GROWERS are a four-piece pop punk band from Toronto, Canada, known for their upbeat original material and high energy live shows.

Their song “17 Cigarettes” was inspired by the struggle of getting older, especially in your late teen years. Transitioning from being a kid, to having a bit more responsibility and independence is tough. Having a moment to contemplate these thoughts over a cigarette break is what the song is about. 

As you’re taking a long drag, maybe you’re thinking about all the important choices you have ahead of you – where you might go to school, if you’ll find work, and what sort of impact those choices will have on the course of your life. It’s hard not to think about potential regrets, and how much you will eventually change as the years pass by. 

In support of their upcoming CRYBABY EP, GROWERS will be heading back on tour throughout the summer of 2023, consisting of dates in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton, and Guelph. GROWERS will also be performing at NXNE and CMW 2023. 

In 2020, the world stopped but Basement Revolver never really did: songs were written and recorded, a band member left, and another came to replace them. But, they couldn’t tour or rehearse or record in the usual way. The gap between making work, and being alone, resulted in serious introspection for the band. The songs they wrote were full of the tension in a world that is shut down, but which expects productivity. This resulted in a deeper understanding of what kind of message the band wanted to present, and which stories they wanted to tell. The result was 2022’s Embody — and now its counterpart, Embody Live (out June 9, 2023 on Sonic Unyon).

“Tired,” the first single to be shared ahead of Embody Live’s release, is about co-lead Chrisy Hurn’s existential fatigue and significant life changes – leaving the church and religion they grew up in, the community and family that came with it and their understanding of who they’re supposed to be. 

Brazilian music superstar and philanthropist Alok, known for chart-topping tracks such as “Don’t Say Goodbye” featuring Tove Lo, his award-winning remix of MEDUZA’s “Piece of Your Heart,” and most recently, “Mami Mami,” has reunited with longtime collaborator, superstar DJ/producer Steve Aoki, for their new club single “2 Much 2 Handle.” Both have combined monthly listenership of over 43 million. The recently announced ‘most-listened-to Brazilian artist in the world’ on Spotify is wrapping his ‘Alok Club Series 2023’ project with this release, which is available now on all DSPs and streaming services HERE along with a live performance video.

Listen in here:

Alok’s latest single, “2 Much 2 Handle,” with Steve Aoki, is an electrifying dance track that is sure to get people moving. The song starts off with a futuristic beat and builds up to an explosive drop, featuring a catchy vocal hook. With its high-energy vibe and infectious melody, the collaboration between Alok and Aoki is a fitting conclusion to a series of successful club-focused releases, leaving listeners eagerly anticipating what’s next for the Brazilian DJ. The new single comes with a music video from Alok and Steve´s live performance in Paris recently.

“It’s great to be back working together with Steve for our third release to cap off my Summer ‘Alok Club Series 2023’ EP. The project is geared towards club dancefloors and I can’t wait to play this for everyone this Summer!” – Alok

“2 Much 2 Handle” is Brazilian superstar Alok’s final dancefloor-focused track to come out in just one month, following his two club singles, “Over Again” with UK duo Solardo and “Mami Mami.” This three-single series of club-inspired tracks is Alok’s special project for 2023 Summer, titled ‘Alok Club Series 2023.’ Alok’s year started with the disco-inspired house track “Work With My Love” with multi platinum singer/songwriter James Arthur, which featured the sample used in The Shapeshifters’ 2004 hit “Lola’s Theme.” This came following a slew of commercial releases to cap a highly successful 2022, which was highlighted by Alok being crowned No. 1 DJ in Latin America and No. 4 in the world by DJ Mag, and the launch of his “The Future Is Ancestral” philanthropic event series. The remarkable inaugural event brought his climate change initiatives and partnership with the United Nations’ Global Compact to help kickoff New York’s Climate Change Week with a series of panels and a historic, first-ever performance on the rooftop of the United Nations headquarters. 

