo-wop chords propel a whistful, paradoxical lyric (with perhaps an echo of Daniel Johnston via Beatles), and there’s this sense of contradiction, the non-linearity of memory, of time. I wanted the words to have a quality the rational mind can’t fix on; to be slightly caustic yet somehow at peace – with the music remaining defiantly happy – drifted in some sweet beyond. ‘End Of Story’ is a kind of peace spell, cast by a phantom remembering a life.” —Ryan Bourne

Dead Levee, the old-school Saskatchewan-based rock band, are sharing “Rise Up,” a pedal to the metal redemption rock song. 

Produced in collaboration with JUNO Award-winner, Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Nickelback, Rise Against), this high energy track was written to stoke listeners’ internal fire and is the title track from their new EP.

 We’ve all got our problems

Welcome to the lion’s den 

We’ve all gotta solve ‘em, baby 

And get back in the saddle again

“You can overcome the adversity you’re facing and come out on top with a stronger mentality, drive and appreciation for what you’re passionate about,” explains bassist Tayler “Izzy” Morgan of the song’s themes.