Beamsville, Ontario’s Riley Michaels is stepping out of the present and into a dream of the past with his shimmering new single, “Waiting For You.” Known for his soulful voice, guitar prowess, and genre-blending style, Michaels now leans deep into retro-pop with a lush, synth-laced track that pays loving tribute to the music of the 1980s.

Michaels wrote “Waiting For You” not from a personal event, but from a feeling shaped by neon-lit nights, boombox serenades, and rain-soaked movie moments. The track oozes nostalgia with shimmering synths, a LinnDrum beat, and vintage tones that effortlessly conjure memories of a decade he never lived through but somehow belongs to.

Created in collaboration with bandmate and synth specialist Vincent Petrunti, the song was primarily recorded in Petrunti’s condo and Michaels’ home studio. The production breaks new ground for Michaels: it’s the first release in his catalogue that forgoes a live drummer entirely, instead embracing the era’s iconic drum machine sound to reinforce the song’s throwback aesthetic.

This song was born from my desire to create music I actually enjoy making. I love the 80s – I wasn’t there, but I live for the music, the movies, the whole vibe. “Waiting For You” reminds me of that classic movie scene where the guy’s standing outside with a boombox in the rain, hoping she’ll open the door. That’s the energy I wanted. – Riley Michaels

Vancouver-based pop artist Matías Roden returns with “Angels in the Night” – an emotional and cathartic power ballad inspired by the true story of a close friend who survived the 2017 terror attack on London Bridge. The song is both a tribute to survival and a love letter to the city of Roden’s birth, where deepening connection meets collective grief, reflection, and resilience.

Framed by soaring vocals, stripped-back instrumentation, and a haunting 90s-inspired minimalism, “Angels in the Night” carries the emotional weight of its subject matter while offering a message of strength and healing. Produced by acclaimed Canadian artist Louise Burns, the track draws sonic influence from the stark sincerity of Sinead O’Connor and the bold emotionality of SOPHIE’s “It’s Okay to Cry.”

Written after Roden heard his friend’s harrowing account of escaping the deadly attack, the song captures not just personal trauma, but the surreal randomness of survival itself and the guilt, gratitude, and emotional fallout that follow. “Angels in the Night” is a rare pop ballad that balances raw vulnerability with powerful, cinematic expression. 

I wanted to create something that recognized the gravity and trauma of what happened, but was also uplifting – a tribute to the strength to carry onwards. It makes me feel emotional every time I hear it, because I know the story behind it. It’s sad and melancholic, but also uplifting. That duality is what makes it feel honest to me. – Matías Roden

Toronto-based indie pop/rock artist Brodie Christ returns with his vulnerable yet bombastic new single “IDWTBFriends,” an intimate and upbeat confession of desire in long-term love.

“Desire is a strange and fickle beast. It comes on intensely and can disappear just as fast,” says Christ. “I wanted to express in this song what, to me, felt like fresh desire in a long-term relationship. I have these memories of early days that were intense, frantic and fumbling. I want more of those. What we are giving each other is not enough. I want more. I want it full time. I need more of you.”

Driven by punchy guitars, a bittersweet melodic hook, and a lyric that refuses to play it cool, “IDWTBFriends” lands with both emotional precision and sonic punch. Christ explains: “The chorus just slaps you, unambiguously, both musically and lyrically.”

“I like the title, which is an abbreviation of the initial line of the chorus, because it’s a misdirection,” Christ states. 

That tension and uncertainty pulses through every line. “Yearning, impatience, and action,” Christ says of the song’s inspiration. “A realization that what is right in front is what is missing and the only way to fill the void is to go after it, romance it, and ask for it.”

Lyrically, the song refuses to hide. “There’s no other way to say to you so straight and true” is a standout line for the artist. 

“It’s easy to be self-congratulatory when you’ve written clever lyrics but it’s also too easy to miss the emotional component with word play. These lyrics have no metaphor or cleverness. They are precise in expressing their desire and vulnerability. I want you (and I hope you feel the same way too).”

