Dara Schindelka (she/her) is a Saskatchewan femme folk artist with a touch of the North and the pull of the prairies. Dara is a classically trained pianist, singer and educator that not only performs but teaches music at the University of Regina Conservatory. Her knowledge and love of music is evident in her compositions and arrangements of both instrumental and vocal works.

Her latest track, “Love is Free,” from her new LP She Imagined mixes folk songwriting with modern digital instrumentation. No matter how hard extremists try to control others, they will never control the human heart that beats within each of us. Love is, and will always be, free from such systems.

Dara was chosen as an artist to showcase at the Ontario Presents Showcase September 2022 in Orillia, ON and did shows across Canada along the way. She returns to the stage this winter to perform She Imagined at numerous festivals and venues across western Canada. Her grant with SaskArts allowed for research about traditional folk songs that tell the stories of women. From this research, She Imagined was born and is a showcase of the past and present issues that face marginalized voices everywhere with a positive message of power and freedom.

Dara supports music festivals and live streams that bring awareness and help to women’s issues and has worked with Stay Human Productions, Rock Against Racism, Piwapin Women’s Shelter, Prince Albert Multi-Cultural Council, and FemFolk UK and most recently with the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation. Her debut EP, Thou Art Loosed, was a celebration of female strength and gained her awards and followers throughout 2020-2021. 

It’s been one hell of a wild ride for Wine Lips. Originally formed in Toronto back in 2015 as a part-time project between Cam Hilborn (vox, songwriter, guitar) and drummer extraordinaire Aurora Evans, Wine Lips quickly escalated into a full-blown, full-time, full-on international phenomenon. They’ve toured across the world, scored a handful of great licensing deals (ABC’s The Rookie, Hockey Night In Canada, Population 11) and are now readying the release of their fourth full-length album, Super Mega Ultra, on April 5th via Stomp Records.

“Derailer,” the first single to be shared, is about the lengths people will go to to keep up an image or persona while sacrificing physical and mental health to get there. Pushing yourself to the edge until you feel like you’re going to “derail” off the tracks. 

Recorded by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack in Ontario, Super Mega Ultra is jam-packed with 12 ramped-up supersonic ear-scorching auditory delicacies. What may very well be Wine Lips’ most ambitious undertaking to date explores new thematic territory while firmly maintaining their signature psych garage punk rock panache.

GOLDRIDGE is the pseudonym of Canadian alternative rock artist Andrew Reinhardt. He takes elements of rock and roll, hip hop and electronic music and combines them to tell stories of one’s ability to overcome daily obstacles and challenges. Debut LEAVE BEHIND THE DARKNESS EP is an ambitious project in collaboration with producer Sam Arion of Canadian alternative rock band Mute Choir. The six songs feature a high energy blend of alternative/hard rock sound, combining edgy riffs with upbeat drums and melodic synths. 

Focus track, “BURNOUT,” is inspired by the feeling of always wanting more and serves as a reminder to never give up no matter how many times you get kicked down or “BURNOUT.” The underlying message is to always put everything you’ve got into what you are passionate about

A milestone for GOLDRIDGE in his continued growth as an artist, this EP is only the beginning.

Sue Decker will release her second album, Keeping Time, on March 22nd. She collaborated with sought-after roots producer Steve Dawson to record at The Henhouse Studio in Nashville. On stage, Sue’s wit and compassion draw the audience in while traveling through territory that is earthy and beautiful, sometimes dark and gritty, and always life-giving. Sue is guided by authenticity, a belief that everyone’s story matters, and faith in the eternal power of a song.

Her new single “The Lost Ones” was inspired by the opioid/unhoused crises: “I increasingly witness people in crisis on the streets near where I live. Each time, fear and compassion mix with a feeling of powerlessness and lately I started to ask myself, ‘when did it become okay to just walk on by someone in distress?’ And then I think ‘what if it was my friend or family member?’ I have been impacted by mental health and addiction issues in those close to me so the song is infused with personal experiences as well.”

On Keeping Time, Sue’s unique capacity for pairing meaningful and topical lyrics with ear-catching melodies shines through. True to her aim as a songwriter, she uses ordinary language to fuse everyday moments with the unspeakable and the extraordinary. The album title comes from a line in one of the songs, but it felt right to describe the whole album. The recording process was mostly live-off-the-floor playing music together in real time. The songs hold a lifetime of experiences within small moments—looking back on the past and what was not meant to be, current challenges we’re all facing, and preparing for what the future may hold.
“Sue Decker has one of the most remarkable voices I have heard for many a day. She has a warm voice, deep and strong and there is a haunting quality to it that gave me chills.” – Andy Snipper, Blues Matters UK

Formed in 2018, comprising members Emma Armstrong (lead vocals), Max Kaiser (lead guitar, keys, synths), Danny Moriana (bass guitar, backing vocals, synths), and Jake Biggs (drums and percussion), A Short Walk to Pluto has developed a tremendous social media presence through TikTok and Instagram, where they regularly debut original music and covers of well-known classics. It was through that online presence that the band was discovered and recently endorsed by Howard Stern on his SiriusXM radio show. Though much of their success is owed to their social media engagement, it is their genre-defying original music and energetic live performances that have generated a loyal, consistent, and far reaching following. This young and professional foursome is prepared to deliver a show that concert goers will remember for a lifetime. 

A Short Walk to Pluto have reimagined Tears For Fears’ classic “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” in their own style while highlighting the musical elements that make the sound special; powerful female pop vocals, rich guitars, dynamic bass, and driving drums. The original song continues to demand respect for its perennially relevant lyrics that encapsulate Gen Z’s attention-seeking mindset. A Short Walk to Pluto’s arrangement is inspired by the original’s ability to propel synth-pop to the forefront of pop culture in the mid 1980’s, and they hope the same can be true of rock in the modern era. 

Bracebridge, Ontario-based collaboration Chorus of Courage is many things. It is a space created to hold and honour the voices and stories of survivors of violence (their storytellers). 

“We came together as a group and became friends and allies – a supportive family. We created a home to explore some of the most difficult experiences one can imagine – a retreat – and we did it with love, music, silence, acceptance, guidance, connection, and movement, hand in hand. This project explores the entire spectrum of emotions that are felt through the unique experiences of the ones we are here to honour – our storytellers.”

Artist and therapist Cindy Doire leads Chorus of Courage, connecting the project’s storytellers and their allies, professional musicians who have developed dialogues with the survivors and reflected on their experiences, crafting songs that seek to transmit complex lived experiences.

Torontonian singer-songwriter Julian Taylor penned Chorus of Courage’s melodic and caring debut single, “Sweet Little Hummingbird,” as a response to survivor Denyse and her story. Its delicate piano melodies and acoustic guitar strumming compliment Taylor’s kind and open vocal delivery. 

Reflecting on the song’s writing, Taylor explains:

“It is a story of abuse and a struggle through pain that was shared with me through a letter she wrote to me and then through conversations we had with one another where she would go into more detail about the trauma that she faced as a young person and how she’s worked through it. The horrible and horrific things that happened to her scared me to the core and I vowed to keep her story close to my chest and use music and poetry as a way to heal, communicate and reveal the pure strength and pure resonance she illuminates.”