Toronto’s Graham Ko is an accomplished guitarist with a soulful voice, who developed his craft as a private student of legendary Rik Emmett (Triumph). When Graham hits the stage, nobody sits still; audience members lose themselves in the colourful melodies and lyrical messages.
Warm and uplifting, “One Step Forward” is the first song among many to come that will fall under the overarching theme of hope. “I was having a very difficult time, working a job I hated,” Graham explains. “My family was far away, and everything seemed to be in this constant downward spiral. Trying to shake off this terrible feeling I had, I said to myself, ‘things will get better as long as you’re taking steps in the right direction, all it takes is one step.’”
Tessa Balaz is multi-disciplinary artist from Sudbury, Ontario. Having played cello in the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, as well as performed in numerous musicals, Balaz has spent the better part of the last decade writing and producing original music and collaborating as a member of production teams for major artists including Daniel Caesar, Drake, The Weeknd, Migos, and Mariah Carey.
Her single, “Wisemen,” reflects on the metaphors she has found in the biblical story of the Three Wise Men as it relates to her upbringing in a religious household, which made it difficult to live as her authentic self.
There is a guttural feeling of loneliness in this haunting track, which centers around Tessa’s voice, with guitar and cello accompaniment.
“I think it was difficult for me to be who I am at my core – black, queer, bold, sensuous – because of the utter shame I always felt from this upbringing,” explains Balaz.
“I think we are always, in a way, searching for that authenticity in our lives. I’m grateful to have found it and now try to face anything that makes me fearful rather than bury it down.”
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 spent the intervening years travelling, opened a business, taught kung-fu, and started a family, all the while continuing to play guitar in-studio and live, with artists such as Socalled and Radio Radio.
Returning to writing his own music, Kim is sharing “Halfway” under the name Apollo Lovely. Dedicated to new beginnings, Kim wrote this confident yet understated soul infused pop track on a life-changing four month long trip to Northern India that brought him back to music.
The Impliers latest single, “Bad Bad Man” will take you on a trip from beginning to end. This wavy new single is not one you want to miss, with psychedelic, alternative, and indie-rock elements throughout. Compared to artists such as Tame Impala, Radiohead, and The Beach Boys, it is clear they take alt-indie music to a new level. This new single is unlike anything the music industry has ever heard before.
The Impliers are making strikingly original music for the future from the bones of the present. The songwriting and production duo of multi-instrumentalists Dan and Charles is currently emerging from the Denver underground, riding a sound wave crafted from oddly-tuned guitars, textured synths, electronic beats, pumping bass and complex Beach Boys level vocal harmonies.
Dan and Charles began making music together at age 15 and had an immediate impact on the underground indie scene that also produced Future Islands, Valiant Thorr, and Municipal Waste. By age 17, their songs earned placement on compilations alongside diverse popular acts such as Of Montreal, Fugazi, Jawbreaker, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Converge. Eventually, the duo embarked on their own creative paths into mastering self-production but remained connected through shared interests in art, mental health, and the unknown. Each contributes unique skills and artistry that seamlessly interlocks with the other and allows their music to go from tight, vivid arrangements to raw, ethereal ambience and back again.
Canadian blues singer Miss Emily has released a poignant single, “The Medicine,” inspired by the people around her who succumbed to their addictions, and how it affected their families and the children left behind.
“The main goal of this song is to help families affected by this epidemic feel like they aren’t alone,” said Miss Emily. “Their stories and the stories of their loved ones are important and that the current opioid abuse crisis is one worth drawing more attention to.”
“The Medicine” was recorded at Noble Street Studio in Toronto with multiple Grammy and Juno award winning producer Gavin Brown. It features Chris Caddell (Big Wreck, Colin James) on guitar, Marc Rogers (Susan Tedeschi, The Philosopher Kings) on bass, Gavin Brown on drums and Matt Kelly (City and Colour) on keys.
Miss Emily was the 2019 Winner of the Maple Blues ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’, ‘New Artist of the Year’ and the Sapphire Award for Blues Video of the Year (Canadian Blues Awards). Miss Emily is currently nominated for ‘Female Vocalist of the Year’ for the 2021 Maple Blues Awards. “The Medicine” is the first song to be released from Emily’s upcoming album, to be released in October 2022.
nodisco. is the moniker of musician Chris Toufexis. His first project, Who Knew I’d Write Songs About You?, released in May 2021 and has accumulated more than 4 million streams to date. Glittered with everything from shoegaze to new jack swing, the project set the stage for nodisco.’s endless and ever changing sonic palette.
This upcoming project is no different. The first taste so far is the latest single, “In Bloom.” nodisco. once again is letting us into his cinematic world, much like an episodic TV show, as the listener must eagerly await each song to have the pieces all come together on the full release TBA.
“‘In Bloom’ is a sonic recollection of my most memorable night in Los Angeles the summer of 2021,” Toufexis explains. “I played a rooftop acoustic show, met a bunch of people, and ended the night skinny dipping with the same people in Venice Beach. It truly felt like living through a TV show episode. The whole vision behind this song was to create the soundtrack to that night and I think it does that well.”
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