Fresh off the heels of his contribution to Songs From The Gang, 5x JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter Julian Taylor returns with “Dedication”—a vibrant new single that blends soul, roots, and folk rock with a deeply personal message about commitment, connection, and showing up with your whole heart.

“Dedication” is the first single to be released from Taylor’s forthcoming Anthology II, a career-spanning collection to be released on September 10th which traverses his over 25 year career as a songwriter.

Recorded in a single, spirited session with an all female, kickass band made up of Michele Stodart on bass, Raevennen Husbandes on electric guitar, and Sian Monaghan on drums, the track captures the collaborators’ undeniable live energy. 

“[We had] a super tight rhythm section, killer guitar, great backing vocal harmonies and it all locked in perfectly. I don’t think we had even played our first show together yet when we recorded this and it was an incredible experience getting to know one another. We hadn’t even played our first show together yet when we recorded this, but it clicked instantly,” Taylor recalls.

“We’re life long friends now and I love playing with these dynamically talented women every time I go across the pond.”

Co-written with longtime collaborator Robert Priest, “Dedication” is a song born from real love and persistence. With its rich emotional message wrapped in infectious rhythm, Taylor delivers a heartfelt anthem that invites listeners to dance while also reflecting on what it truly means to give your all.

“Whether that’s in love, in life, or in your passion, this song is a declaration of that kind of wholehearted commitment,” says Taylor.

Inspired in part by a simple moment at a street corner, the lyric “take me along across this crosswalk” captures Taylor’s knack for turning everyday moments into poetic imagery. 

“Relationships are like crosswalks,” he explains. “Sometimes you’re waiting, sometimes you’re asking someone to take that step with you.”

Stylistically, “Dedication” leans into a retro, soulful sound anchored by tight rhythms, rootsy guitar licks, layered vocals, and a memorable “la da da da da” refrain that gives it instant singalong appeal.

The result is a track that’s brooding and devoted, uplifting and fun—one that moves both body and spirit.

“It lifts me up every time I play it,” Taylor adds. “And I hope it does the same for others.”

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Rosanne Baker Thornley unveils the official music video for her beautifully introspective single, “Her Mother’s Eyes” – a cinematic, heartwarming track inspired by the quiet, emotional power of a single wedding morning photo. Framed through a mother’s gaze, the song pays tribute to the intricate, ever-changing relationship between mothers and daughters.

Drawn from a deeply personal experience, “Her Mother’s Eyes” paints a vivid scene: a daughter on her wedding day, the final touches of makeup being applied, a veil waiting in the stylist’s hand — and a mother witnessing the culmination of years in one fleeting moment. It’s a song that acknowledges the little girl who still lives within the woman standing before her, and the life they’ve shared leading up to this day.

Thornley‘s signature vulnerability and lyrical honesty guide the track, giving voice to emotions rarely explored in contemporary folk and singer-songwriter spaces. With cinematic grace and gentle restraint, the song unfolds like memory itself – tender, truthful, and timeless.

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

“Her Mother’s Eyes” is a song that stirred in me when I was looking at the photos I took the morning of my daughter’s wedding. This is a song that captures what was, in one particular photo, an overwhelming feeling that I couldn’t pull away from.

For what was a ridiculous amount of time, I sat there looking at the photo filled with such intense emotion as I looked at my daughter getting the final touches of her makeup applied, and the hair stylist standing behind waiting to place her veil. It was in that moment, and a look on her face, that I could fully see that little girl of mine and the lovely woman she had become.

I’ll never forget how that felt. And how I knew in that moment that I had to capture what was inside of me. It’s the depth of that love and that feeling that inspired me to write “Her Mother’s Eyes”. 

I write from a space inside a song where I can feel as well as see the moment and setting around me. A song is as much audio as it is visceral and visual for me. There’s something very sensory in all of it. And because of my passion for taking photos, I’m inspired to capture these moments which I feel do much the same as what a song does. 

