After a 10 year vanishing act, JUNO-nominated roots rockers Cuff The Duke‘s comeback album, Breaking Dawn (out September 6th), reflects frontman Wayne Petti‘s process of coming to terms with his mental health, capturing the various stages of his journey. The musical interludes throughout the record serve as a representation of the ever-present anxiety that Petti has learned to navigate. At the same time, the songs themselves offer a sense of relief and catharsis.

On the record’s nostalgic new single, “Leaving It All Behind,” Petti comes to terms with his decision to put the band on hiatus, which meant abruptly not playing music anymore and how that left him scrambling to figure out his next move.

Recorded over two years, Breaking Dawn showcases the band’s growth and maturity, both as musicians and as individuals. The collaborative effort of Petti and his talented bandmates (Paul Lowman, Andrew Johnson, François Turenne, and Thom Hammerton) has resulted in a work that is deeply personal but distinctly Cuff The Duke.

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

The song is about one chapter in life ending and another one beginning. Not being sure about the new direction and mourning the ending of the previous chapter. It felt like it would be a good song for a video because to me it felt like a driving song. 

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

The video is quite on the chin. A visual representation of taking off and “leaving it all behind.”

3.What was the process of making this video?

My good friend Nick Hind got up at the break of dawn to shoot the video. We attached a camera to the back of his motorcycle and he started driving. We changed the colouring of the video to add a little depth to the visual. 

One minute, St. John’s singer-songwriter Dave Whitty is cracking his audience up with tales of misadventures with friends, and the next he’s conjuring profound feelings of nostalgia or pain with stories of love, friendship, and the things that make Newfoundland special. 

With over 15 years of experience playing live shows and three solo albums released since 2012, Dave has molded a one-of-a-kind vibe. His songwriting combines a distinctly East Coast sound with modern themes that resonate and his guitar style is self-taught, using a mixture of strumming, flat-picking and fingerpicking which is immediately recognizable as his own.

Following on the heels of “Ducks in a Row,” Dave is now sharing the second single from his upcoming fourth album, Long Way to Go (due out this September 2024). “Where I Belong” was loosely written with his grandparents in mind and for anyone who’s had to leave to go away for work. Being from the most easterly point in North America, Dave’s known of many people who have to travel far away to work. It’s not easy to always leave your loved ones, so this song is about that feeling of wanting to get back to your home… or where you belong. 

I wrote this song very quickly one day while exploring different guitar tunings. There’s a guitar track in the tuning of CGDGGD and another in standard tuning. This recording also features some incredible Canadian artists. Joshua Van Tassel (percussion), Kendel Carson (fiddle), Todd Lumley (piano/organ), and Chad Murphy (electric guitar). – Dave Whitty

Growing up is a funny thing. The dream pop duo known as Jackie and her brother’s new song, “Just the Rain,” is about a blissful moment in time. You can remember the smell, the sounds, the sights. You took the risk, you lived the adventure and now it’s time to drive home. And during that drive, there’s nothing left to do but to be. Your heart, head and spirit are in the same place…all at once. With that you can let your senses play with that simple moment that will soon become a beautiful memory. A memory you only get to revisit properly if you were fully present in it. 

Some of the lyrics are from a memory I have of my drive across Canada last year. We were driving along the Icefields Parkway in the shadow of these giant beautiful mountains and we could see sunshine all day, but behind us there were dark clouds following and finally when we stopped to rest, the rain took over and we knew it was time to go home. We were content with all the amazing sights and it was time to just reflect back on all the awesome moments we’d had. 

– Jackie Andrade

Luke MacDonald is chasing luma. A multi-hyphenate project defined by introspection, chasing luma explores some of life’s most challenging yet fulfilling themes via beat-driven alternative pop. Balancing the energy of modern electronic music with the wistful nostalgia of contemporary indie music, chasing luma evokes emotion in equal parts through both story-telling and sonic excellence. At once deeply personal and universal to boot, chasing luma makes sincere music that prompts us to seek our own truth.

