With her first album Undertow, out today,  London-based composer/singer-songwriter Sophia Hansen-Knarhoi reveals stark vulnerability nestled in a dark ambience that is both intimate and expansive. Voice and cello provide the bedrock of a detail focused record, that threads together memory, grief, growth and connection. Undertow took its shape during an acclimation of sensuality and self, through a period of processing trauma, and all of life, love and loss that it surrounds and intertwines with. ‘Undertow’ binds this intimacy with the corporeal, spanning violation and deep trust. It deals with the fallout of the victims of violence against women, voyaging through fear and pain to absolution. After releasing the first single, “Crying in Pastel,” & “My Mother and Me” today, Sophia releases the video for “All the things that aren’t you”.

Sophia explains “This track captures a moment of rage, a realisation of being treated in a way that only served the other person, without regard for mutual connection, and a recognition of this as a pattern from the past. It poses a sense of freedom through this recognition of negligence.

OOO

On my way to heaven

I hope you die first

I want to feel wild

You make me feel mild

Forgive me I’m ruthless 

When it comes to you

And when I say I want to be alone 

I don’t think that’s true

I want to be surrounded 

By all the things that aren’t you

Set to the backdrop of a field recording of a torrential storm, the cellos interchange in glissandos. There is a lot of space for the world of the field recording, with the distant ‘oos’ give an impression of a feeling from the past, a meandering thought before a moment of clarity. The field recording itself was taken the night of a huge storm. As I recorded from my windowsill, a tree in the bushland across from me was struck by lightning, and burst into flames.

The scathing lyrics come in with force and a grittiness, accentuating their dramatics, feeding the rageful delivery. The vocal melody glides with the cello glissandi, we hear whispered trails of the lyrics, and bold echoed backing vocals. The double bass feels as if it’s closer to moving in the world of the rumbling thunder.”

“The cello is widely considered the closest instrument to the voice. This is something that continually bleeds into my practice, finding the connection between voice, cello and body. The physicalization of this combined practice creates a sense of corporeality in my sound. I let it be intuitive, my playing and singing guided by my breath and the way my body moves. I found the duality of this expression informed reflections of sensuality and intimacy throughout the album.”

Undertow coalesces in a unique combination of clarity in its folk/singer-songwriter storytelling with a wholly alive and reactive bed of instrumentation. Instead of traditional structures and overly virtuosic solos, all aspects of production and performance lean heavily into spontaneity and gut feeling, reaching closer to a sense of unfiltered emotional truth. The result is an act of reification: songs with a sense of touch, of ears and eyes and flesh, coming to life around the mouth.

Sophia’s expressive, unbound cello performances – informed by a background in improvisation – sonically embody the rapids rushing beneath the honest lyrics. In songs where the voice falters under the weight of the words, the cello scrapes and detunes in tandem. In moments of fragile triumph, a soaring falsetto is accentuated with buoyant layers of open-string harmonics. 

With the skilled Brooklyn producer Randall Dunn as a collaborator, Undertow pushes further into the abstract, a dark and dissociative space. Dunn carves intricate space with vast void-like atmospheres and cinematic intensity, with an unrelenting foregrounding of vulnerability. With instrumentalists Peter Zummo, Marilu Donovan, Henry Fraser, Luke Bergman and Brent Arnold, the arrangements on Undertow draw breath into a minimalistic sonic landscape, occupying a cohesive improvisational latitude. 

Her 2023 debut EP, Wildflowers, explores the transition from childhood to adulthood, blending ethereal, delicate vocals with graceful and tender instrumentation to embody memory, trauma, and the moments that shape us. “My storytelling comes from a deeply emotional and intuitive space. But it also serves as a reflection of the web of lives and stories that are woven through my life.”

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Hansen-Knarhoi grew up surrounded by the natural world. ‘Undertow’ draws on the stark landscapes and vast waters of Western Australia. At moments, field recordings are woven into the work, while at others, arrangements reflect its beautiful barren environment through memory. “Engulfing myself in nature has always been a way for me to process the world, to bring me back into my body and my senses”. ‘Undertow’ revels in this remote sonic landscape, submerging stories in the depths of truth.

Hansen-Knarhoi’s origins as a composer coalesced in her early teens. “I would sit in my bed at night after school and write at least one poem a night.” In these moments, she built the foundations of her storytelling voice. “It was purely for myself. I didn’t want anyone to read them at the time, and created melodies for my words, sometimes drawing maps. Singing these melodies to myself would imprint them into my head.” Today, informed by a world of musical knowledge, Hansen-Knarhoi embraces folk music as a practice. “This aural tradition, I have found, is still my truest form of creative expression. To understand the song, one must listen to the delivery, feel the weight of the words, and understand the elements and intricacies that make the song what it is.” 