Alok’s musical successes in 2022 were also unmatched, with “Deep Down” staying at #1 on Billboard’s Dance charts for weeks, while his dance pop anthem “All By Myself” with Ellie Goulding and Sigala flooded radio waves around the world. With a remarkable 70 million social media followers, the music producer and philanthropist continues to build on his legendary catalog, which already includes global hit singles like “Hear Me Now,” and his chart topping remix of MEDUZA’s “Piece of Your Heart,” which won “Best Remix” at the 2020 International Dance Music Awards.

“Back for our third collab together with Alok on ‘2 Much 2 Handle’. It’s a high-energy dance anthem that will make you want to move and feel alive. Can’t wait for everyone to hear it!” – Steve Aoki

Alok and Steve Aoki first collaborated in 2020 producing “Do It Again.” The single paid homage to The Chemical Brothers’ track of the same name, utilizing heavy bass and high-octane percussion to transform it to an anthem for ravers. Following the success of “Do It Again” in 2021, the two collaborated once again producing “Typical” featuring Swedish-LA songwriter Lars Martin. This single allowed the two artists to incorporate their own personal styles into the music.

In 2022, Aoki released several singles including “Welcome to the Playhouse” featuring  former basketball player-turned-DJ, Shaquille O’Neal and “Da Homies” featuring musical artist MT11. Later that year he released his album HiROQUEST: Genesis, an expansive 15-track world-building album, which included an array of collaborations with the likes Kane Brown, Taking Back Sunday and MOD SUN. At the end of the year, Aoki was ranked No. 7 by DJ Mag in their Top 100 DJs of 2022 list. In 2023, Aoki furthered his multifaceted portfolio into web3 and the metaverse by collaborating with Justin “3LAU” Blau for their first single “Concentrate” in April. The two artists teamed up together to create a new CryptoPunks-inspired duo called PUNX to pursue their strong passions for technology. 

Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds are new-age fosterers of soul music with a uniquely Canadian twist. Hailing from St. Boniface, the old French quarter of Winnipeg, they have crafted their identity as bilingual artists with their first full-length album, Cruel. Infusing nine fun-loving songs about amour and heartbreak in a mixture of both English and French, the LP serves as an authentic representation of the languages they speak at home. With the support of seasoned producer Murray Pulver, Cruel was recorded “live off the floor” to capture their vintage soul aesthetic and vibrant live performance energy.

The record’s focus track, “We Haven’t Met Yet,” came about when lead singer/guitarist Jérémie came up with some lyrics for a chorus and shared them with lead guitarist Ryan Toupin, who found them inspiring and wrote several verses. The lyrics reminded Ryan of his single days when he would feel too shy to approach any of the beautiful girls he encountered, whether on the bus, at a bar, or in this case, at the library. He had always fantasized about meeting an intelligent girl who shared his love of books.

We caught up with Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds as they chat about the new video below!

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

We decided to bring this song to life through a visual representation as it holds a special place in our hearts. This was the result of the first-ever collaboration between Ryan, our lead guitarist, and Jérémie. While Jérémie shared a few lines and a chorus melody, Ryan crafted the verses and chord progression that truly breathed life into the song. The lyrics capture the universal feeling of being drawn to someone and the longing to form a connection that everyone can relate to.

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

We wanted to keep the storyline of the music video simple because the song, lyrics and instruments already take the listener on such a journey. So we decided to lean into natural looking lighting, with a light story focused on what the meaning of the song reflects — not meeting someone yet but knowing you’re destined for each other. The anamorphic lenses, lighting and light flares helped to make the video feel dreamy and ethereal.

3. What was the process of making this video? 

We granted complete creative autonomy to our director, Austin MacKay, from CoPilot Co. (https://www.copilotco.io/), who conceptualized every aspect of the music video. His vision aimed to accurately capture the essence of the song’s message while also delivering a visually appealing and stylistic video. 

The Delicious Hounds name is a play on words about their “delicious sound” of smooth melodies, juicy guitar riffs and tasty horn licks. Jérémie‘s smooth yet smoky voice is accented with a brilliant brass section to deliver round after round of phenomenal hits on golden platters. His staple friendliness, positive vibes and charismatic nature culminate into a profound presence that leaves listeners swooning for another bite of the eight-piece band’s modern twist on old-school rhythm and beats.