Although Toronto singer-songwriter Tara Van grew up in an artistic and welcoming family, she felt that she was somehow born missing the rhythm, dancing to her own beat. On her journey she has graduated from a performing arts high school, written a musical which was presented at Page 2 Stage in the UK, been diagnosed with ADHD, gone through a self-discovery of her queerness, and more. 

All of that life experience has been explored in Rise, Tara’s debut full-length solo album. It’s inspired by Rupi Kaur’s poetry book, The Sun And Her Flowers. The concept is all about the reincarnation of self depicted by the lifecycle of a sunflower, through wilting, falling, rooting and rising. 

The title track, “Rise,” is about rebuilding. After the heartbreak of her life, it took Tara some time to rise from the ashes, like a phoenix reborn. The song was written after a tearful breakup, a love letter written to her ex that would go nowhere, and the subsequent closure she finally got. 

“Never stop expanding, never stop challenging, never stop pushing and never give up,” Tara explains about the theme of the album. “It’s okay to let go of what doesn’t nourish you. If you outgrow the plot you are currently in, then it’s okay to uproot and plant yourself in a place where you can continue growing.”

Hamilton-via-London, UK artist LTtheMonk fuses dance music with hip hop and pop to create his own unique sound. 

His new track, “2 & A Half,” reflects on the end of a long term relationship, finding LT admitting that a lot of his ‘growth’ in love hasn’t been realized. It’s a song of accountability for immature behaviour with a soulful inflection that imbues feelings of nostalgia for this past love.

Harlem-based producer, J-Track, collaborated with LT on “2 & A Half,” which blends hip hop verses and R&B production with a groove inspired by the late 80s and early 90s era of new jack swing.

“Though you might look in the mirror after a period of being single and say ‘Okay, I’ve grown, I’m a completely emotionally healthy person now!’ that is not necessarily true. True self-growth is a lifelong process,” explains LT.

Feathership is the moniker for Jean-Philippe Sauvé’s musical project. First assembled as asix-piece indie-rock band, the act eventually morphed into a more personal and subdued affair, putting Sauvé’s delicate songsmith abilities to the forefront.

On new EP Peace Talks, Feathership displays a knack for memorable melodies and cinematographic moods, accompanied by Christian Sean (Hippie Hourrah, Sofia Bel) and a wide array of the best of the Montreal music scene: Guido del Fabbro (collaborator for Pierre Lapointe), Laurence-Anne (member of La Sécurité and prominent Quebec artist in her own right), Jason Bajada and Mat Vezio, among others.

The four songs address intertwined themes of nostalgia, a return to innocence and the difficulty of reconciliation; whether it be the epic sounds of “Dream Aloud” and “Fragments United,” the French-bossa vintage vibe on “Tant Étrange” or the hushed timeless americana balladry of “One by One.”

Solemn yet whimsical, the reverie of “Dream Aloud” is driven by the will to share optimism in the face of major present-day challenges. A “modern folk-utopian tale,” the visual narrative sews this together in a fun way, with clips from mid-century USSR animated movies.

is a percussionist, composer, and producer. Loida’s musical curiosity and open-mindedness has propelled him towards a wide-range of sounds, genres, and artistic endeavours. His thirst to participate in and experience this range of sounds is partly a product of Loida’s synesthesia. Music is a full-body experience for him, with sounds often invoking involuntary sensations of colour, texture, or even taste.

His album, Giverny, is a new age, indie classical collection of songs. During songwriting, he had the realisation that memories often come to us before we even remember, and similarly that’s how songwriting/composing feels – that they have been laying dormant until they feel it’s time to appear. With this album, Loida was influenced by French philosophy, arts, and music, from his time visiting, creating, and meeting people there.  

Picture listening to the focus track, “December Dreams” – Loida’s version of the movie score to the blissful cinematic moment of the ice dance in Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands. 

“On a snowy December night in Boston many years ago now, I found myself in a basement apartment in Somerville, heartbroken…” says Loida. “I needed peace, comfort, and to remember joy which is what this song brings me.”

Brave New World is the uncommonly rich, joyous and exhilarating second album from Toronto singer/songwriter Erin Hunt that defies categorization while freely exploring the deepest yearnings of the human condition. A profoundly musical record built for headphone listening –  to sit back, fire up a fatty and disappear into – but also perfect to blast over speakers, to groove to, until the music stops you in your tracks. 

The album closer (and fourth single), “Won’t Give Up” is perhaps Erin and her band at its most dynamic and explosive – underpinning the lyric of resilience and faith – then perfectly matching the powerful, insistent refrain that typifies the spirit and drive and exuberance of the whole record: “We don’t give up, we don’t give up, we don’t give up.”  

“This was probably the most difficult song I’ve ever written,” says Erin. “I was intent on writing it in a typical pop arrangement (which I usually don’t stray too far from) but the song just refused to go there. I kept trying to force it into being something it wasn’t and that’s why it took so long… Now I just shake my head at how stupid that would have been – it’s truly my favourite track on the album and my favourite song I’ve ever written.”

The classic Bakersfield sound shines in “I Know How,” Shane Ghostkeeper’s new single “inspired by the chance to redeem a lifetime of terrible dancing as a dedication to the craft for my upcoming wedding with the love of my life.” The music video was conceptualized and directed by fiancée Sarah Houle.

Fans of independent Canadian music will likely recognize the name Shane Ghostkeeper from his namesake project GHOSTKEEPER, a band that has been responsible for some of the more thrilling music to emerge from Alberta during the last 15 years. But while his parent band trades in a highly unique, left-of-centre approach to indie rock, this new project is a deeply reverential tribute to the music he absorbed while growing up in the Northern Alberta Métis communities of Paddle Prairie, High Level, and Rocky Lane. “The concept of this record,” he says, “is to present, as a gift to my people, an exploration of the country & western and roots records they surrounded me with since childhood.” Songs For My People is truly a family affair, slated for release on July 28, 2023 via Victory Pool Records.