Buried deep in Montreal’s lingering winters, a trio of musicians (Francois Jalbert the guitarist, composer and producer; Mélanie Bélair the violinist, arranger and composer; and Aurélien Tomasi the composer, arranger and performer) sat in a room together. Accustomed to the crazy pace of working in the city’s hyperactive music industry, they might have been unconsciously looking to do something slower, calmer, and free from commercial constraints. Looking at the snow battering the wide windows by the train tracks, they spent the afternoon playing around with what was in the room: a slide whistle, a Juno, and some guitar pedals. The table was set for what would become Caméra. 

“Matsutake” is a species of mushroom that grows in East Asia, but also in Quebec. It is prized in Japanese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.

The new single is inspired by the famous scene from the film My Neighbor Totoro, where Totoro and Satsuke wait for the Catbus in the pouring rain. The piece paves its own unique soundscape blending 1980’s synth with organic instrumentation.  

Described by UK critics as “one of the most innovative of their era”, Martha and the Muffins emerged from 1977 Toronto’s early punk/new wave/art pop scene in various clubs along Queen Street West and the Ontario College of Art, where several members of the band attended. The first Canadian band to sign to a UK label, Martha and the Muffins recorded their first album, Metro Music, at The Manor Studio near Oxford, England. After 1980’s “Echo Beach” became a Top 10 single around the world and earned them a JUNO for Single of the Year, Martha and the Muffins toured extensively in Britain, Europe, and North America including dates with Roxy Music. Since then, the band has released eight studio albums, three of which were co-produced with Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel). 

More recently, founding members Martha Johnson and Mark Gane (inducted into the Canadian Songwriter HOF) went through their extensive archives to select 12 rare singles, B-sides, and unreleased tracks. For the band’s global audience as well as the uninitiated, Marthology: In And Outtakes offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the original and diverse avenues of Martha and Mark’s songwriting which has defined them as a groundbreaking band.

When speaking on the inspiration to do a rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, Martha and Mark had this to share:Not only is Buffalo Springfield’s 1966 classic “For What It’s Worth” timeless in its own right, but Stephen Stills’ poignant lyrics are more relevant than ever. Over the ensuing decades, his words have lent themselves brilliantly to constant reinterpretation depending on who the artist is covering the song, their own sensibilities and the times in which they find themselves. Gun violence is an ongoing societal blight, a perverse virus perpetuated by hypocrites mouthing their meaningless recitations of ‘thoughts and prayers’. With this in mind, our interpretation is slower, darker and considers the possibility that events that were once rare and unacceptable are now met with a shrug of indifference.

Mawzy is the brainchild of songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Matthew Cooke. Through earnest storytelling, Mawzy’s lyrics capture the ‘unnavigability’ of life and romance in his city, Toronto. Laying a sonic and visual foundation on his debut Escapism EP and follow-up singles, his use of crafted melodies and lush synthesizers has worked to create the trademark Mawzy sound. 

“Better Man” is the second single from his upcoming album produced by Thom D’Arcy (The Sheepdogs, Yukon Blonde). 

“Better Man” was a song I wrote striving to do better for those you love. I’ve learned through this song that love is delicate and it needs care. Our words need to be proven by our actions. Releasing this song is therapeutic in the same way I’m learning to let go of the love that “Better Man” was written about.

The title single of Mawzy’s debut LP Long View (November 2023) has been featured on CBC’s Afterdark, Spotify Fresh Finds, and Amazon’s Apologies playlist. The FACTOR supported album spans from pop-centric and anthemic songwriting on “Forever Wild” and “Long View,” to spacious production and introspective lyricism on “Regrets & Wonders” and “Where I’m From.” Collaborating with local artists, Matthew materializes the Mawzy vision through a series of album visualizations inspired by beauty in nature and interpersonal connections. 

Following up on his most recent emotive indie pop single, “Harder To Love,” Toronto-based singer-songwriter Liam Barrack has teamed up with new collaborators Ron Lopata and Andrew Allen to create “Empty Spaces.”

The single is an agile and upbeat piece of indie pop that continually drives forward into the unknown, embracing rock production as Barrack reflects on feeling like you don’t have things in your life figured out enough to relate to the people around you.

