The Saskatoon-born alt-pop singer/songwriter velours is named after the French word for “velvet,” for her beautifully soft voice and her music style. She writes about the human condition, the lyricism colliding with beautifully authentic melodies. CBC has listed her as one of the “12 Sask. musicians changing the sound” of Saskatchewan. 

velours was inspired by a feeling she had of the whole world crumbling around her, though still having a sparkling, vibrant love that grows, despite it all. Her concept of “Flowers in a Wasteland” not only has contrasting imagery, but she also wanted to mix that with a killer upbeat pop rock energy. The idea that something so beautiful and fragile like a flower can thrive in something so visually miserable like a wasteland was such a fun concept to work with. 

The song is produced by multi-platinum, JUNO award-winning producer Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen, Simple Plan, Smash Mouth).

“The concept, style, and song title came seamlessly, but the lyrics took a lot of figuring out,” explains velours. “It was a challenge to find the line between creating imagery of a wasteland and the fun of being in love with someone. I also wasn’t too sure what kind of imagery to use and it wasn’t until my mom––the person who taught me everything I know about literature––suggested I re-read Lord Byron’s poem, ‘Darkness.’ I had so much fun taking from the apocalyptic imagery in the poem and contrasting that with the upbeat sound and feeling of new love.”

Ways In Waves is the brainchild of Brian Raine, a multi-instrumentalist and music producer originally from Yellowknife but currently living out of Edmonton. With malleable form and the spirit of experimentation at its core, the group began as a live duo, and eventually expanded to a five piece live band with Raine picking up vocals as well as guitar and keys parts.

His new song, “Everything Taken” came about from the feeling of unshakeable restlessness that he felt during the height of the pandemic. He began to question: what would it take to make a difference? Why does it feel like doing things the right way accomplishes nothing? 

In the face of a provincial government that seems bound and determined to extend the pandemic as long as possible, to destroy our natural resources and race toward climate catastrophe, Raine began thinking of how being nice was holding him back from doing good. Reflecting upon how the past several years have changed him as a person, he asked himself how much more he would need to change to really be a force for positive 

“The title came to me as I was reflecting upon how much my life has changed over the past couple years, and how I’ve changed as a person. I’m still grieving lost loved ones, broken relationships, and the end of many long threads in life,” says Raine. “In many ways it’s easier to think about having things taken away from me, rather than losing them to circumstances. In reality it’s a bit of both, but I wanted to channel my anger toward the powers that be in this song. I’m choosing to focus on what I would need to do moving forward as a responsible citizen, as a caring friend, and as someone who wants to be good.”

Singer-songwriter Steve Neville (formerly of The Balconies) is a cancer survivor and reconnecting Métis musician. He was rushed to hospital emergency in February 2021 after a period of rapidly declining health, diagnosed with leukemia and immediately began treatment. 

Steve shares his experiences of fear, sadness, love, and hope on his debut solo LP, OFF TRACK, produced by Liam Jaeger. His song “bitter taste” captures a dreamy state that oscillates between light and darkness. “I woke here, alone in bed. I couldn’t stand the loneliness so I thought of you instead.” At times of isolation, Steve drew inner strength from imagining his partner, who was a constant resource to regain courage and the drive to beat his illness.

A choir boy gone rogue, Fox Revett is a multi-instrumentalist inspired by classic singer-songwriters and ahead-of-the-curb hyperpop trailblazers. His music explores themes of love, loss, sex, and isolation.

“I Think I’m Missing” is a true pop gem, blending textural and experimental instrumentation. Oftentimes we sacrifice our hopes and dreams in the pursuit of something easier, and with that comes a loss of self. So many of us felt displaced, isolated, and experienced loss in these last few years. This song speaks to that feeling of not knowing who or where you are now. 

Fox Revett is working with Canadian music heavy-weights Adrian Morningstar (Birds of Bellwoods), Jack Emblem (Jesse Gold, Daniel Caesar), and Vic Florencia (Olivia Rodrigo) on his debut collection.

Indie folk songwriter and producer, Mike Legere is an indie-folk songwriter and producer now based out of Toronto, ON. After years spent playing with bands like Century Thief and Places Erupt, he embarked on his solo career in 2018. Soon after he began work on his new music, the studio he was working as an engineer at was destroyed by a flash flood. He took this chance to take an extended stay at his family cottage in Fox Harbour (now lovingly referred to as Quarantine Cottage) to write music. 

At the end of an eight year relationship, Legere started writing the title track, “Memory Forming Clouds,” of his upcoming LP of the same name. He was sleeping on a futon during a heat wave, having daily panic attacks, and feeling like the world was collapsing around him. He wrote the verses gradually over a month-long period, as a way of making sense of the experience. 

“When I first started writing the song, I felt sick to my stomach,” explains Legere. “Just processing the words and the intention of that fact that I had chosen to leave what was once a home, and a person who was my home for close to 10 years. I naturally felt out this staccato pulsating on my sister’s classical guitar, it felt like it mirrored my slightly inclined body leaning apprehensively forwards, fighting off a panic attack.”

The album was self-produced, and one of Legere’s intentions was to make sure he brought in some of his talented musician friends for this one, since he had made a point of doing the last one more independently. He brought in his pals Omar Shabbar, Colin McNalley, Adam Reid and Kathryn Kearns from Century Thief, his friend Greg O’Toole from Places Erupt, and a cellist he’d met on tour, Raphael Weinroth-Browne. With such a sentimental album, it only made sense to invite his pal Dante Matas, his brother Stewart Legere who played their grandfather’s old accordion for one of the songs, and his old friend from childhood Ryan McNeillwho  came up to the cottage to visit me for a night and he added a guitar lick to the chaotic bridge in “Memory Forming Clouds.”

Montréal based indie pop duo Down With Space are vocalist/guitarist Rob Helsten and drummer Steve Dumas – the partnership of an English speaker (Helsten) and a French speaker (Dumas) who have found an understanding through music when language can sometimes elude communication. 

“Nostalgia Knows Best” is their bouncy new single about embracing the past and looking to the future. Things change, people come, people go, but in the end it’s not really that different; life goes on and it’s all good. We figure it out.

As experienced audio engineers, it’s only natural that they have adopted a DIY ethos to keep their process in house while creating sounds that are equally balanced between synthesis and organic instruments. As a first for the band, this track has no guitars, it’s synth through and through.