A hidden gem from the frozen heart of Toronto, ON, art school dropout and Sony Music Publishing artist La Faute (aka Peggy Messing) is releasing her lead single and music video, “Blue Girl Nice Day,” from the forthcoming debut album of the same name. La Faute is Messing‘s dark, dreamy solo project. A visual artist, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter originally from Winnipeg, MB, she explores themes of surface vs. depth, longing, betrayal, mourning and desire.

“Blue Girl Nice Day” was inspired by the Milgram Experiments of the 60s, in which subjects were told to give ever-increasing electric shocks to a “learner” who had to repeat word pairs: Blue/Girl, Nice/Day, Slow/Dance, Sweet/Taste etc. Subjects were shaken to find that they would obey an authority figure and give lethal shocks to the learner, following orders even against their own conscience. The song reflects on how easily we can betray and hurt each other, and how we don’t necessarily know ourselves and what we are capable of. Dive into our Video Voyageur with La Faute, below!

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
The song was first inspired by the Milgram experiment, this infamous social psychology experiment from 1961. It’s such a weird story. Volunteers thought they were assisting in a study about the effects of punishment on learning, and were told they’d be playing “teacher” by giving increasing electric shocks to the “learner” in the next room. I doubt the participants gave it much thought at first, as they were reassured by the experimenter in the suit and white lab coat that this was all perfectly normal. The teacher was taught to use a fake but official-looking shock generator, labeled from “Slight Shock” to “Danger: Severe Shock”. I wonder how many participants started to have doubts when they were led into the room to watch the learner be strapped into the special electrical chair with restraints.

The other participant, the learner, was played by an actor. They had to memorize and repeat word pairs : Blue/Girl Nice/Day Slow/Dance Sweet/Taste Soft/Hair Sharp/Needle Blunt/Arrow True/Story, and they always made mistakes. The true subject of these experiments was our volunteer doling out the shocks. I wonder what went through their minds as they increased the voltage higher and higher, while the learner cried out in pain, out of sight in the next room. Sometimes the learner would complain that they wanted to stop, that they had a heart condition, and would bang on the wall. Later, after the highest shocks, the learner would go quiet. I thought the words were so sweet and simple, like a little kid’s poem, but there’s a sharp needle at the end that hints at what else is going on.  

The experiment found, surprisingly, that almost everyone would obey the authority figure and give extremely high, even fatal amounts of electric shock to the learner. Some subjects were visibly upset while complying with the instructions, and some were unbothered. After the true nature of the experiment was revealed to the subjects, they were thanked, paid a small fee and sent on their way. Many of them were shaken for the rest of their lives as a result of the experience.

I’m still thinking about this story, and what it means for how we care for and hurt each other, and how we surprise ourselves.

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

I didn’t want to make a literal visual reenactment of this experiment in the music video, the larger themes were just humming in my mind along with some events from my own life. I will say that the pandemic and illness and the ties and responsibility we have to each other was on my mind as I created the images of making my own bed and lying in it. How are we taking care of each other, how are we hurting each other during this time, or anytime. I had a stretch of a few years where I was quite physically sick, and was often in bed for many hours a day as I tried to find a way to recover, and adapt to the new normal. I noticed that for others sometimes you are out of mind when you are out of sight. That experience has been very eye opening to me, about how fragile we are. I guess everyone finds this out one way or another.

Looking back on that time is like a weird dream, where I saw the same view from my bed every day, but my mind wandered, out of step with the larger world. In this video I kind of represented that visually by putting the bed outside on a stormy day. I set it up in an empty field in a hydro corridor, one of the only parks that was open during the early part of the pandemic. At the end I filmed myself getting out of bed and getting distance from it, hoping I don’t have to go back to that time. I am shaken by the experience and what I’ve learned from it. I’m walking backwards in a lot of the shots but I filmed them walking forwards, so in my head I know it’s very possible I could go either way.

3. What was the process of making this video?

This is the funny part of the story, if you’ve made it this far. Picture me in a long white dress and a parka, pulling a busted three-wheeled kid’s wagon loaded with a giant folding bed, a tripod and some dumbells  past a team of soccer players, through a muddy field and up a giant hill. Oh I was also dragging 2 big garbage bags with an inflatable mattress and all the blankets and sheets. I was so tired at the top of the hill I was glad I had thought to bring a bed! Then I sat there for a while in my dress pumping up the mattress as curious dog walkers wandered by. I shot everything myself on my phone, and I’m sure it all looked as ridiculous as it sounds. Luckily the weather was so cold and windy I was mostly on my own out there, and I feel like this is either an embarrassing story or it’s ART. I guess it’s both.