“It’s a pretty self-deprecative song about not really seeing the value in many facets of life, and when you really try to consider life, you’re left staring at a bunch of empty space. I think it’s a relationship that a lot of people have with life at some point, and I hope the message resonates with those who listen,” explains Barrack.

LOVETTA has just released her new single and video “Vuja De” today, February 8 via Kill Rock Stars.

The single for “Vuja De” is Lovetta’s first single since last year’s lively song “Havin’ A Good Time” which received critical acclaim, Atwood Magazine states, “an uplifting and inspiring wash of warm, soul-stirring indie pop.”  

“Vuja De” flips the words “déjà vu,” delving into the essence of Lovetta’s breakup anthem. Produced by Pete Eddins (Drake, Aaron Dessner) it takes you on a journey of something or someone once familiar feeling strange and unfamiliar, echoing the universal ebb and flow of relationships. The accompanying video was produced and directed by Lovetta and her best friend, Whitni Resides.

A native of Michigan, Lovetta now resides in Nashville, a perfect setting for Lovetta’s lyrics which touch upon not only love and heartbreak but powerful, resonating narratives of self-discovery, anxiety and mental health, yet ultimately finding balance and strength. 

Additionally, the remix for “Vuja De,” produced by Violetta’s Wyatt Oberholzer (Year of the Knife, Fixation, Chemical Fix) will drop on February 28th. 

Stay tuned for more to come from this beautifully sonic, multi-talented artist.

Imagine a Bosch-esque garden of psychedelic flowers, blooming in a realm of eclectic delights. In the centre of the hyperreal chaos is Hua Li 化力, the only “half-Chinese, half-militant, half-rapper of your heart,” back with her most ambitious and personal record to date, ripe fruit falls but not in your mouth (March 27th).

“Part Time Muses” is an earthy, opalescent diss-track, recounting slept-on pleasures and near misses. The bones of this song were written at the Banff Centre on a beautiful Kawai grand piano. Hua Li 化力 had been starting her days playing pieces by Chopin and Ravel and weaved a melody over an impressionistic, chromatic piano line that is referenced in the incisive synth lines you hear now.

What emerged were soulful verses about longing and limerence and the story of a love triangle gone wrong. Her producer, Alex Thibault (a.k.a. Gloze), picked up on the 90s influences and created a lush, contemporary take on Timbaland and Aaliyah.

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

This is a song about learning to let go and accept the ephemeral nature of certain relationships. Not everyone is meant to be in your life forever and some people can create a long lasting impact in a short moment. When I wrote this song I was in a period of longing but when I look back at the circumstances that fuelled these lyrics I deeply appreciate all the inspiration the subject of the song provided me in the few months we were intertwined. These themes of letting go, having gratitude, and appreciating my past are central to the album on which the song appears, so it felt important to create a visual for this piece that is a microcosm of the larger body of work. 

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

I play a somewhat delusional and desperate adult dressed up as a prom queen. I tear down Montréal’s Plaza St. Hubert, a hub for wedding dress and prom gown stores, looking longingly at the romantic merchandise around me, trying to find the “prom date” that’s right for me. Director Yang Shi was inspired by 90s nostalgia and wanted to draw on a 90s teen movie aesthetic to reflect the sonic elements of the song that draw on that era. The icy-blue backdrop compliments both the aesthetic references we were working with and symbolizes the cold and elusive nature of our deepest yearnings. 

3. What was the process of making this video?

Anytime I work with Yang the process is easy and joyful. We met to chat about the song and I gave her carte blanche on concepts for the video as long as they were possible within our tight budget. She came back with the idea of shooting Plaza St. Hubert which I loved because it’s truly one of my favourite Montreal oddities. I brought director of photography Evan Shay onto the project – I know him as a musician through the jazz and beatmaker communities in Montreal but I knew about his alter-ego as an amazing videographer and always wanted to work with him in that capacity. We shot the video on one extremely cold day in December but despite the low temperatures we kept each other warm with positive attitudes, jokes and supportive energy.

“The video was directed by Yang Shi who is a brilliant director in Montreal,” says Hua Li 化力. “She heard the delulu longing in the lyrics and came up with the idea of having me embody this as a 30-some-year old prom queen. We shot in Plaza St. Hubert, which is one of my favourite Montreal oddities.”