Brave New World is the uncommonly rich, joyous and exhilarating second album from Toronto singer/songwriter Erin Hunt that defies categorization while freely exploring the deepest yearnings of the human condition. A profoundly musical record built for headphone listening –  to sit back, fire up a fatty and disappear into – but also perfect to blast over speakers, to groove to, until the music stops you in your tracks.

The album closer (and fourth single) “Won’t Give Up” is perhaps Erin and her band at its most dynamic and explosive – underpinning the lyric of resilience and faith – then perfectly matching the powerful, insistent refrain that typifies the spirit and drive and exuberance of the whole record: “We don’t give up, we don’t give up, we don’t give up.”

We talk to Erin about the video, below!

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

I wrote this song during a time of personal metamorphosis.  I’d been single for awhile, recovering from a pretty monumental relationship, and was using my free time (there was a lot of it haha) to do a lot of soul searching and reconnecting with my inner/higher self.  This song is that conversation between my soul and my identity.  Interestingly, it was the most frustrating song-writing experience I’ve ever had; I kept trying to force the song into a typical pop arrangement, but it just refused to go there. I finally realized I needed to apply what I’d been learning throughout this metamorphosis: to go with the flow and allow myself (aka the song), to be what it needed and wanted to be.  I learned it’s ok to be different and to express myself differently, not only from others, but from how I’d expressed myself in the past . There’s much beauty to be found in that perspective.

This song is deeply personal to me, but at the same time it felt really important to share its message, so I chose it to be one of the videos/singles I released.  I’ve created a video for each of the four singles released for my album, ‘Brave New World’, this being the fourth single.

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

Like my songs, each of my videos is specific unto itself, meaning I don’t try to fit into any particular genre. I like to allow the song to tell me what it is, both in its writing and production.  For “Won’t Give Up”, its general message is one of recognizing beauty and finding resilience in oneself.  I chose to make the video solely with shots of nature being its beautiful and resilient self. In the bigger picture, we’re a part of nature and would do well to take our cues from it. It’s probably unconventional for me to not even appear in the video, but it just felt right.  

3. What was the process of making this video?

Video director Martin Hawkes and I edited together shots of nature that he’d filmed, along with some stock shots, based on their representation of the lyrics, emotion and pacing of the song.  Personally, I feel the main purpose of a music video is to pull the viewer in so they actually listen to the music. This ended up being a creative and smart way of doing that.

This was probably the most difficult song I’ve ever written. I was intent on writing it in a typical pop arrangement (which I usually don’t stray too far from) but the song just refused to go there. I kept trying to force it into being something it wasn’t and that’s why it took so long… Now I just shake my head at how stupid that would have been – it’s truly my favourite track on the album and my favourite song I’ve ever written.

Don’t Get Lemon is a captivating, paradoxical, and chic pop trio hailing from Austin and Houston, Texas. Their music exudes an aura of detachment while maintaining a catchy and danceable quality. Drawing inspiration from the vibrant music scenes of 1970s Berlin and 1980s Manchester, DGL aims to captivate the listener’s senses with their fusion of glam and synth-pop elements. While there may be other alternatives to DGL, one wonders if we could truly embrace them.

Taking its name from Michaelangelo Antonioni’s iconic 1966 film set in swinging London, Don’t Get Lemon’s track “Blow-Up” offers glimpses into the unseen darkness. The lyrics, crafted using William Burroughs’ cut-up technique, and imagery inspired by David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet,” weave together bittersweet melodies that offer a fresh perspective on the traditional three-minute pop song.

Find the group via:

SPOTIFY . FACEBOOK . INSTAGRAM . TWITTER

Toronto–based songstress Sam Casey wears her authenticity like your favourite pair of well–worn jeans. Her unfiltered and unapologetic songs are inspired by the past two years of her life: all the breakups, the makeups, the drugs, the dancing, the crying, the anxiety and the love.

Her passive aggressive song, “7 Second Superstar,” was inspired by TikTok fame. It comes off as judgmental because it is. Sam and her co-writers, Julianna Eye and Chloe Kay, felt critical of social media – TikTok in particular – and how it promotes a culture of one hit wonders. 

“Julianna, Chloe and I wrote this song over Zoom in 2021 with TikTok reaching its height of popularity and all of us being quite literally forced to participate on the app,” Sam explains. “After a conversation regarding our experiences in the early-2000s and late 90’s (before social media existed), we decided to try a blink-182 vibe and about two hours later we had a song.”

We caught up with Sam regarding her new video below!

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

7 Second Superstar is important to me because Chloe Kay, Julianna Eye, and I co-wrote it. Chloe and Julianna are two of the first co-writers I had the pleasure of working with. The writing process was such a surreal experience. Given that we were writing during the height of Covid, this session, like all our other sessions at the time, was executed over Zoom and produced after the fact by Mike Schlosser. I was still quite new to the industry when this session occurred, so I remember nervously preparing my shoebox-sized university dorm room while waiting for the Zoom to start.

