Vancouver alt-rock duo Dear Rouge have unveiled the details of Spirit, their third full-length album due out April 22, 2022. The band stated “Spirit is the most vulnerable and raw side of Danielle’s inner thoughts, and the line being thrown from these questions and deep reckonings within oneself, urging you to grab hold and hang on for dear life.” 

Along with revealing the album’s name and artwork, the band is sharing another new track – the infectious ear worm “Small Talk.” On the track the band said, “’Small Talk’” asserts how the reality of the world right now has changed our needs, as we are all aching for authentic connection. We don’t have the time or space for “cheap love””.

The band recorded Spirit secluded away from busy cityscapes. Drew and Danielle took up residence in a lakeside cabin shortly after the release of PHASES, their sophomore record. The duo found themselves spending their days alone together, and Spirit began to take form over the winter months. “I had this epiphany,” Danielle shared, “that we needed to come back to ourselves and the joy and comfort we found in each other when we began writing music together”. Her epiphany meant a return to vulnerability, honesty, the enjoyment of their own art and an authenticity in working with what’s true for you. Instead of seeking out high brow co-writers and listening to too many outside voices, Danielle felt compelled to hear those already closest to her. 

James McLeod is a singer-songwriter from Toronto. While his primary focus was instrumental lofi hip-hop production under the name LaFlamme, James yearned to be his own artist with his own voice. His debut full-length album, Is This How Memories Work?, runs the gamut of folktronic, lofi, bedroom pop and indie sounds, exploring the distortion of memories over time. 

Slated for release on March 29th, the LP kicks off with the haunting single “Parkdale” about a night in this neighbourhood recounted as a dream. “All of the seemingly friendly strangers I’d met in my 20s, on closer reflection, more resembled monsters in my 30s.” James summarizes, “‘Parkdale’ is about leaning into your vices even when they no longer serve you merely because it’s convenient to.”

Based in Brampton/Toronto, Canada, the band SICAYDA is a dense combination of genres that emanates a fuzzy, animating, and ethereal aesthetic; their high-powered live performances and unique sound pushes them from shoegaze’s shimmering-gloom roots into a blisteringly powerful sonic direction.

“KYG (KILL YOUR GOD)” their upcoming single, is a companion piece to previous release, “KYE (KILL YOUR EGO). While “KYE” focused on how some in the band’s circle are selling them out to who they perceive will grant them access, “KYG” is about those who artists are sold out to.

The music industry and scene that SICAYDA is a part of only has white people as gatekeepers and so the band has chosen to speak openly about the unfair treatment that non-white individuals in the industry face.

Sonically, “KYG” is a powerful alternative rock song which blends the band’s shoegaze influences with more direct and impassioned vocals. 

The song harnesses emotive anger to depict how those in positions of power within the music industry feel about themselves: huge symbols to worship yet they contribute nothing and tower over the artists that created them.

Les Cooper is an award winning producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from the Greater Toronto Area. He was recently awarded Gold record status for his co-writing and production on the album Chances by Jill Barber. His productions have won JUNO Awards (Meaghan Smith, The Good Lovelies), as well as several JUNO nominations.

Turning to his solo project, Les is sharing “Stranger,” a lush and downtempo piece of songwriting which combines organic and electronic elements. 

You can check out the song here: 

Having spent a lot of time touring as a guitar player, Cooper encountered many wonderful people and in many cases they would all hang out together, regardless of who was famous and who wasn’t. “Stranger” reflects on the individuals who wouldn’t let go of this perceived divide.

“I think that it’s hard for some people to adjust to the reality of life as a regular person after they’ve felt what it was like to be adored and famous,” explains Les. 

This song was born out of a feeling of frustration and the need to “say the kinds of things you’re not really allowed to say to some of these folks.” The track begins calmly but there is a point where it all falls apart and the “real person comes out.”

Tidal Wave is a 7-piece art rock band known for their powerful soundscapes and diverse instrumentation. Their name accurately depicts the tone of an unrelenting force composed of rich textures of guitars and synthesizers, with a delicate balance between soaring string lines and strong vocal melodies.

Following the 2021 release of their self-titled EP, they share a melancholic new single. “‘This Cost Of Life’ is the pain of a relationship ending, but to truly live you need to experience these lows. It makes the highs oh so much higher and therefore is truly a cost of living your life, one that we must all feel from time to time.” —Tidal Wave

SUGARFUNGUS is an indie pop/indietronica band from Vancouver formed remotely in 2020. The 5-piece collective describes themselves as “introverts making dance music,” evoking a certain dream pop meets Pacific Northwest electronica sound.

The debut EP Letting Go, Moving Still out now, presents a set of warm and fuzzy tracks that blend bright guitar lines and atmospheric synths, all the while punctuated by pop-driven hooks that capture the feeling of drifting in and out of a state of sweet, mushroomy bliss. 

“What’s a Used One Worth?” is a song about feeling used and bitter regarding a past relationship. Illustrating a moody night out, spent trying to get your mind off that person and marinating in spite while you dance.