An endless need for self expression has helped songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Walton focus on his creative vision as an independent artist to write and produce his debut EP titled Island: a beautiful, heartfelt collection of songs about love, loss and change.

The 28-year-old from Hamilton, ON has been involved in a handful of collaborative original

bands spanning many genres (Wooly Mantis, Downstream) but “Island” is the first of many

projects that are from the mind of Walton as a solo act. Being able to have full creative freedom

has allowed Walton to find his voice in the songwriter space.

Reminiscent of the Laurel Canyon era of folk and singer-songwriter with a genre-blending modernism, Walton’s latest single “Through The Glass” is a drift inspiring transportive listen.

About his songwriting intent:

“My goal with songwriting is to take the listener on some kind of journey, whether it may be from lyrics, music or both. To take the listener out of the present moment and into a place that feels familiar, yet new and exciting. A place that is comfortable, where the listener does not feel alone and can drift away in peace.”

Free Under Fire is a Canadian rock band known for their signature groundbreaking yet nostalgic sound of rock and sonic live performances. Emanating from Toronto, Ontario, they released their debut album Beauty in Extremes in 2022.

Summer single “Airplane Over Texas” was inspired by a tongue in cheek reference to ZZ Top and the intent to have the listener liberate themselves emotionally in times of distress. They capture that with their signature sound in a bar floor moving, Trans-Am burn out romp that leaves you feeling free. 

“Although I’m happily married, breakup songs are my favourite to write,” says Hamiltonian singer-songwriter, Roslyn Witter. 

Following her exploration of a friend’s breakup from an abusive partner in her previous single, “Letting Her Go,” Witter is returning with a first person reflection on ‘that a**hole ex’ that everyone’s experienced.

“If you’re not here, I must be in the right place,” Witter asserts over breezy country pop-rock and mandolin inflections. “Heartbreak Lane” is a vulnerable yet confident song that finds Witter picking up the pieces as she “[rips] that Bandaid off [of her] skin,” looking the pain of love lost straight in the eye.

Throughout their years together, The Crowleys have focused on building a danceable set through a Venn diagram of inspiration from 60s rock, 80s pop and modern psychedelia. Peppered throughout their music is a driving and crunchy rhythm, distinctive synth warble, diverse vocals, and mind-melty pedalporn guitar.

Their debut LP, Strange Seasons, is a collection of songs by a Hamilton, ON, group of friends who wanted to share music with each other, and now the world. The album attempts to put the strangeness of the world into words and melody.

The instrumentation for the focus track, “Seasons,” was largely written by keyboard player/guitarist Justyn Horlick. It’s an emotional jazzy turnaround that repeats for most of the song. The ending, inspired by the Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings song “100 Days, 100 Nights,” features a transition from 4/4 time to 6/4 time. The lyrics on the other hand were penned by vocalist Giuliana Frontini, on a hot day in November when she noticed that she was unsettled by the temperature.

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

We thought that this song in particular effectively summed up the themes and tones of the album, making it a great candidate for a music video. It is also more grounded in its sonic textures and has a more vintage and natural sound than the rest of the album, which lended itself to the settings and characters found in the video, and is emphasized by the vintage look of the Super 8 film. Much of the rest of the album would demand a lot of neon lighting, lazer beams, and classic cars, which unfortunately just wasn’t in the budget…

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

Like much of the album, the inspiration is environmentalism. We aimed to tell a tale about the allure of consumerism, and the inevitable destruction it leads to. In the video the mask that two of the main characters find is meant to represent consumerism. Like most of us they use this consumerism to hide their true self from the world. This always goes hand in hand with environmental consequences, which in the video is represented by “The Bag”.

3. What was the process of making this video?

When we first set out to shoot the video the main focus was shooting it on Super 8 film. Although we were excited about the Super 8 and the colour and tone it brings, it can be a bit nerve racking. The film is expensive to buy and develop, and you really only have one shot to make it work. The quality of Super 8 depends on the quality of lighting, and we were nervous about the overcast day that we had to shoot on. We ended up shooting the whole thing twice, once with Super 8, and once on a phone as backup. Luckily, the Super 8 turned out great and we had enough footage to use it exclusively.

What initially started as a very open-ended idea of shooting the distinct contrast between nature and industrialism in our hometown of Hamilton, evolved into a story with the help of a few props that we brought along, specifically the Scaramouche mask and a plastic bag, which ended up being the costumes for the main characters of the film.

While the theme of Strange Seasons is lightly steeped in environmental angst there is a romantic current throughout with lyrics often referencing a relationship with another person as a means of surviving the elements.

Formed in 2019 from lead singer/songwriter Angus Watt‘s desire to provoke more dancing within the Victoria, B.C. indie music community, Pastel Blank carries on the torch of such genre-defying luminaries as Talking Heads and Women. Kaleidoscopic guitarwork blends together jagged jabs of funk, soft shades of bossa-nova, and punchy disco beats to create a listening experience that flows between the grooves of indie rock, prog-pop, and new wave.

Produced by longtime band member and musical polymath Connor Head, “Dopamine” is the second single from Pastel Blank‘s forthcoming debut album. One of Watt‘s desires for the recording in-studio was for the single to express the excitement and playfulness of the soon-to-be infamous Pastel Blank live show. “Dopamine” is about the moment when you realize you’ve been flipping between apps like you’re checking an empty fridge for the 10th time, hoping to feed your receptors something that feels as good as the younger days of however long ago you picked up your phone.

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

“Dopamine is about screen addiction and the most mindless forms of doom-scrolling. I’ve spent more time than I care to admit watching the most inane bottom of the barrel content, like a split-screen edit of a podcast excerpt paired with Subway Surfer (or Temple Run for the old-heads). It’s funny to think that low effort, hyper-stimulating content can release some of the same chemicals you experience when you’re in love – there couldn’t be two more different experiences!

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

For the video, I wanted a phones-eye view of someone deep in a doomscroll, like a drawn out version of that split second when your screen goes black and all you can see is your reflection behind a bunch of grubby fingerprints. I wanted the dancing to look like someone who’s being forced to do a TikTok dance over and over. Patrick Macht and Micah Henry, two super talented folks who I’ve had the pleasure of working with on all the videos for this album, designed the creepy screen mask I’m wearing in the video.

3.What was the process of making this video?

We went to a parking lot in Vancouver after dark and I danced around in the screen mask, totally unable to see anything, while the crew called out directions to me. Micah drove around me in his mini-van, with a crazy lighting rig attached to the roof, making it look like some sort of alien observation vehicle.” 

Toronto’s Ekelle rhymes about what she knows best: her real-life experience! Money, sex, drama, and identity stir together to create a style she calls Hood Pop – popular music with a street edge.

“Your baddies are your real ones, hustlers who get shit done and keep it moving,” Ekelle says about her aptly titled new single “Baddie,” which is “perfect for pre-gaming with your girls or driving around on a sunny day.”

Currently, Ekelle is an artist in the RBC Launchpad Music Entrepreneurship Program, guided by her instincts and a passion for music, pop culture and fashion. In 2022, Ekelle dropped her first album, Let’s Get It, landing song features on the video game Boogie, TV show Hudson & Rex and the Stanley Cup Finals.