19-year-old Aidan Skira is self-taught, self-produced, and self-animated, with an organic following of bedroom-music-heads and kids from the suburbs who relate to the heartbreak of being exposed to the truths of adult life. With a drive to help others find light in dark times, Aidan knows he has a unique perspective to share with the world and he’s bringing his people with him. Signed to Wax Records, he will be releasing his first EP this winter.

Latest single, “I Tried,” was inspired by the need to break up with a now-ex as his overall happiness progressively worsened in the relationship. When he ended up breaking it off and stopped communicating with her, she made up disgusting rumors and Aidan was attacked by her friends for things he didn’t do. The song talks about how he dealt with the whole situation.The accompanying lyric video was animated a few years ago with Aidan drawing everything on his iPhone as he had yet to acquire an iPad or Apple Pencil. Its yellow theme was a welcomed break from his usual purple aesthetic.

After more than a decade long retreat from recording and performing, singer-songwriter Allen Dobb is returning with a new album, Alone Together, scheduled for release on February 9th, 2024. It’s a collection of ten new original songs drawn from characters, stories, and landscapes that are part of Dobb‘s experience working as a range management specialist in the interior of British Columbia. The vein of the Fraser River, and BC’s interior landscapes run through many of his new songs.  The first single, “All Costs,” is also the first song written by Dobb in several years. It charts the course of a rural couple coming to terms with their years spent together living on the land.The melody came from a recording that Dobbs had archived a year or two before. After lots of lyrical exploration, the song drew on several threads. One being the easy fate of the river flowing slowly downhill contrasted with challenges that rural ranch life can bring in a relationship. Another thread was drawn from images and conversations he had gathered while helping with recovery efforts in the ranching community following the 2017 Cariboo and Elephant Hill wildfires.Alone Together was produced by Dobb’s brother and close collaborator, Cameron Dobb. It was recorded at their respective studios over the pandemic in Vancouver. Steeped in their own rural roots growing up on a farm in northwestern Alberta near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, the brothers bring a depth and maturity to the songs and the production. The ten-song recording has a warmth and authenticity that harkens back to some of the classic country sounds of the 1970s while at the same time, it has its own currency.   

Saskatoon based artist Daryl Uhrin launched their solo pop punk project, Everybody’s Side Project, which was born out of significant personal loss. The untimely passing of loved ones led him to channel his grief into his music, reigniting his deep-rooted passion for songwriting and performance.

Despite typically critical audiences, Everybody’s Side Project has received ample support, which has encouraged him to pursue this endeavor wholeheartedly. 

Everybody’s Side Project is more than just a musical venture for them – it’s a testament to the transformative power of music, its ability to heal, and its exceptional capacity to turn adversity into opportunity.

“While ‘Stink Piss‘ narrates a story of betrayal, it’s also about strength and resilience. It’s about facing our demons, standing up to those who’ve wronged us, and finding our own path despite the challenges.” – Daryl Uhrin  

The driving single comes off Everybody’s Side Project’s debut After Thought EP.

Kandle can weave magic so powerful because she feels it too, she is out here in the darkness with us. A true music industry veteran, she has been a powerhouse in the scene with an impressive career spanning over a decade.“Live A Lie” is the first single off her next album to be released spring 2024. Coming back bolder than ever, self-produced and in charge, this fearless chanteuse shows us once again that her cinematic, raw songwriting can’t be packaged up and put in one simple category. With a wide range of influences ranging from Portishead to PJ Harvey, “Live A Lie” is a hypnotic taste from one of Canada’s finest songwriters.

The edgy track offers a reflection on a society that’s burnt out. Her powerful lyrics point out the modern day contradictions that make us question “why are we living a lie? What, if anything, is the payoff for paying these bitter dues?” The combination of Kandle’s chilling vocals, Jeffrey Mitchell’s hooky hammer-on guitar riffs and Yato Noukoussi’s bold and tight percussive performance will have this earworm stuck in your head 24/7.Kandle’s forthcoming album is a crescendo of all of her years immersed in music and an intimate knowledge of the many ways this industry, this world can break one’s body and heart. Arguably her strongest and heaviest release yet, one that is completely vulnerable and unwaveringly honest; an ode to the darkness that surrounds us and the connections we find in it together.

Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Dan Pallotta is sharing “Kickin’ a Stone,” the latest single from his upcoming sophomore album, Winnebago Dreams (set for release on November 17th), a folk reflection which is imbued with child-like wonder.

Pallotta paints the scene that inspired the songwriting: “I go for a three and a half mile walk each morning on narrow country roads around our home. I pass cows and chickens, sheep and their little lambs, sometimes a few miniature horses pulling a small coach that my neighbor Peter drives around. It’s my favorite time of the day, and over the years I’ve developed a group of friends that are passing the other way and we stop and chat. 

So, what inspired the song was, literally, kicking a stone down the road like I used to do when I was a kid—like we all did‚ trying to see how far I could get it to go, and realizing that such a pursuit is not a frivolous waste of time. Doing the mindless things we did as children—daydreaming, playing with direct, kicking rocks down the road, these things are good for the soul.”