This being so new to me, I was more comfortable discussing things I loved about the music industry and just all in all keeping it light and fun during sessions. However, Chloe and Julianna have a way of tearing down walls… so they quickly opened me up, and within an hour we were all chatting about our deep feelings, opinions, and grievances with the industry, social media, and the norms we had all been struggling to abide by.

We wanted to do a visual for this song because it was written about the pressure on all current artists to partake in Tiktok, and furthermore, keep a professional presence on each and every social media platform. We thought it would be a cool idea to create a visual that shows what we “have” to do as artists/creatives, and what we “really” do, as people.

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

The video is divided into two main visual aesthetics: Media Sam & Real Sam.

Media Sam: This aesthetic is illustrated with colourful streamers, BIG makeup and hair looks, shiny outfits, and social media mangers directing my every movement. My character seems distressed at times, switching between large toothy smiles to exaggerated eye rolls and faces of contempt at the overbearing social media manager. This Sam is supposed to be the Sam you see on the media: big, bold, and unapologetic, with a very evident lack of understanding when it comes to the trends of the media .

Real Sam: This portion of the video is a fairly accurate illustration of my life outside of my career. I have a pretty small but solid group of friends who are all quite creative in their own right. The video takes place in a mall and captures many organic moments of our friendships throughout the day. The director decided the best thing to do would be to just give us guidelines for each shot and then hit the music and see what comes out of it. This is personally my favourite section of the video as it makes the viewer feel warm and fuzzy on the inside… everyone has those people that you are really yourself around and you can tell that we feel that way about each other.

3. What was the process of making this video?

Moon Reel Media created, directed and produced this video. They had a very comprehensive outline of how everything was going to happen and (hopefully) look in the video. The filming was divided into the two aesthetics of the video; One day at the mall with my closest friends/creatives, and one day in a small studio filming the more produced (Media Sam) scenes of the video.

The day at the mall was truly a window into our world. We just shot the shit all day, jumped around from store to arcade to food court. There was pretty much no prep for this day and three of the five of us were battling a RUDE hangover on the day of the shoot, so we were extremely happy to be able to wear loose fittting clothes and stuff our face with good greasy food.

The day in the studio was like a fever dream. We had four hours to do make up and hair and at least three full performances for four different looks. It was definitely an uphill battle, but with the help of my shoot assistant Lindsay we were able to do superspeed changes… other than the latex, that took a MINUTE. All I remember from this day is glitter, streamers, latex and baby powder.

Julia D’Angelo has just revealed her gorgeously crafted single and video for “Kathmandu.”

Julia D’Angelo’s music embodies a delicate avant-garde essence infused with a charming quirkiness, demonstrating her skill in seamlessly integrating conventional and groundbreaking elements to craft a distinct and harmonious sonic experience. While her artistic path initially unfolded in the realm of dance, Julia’s ventures into music, acting, and film have been greatly influenced by this background. As a result, she frequently embarks on projects that flawlessly unite various art forms, showcasing her innovative and multifaceted creative approach.

Listen in here: 

Watch the video here:

Julia shares of the track:

“This song actually started out as a poem that I had written years ago. I was seeing someone at the time who’s window saw the most beautiful sunrises I’d ever seen in my life. I remember not being able to sleep one night, and just staring out the window – looking at the same sunrise that I had seen many times before, only this time feeling immense guilt, because I knew I had to end the relationship, and I was terrified. The first line of the song “Never been so scared of the night sky, never been so used to a white lie” speaks directly to that feeling. What followed was a journey through my imagination, from being trapped and held down, to bursting through that window and being – for lack of a better word – free.”

Infusing jazz-influenced arrangements, unusual rhythmic phrasings, and understated spoken word into her dreamy indie-folk melodies, Toronto born, Brooklyn based Julia D’Angelo is a multi-disciplinary artist focusing in music and film. With an emphasis on the lyricism within her tracks, Julia seeks to defy genre conforming rules and curate music that is both honest and authentic to who she is and how she views the world around her. Musically, she pulls a lot of inspiration from powerhouse women musicians throughout the years – Nina Simone, Bonnie Rait, Amy Winehouse, Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Ani DiFranco to name a few – making their way into her music through inflections of smoke-tinged vocals and a subtle avant garde and quirkiness. Prior to pursuing music, acting and film, Julia grew up a dancer, so she often creates projects that meld all of these art forms together.

“Kathmandu” is out now via all platforms.

For the uninitiated, “Still You Speak” is a great introduction to Slow Teeth’s sound – cinematic and dynamic music made by three sets of hands and feet transfigured into a symphony of sound, with deeply introspective lyrics about familial relationships, disillusionment with our crumbling institutions, and the relentless passage of time in a world seemingly upside down.

Listen in here:

It’s not all bleak – other songs lean heavily into the band’s extensive and varied musical influences and favorite sci-fi novels and films, searching for a spark to light the way forward. Slow Teeth is at its core three people making music they wish existed, using the catharsis of live performance as the engine for creating songs and soundscapes whose reach exceeds their grasp. Recommended for those who like Radiohead/The Smile, Sigur Ros, Pink Floyd, Volcano Choir, Midlake, The Verve, and so much more.