Following in the footsteps of Cohen, and with his deep and sultry Bowie meets Joy Division’s Ian Curtis vocals, Cairo-born Montreal-based singer/songwriter TEROUZ brings his signature retro pop to the scene by curating his original music with his taste for ‘90s nostalgia and ‘70s & ‘80s electro-pop/rock elements.

Along with his co-producer, mix engineer and keyboardist Gabriel Ethier (Garou, Azam Ali, Niyaz) TEROUZ carefully crafts his songs into intimate capsules, where one is intoxicatingly swayed to dive deeper into his cinematic stories. 

“Tiger Girl” is a testament to resilient women and the empowering effects they have on others.

A cross between Bowie’s “China Girl” and Springsteen’s “Secret Garden” with a callback to the ‘voyeur’ vibes of The Police’s ‘‘Every Breath You Take,” it depicts a headstrong, feisty lead who leaves her mark on all those who cross her path.

The story is as much about growth through a deeper connection with someone, as it is about the hardness of growing apart and finally letting go. It’s an introspective look at what it is to really know somebody, from the smell of their skin to the way their brain works.

Marco DiFelice is a Canadian singer, songwriter, music supervisor, and producer. In the 90’s, Marco was the lead singer of the pop-punk band, Supergarage. After the band dispersed, he found his way into the world of music supervision, where he selected music for films, adverts, and television shows including Orphan Black and Lost Girl. Now Marco is writing songs against the backdrop of his life as Parks N’ Rec. This project — a collaboration between Marco and several producers back at his own Self Titled Studios — deals with lost love, polarizing societies, and self-renewal.

Brand new track, “Peace of Mind,” offers up Parks N’ Rec’s spin on the original by classic rockers Boston and will be included on a full-length covers set to be released this coming spring. A well-written song with a simple melody and lyrics, it reminded Marco that good music comes out of a few basic ingredients.

Watch the accompanying music video (composed out of footage taken from Marco’s travels over the past few years:

Chin Injeti’s decorated career of songwriting and producing has seen him creating, touring and performing with the likes of The Fugees, The Roots, Jamiroquai, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and many more. Having received multiple awards (including three Grammys and two JUNOs), Injeti’s impact on music has slowly taken shape with millions of records sold going Gold and Platinum. 

New single, “All for Nothing,” was created on vintage synths and a drum machine to emulate an ‘80s sound. Fuelled by heartbreak, the melancholic track debates what a relationship was even worth if it spurs such intense feelings of longing and frustration.

Angela Saini is an Indian-Austrian Canadian and country folk-pop artist based in Toronto. The singer-songwriter has forged her identity through unflinching positivity and empowering ideals. While she has experienced some incredible success, being known for her uplifting music through her debut album and two popular EPs, her success has come as a result of some of her darkest moments.

Self-acceptance anthem “It’s Ok” was written for her friend and collaborator Derek who passed away unexpectedly, but it also applies to pandemic depression. “That’s the most personal song I’ve written,” Angela says. “Sometimes we don’t know what to do with sadness and depression, and I want people to know it’s fine to crawl into a ball—it’s okay not to be okay,” she says.

Angela sweeps listeners away with instantly memorable, toe-tapping pop infused with storyteller sing-alongs about courage and finding joy in surprising places. The new single is lushly layered with pedal steel guitar and ethereal textures, but also grounded by a jaunty pop-rock groove. 

“It’s Ok” showcases Angela further nurturing her crossover appeal by sneaking in a rapped passage on the tune. Here, the rhythmic cadence makes the song’s meaning more impactful. Overall, the lyrics are cathartic because they give you permission to just admit things are hard, and not try to force positivity or change your circumstances in a fake or forced way. “It’s Ok” is the second unveiling from her forthcoming sophomore album, following “In It For The Ride” which Patch.com declared “the song of 2022!”

Canadian OBGYN turned singer-songwriter, Kristina Dervaitis, is sharing the first single from her second solo album due this April.

The powerful, piano-led track “Everything & Nothing” focuses on the concept of denial. “Some signs just can’t be ignored without grave consequences,” explains Dervaitis. 

The song’s moody vocals and ominous production underscore Dervaitis’ exploration of how we can over analyze situations and twist any information in order to justify our wants, which often aren’t in line with our true needs.

Climate change denial came to mind when Dervaitis sat down to create the lyric video for “Everything & Nothing.” 

“When you consider the growing number of forest fires worldwide, as just one example, it’s astounding to think that there are still those who deny the role that climate change is playing,” says Dervaitis. 

“It’s right in front of our face – everything is pointing to it – but there are those that so badly want to believe that nothing’s wrong.”