Ways in Waves is the brainchild of Brian Raine, a multi-instrumentalist and music producer living out of Edmonton, Alberta. With malleable form and the spirit of experimentation at its core, the group began as a live duo, and eventually expanded to a five-piece live band with Raine picking up vocals as well as guitar and keys parts.
Their upcoming album is set for release next month (September 2024) and combines aspects of rock, art-pop, and electronic music together into a mixture that propels the listener through controlled chaos. With drums engineered by Quinn Cyrankiewicz of Royal Tusk and performed by Joel Joeske of Whale and the Wolf, the newest releases from Ways in Waves (including “Who in War,” “Everything Taken,” and “Ovum Nova”) are explosive and driven while maintaining an ethereal backdrop.
Latest single, “Death of Others,” was written in the midst of Raine losing several platonic relationships.
There’s a lot of breakup songs out there, but most of those are about romantic relationships. The feelings that came out of feeling this distance growing between myself and people I used to love was very painful, and made me contemplate just… starting over, imagining leaving everything and everyone behind and beginning life again as a new person, with no ties to anyone or anything. – Brian Raine
Johnny Polygon’s ongoing journey of recovery is evident with the release of his new single, “Step 2.” Following the impactful “Step 1,” where Johnny first confronted his addiction, “Step 2” delves deeper into his personal narrative, embracing the notion of a power greater than himself guiding him towards sanity.
“Step 2” is a raw and introspective track, showcasing Johnny’s unique ability to turn deeply personal experiences into compelling art. The song opens with a melancholic yet hopeful melody that perfectly sets the tone for his exploration of surrender and the acceptance of external guidance in his recovery journey. His poignant lyrics capture the struggle between self-reliance and the need to trust in a higher power, all conveyed through Johnny’s evocative vocal performance that resonates with the pain of his past and the hope of his present.
This release marks another significant milestone in Johnny’s evolution as an artist and as a person committed to sobriety. After years of battling substance abuse—a struggle compounded by a heart disease diagnosis in 2018—Johnny courageously sought help, embarking on a transformative path. “Step 2” is a testament to the growth and healing he has experienced along the way.
Johnny’s journey from Ohio to Oklahoma, and ultimately to the coasts of Los Angeles and New York, has been marked by a refusal to conform to industry norms, carving out a distinctive niche in the music world. With “Step 2,” Johnny continues to push boundaries, offering his audience not just a song, but a piece of his heart and soul. This single, like its predecessor, is a reminder that recovery is an ongoing journey—one that requires both self-awareness and the acceptance of support from beyond oneself.
Atom Stone’s debut album, “Take Me To The Fire” makes a strong first impression, blending classic rock influences with a fresh, modern twist.
Right from the opening track it’s clear that Stone is carving out his own space in the rock world with powerful vocals and tight instrumentation that is a nod to the past while pushing forward.
The album kicks off with “I Believe,” a soft rock anthem that’s both catchy and emotionally charged, setting the stage for what’s to come.
The title track, “Take Me To The Fire,” amps up the energy and is driven by a relentless beat and a chorus that sticks with you. Stone’s voice channels the spirit of legends like Steve Perry and Lou Gramm, yet there’s a raw edge that makes it unmistakably his.
“Hate Love” and “Watch Me Die” dive into deeper emotional territory. “Hate Love” captures the turmoil of complicated relationships with a passionate, hard-hitting performance, while “Watch Me Die” is more introspective, pulling you in with its sincerity.
Then there’s “Driving Back To You” and “Hell On Wheels,” both of which are pure rock anthems, packed with driving rhythms and memorable riffs. These tracks feel destined for the stage, capturing the energy and spirit of live rock shows.
As the album moves forward, Stone continues to deliver with tracks like “The Real Thing” and “Tonight,” where his vocal range and lyrical sharpness really shine. Each song is infused with energy and emotion, showing Stone’s versatility as an artist.
“Battlefield” and “Hurt Me” keep the momentum going, with big choruses and a solid rock foundation. The album closes on a high note with “Uptown,” an upbeat track that leaves a lasting impression.
“This album is the culmination of everything I’ve worked towards as an artist,” says Atom Stone.