The hypnotic spiralling harp and methodical bass that comprise the bedrock of “Crying in Pastel”, acts as a world in which a lyrical vortex of sorrow cuts through the track’s serenity . Hansen-Knarhoi’s voice is raw and gritty, as she sings, “Did you think of me?/Something pretty?/Are you scared of me?” “Crying in Pastel” vacillates between anger, fear and sadness, all feelings that coexist in grief. Rage and ruin juxtapose a hope for connection, a need to understand the psyche of a predatory man.

Undertow frames Hansen-Knarhoi in a transitory state, continuing her evolution, and all the sharp objects in the way. “Although rage is a cornerstone of its being, it is grounded in a hope of connection, a sense of healing on the horizon.” Music stems from a consciousness that preceded language, it comes from our ancient mind, from before our emotions were clouded by reason and rule. It still takes us back to the raw experience of being. This album explores those emotions pulling at our rational selves, taking us where they will. 

Toronto alt-pop artist City Builders returns with “No Sleep,” a chaotic and euphoric anthem dedicated to wild nights, reckless fun, and the liberating art of letting go. Fueled by intrusive ideas and best-friend mischief, the song celebrates the beauty of becoming a “menace” for one night  because sometimes, freedom sounds like laughter echoing down city streets at 3AM.
“My best friend and I turn into absolute demons on a night out,” says Grace Turner, the force behind City Builders. “There’s nothing like giving into your intrusive ideas with a best friend, and I needed to write something that sounded as chaotic as our nights out.”

The track came together in a whirlwind week with producers Zach Zanardo and Al P, and co-writer Maia Davies – a dream team Turner had admired for years. The chemistry in the studio was electric; from initial demo to final mix, “No Sleep” came to life almost overnight. “Everyone was so stoked with the record that we got the ball rolling immediately and completed the track in a week,” Turner shares. “I even got my friends in the studio to record ad libs and backup vocals and scheduled a shoot for the cover art the same night.”

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

            This song was inspired by a wild night out with my best friend. Whenever we get together we always have the craziest nights and I wanted to capture the beauty of an ugly night out. I think that a part of womanhood is being a mess sometimes, and having friends that allow you to let that menace take over is so important. There are so many societal standards placed on women to be ladylike, and though all the posts that may come from a night out will be curated, I wanted to capture the chaos that the internet might not see.

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

            I had the idea to hire a videographer to follow me and my friends around on a night out, so I planned a typical night on the town. The pre/getting ready, walking through the city, taking the streetcar, pool bar, club etc. The Kei Truck was a happy accident because I had been posting online about how much I loved them. A friend hooked us up an hour before the shoot with a Kei Truck, which was such a fun surprise. 

3. What was the process of making this video?

           The video itself was extremely simple, what made it special was the magic from the people involved. Because the schedule, and shot list were super simple, the improvisations of my friends were the highlights of the video. I essentially sent out a pinterest board and schedule to the group and my videographer, Cole London. Everything was subject to change which gave us the challenge to adapt throughout the night. I was lucky enough to be working with such creative minds on this shoot so everything I would ask of the actors, they would exceed my expectations. As you can imagine, shooting for a whole night gave me a ton of footage to work with and the editing process was super fun, even though I usually hate editing. This video feels like magic to me, and I’m so lucky to have worked with such a wonderful team.

//
Beyond its infectious energy, “No Sleep” carries City Builders‘ signature emotional depth: an invitation to embrace chaos without shame. “My goal as an artist is to enable people to feel their most extreme emotions,” says Turner. “I hope this song helps people let loose and become a menace for a night because it is liberating. I also hope that this song encourages the listener to feel shameless and quiets the noise when the hangxiety of a crazy night out creeps in.”

For Turner, “No Sleep” embodies the thrill of friendship and freedom. “This song makes me want to go bar hopping with my best friend, end up at our ops party, make an Irish exit and bring home some kind of furniture we find on the street.”

Turner‘s viral “Group Scream” event in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods Park drew hundreds and media coverage from Now Toronto, Toronto Star, and blogTO, sparking a wave of community engagement that continues to grow. With over 17k TikTok followers and counting, City Builders provides a space for fans – affectionately known as The Citizens – to feel seen, scream, and heal together.

Toronto-based ambient post-rock project Gold Foil Hum introduces his debut full-length, Character Flaw – a 10-song collection imagined as alternate scores for some of his favourite films. “Every song on the record was written as an alternate cue for a scene in a movie I love,” says Gold Foil Hum’s Dan Hosh. 
The lead single “Pocket Dialer” is a warped, downtempo take on Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar and “Coin Tosser,” is what Hosh imagines No Country for Old Men might have sounded like if the Coen Brothers had chosen to put music in it. The album constantly circles back to the question: what if the movies we love had taken a completely different sonic approach?

