Behind the name and the music is Canadian folk singer-songwriter Shane Pendergast, a Maritime storyteller known for his heartfelt songs rooted in community and tradition. His new album, Winter Grace, delves into themes of loss and resilience, with its reflective focus track “Candle on the Sill” offering a poignant glimpse into the album’s emotional core.

Inspired by the tradition of leaving a candle on the windowsill as a beacon of safety, “Candle on the Sill” takes on an intensely personal meaning. Shane reflects on the loved ones he has lost, imagining leaving a candle in the hope that they might return, even knowing the impossibility of that hope.

Recorded live with pianist Aaron Comeau, a member of the Skydiggers, the track achieves a beautifully delicate sound. Shane credits the album’s engineer, Adam Gallant, for crafting the perfect mood in the studio, even setting a candle nearby to create the right atmosphere.

I like to reference old folk traditions and sayings in my songwriting. In this song, I use the expression “the last hurrah” to convey the idea of celebrating life’s fleeting moments instead of succumbing to sadness. The first verse resonates deeply for me as it recalls a bittersweet night spent with my grandmother, near the end of her life. – Shane Pendergast

Back Seat Driver’s new single, “The Mountain,” is a soulful anthem about facing life’s challenges with courage and self-belief. Formed in 2023, Back Seat Driver is the collective effort of Sam (keys), Gil (drums), Harland (bass), and Dara (vocals), blending neo-soul grooves with roots-inspired storytelling. “The Mountain” takes listeners on a journey of resilience, culminating in an empowering musical crescendo.

The track was born from an older version with a gospel vibe, transformed during a jam session into a groove-driven song layered with soulful elements. Stripped-down but dynamic, the recording showcases the band’s tight chemistry and their commitment to organic musical growth.

This song came together for us really quickly. The idea centers around the idea that everyone faces mountains in their life that will come down when we believe in ourselves. It’s our anthem of courage and strength. – Back Seat Driver

NERiMA’s latest single, “Reverence,” is a striking reflection on the idolization of celebrities and the darker realities that often lie behind the glamorous facade. Balancing pop-punk energy with emotionally driven lyrics, the track combines edgy, dark, and introspective themes that delve into the pressures of achieving dreams and the fear of finding unhappiness despite success.

Inspired by lead vocalist Lexi’s personal experiences and observations, “Reverence” explores the complicated relationships fans have with their idols, questioning the consequences of dehumanizing them and what it means to pursue a life that often mirrors theirs.

The song is driven by AJ’s dynamic guitar work and production choices that build intensity before resolving with an acoustic outro, mirroring the emotional weight of the lyrics. Recorded with Dan Bell and mastered by Kyle Marchant (Silverstein, Boys Night Out), “Reverence” showcases NERiMA’s ability to blend intricate emotions with a genre-fluid so

“Reverence” is about constantly looking up to the celebrities whose lives you’ve always dreamed of and the experience of hearing about how unhappy they are. I wrote it after hearing about the mental health struggles that some of my favorite bands face. While it makes me feel deeply for them, it also fills me with fear that I might one day achieve my dream life, only to find it isn’t what I hoped for. – Lexi

Toronto-based singer-songwriter and filmmaker David Jane delves into the uncanny experience of returning home to a place that no longer feels familiar with his latest single, “Five and Dime.” Introspective and riveting, the track blends acoustic-driven singer-songwriter stylings with atmospheric indie production, capturing a profound sense of disconnection and longing.

Following the success of his contemplative single, “Garden Out Back,” which reflected on the lingering ache of a love left behind, “Five and Dime” shifts focus to David‘s own journey of re-acclimating to a post-Vancouver reality. It chronicles the often unhealthy coping mechanisms used to navigate this transitional phase, such as immersing oneself in fictional narratives, offering a window into the internal conflict of seeking comfort in escapism versus facing life’s stark realities. The track is a testament to the chemistry between David and producer Sam Arion (Mute Choir), marking their third collaboration.

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

“Five and Dime” might be the most personal song I’ve ever written. It deals with the kind of uncanny feeling that comes with returning to a home that no longer feels familiar and the unhealthy ways of coping, which to a cinephile like me with as much of my heart in film as there is in music, means wiling away countless hours binging classic movies. In this case, I was returning home from the most inspiring year of my life studying film in Vancouver only to find that, while I was gone, most of my friends had moved away and nothing about my home really felt comforting or familiar anymore. Rather than facing that feeling head on, it’s easy instead to slip into these fictional narratives. I think there’s a fine line between drawing inspiration from these incredible artistic expressions and dissociating into them, using them as an escape. “Five and Dime” exists right in that subtle intersection. Mentally, I even built the structure of the song and production around The Hero’s Journey—perhaps the most deeply rooted story structure in all narrative, especially film. These cinematic inspirations and inclinations were just crying out for some visuals to match. 