“Recording “Take Me To The Fire” was an incredible experience. It’s my best work so far, and I owe so much to the incredible team behind it. Working with Nick Sturms, Dan Tracey, and Dave Albro was both an honor and a privilege. They knew exactly how to push me to bring out my best, and the process was not only productive but also a lot of fun. The session musicians who contributed their talents to this album added something truly special, bringing fresh energy to the rock and Melodic Rock/AOR genres. Together, we’ve crafted what I like to call the ‘house and sound of Atom Stone.’”
Produced by industry heavyweights Dan Tracey, Nick Sturms, and Grammy-nominated engineer Dave Albro, “Take Me To The Fire” has a polished sound that still retains the raw energy that defines great rock music. The production highlights Stone’s powerful voice and the album’s rich, layered instrumentation.
This album will resonate with anyone who appreciates rock that’s both timeless and fresh, marking the arrival of a serious new talent in the scene.
With an evocative voice that captivates her audience, Ontario’s Paige Warner creates alt-pop music with soul-inspired vocal licks layered on catchy hooks of poetic lyrics. Her ultimate drive in life and music is to create moments for people to feel empowered and seen, whether in their sadness and pain, happiness and love, or confusion and uncertainty.
A collection of songs writtens years apart, her debut LP Bitter/Sweet is themed to women’s empowerment, the aftermath of a breakup (whether bitter, angry, sad, or hopeful) and surviving abuse. “This album has taught me that life is so extraordinarily varied,” she says. “These songs are all from different eras and experiences in my life, yet they come together in this album as one body of work.”
The album’s saucy and defiant focus track, “Bitter,” was produced to crescendo along with the lyrics of the song, growing bolder and more swung.
The word “Bitter” is usually used in a negative way, but this song is about how being bitter is fun and is sometimes a better alternative to being broken-hearted.– Paige Warner
Matías Roden is a Peruvian-Canadian singer-songwriter living in Vancouver, BC. Signed to Light Organ Records, his first single, “Snow Angel,” was released in November 2023 and followed by two more singles in 2024. Roden has performed at Music Waste and Khastahlano festivals since, as well as the upcoming Summerlight Festival, and his full-length debut album is set for release in early 2025.
Debut EP, The Plea, was recorded at Vancouver’s 604 Studios and serves as Roden’s formal introduction to this world; the official start of his journey as an artist. The Plea symbolizes a mixture of helplessness and resilience – it’s what happens when you’re young and you lose hope in the things that you thought mattered in your life.
Focus track, “Glowing,” is the moment where things start to turn a bit more hopeful. After a devastating heartbreak, Roden starts to learn to trust someone else and open up a bit more. Produced by Louise Burns, the song combines two very different elements of British pop music from the 80s and 90s – jazzy sophisti-pop and breakbeat.
I think the classic ‘quarter life crisis’ for a lot of young people feels like you’re being put on trial by your own hopes and dreams and others’ expectations for your life. It can feel overwhelming to realize that maybe your life isn’t going in exactly the direction you wanted it to go. So The Plea is a play on words of a plea deal at a trial where you’re both at the mercy of forces beyond your control but also wanting to defiantly assert yourself. It’s like I’m saying ‘I will get my life back together, I will get over this heartbreak or over this failure to live out my hopes and dreams, I will make them happen.’
Since long before its conception, traditional music has been at the center of the priorities of the musicians who formed the group El Balcón in the summer of 2018. Josh (requinto and oud), Valeria (vocals and foot percussion), Charles (vocals and jarana), Alex (double bass) and Nicolas (cajón and other percussion) initially made up the ensemble. Shortly after, Nominoë joined on violin and vocals. Drawing on learnings from travels across several continents, El Balcón experiments by arranging songs from the Son Jarocho repertoire, a folk music from Veracruz, Mexico, with rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic concepts borrowed from Eastern European countries.
With the strength of their first two real productions of traditional covers and compositions released in 2020 and 2021, La Bruja and Contracorriente, the group is now preparing to present its first album consisting entirely of original compositions titled El Errante, which will be launched in the spring of 2025.
New single, “Enredada,” is about being from different places at the same time and getting to know yourself through culture. In Spanish, “Enredada” means tangled up. The song is a very special blend of many styles of music that the group love: son jarocho, rumba flamenca, samba, balkan music, gnawa. It was written in Xalapa, Veracruz and recorded at Wild Studios in Lanaudière, Québec.
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