The recording process mirrored this spirit of experimentation. Hosh wrote over 100 songs for the release before narrowing them down to a cohesive 10. In the final stages, he became obsessed with cassette culture – running mixes through a Tascam Portastudio and eventually mixing the full record on a Tascam 122, affectionately described as “the Ferrari of cassette decks.”

Toronto dream-pop artist ARK IDENTITY (Noah Mroueh) unveils his most expansive work yet with Deluxe Nightmare, a surreal and euphoric six-track EP that captures the tension between chaos and clarity. 

At its centre is the title track, a grungy, distorted, cathartic release that transforms a childhood fear into cinematic sound. Built on live one-take drum and guitar beds, “Deluxe Nightmare” is made complete with shouting section cues in the background – a perfectly imperfect moment that mirrors the unravelling of a nightmare in real time.

“As a child, I had this recurring dream of flying monkeys breaking through the glass of my bedroom window,” Noah shares. “I wanted the title track to sound grungy and distorted and almost claustrophobic at times. I used fuzzy guitars, kept some of the rougher vocal takes, and leaned into repetition so it feels like you’re stuck in a loop or a bad dream that you can’t wake up from.”

The musical palette expands from distorted anthems to more intimate reflections across Deluxe Nightmare’s six tracks. ARK IDENTITY threads dream-pop, psychedelic pop, and alternative rock into something wide-ranging yet connected. The EP closes with its title track, which fades out to the surreal sound of screaming monkeys and their flapping wings, a haunting finale that perfectly captures the spirit of Deluxe Nightmare.

Deluxe Nightmare finds its beauty not by avoiding discomfort, but by diving straight into it. “This EP taught me to stop avoiding things that make me uncomfortable,” Noah elaborates. “A lot of these songs started from anxious thoughts or moments of fear, but instead of shutting them out – I leaned into them. That mindset opened me up creatively.”

Fresh off a string of acclaimed releases, 5x JUNO–Award and Polaris Music Prize–nominated artist Julian Taylor returns with “Don’t Let ’Em (Get Inside of Your Head),” a soulful new single that brings together alt-country grit and blues rock urgency with one of modern music’s most distinctive voices: Jim James of My Morning Jacket.

Recorded at Gold Standard alongside Aaron Goldstein, David Engle, Tony Rabalo and Anna Ruddick, the track carries both raw spontaneity and emotional weight. What began years ago as an electronic-leaning demo that Taylor and Engle wrote for film/TV sync has evolved into a fully organic, groove-driven anthem that feels as natural as it is powerful.

“This song came together in such a special, innovative, and exciting way,” Taylor recalls. “It just seemed to flow out of everyone in the room.”

The connection with James came about in true serendipitous fashion. A chance encounter at the LA Forum, where Taylor was performing at the Robbie Robertson Tribute (directed by Martin Scorsese) at the invitation of longtime friend Allison Russell, sparked a friendship between the two artists. Years later, Taylor decided to send James the track.

“When this song was almost done, I thought to send it to Jim and see what he thought of it. He loved it, so I asked if he’d be down to sing on it, and he said yes,” Taylor shares. “I love how our voices blend together – it’s effortless and natural. Jim brings a tender urgency to the track, and it’s an honour and real gift to have him singing on it. He’s a true gem of a human and one of the world’s great unique talents.”

With its smoky, rootsy textures and emotionally charged delivery, “Don’t Let ’Em (Get Inside of Your Head)” captures both the immediacy of live performance and the timeless resonance of classic songwriting. It’s a testament to Taylor’s gift for bridging genres and generations while staying true to his own distinctive voice.

Canadian indie rock artist Elli Hart delivers a fierce declaration of self-worth on her new single “Don’t Be The Victim,” a dark, driving anthem that refuses to bow to anyone’s expectations. Written after a year of career breakthroughs and backhanded remarks, the track transforms frustration into empowerment – a rallying cry for anyone who’s ever been underestimated, dismissed, or told they don’t belong.

“I wrote ‘Don’t Be The Victim’ after my career was finally gaining momentum – I’d been booked for several festivals, and someone casually remarked that I only got those spots because they ‘needed a girl’s name on the poster,’” Hart shares. “It made me think about the long history of women being punished for their strength – like the witch trials, where if you drowned you were innocent, but if you survived, you were condemned. Living in a state of victimhood only serves the bully, and I refuse to give them that power.”

Driven by Hart’s commanding vocals and searing guitar lines, the track walks the line between defiance and grace, serving as a bold reclamation of agency in the face of dismissal. “When people underestimate you, that’s actually your advantage,” she explains. “You don’t need to waste your energy proving them wrong – just keep doing the work. While they’re busy feeding their own egos, you’re quietly building something real.”

Hart’s songs often live in those grey areas where strength and doubt coexist. There’s a lot of animal imagery throughout – lionesses, wolves, ghosts – symbols of instinct, survival, and transformation. Sonically, everything leans dark, haunting, and driving, mirroring that inner push and pull between power and vulnerability.