Buried deep in Montreal’s lingering winters, a trio of musicians sat in a room together: Francois Jalbert the guitarist, composer and producer; Mélanie Bélair the violinist, arranger and composer; and Aurélien Tomasi the composer, arranger and performer, specializing in wind instruments. Together as Caméra, the trio spent time finding sounds, exploring bizarre ideas, but always seeking beauty.

Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?

Our new single “Le Philtre”, means love potion in French. It evokes sensuality and psychedelia in a playful tone. It was born in Aurélien’s head and passed through the trio’s mixer adding lush strings, guitars, voice, and a few other sparkles. The song has no message, it is all about the feeling you get while listening to it!

2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?

It has been made by Alina Herta. Every visual are made with film camera, and use of colour filter and double exposure technique. It made sense to work with this artist, and we felt really connected with her work. The visual represent a tree from the city of Guadalajara in Mexico.

3. What was the process of making this video?

We liked the visual so much that we decide to play with it and do some filter effects on it. The video is a simple animation that serves the audio and don’t give too much information for the listener.

A true visionary, 20-year-old Aidan Skira is pushing boundaries and defying expectations. Creating a community around him, he’s leading the pack in the underground music space in Toronto, performing meaningful live sets and growing his fanbase at a rapid rate. A one-man-show, Skira creates his own music, graphics, and videos from his basement. Passionate about connecting in an authentic way, he knows his music is helping kids from a “no attention span generation” find meaning amidst the chaos of the world.

Hua Li 化力’s project has often worked the fruitful tension between opposing forces, whether being mixed-race, bisexual, or overtly political and softly vulnerable.

New single “Cherrier,” is a song about coming of age in the late noughties in the Montreal neighbourhood, Plateau-Mont Royal. Grounded by a driving synth bass line, the song leaps from 2009 to 2019 and back again as Hua Li attempts to overturn traumatic memories of people and places she tried to avoid but kept getting pulled back to as a performer and DJ. 

“Thankfully, since writing this song, I’ve been able to kiss again on Rue Cherrier and reclaim these parts of the city from a place of healing and celebration,” says Hua Li 化力.

Winnipeg’s Tyler Del Pino has a pure passion for songwriting and an honest sound infused with starry-eyed narratives; a hybrid of Rock-Pop, Americana, and East Coast folk-rock that stays true to the roots of timeless tunes. File him beside James Taylor for his classic songwriting, Sam Roberts for his roughed-up Canadiana style, Mumford and Sons for their anthemic sing-alongs, and Strumbellas for their thoughtful themes and rosy melodies, born and bred in Canada. Backed by his new band The Brasstronautz, audiences will leave with earworms in their heads and hearts full of optimism. “The inspiration for ‘The Solution’ was born at a time when I found myself caught in a whirlwind of thought and contemplation, deeply concerned about the state of our world,” explains Del Pino about the focus track from his new EP, Out of a Clear Blue Sky.

Since 2015, The Dream Eaters have evolved from a dream pop band into a full-on video art project with an extensive catalog of weird and darkly humorous music videos of their catchy pop songs, growing a cult fanbase. The duo started working together after vocalist Elizabeth LeBaron, originally from Calgary, started working at the same bar as singer/songwriter Jake Zavracky, originally from Boston, in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY. 

At face value, “mood pills” simply refers to a pill one takes to enhance their mood. The song deals with what that does to a relationship – how it affects the overall dynamic of a relationship when one person is taking a mood-altering drug and the sexual dysfunction that comes from taking psychiatric drugs. 

“I was diagnosed with depression in 2021 and it took a few tries to figure out what medication worked for me,” explains Elizabeth LeBaron. “Those first few months of navigating how it affected my relationships felt a lot like what this song is saying.”

Mellohoney is a post-punk/garage-rock duo hailing from some noisy garage east of Toronto. No stone is left unturned when the two of them step foot on stage to create a wall of sound much larger than their member count.

In 2023, Mellohoney began recording their debut EP Genuine People with producer Dave Schiffman (PUP, NOBRO, The OBGMs) at Dreamhouse Studios in Toronto. The result was the most energetic, and impactful musical experience both live and recorded for the band. 2024 will see the album release of Genuine People, through which the band never shies away from turning down, as much as they like to crank it up.

The pair’s music centers around post-punk, but often will veer into oncoming traffic, colliding with rock, ska, hip-hop, folk, and reggae, creating a mix that will have your head turning toward the sound of screeching tires to catch a glimpse of the maniacs behind the wheel.

Latest single, “Coward,” was written with “a sense of frustration and disillusionment with the political system, particularly with politicians and the government. A desire for change and accountability.”

“Coward” is our most aggressive and dynamic release to date. It kicks off a new era of Mellohoney that shows off our ability to write memorable hooks amongst the sonic chaos.”