With a groove-laced pulse and evocative lyrical abstraction, “Belladonna” marks a transportive new chapter for artist and songwriter Ev. G. Taken from his debut album, And Then I Go Up (out September 23rd), the avant-pop track merges asymmetrical rhythms with ethereal textures and subtle hip hop swagger to conjure a lush, hallucinatory atmosphere. Fittingly named after the infamous poisonous plant, “Belladonna” leads listeners down a curiously oblique path – somewhere between dream and distortion, clarity and mystery.

The single began with a simple piano loop and drum pattern from producer Brock Geiger, which later inspired a mumble-vocal demo from Ev. G. That raw seed evolved into a fully immersive sonic world shaped by Geiger, Will Maclellan, and a cast of standout musicians, including Gabe Noel (bass), Kane Ritchotte (drums), Ethan Gruska (ambient loops), and Clea Anaïs (cello). A vocoder-style vocal layer, first introduced by Maclellan, brought unexpected texture and set the tone for the rest of the track’s evolution.

“It deals with some of the feelings you get when things are still just unfolding in those early stages of a relationship,” shares Ev. G. “That strange awareness of all the uncertainty, and the excitement that comes with it.” Inspired equally by emotional ambiguity and the layered history of the belladonna plant – from ancient witchcraft to Renaissance-era cosmetics – the track explores dualities of danger and beauty, hope and delusion. “We rarely live in absolutes,” Ev. G notes. “Except my cat, Pinot. He absolutely rules.”

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically? 
Belladonna began as a lofi piano and drum loop my producer Brock Geiger put together, and all of the lyrics and vocal melodies were written to that. When we started building out the production, Will and Brock started to expand the chord progression and that immediately brought new dimensions and moods to the song. The song is about some of the feelings you get when things are just unfolding in those early stages of a relationship. That strange self awareness of all the uncertainty, and the excitement that comes with it. The symbolism being played with is inspired by the layered history of the belladonna plant – from ancient witchcraft to Renaissance-era cosmetics – the track explores dualities of danger and beauty, hope and delusion. This

 is my debut release as Ev. G, so we were psyched to hit the ground running and make a music video to accompany the track. The original concept was a simple silhouette performance, but when we started dreaming up ways to bring it alive with our collaborator Mitch Nybo, we got excited about the depth of working with layered projections that could contribute other images. 

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

The initial inspiration and concept was a simple and understated silhouette performance. When the idea to mess around with layers of live projections came into play, that opened up a lot of possibilities for symbolism and colour experimentation. We did it all in one day, and were kind of “live sampling” the footage we wanted to then project back in as a layer for another shot. Incorporating imagery alluding to belladonna, we brought in eyeballs and pupils dilating. Those are all our iris’ shot on a cool macro lens. 

3. What was the process of making this video?

We shot this all in one day in a small art studio in Calgary- just three of us, Brock, Mitch, and I experimenting and building scenes on the go. All the lighting, colour effects, and image layering is done in camera with a series of back lights and projectors. It was all about vibe… subtle colour combinations, soft motion. We liked blurring the line between the slick and polished fashion film aesthetic and the grimier DIY art school world of filmmaking. We basically shot a ton of performances of the song with different iterations of the compositions we were setting up with our lights, projectors, and screens. Mitch really brought it all to life with a super choreographed edit.

Toronto-based rock and roll revivalists Original Pairs unleash “Star Guitar,” a dark and defiant anthem to DIY spirit and six-string glory. Fueled by a caveman riff and retro-psych energy, the track is equal parts glam rock snarl and garage band grit – a love letter to every barstool shredder with something to prove.

Written in homage to the final days of Toronto’s storied Dakota Tavern, the song captures the bittersweet end of a beloved venue where the band once played regularly. “They stopped giving bands beer, the doorman disappeared, the sound tech ghosted – we knew it was over,” says guitarist/vocalist Andrew Frontini. “But we plugged in anyway. Because the show must go on.”

