Seven-piece outfit Augusta debuted on Toronto’s rock scene last year with the release of their debut single, “Little Birds.” Officially added to Sportsnet’s rotation, you can hear “Little Birds” weekly on the channel’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. The group have since been hard at work on their debut EP, and are excited to share another offering.
“Better Off” was written during Augusta’s first band retreat. Leading members Joe Dent, Zach Stuckey and August Jones went to the latter’s cottage to write music from scratch together for the first time. This is the first of four songs to be released from that session. It is also the first song to be released that was recorded from start to finish in August’s bedroom.
Written to be an anthem, “Better Off” hears the band add strings to their musical repertoire and features a whole group of their talented friends singing on the chorus.
The Weather Holds is the latest project and supergroup formed by Montreal-based producer and composer Devon Bate whose career is rife with secret contributions to contemporary Canadian music, theatre, and dance. As the producer behind JUNO Award and Polaris Prize winning albums for artists such as Jeremy Dutcher and Jean-Michel Blais, Devon has built friendships and relationships that have shaped his compositional voice. The Weather Holds is fundamentally about recognizing those connections, bringing disparate worlds of Canadian indie and contemporary classical music together, grounded in prairie soil and nourished with a Montrealaise spirit of experimentation.
New single, “It Feels So Strange,” is about what it feels like to age, but also laughs at the seriousness of those feelings. These tectonic inner transformations and the profound feelings of conviction as a younger person – Devon is singing to their validity, but with a warmth and humour he couldn’t have had while in the thick of them.
Edge of the Wilderness is the provocative new EP from the indie electro-pop artist Jessica Cotten. The 6 song EP is Jessica’s aim at political and cultural uproar. It calls out failed leaders, corrupt systems, and hypocritical faith.
“This is a big deal for me, but I felt like I had to speak up,” Jessica says. “I wrote these songs out of a need to express my feelings, and share my experiences of existing alongside broken systems. I didn’t intend for the songs to be a way of exposing harmful people and ways of thinking, but, as I wrote, these things needed to be named. I was angry when I wrote a lot of these songs, and I’m still angry.”
Edge of the Wilderness is ambient and atmospheric as her dream pop elements blend with the electro-elements. Her voice is angelic and calm juxtaposed against her guttural lyrics. Each song tackles something different. Opening the EP is “City on Fire.” This song was written during the political unrest spanning 2016-2020. Jessica found herself separating herself from toxic people and cultures as she watches everything fall apart around her. The overall message is that of hope, however. It’s meant to say, “this way of doing things is broken; it’s falling apart, and we need to let it fall apart so we can build something new and healthy.”
“My Heroes” points out gender discrimination, the lust for power, continued systemic misogyny, and the idea that leadership means putting people last and putting personal drive and success first. “Another Love” follows with the theme of Christianity and the hypocrisy it often boasts. But “Reach Out To Me” follows with a strike of love and hope as she explores how we are all connected which is why we should all care more for each other.
“Steady Now” was actually written as a piece of a poem from one of the novels Jessica wrote. “This particular character is a strong, fierce woman who always knows what to do, and this poem/song is her talking to herself in the midst of a really painful, scary loss,” Jessica reveals.
The EP wraps up with “Every Golden Hour,” a mostly ambient instrumental song about Jessica’s dog, who unfortunately is no longer here. It’s about connection, that even though he’s gone, their spirits are still connected.
Making Edge of the Wilderness marks a powerful journey overcoming anxiety, fear, and showing up for yourself, even if that means stepping out into the unknown. “Music is in my soul and it makes me come alive,” Jessica says. “I hope that my words, stories, and melodies offer the world a place to breathe and a sense of connection to the deeper meanings of life.”
Modern Mystery 
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