Justin Ellis (vocals/ bass/ keys) shares of the release:

“Still You Speak” was one of the very first songs we put together when we started jamming in June 2021.  In those days we just recorded everything we improvised, then would listen back a few days later and keep any bits that spoke to us to turn into songs. The arpeggiated bass line and the mournful bowed guitar line that mimics the verse vocal melody quickly gave us something to latch on to.  Lyrically, it’s about setting and maintaining boundaries with someone who is giving unsolicited advice, or perhaps talking down to you despite having NO idea what they’re talking about. Though “Still You Speak” is about a specific heated conversation I had with a close relative one Christmas, I think the song is relatable to anyone who’s had a difficult conversation with a parent or sibling or uncle or friend or boss or whatever.  It’s about having to start an argument where the disagreement doesn’t trump the fundamental love or respect you have for each other – which makes the conversation even harder because you’re laying things out in a way that you maybe can’t backtrack from. This song is about taking that leap.”

Slow Teeth, composed of Robert Chamberlain, Justin Ellis, and Jeremy Haire, originates from the NC Triangle. They create original cinematic music that draws inspiration from renowned artists like Radiohead/The Smile, Pink Floyd, Sigur Rós, and others. The band made their debut in the live music scene in March 2022 and has since embarked on extensive tours throughout the East Coast. Slow Teeth has had the privilege of sharing stages with esteemed acts such as Xiu Xiu, Holy Fawn, Camp St. Helene, and Merci. They have performed at notable venues and events including Berlin in NYC, Pie Shop in Washington DC, The Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro NC, The Pinhook in Durham NC, Asbury Park Yacht Club in Asbury Park NJ, as well as the North Carolina State Fair and the Carrboro Music Festival. In 2023, Slow Teeth has plans to release music produced by Sumner James Phillips (of Bombadil and David Wax Museum) and will continue touring.

TOUR DATES with EASTER ISLAND:

Tuesday May 23rd – Baltimore MD – The Crown

Wednesday May 24th – New York City – Berlin Under A

Thursday May 25th – Washington DC – The Pocket

Friday May 26th – Asheville NC – Fleetwood’s

Slow Teeth Continues the Tour with the Following Dates:

Saturday May 27th – Greensboro NC – The Flatiron

Sunday May 28th – Durham NC – Rubies on Five Points

Saturday June 10 – Richmond VA – Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

Elephante continues his collaborative journey with AAPI creatives, this time releasing “Right Before Our Eyes,” with DJ duo BEAUZ and singer Mark Tuan; now available on all streaming platforms releasing on Fabled Records / Astralwerks. Mark’s smooth and steady vocals laid over Elephante’s signature melodic house sounds, alongside  BEAUZ’s big room beats with clean embellishments, is set to give their fans a bittersweet anthem on love lost. The progressive chords and intricate combo of bass tones and high notes keep the track buoyant while the lyrics recount past mistakes that lead to an eventual drifting apart.

Far from despondent, this collaboration captures that feeling of peace post parting. There’s something incredibly freeing in being able to look back at our past and accept what’s happened, and while there’s still some lingering regrets, that’s what keeps us grounded for what’s to come.  This new single connects elements of electronic dance and pop to formulate a quintessential song for the summer. This latest production from Elephante and BEAUZ with Mark Tuan’s vocals is the perfect recipe of each artists’ best ingredients, making the song a must listen track of 2023. 

For fans of Mark Tuan, the single reveals a new side of the artist. Known for his unique sound – it’s rare we hear a ‘house-y’ tune from this artist, but this collaboration proves he can do it all. Starting his career as a rapper with mega group GOT7, it is no surprise to his fans that there is a duality and flexibility in his music style. Dropping the single “Carry Me Out” just a few weeks ago, he breached the surface of his new sounds, and this track marked the start of Mark Tuan’s venture into more genres, including this exciting collaboration with Elephante and BEAUZ.

Over the past few years, BEAUZ have been growing in their notoriety in the EDM scene. Most recently they broke into the mainstream space with tracks featuring monumental producer Zedd and Maren Morris to team up for another hit song, showing their growing fan base why they are the kings of Psypop. Boasting a handful of successful albums and tracks to their name, this collaboration is no different. Like their fellow collaborators, BEAUZ are multi-talented performers who are ready to take the world by storm and this single is only the beginning.

Coming off the heels of his 88rising debut [NIKI, Rich Brian, Joji] with his hotly-anticipated sophomore album, Heavy Glow, Elephante is continuing his personal, sonic, and performance evolution into 2023. The producer ventured on a 20-market ‘Heavy Glow Tour’ last year, which showcased his guitar skills with stunning, dynamic visuals and effects. For 2023, this trend-setting, multifaceted talent is set to rock the country’s biggest cities with his new music and jaw dropping performances, including some of the most popular electronic music festivals in North America; with shows including Beyond Wonderland,  The Grand Boston in Boston, Heatwave in Chicago, Escapade in Ottawa, and the iconic Moonrise Festival in Baltimore. With his innovative beats and unmatched energy, Elephante is expected to deliver electrifying sets that will leave fans mesmerized and gain more prominence in the music industry.