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

“Five and Dime” is the second single building to an upcoming EP that really captures the transformative feelings of this transition from Vancouver back to my hometown and feeling somehow disconnected from this whole different version of myself I left behind. In the first single’s video, “Garden Out Back,” we see this duality represented through a quiet, disaffected version of myself contrasted with an elevated, desperate, pleading version, both trapped in the same small space. In “Five and Dime,” I again partnered with Chara Ho of ZestyNobody who helped on “Garden Out Back”,  to double down on this idea of duplicity—in this version, there’s the confident, idealized vision you see on the TV contrasted with the dissociative, disaffected reality of sitting at home alone on a Friday night. To tie into this vintage “Five and Dime,” classic Hollywood theme I had going, I wanted the TV performance footage to appear in grainy black & white, like an old Ed Sullivan performance or Dylan in “Don’t Look Back” or something. As previously mentioned, the disaffected version finds a source of light and inspiration in this idealized performance, only to be suckered by the unreality of it once it ends.

3. What was the process of making this video?

“Garden Out Back” was a very simple shoot – Chara and I rented a photo studio for a few hours with a couple cool ideas to capture as much footage as we could. I figured we’d do something similar here, though she suggested we up the ante and find a proper cinematographer to help. Luckily, I know Hayden Salter from my short film “Apnea,” who was happy to hop on board. Within days of Hayden’s involvement, he’d confirmed access to a top line camera and gear, an accessible studio space and a whole light setup, all within our tiny little pocket budget. Suddenly, we had three days to flesh out a full-fledged music video and full-on production with just three people. Safe to say it turned into one of the most frenetic weeks of my life: on set, I’d be loading gear up four flights of stairs, hanging off ladders and shuffling furniture around all within minutes of fixing up my makeup/wardrobe and hopping in front of the camera. My favourite shots from the video might be me sitting in front of a projection of the black & white performance footage. We shot all the black and white performance footage first thing in the morning so that we could quickly apply some colour correction and render out a proper video to project against the blank wall before re-setting the space into the living room. It ended up taking nearly eight hours before this render came out so the three of us had to improvise about four different set ups in the meantime. Nothing went smooth per se, but Chara, Hayden and I were having so much fun capturing something we truly believed in so it was easy to push through any setbacks and keep going. I edited the video myself with colouring support from Marco Leung and about a month after shooting, it was gearing to go.

Hamilton, ON-based band Junestone have dropped their highly anticipated new full-length album, FIRST TRY, featuring the lead single “BRIDGE!” The song and album showcase a fearless leap into a world of genre-defying sounds, blending elements of funk, fusion, and rock with themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and embracing life’s transitions. 

“BRIDGE!” serves as an energetic anthem for overcoming self-doubt, while the album delivers a dynamic exploration of personal growth and transformation, capturing the essence of moving forward in a turbulent world. Musically, the track embraces elements of jazz fusion, funk rock, and psychedelia, blending improvisation with meticulously crafted moments. The single, filled with a punchy bassline and dramatic spoken word over a complex musical backdrop, is one of the standout moments on FIRST TRY, a record that captures evolution and Junestone’s deep connection to one another.

“BRIDGE!” invites you to leave behind your old self and step into something new. It’s about trusting your instincts and pushing past the doubts that hold you back; saying yes to your own potential. It’s a song for anyone who’s ready to cross that bridge to something better. 

– bandleader Olivia Brown

Savelene’s new single, “A New End,” is a deep dive into the complexities of relationships and personal growth. Formed during the COVID-19 lockdowns, Savelene is the brainchild of Rich Sookrah (vocals) and Dallas Toni (guitars), who explore themes of fear, acceptance, and the bittersweet nature of endings. With their latest single, they confront the emotional tension that arises when relationships end and what comes after.

The song was inspired by the navigation of relationships—both past and present—and the lessons learned through them. “A New End” captures the simultaneous sense of loss and hope that comes with endings, layered over a unique blend of rock and alt-metal influences.