Recorded live off the floor at Lincoln County Social Club, the band powered through four tracks in one day. Exhausted and unraveling, they built in four silent beats to bridge two takes – only for keyboardist Jon Loewen to forget and play through the pause. That happy accident became the final cut, later crowned by a synth solo tracked in one take on John Dinsmore’s vintage Moog, giving the song its warped, nostalgic edge.

Billboard-charting pop artist BAYLA is back with a powerful new single, “Anxious.” Known for her anthemic sound and fearless vulnerability, BAYLA continues to inspire fans with music that breaks stigma and speaks truth in and outside of the LGBTQ+ communities. In support of the release, proceeds from “Anxious” will be donated to Canadian mental health organizations, further highlighting the importance of awareness and support.

“Anxious” offers an honest take on the often hidden reality of living with anxiety. Rather than framing it as something sad or shameful, BAYLA infuses the track with upbeat production and quirky energy, crafting a pop anthem that’s more theme song than tragedy. “I didn’t want the song to feel sad in any way,” she shares. “I wanted it to reflect the experience of anxiety in a real, empowering way because even when it’s hard, we’re not alone.”

“Anxious” is a raw, heartfelt track that explores the emotional rollercoaster of living with anxiety – a subject I know intimately and wanted to address with honesty and empowerment. It’s about not being ashamed of your mental health – it’s a part of who we are. – BAYLA

Alternative rock singer-songwriter Peter Landi returns with “Dandelion” – a shimmering, psychedelic-leaning anthem inspired by summer nostalgia, altered states of consciousness, and the cosmic rhythm of nature. Leaning into classic ‘80s tones with big drums and chorus-drenched guitars, the track delivers a swirling blend of dreamy textures and catchy hooks.

“Dandelion” grew out of a spontaneous moment: Landi picked up a book from a little free library in his Toronto neighbourhood, hoping to spark inspiration. One word – summit – set off a chain reaction. “I started thinking about what you’d see from a summit: mountains, the sky, nature… something bigger than yourself,” he says. “That led me to thinking about actually being high and in an altered state of mind. ‘Dandelion, I miss you all the time,’ was the first thing I sang when I started strumming and it all flowed from there.”

The production mirrors that psychedelic arc. “The song is about a psychedelic experience, so I wanted the final chorus to be the climax of the trip,” says Landi. “Every section of the song is happening all at once – the verse guitar part, the open drums, melodic leads, and the word ‘Dandelion’ all swirling around each other to create this big cosmic moment that abruptly ends.”

Experimental indie-pop duo Allegories continue their genre-melding resurgence with “DREAMCRUSHER,” a dreamy and ethereal single that reflects on ambition, disillusionment, and creative rebirth.

Initially conceived as a simple ukulele sketch, “DREAMCRUSHER” took on a life of its own through Allegories’ unorthodox creative process. Without hearing any melody or lyrics, Jordan Mitchell built an entirely new instrumental world from Adam Bentley’s initial chord progression. Bentley then responded with a final version that drew inspiration from both his original vision and Jordan’s atmospheric reimagining.

“I think there’s an almost conflicting nature to the song in both the overall narrative and the sound design,” Bentley says. “This song embraces the annihilation of dreams but also the beauty of what grows in their place.”

The track’s title isn’t just a poetic flourish – it’s a recurring personal moniker Bentley uses with tongue-in-cheek self-awareness.

“I have jokingly referred to myself as the ‘DREAMCRUSHER,’ not because I’m cynical, but because of my own outsized goals and working with others who also chase wildly ambitious dreams,” he explains. “The song holds both the devastation and the quiet hope that something even more magical might emerge.”

A synth-drenched blend of dream-pop and experimental electronic, “DREAMCRUSHER” is both mournful and transcendent. The result is a sonic meditation on the necessity of starting over and the hope that can be found in creative renewal.