Luke has always been really into the 2000’s era of pop – born in 1998, his earliest musical memories come from that time. As he was finishing up his new single, “nervous,” he realized how much of the song’s DNA felt like the music from that time, but brought into the modern era of sonics – “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus came to mind when thinking of 

I never like to dive too deep into the meanings of my songs, because I think it’s really beautiful to be able to assign whatever meaning feels appropriate to yourself as the listener. Generally, this song can kind of be viewed as revisiting old vices or situations and getting in your own way by indulging in things that don’t serve you anymore, even if you’re self aware about it being wrong for you. – chasing luma

Los Angeles’ Sam Weber (originally from British Columbia) is continuing his string of single releases leading up to the release of Clear and Plain, a meditative collection of intuitive songwriting out on August 23rd.

New single, “Void,” is a gently rollicking journey which muses on Weber’s time spent in New Mexico. Its stripped-backed instrumentation (glimmers of piano, guitar, and brushed drums) creates space for the great skies of this southern state to appear in our minds’ eye.

The laidback nature of music in “Void” juxtaposes a story within its lyrics which found Weber coming dangerously close to losing his life on the state’s highways.

[“Void”] was written around the time Mal and I went to Bosque Del Apache nature preserve outside of Socorro, NM so they could film and photograph the sandhill crane migration.

The same Socorro that’s known for the Lonnie Zamora Incident, one of the best documented

close encounters of the third kind. Driving north on the 25 highway, we were looking at emergency vehicles headed south in the opposite lane. I turned back to our lane and there was a car inside of 100 feet driving toward us on the wrong side of the road. I grabbed the wheel from Mal who was driving and ripped it into the passing lane, and we teetered on two wheels and almost rolled the car and died. I think some of that near mortal energy combined with all the alien energy made its way out of me in “Void.” – Sam Weber

Denise Marsa’s new album, PIVOTAL, marks a significant milestone in her prolific career as an award-winning singer-songwriter and keyboardist. This year, she released “Kiss Me in the Rain,” whose Until Dawn Remix reached #6 on the UK Music Week Commercial Club Charts, and “Rainbow” (Until Dawn Remix), celebrating love and inclusivity during Pride Month. PIVOTAL encapsulates Marsa’s years of dedication, showcasing her versatility with a diverse mix of genres. Known for her innovative blend of alt-indie pop, Marsa started her label, KeyMedia Group, in 1998, releasing her debut solo album “Self” to stellar reviews.

Marsa’s career began in NYC, performing in clubs and achieving early success with “Lucky Stars” and The Flirts’ “Helpless (You Took My Love).” She secured deals with Warner Bros UK and Warner Chappell US, later forming her band in Los Angeles and focusing on independent releases. Recently, Marsa signed with BMG Publishing US and debuted her one-woman show “The Pass,” winning the Best Concert Award at the 2021 United Solo Festival. Today we dive into her latest video for “Don’t Count Yourself Out Yet (Until Dawn Remix)” which Denise shares insight into below!

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

I believe certain spirits of those who have passed on linger, impacting us with their words or actions. This song is about those past spirits meeting our current spirit. I used a strobe light in the music video to create a dreamy, magical effect, signifying life and afterlife. It represents not giving up and still being in the game, speaking to myself and others who might feel like giving up. The first line of the song is inspired by my late mom Flora: “As if you were here, I can hear you telling me, girl, you can do anything you set your mind to.” I dedicated the video to her, performing center stage in all black, focusing on my face and words to emphasize the message.

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

Inspired by classic films and often watching TCM, I aimed for a film noir vibe—contained, center stage, with stark lighting focusing on my face and lyrics. Wearing shades added a foreign film touch, like a 50s French movie star, fitting as I was named after French actress Denise Darcel. The counting part of the song was spontaneous and unrehearsed, reflecting the natural songwriting process.

3. What was the process of making this video?

I conceived the idea of shooting in two locations and called my frequent collaborator, photographer and videographer Bill Westmoreland, who lives nearby in the West Village. He liked my ideas, and we used his strobe light. We filmed me walking into my studio, presenting myself as tired and discouraged. Then, at his studio, we shot with the strobe light and dark setup, focusing on my face and singing. We did three takes, and I edited the video myself, mainly using the first take for its raw and real feel. The video includes images like me sitting on a block with my head down, a ship of ghosts representing those who have passed, and scenes of people on stairs symbolizing the ongoing struggle of life and dreams.

Thank you for this opportunity!