Drawing from a life spent between wild northern landscapes and intimate moments of reflection, Rogan Mei returns with “Lefroy,” a hopeful and heart-pulling indie folk track about self-discovery, resilience, and return. Anchored in quiet emotion but expansive in imagery, the song is part meditative memoir/part mountain summit.

Inspired by a painting of Mt. Lefroy by Lawren Harris – viewed during a visit to the McMichael Gallery on the anniversary of his mother’s heart transplant – “Lefroy” emerged as a metaphor for personal reckoning. “As we stood looking at this mountain, I imagined myself climbing it,” says Mei. “The first line and melody just popped into my head, and I wrote the rest in the days that followed.”

The track’s evolution mirrors its lyrical arc. Originally longer and more subdued, “Lefroy” was restructured for live performance as part of Canadian Musicians Co-operative’s Showcase tour before being recorded for his upcoming Dickies Green Plaid Jacket EP. Rather than opt for a studio, Mei and his band recorded it in the house he grew up in – immersed in nature, memory, and intention. “Everything (except the female vocals) was recorded in the same room, by people I know, playing real instruments,” he says. “Very few records are made that way anymore.”

Hamilton-based synth-pop duo Dynasty share their new single, “Combative Heart,” a lush, emotionally charged track about learning to stop wrestling with life and start moving with it. With soaring, cinematic production and introspective lyrics, “Combative Heart” captures what it feels like to ride into the unknown, arms wide open,  trusting the journey even when it’s messy.

It’s about that part of you that pushes back when you’re trying to move forward. But instead of shutting it down, it’s about learning to follow it. Even when it’s unclear, it’s still your guide.

Built on heartbeat rhythms, airy synths, and spacious melodies, the track unfolds like an emotional journey – vulnerable, reflective, yet quietly powerful. There’s an energy in “Combative Heart” that feels both freeing and grounding, a reminder that life isn’t judging you – it’s just happening. 

This was actually the second song we ever worked on together, and kind of the nail in the coffin of deciding to release this project. We felt this intense excitement as it started to build, and it almost brought tears to our eyes. It was like, okay… we have to share this.

We wanted it to feel like a journey. Emotional, open – like you could close your eyes and just be on the ride. – Dynasty

Hot on the heels of his debut album Second Chance Music, Canadian singer-songwriter Kentucky—the musical project of Jordan Holman—offers something rare in today’s polished music landscape: a live single released exactly as it happened, without a single stitch of post-production.

“Second Hand Love,” recorded during the final night of his Album Preview Tour, is an intimate, slow-burn performance that feels less like a track on a setlist and more like a personal confession whispered into the dark. Captured by acclaimed engineer Ken Friesen (The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo), the moment is preserved in full vulnerability—no overdubs, no edits, no safety nets. You can almost hear the air shifting around him, the faint presence of a room collectively holding its breath.

The performance is paired with a fan-shot video that matches the tone perfectly. Bathed in soft purples and warm, honeyed gold, the footage is grainy and slightly off-center, refusing to gloss over the imperfections that make it real. The camera doesn’t pan or jump cut; it lingers, steady, as Kentucky sings from a modest stage cluttered with cables and amps. What you see is what happened—hesitant, unpolished, and quietly beautiful.

“Second Hand Love” expands the emotional palette of Second Chance Music, deepening its arc without demanding more. There’s no pitch to make here. Just a song sung like it had to be. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful kind.

That sentiment is the heartbeat of the release. The live album from which this single is drawn wasn’t part of some grand plan—it came together almost accidentally, a document of a moment that would have otherwise faded with the night. “A moment captured, then left alone,” Holman reflects, the kind of recording that reminds you how raw and meaningful a show can be when the only aim is to mean every word.

Kentucky’s work lives in that space—between precision and presence, between control and surrender. The name “Kentucky” might conjure images of a band, but it’s really a vessel for Holman’s singular songwriting voice, a quiet signal cutting through late-night static. His music blends acoustic rock’s warmth, indie folk’s introspection, and a subtle glow borrowed from ’90s alternative—an alchemy that can shift from gentle to gutsy in the space of a chorus.

Raised in Edmonton, Alberta, and now based in Ontario, Holman has performed more than 100 shows across Ontario, Quebec, and back in his birthplace, forging a deep relationship with the audiences who find him. Onstage, his songs take on a living quality—different every time, but always intimate, always direct.