The warm and simple arrangement features a subtle drum groove which adds texture to Pallotta’s reflections. “We’re all living together in the ‘I don’t know,’” he sings. Reflecting on these lines, the artist states that “we all live with existential dread. But we talk about the weather instead of the deep, deep mystery that is life, instead of talking about the things that keep us awake at night.”

If you’re dissatisfied with the reality you encounter, consider crafting the reality you desire. This is precisely what Lady Charles, the versatile singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and shape-shifting art-rock enchanter/ress (they/them), accomplished. In the tumultuous year of 2020, Lady Charles envisioned a utopian society, richly adorned with brown shag and splashes of purple and pink, where sweetness, style, and tolerance harmoniously coexisted.

Welcome to the immersive world of “Manic Pixie Dream World,” an album and music lifestyle experience masterminded by Charles Hoppner, known as Lady Charles. This 11-song album serves as both a vividly colored escape from reality and a gateway to Charles’s captivating transformation into Lady Charles.

Reflecting on this period, the artist based in Ottawa, Canada, remarked, “During that time, I had a chance to step back and clarify my concept of beauty. I delved into makeup, photography, and honed my singing through voice lessons. I emerged with a fresh voice, a new image, and a different perspective.”

Lady Charles’s artistic vision is all-encompassing, spanning folk, indie-rock, electronica, punk, glam, funk, pop, and hip-hop. Their songs explore themes such as gender, the apocalypse, and lost friendships. To date, Lady Charles has released three singles, an EP, and the full-length debut album, “Manic Pixie Dream World,” featuring contributions from members of Tokyo Police Club, Raphael Saadiq’s band, Lavola, and Valois. Currently, Lady Charles is crafting music for the play “Oh Boy!”, a critically acclaimed project they were commissioned to write for, which premiered at the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

Growing up in a small town just outside Ottawa in the 1990s, Lady Charles faced strict gender roles and a lack of diversity. As a queer artistic child, they endured relentless bullying and turned to music as a creative escape. Albums like David Bowie’s “Diamond Dogs,” with their well-defined aesthetic and immersive glamour, became a sanctuary for Lady Charles.

Their journey to indie recognition began as the frontperson of the glam-rock band Valois, a rising group with a promising trajectory that was unfortunately cut short by the pandemic. At that time, Lady Charles was a side project, a creative outlet for recording and performing songs that didn’t align with Valois’s aesthetic. It also provided an opportunity for them to fully explore their non-binary identity.

A pivotal moment in Lady Charles’s artistic journey occurred when they shared a demo of “Manic Pixie Boy” in an online group for of Montreal, and the band’s multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Kevin Barnes expressed enthusiastic praise for the track. This encouragement spurred Lady Charles to prioritize the project, leading them to work earnestly on building a following through music releases, videos, and the development of a thoughtful and aesthetically-focused online presence. In a short span, Lady Charles started receiving fan art, gig offers, and featured spots on radio and in blogs.

Lady Charles’s debut album, “Manic Pixie Dream World,” soars with 14 songs that explore their connection to the manic pixie dream girl movie archetype. “I relate to the emotionality, obsessiveness, and alternative style of these characters,” Lady Charles explains. “But I do think there’s more to these people than is often portrayed, especially if you examine these characters through possible ADHD diagnoses.”

The album delves into this theme and many others within a layered, 1970s art rock aesthetic that keeps the music fun and danceable, even when addressing topics like God and politics. The track “Manic Pixie Dream Boy” serves as Lady Charles’s personal anthem, blending sharp hip-hop punchlines with sublime synth-pop, proudly embracing the challenges of being a manic pixie dream boy/girl.

In the sugary pop-funk track “Godx,” Lady Charles presents a queer religious perspective, suggesting that if God created humankind in their image, they must be non-binary, encompassing both male and female sexes. With playful abandon, they explore this concept and its history. “Prelude to Noella” exudes an opulent Old Hollywood orchestral vibe, while the dreamy electro-pop single “Noella (I Can’t Get Enough of You)” narrates a love story between a fictional couple created by Lady Charles and their partner for a web series. In the Smiths-inspired “Trigger Fingers,” Lady Charles offers a sweet critique of embattled Canadian faux-progressives, and “Let’s Get Conservative,” a new-wave track with ethereal synths and a bubbly groove, playfully delves into political themes.

Lady Charles’s new single, “Child of the Night,” from the play “Oh Boy!”, draws inspiration from 1970s disco and early 2000s funk-punk. It transports listeners to the dance floor with its incessant hi-hat drumming, cinematic arrangement, layers of electro-pop ambiance, and sensual vocals. Although these music and lyrics were commissioned for a play, Lady Charles draws on their coming-of-age experiences in their writing.

Looking ahead, Lady Charles is finishing their “Oh Boy!” EP and planning a unique covers album project. Reflecting on their successes, their journey as a manic pixie, and their future, Lady Charles expresses, “When I decided to do this, I wanted to be uncompromising in my vision. I put a lot of myself into this, and seeing it connect and have a positive impact on people means so much to me.”