Eunice Keitan is a Malaysian/Canadian singer-songwriter whose music reflects her diverse international background and eclectic influences. With a captivating blend of Neo-Soul and World Folk styles, Eunice creates a unique sonic landscape that is both soulful and innovative.

Her latest offering, “Cobalt Sea,” pushes the envelope a little further by combining South American and Southeast Asian soundscapes. It features both the marimba and gamelan while still remaining in the framework of the soul genre.

At the end of last year, Eunice found herself burnt out, grappling with both mental and physical health challenges. She made the decision to spend several months in Colombia with some family seeking simplicity and a return to her true passion: creating and songwriting. During her stay, she took a Colombian folk percussion class, where she learned to play the tambora and marimba. 

“Cobalt Sea” features a Bunde rhythm and chonta marimba from the Pacific region. Traditionally, the compositions and arrangements are meant to mimic the character of the sea with its swelling waves. She was struck by the cultural similarities between Colombia and many Southeast Asian communities, particularly the significance of oral traditions and the communal nature of daily life and music were shared features. Observing how music in both cultures were inspired by everyday life, ceremonies, the land, nature, and, in this case, the sea, she became curious about blending South American and Southeast Asian soundscapes.

“Ombak Biru,” a phrase heard in the song, means “Blue Waves,” in Indonesian and the song was partially inspired by an ancient Indonesian pantun.

​​Clare Siobhan (pronounced “shuh-VON”) is a genre-blending East Coast artist with a voice beyond her years. With her distinctive, rich alto voice, she paints pictures of love and loss, hope and fear, stillness and change through her deeply personal and introspective lyrics. Siobhan’s music is a folk-pop-soul exploration of movement, growth, and light.

On the focus track “I Built a House With an Arsonist,” Siobhan wrote the song as a playful exploration of bad habits and wearing her rose-coloured glasses in her personal life. A snippet of the song was released on TikTok before it was finished, and fans found that it was really relatable if they were experiencing challenging situations in their lives: breakups, divorces, difficult relationships, and feelings of personal betrayal from loved ones. 

With the fan input in consideration, Siobhan finished the song with a certain story in mind. Despite the consequences of giving the benefit of the doubt to certain people, she says, “I wouldn’t change my habits now. Even if it comes with a little risk, I do think that being a persistent optimist, and trying to always see the good in others, is a worthwhile worldview.”

The main theme of the Seek the Sun EP is fairly straightforward: no matter how rough things are, there’s always joy to be found somewhere, and there’s always a way out of the darkness. Across the six tracks, it’s a bit of a kitchen-sink “life” record, full of songs for a twenty-something year old. Love, change, fear, joy, hope, bad habits – all these things surround us in our youth, and it’s up to us what we make of them as we age. These are songs for growing, hoping, loving, worrying, healing…and singing and dancing if it suits you. 

At the centre of Niagara’s new alternative scene, Sunshine Express (a.k.a. S.EX) are a shining force of urgent, electric energy: rock ‘n’ roll with an expressive, experimental edge.

“I LUV SEX” sees the group graduating from an experimental recording project to living, breathing band. Sunshine Express’ goal was to convey their dynamic performance style as much as possible, to capture (rather than manufacture) the chaotic, communal spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.

They recorded live as a group, without a click, in the same room. The track mixes rock instrumentation with experimental sounds like pad synths and Mario 64 sound font samples. It includes the band’s signature elements: AKAI sampling, hard-tuned vocals, and an ambient aura.

JIMBO was founded in 2017 after guitarist Joe Narducci and drummer Jacob Tessier met in a stairwell on their way to an audition for a university music club. Shortly after meeting each other, they joined up with bassist and vocalist Alex Van Der Heyden to complete their sound. Within no time at all, the three had made a name for themselves in the Kingston, Ontario, music scene. In 2022, JIMBO added guitarist and vocalist Claudia Northey who has helped JIMBO reach new heights musically. Their new song “Ship I Can Sink” is a cheeky take on a breakup song, and a literal pun on a “relation-ship.” Lyrically, the song tries to capture this realization and acceptance while shrouded in a generous dose of self-pity. 

Eleanor is a singer-songwriter with an R&B leaning sound, coloured in hues of soul and indie. She takes a narrative approach to songwriting, based on experiences of grief and overcoming to shape stories that are robust and deeply felt.

“I make music because it would be harder not to, it’s a very natural extension of my personhood,” says the artist, whose debut album, A Late Bloom, has come to fruition. “I hope that in being honest on this project, listeners will feel less alone.” Largely produced by 3x JUNO nominated artist John Fellner, stream it in full here.

The closing track, “Faintest Hope,” is both beautiful and unsettling, a cry for hope from a vacant and barren tundra.

South African/Canadian multidisciplinary CON THE ARTIST bleeds creativity into anything he touches. From scoring films and producing records, to sound design, video direction and recently working with a 34 piece orchestra in Greece, CON has his hands in every aspect of his art. “As a younger person, my favorite artists were like superheroes to me, helping me find a sense of identity through their music. I want my music to provide a sense of ‘home’ or comfort for others who can relate to my lyrics or sound. I hope to never stop growing and evolving musically,” says CON THE ARTIST. 

With a bold approach and an avant garde vision, these infectious bops are ready to set off into the stratosphere. The latest of which is “Life Of The Party,” a cheeky laid-back tune about dating somebody you like… but other people don’t see them in the same light. “All your friends say that your partner is too this or too that… But no one knows them the way that you do when you are alone and in your own space,” CON explains. “They may be ‘boring’ to everyone else, but to you, they are the life of the party.”