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

To immerse people in a song, in a lyric, in a feeling, in the space of a moment … and to have them hear, feel and see those 3 minutes 35 seconds, to pull the audience into your song through their heart, their eyes … how soul-fulfilling is that …

Because of the strength of the story behind “Her Mother’s Eyes”, I didn’t feel that the video needed to spend a lot of time focused on me singing. Infact Director – Yeimy Daza, Cinematographer – Artem Mykhailetskyi and I agreed that the story was better served having me appear at the end in a cameo to establish whose eyes you were experiencing this through.

We knew we wanted to draw on the emotional connection of the song and to share not only the experience of seeing the bride through a mother’s eyes, but to also share the mother seeing her daughter as a young child. There were quite a few discussions around how we would accomplish this, as well as thoughts on the camera being the mother’s eyes, which determined the position of the camera – and how the camera (the eyes) experienced the room. We also discussed a more filmatic approach to setting the scene and staying in the calm of it. 

I love black and white imagery which I leverage in my own photography work. I love that b&w simplifies what you see and channels your focus through a less busy palette. I love that it immediately immerses you into a thoughtful moment. A moment that is romantic, thoughtful, dramatic, sophisticated, powerful, immediate. 

3. What was the process of making this video?

My visual team and I had been discussing this video for years. In fact this song was originally going to be the first single from my album “Sorry I’m Late”. But when Covid changed the landscape, it made no sense to release a song about a wedding. 

We had had for quite some time the video treatment. So when I hit the green light on releasing the single recently, it was game on for getting this video into production on a budget that was fueled more with generosity and a want to be part of it, than on dollars. I must say that my videos reflect far larger budgets than the budgets that actually are. This is made possible only through people who are passionate about creating art they are proud to be part of. 

We knew that the video would be an undertaking in finding resources – but we were confident in the song and the team representing what it was we were going to do. We also knew that due to our limited budget constraints that our extensive planning would lead to filming this video in one day. 

Finding the right location proved to be our biggest obstacle which I spent endless months searching for – and found and secured, after months of negotiation and emails. Yay! Phew! The wedding dress was attained through Becker’s Bridal a local wedding boutique that my daughter and I have admired the windows of since she was a little girl. When I initially spoke with Becker’s they were trepidated about the notion of ‘loaning’ us a dress, but quickly came on board after hearing the song and reviewing the video treatment. Yeimy’s actor friend Natalia Aranguren, who was herself getting married at the end of May, was thrilled to be part of it. Good friend and casting agent Sam Ottaviano (S.A.M Agency) was instrumental in finding Eva Luna Machin Gonzale who was our lovely child actor. Yeimy, Artem and I were the project producers, which in these so-small productions encompassed all the tasks from producer to craft services to wardrobe to props to picking up and dropping off gear. 

So there we were with all the pieces carefully considered, the actors ready to go, a wedding gown loaned and altered, hair/makeup person Audrey Guegan ready with lipstick and hairspray, my daughter Taylor Thornley-Schollar with her camera primed to capture the behind-the-scenes images, my husband Michael waiting in the wings to lend a hand and haul gear, and a long-awaited plan ready to realize! And then at the last minute, our long–confirmed location fell through. Arghhh. Fortunately, in the studio a few days later with my good friend, Producer Ben Pelchat, when I mentioned that our filming location had fizzled, he pointed me to Studio Bon Soleil (Marie Dame) who graciously accommodated our budget, and provided what turned out to be a far superior location to our previous site that had fallen through. The room, those windows, the ceiling height and the daylight streaming through – all of which were a huge priority in creating the look and feel of the video, was absolutely perfect! 

The day was long and full and fruitful. It was a day that was a great experience, one that will be fondly remembered by those who were there in the room. 

The editing was provided by Youssef Mutawe who fell into the rhythm of the song to create the lovely visual experience – the ebb and flow of a bride and a child as seen through a mother’s eyes. 

I’m pleased to at last be sharing “Her Mother’s Eyes” and to have such a beautiful and heartwarming video to carry it into the world.  Thanks to the wonderful talent and generosity of my mighty visual team – my village.
Thank you Modern Mystery. It’s been my pleasure to share with you a bit of what brought “Her Mother’s Eyes” into the world. I greatly enjoyed the deep dive into how it came to be. Thank you for asking.