His influences are a mix of Canadian legends and classic alt-rock storytellers: The Tragically Hip’s poetic grit, Bryan Adams’ heartfelt sweep, Neil Young’s unvarnished sincerity, and R.E.M.’s atmospheric pull. Yet these are only reference points—Holman’s own tenor, steady and emotionally precise, wraps around each chord in a way that is distinctly his.

The Second Chance Music album, from which “Second Hand Love” draws, is a document of resilience. Born from extremes in Holman’s life—near-death silences, abrupt turns, and the slow climb toward hope—it doesn’t just tell his story, it offers listeners a place to set down their own. It’s music about the way we survive, the way we stumble, and the way a single song can guide us back to the light.

“Second Hand Love” deepens that narrative. In the album’s context, it’s a quiet pivot, a moment that doesn’t demand attention but earns it. Stripped of production and left to stand on the strength of its delivery, it becomes more than just a performance—it’s an unguarded connection, the kind you can’t plan for and can’t repeat.

With the release of this single and its accompanying video, Kentucky invites listeners not only to hear the song, but to be in the room as it happened. To feel the silence before the first note, the subtle shifts in breath, the echo of each chord against the walls. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most powerful music isn’t built in the studio, but caught in the wild, when everything aligns for just a few minutes and the only thing you can do is press “record.”

Second Hand Love is out now, offering a glimpse into the raw, resonant world of Kentucky—a project still in its first chapter, but already delivering moments that feel timeless.

Toronto-based indie-pop artist goodheart captures the quiet ache of emotional in-betweens on her debut EP Blue and Other Colours – a self-produced five-track project that explores disconnection, heartbreak, longing, and self-reckoning through shimmering melodies and honest storytelling. With elements of indie-pop, folk, and alt-rock woven through its sound, the EP invites listeners to sit with sadness – not to wallow in it, but to understand it.

From the friction of fading friendships to the numbness of everyday apathy, Blue and Other Colours traces deeply personal experiences with a diaristic sensibility and cinematic edge. Whether it’s the drifting isolation of “Casey,” the quiet resentment of “Funeral,” or the dreamlike malaise of “Stuck in a Cloud,” goodheart doesn’t shy away from emotional complexity. Instead, she leans in to build lush, dynamic soundscapes that feel both intimate and expansive.

The focus track, “Silverspoon Sunday,” is one of the EP’s most biting and buoyant moments. With crisp drums, layered guitar work, and bright vocal delivery, it offers a sugar-coated critique of privilege and passivity. “It’s about comfort becoming a kind of cage,” says goodheart. “Some people are handed every opportunity and still feel stuck. They coast instead of confronting the real stuff.”
Despite its polished surface, the structure of “Silverspoon Sunday” subtly shifts throughout, avoiding traditional pop repetition and instead offering a dynamic chord progression that mirrors the unease beneath its brightness. “I love songs that sneak heavier truths into something that feels fun. This one is a bitter pill with a sugar coating.”

Winnipeg singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Zach Riley wears his heart on his sleeve in his new single, “Your Touch,” a feel-good, guitar-driven pop-rock track that beams with gratitude, energy, and emotional clarity. A celebration of the people who keep us grounded, “Your Touch” captures what it means to feel safe in someone’s presence, even on your worst days.

Inspired by his wife, Zach taps into the raw beauty of relational intimacy with sentiments that feel both timeless and refreshingly personal. The song’s emotional anchor is matched by its sonic sparkle – a shimmering blend of pop and rock influences that channel the earnestness of The Band CAMINO and the hook-driven joy of The 1975.

A highlight on the track is the soaring guitar solo, performed by Zach’s bandmate Alec and marking the first recorded collaboration between the two. “I knew I wanted a guitar solo at the end, but I’m a pretty subpar guitarist,” Zach laughs. “So I asked Alec, and he instantly nailed it. It was exactly what I was hoping for.”

I just feel like “Your Touch” perfectly captures that feeling of having that person in your life that can help take the weight off your shoulders or make you feel whole again when you don’t feel like you’re enough. This song makes me feel really happy honestly. It might be cheesy to say that about your own song, but I remember listening to the full thing for the first time and I just had this big dumb smile on my face. Just a really fun song all around and I love the way it came together. – Zach Riley