Toronto singer-songwriter Angela Saini captivates audiences with instantly-memorable country roots pop, celebrating courage and finding joy in surprising places. With several Canadian tours under her belt, as well as treks across Germany, England and The Netherlands, the positive and upbeat songstress has been called “massively talented” by BBC Radio. A 2020 Independent Music Award Finalist for “Best Alt Country” and 2017 Toronto Independent Music Award winner, she uplifts and inspires audiences with songs that make you want to take a leap of faith and trust in the process.

Her empathic and upbeat new single, “Wanna Be You,” blends mandolin with acoustic guitar and warm production to strip back and interrogate the patterns of comparison we engage in far too easily thanks to social media. As the song develops, she recognizes the value of herself and her own individuality, with a singalong refrain which emphasizes the importance of finding the courage to love oneself.

“Wanna Be You” is an empowering anthem encouraging self-love with the courage to be yourself, in an age of comparison, competition, and not feeling good enough. – Angela Saini

Vicki Lovelee is a Chinese-Canadian alt-pop sensation based in Markham, Ontario. With a foundation in classical piano and a degree in jazz vocals, she masterfully blends her deep musical knowledge with a passion for pop – to create a unique genre she calls “dark pop ballerina music at the opera.” Her sound is a dramatic fusion of dark pop and orchestral instrumentations, offering a cinematic experience to listeners.

Lovelee’s new record, Phase 2: Power Struggle, continues her album series initiated in 2021 with Phase 1: Shadows. This whimsical, fun, and seering new LP represents a period of being in flux – “transitioning into a more confident person but still struggling to regain our power,” she explains. 

The album’s focus track, “Double Edged Sword,” grapples with one of the challenges to one’s confidence, the archetype of the masked fool. The theatrical alt-pop piece pulsates with anticipation and nimble strings as Lovelee stops falling for their tricks and reveals this individual for who they really are.

“Double Edged Sword” is about revealing someone’s true nature. There are some people who are kind and charismatic and everyone loves them and are drawn to them. But it’s all just an act; it’s just a mask that they’re wearing. If we take off their mask, we realize that they have selfish and nasty intentions behind their kind actions. – Vicki Lovelee

Shane Pendergast has folk music in his blood. Growing up in Prince Edward Island, he hails from a lineage of storytellers and musicians. He began singing and playing guitar at a young age, and performed frequently at small halls across PEI with his family. 

Shane moved to Toronto to study Documentary Filmmaking and English at York University. While there, he performed in pubs on weekends, gradually honing his craft and finding his voice as a songwriter. Drawing inspiration from the landscapes and lore of his Maritime home, Shane’s songs began to take shape, resonating with themes of community, history, and the sea. In 2020, Shane returned to PEI, where he founded the Jack Pine Folk Club – a monthly gathering inspired by the coffeehouses of the 1960s, featuring a mix of traditional music and poetry. Under Shane’s guidance, the Jack Pine stage has become a vibrant hub for folk music, attracting talent from across Canada.

Shane’s latest single, “Crossing the Bridge,” sparked its conception when he witnessed a seagull eating a starfish. It was an odd and comical sight to witness, directly contrasting with the beauty of the river. This made Shane think about all the quirks of his home – the real life rough edges that make his surroundings unique.

I walk over the bridge in my village every day, but the title “Crossing the Bridge” suggests a shift in perspective. Seeing the beauty in the rough edges, and going with the flow a little more instead of seeking perfection. – Shane Pendergast

Over the past 15 years, Graeme Cornies​​ (Kodiak Arcade, Cabin Fever Orchestra) has composed music for over 40 television series, contributing to more than 1,000 episodes. Best known for his work on acclaimed shows like Paw Patrol, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and the Total Drama franchise, his music has reached millions. Graeme has also scored documentary features for the BBC and National Geographic, contributed to Triple-A video games and, alongside his writing partners, established himself as one of the most widely heard composers in the world.

Graeme’s passion projects, Kodiak Arcade and Cabin Fever Orchestra, mark a creative departure from his traditional process. Instead of composing music to complement visuals, he now creates visuals to accompany his personal compositions, sharing them on Instagram, X, and YouTube. These projects are at the cutting edge of AI and human collaboration in generative art, while musically, they allow him to explore new palettes and expand orchestration techniques honed through his work in visual media. 

On the new single, “No Reason to Change,” Graeme took inspiration from PBS icon and sage Fred Rogers whose company produces Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. “No Reason to Change” is a track about feeling fully accepted. It expresses that we can be loved for who we are right now, despite the individual imperfections we often try to conceal. The song is about gradually letting others into our inner worlds, dropping our defenses in favor of mutual vulnerability, and learning to trust that this openness can make us stronger.

At first glance, “No Reason to Change” might seem like a romantic love song – about building trust, acceptance, and embracing one another as individuals, but this song could just as easily be sung to a child, or by a child to a parent, or to anyone with whom we share our lives. – Graeme Cornies

Edmonton’s The Bobby Tenderloin Universe is a band, a community and a movement, but most of all it’s an excuse to don your western wear and give yourself over to the song and dance at the heart of every BTU show. Bobby enraptures his audiences with his deep, rich voice and thoughtful, tender lyrics, rustling up a fresh new take on the old country we all love. Some say he exhibits the sincerity of Johnny Cash, the wit of Roger Millar, and vocal stylings and production sensibilities of Lee Hazlewood. He and his band are lifelong friends and it shows in the way they bring the songs to life. 

Their 2019 self-titled debut album led to tours with Orville Peck and Charley Crockett. The Bobby Tenderloin Universe is now releasing their sophomore full-length, Satan is a Woman; a self-described “woman” themed album that includes songs about Bobby’s grandmother, romantic lovers, death, loss and guilt.

The record’s focus track, “Marigold,” features a divergent non-4/4 timing and is a voyeuristic song about yearning love set in a garden. Bobby uses floral imagery to create a metaphor relating the natural beauty of marigolds with the euphoria two lovers feel when close to each other.

Searching for self growth, I wrote [Satan is a Woman] in order to experience catharsis. I hoped to achieve a deeper level of ego death by letting the songs filter through me, and catharsis by putting them back into the zeitgeist from whence they came. – Bobby Tenderloin

We Found a Lovebird excels at trance-like chiming rock. Since 2009, they’ve released three albums, one EP and eight singles with highlights including a Polaris Music Prize nomination and radio support from CBC and KEXP. Since 2020, they’ve released seven singles from their upcoming long player With Friends Like These.

Latest track, “100%,” evokes a bouncy, positive vibe with nods to 80’s rock groups like The Smiths and Prefab Sprout. “100%” came about from a finger picked melody by guitarist Kerry MacPherson, which frontman Larry Lechner realized filled out an old unfinished song he had. 

I’ve written hundreds of songs and I’m so close to all of them that it’s hard to stand back and generalize. What does seem to recur is references to other artists, the moral conundrums of everyday life and the ever present possibility of love. For instance, in this song (“100%”) the ‘poet’ I’m referring to is Leonard Cohen, who basically embodies all those things. I imagined Leonard Cohen waiting tables cuz he was so broke but he was still writing his ‘dark fables.’
– Larry Lechner