Custie is an emerging artist from London, Ontario whose distinct sound explores pop music as it intersects between singer-songwriter, R&B and alternative. “E, pt. 2” is largely a continuation of his previous single, “ON E, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN,” balancing the heaviness with softness.

“‘E, pt. 2’ was born from a period of slow-focus after I recorded ‘ON E, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.’ The follow-up both literally and figuratively achieved some distance from the themes that haunted me. I was in the mud of the friendship, doing snow angels in the glass shards. As a counterpart, ‘E, pt. 2’ is sadder, but a lot more dream-like. You don’t have to succumb to the sadness, or face it, because it’s constantly weaving different emotions and, intentionally, creating some formless tapestry of Experience.” —Custie

100% of profits from “ON E, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN” are being donated to MINDS, an initiative local to him for youth struggling with mental health and addiction

Parade is an experimental pop-rock trio based out of Toronto, Ontario. “Do You Know Where Your Friends Are Right Now?” from their brand new album, Lullabies After Storms and Floods, was inspired by the social media fueled mental health crisis. 

It has been extremely distressing, in my work as a music educator, to see how badly young people are struggling with anxiety and depression and I feel that there is a responsibility as an artist to advocate for solutions.

The song title is a throwback to a time before social media when we weren’t hyper aware of our friends whereabouts and activities at all times. If you couldn’t reach your friends on the landline, you’d have to find them in the REAL WORLD! – Stefan Hegerat (drums, compositions)

Drawing on their diverse backgrounds in jazz, classical, and electronic music, Stefan Hegerat, Chris Pruden (synthesizers) and Laura Swankey (voice, electronics) and Patrick O’Reilly (guitar) of the experimental pop/rock trio, Parade, push the boundaries of genre and form by blurring the lines between improvisation and composition to create unique and immersive sonic landscapes.

Lullabies After Storms and Floods was largely inspired by band leader Hegerat’s work as a grassroots organizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, the compositional content of the album provides both a critique of the institutions and systems which threaten our very existence, and utopian imaginings of a healing world. The hope behind Parade is that the music dwells on all we have to celebrate, while acknowledging all we have to mourn.

Sam Weber, the Los Angeles via Vancouver Island based singer-songwriter and guitarist is continuing to share glimpses of his soon-to-be released record, Clear + Plain (August 23rd), with the warm and observational “Oregon.”

Grounded by a strong bassline, Weber builds layers of vocals, lush percussion, and exploratory acoustic guitar into the track as it develops.

“‘Oregon’ was written on a trip to Ashland. We were renting a casita on this big property where all these hippies lived. It’s a bit of a sensory abstract poem that just sort of emerged. 

I think the imagery is my own from the I-5 corridor, seeing the lush green flora, very pagan-beautiful, natural imagery of the state, contrasted with the scraps of humanity strewn around. And the progressive culture of Portland.” – Sam Weber

Sam Weber is a Canadian singer-songwriter known for his distinctive style that blends elements of folk, rock, and Americana. Weber’s music often features thoughtful lyrics and a blend of contemporary and traditional musical influences, making him a unique figure in the indie music scene. 

A perceptive and compelling singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the vein of Jackson Browne, The Band, The Wood Brothers and Gillian Welch, Weber has been touring independently and internationally with his band since 2013 — just after he scored a glowing profile in Guitar Player Magazine. 

Years spent refining songs at home in North Saanich, BC, working in studios in Los Angeles, CA and gigging relentlessly across Canada and throughout the Western US have honed Weber’s craft to a fine point.

Vicky von Vicky is a Toronto indie rock band that originated in the late 1990s, featuring Michael Wynn (Melted Wings) on guitar and vocals, Rolston Miller on bass, and Tom Nesbitt (The Others) on guitar. Vicky von Vicky‘s distinctive sound draws inspiration from punk, grunge, classic rock, and rock, soul and hip-hop. However, their music is not a genre mash-up. They delve into themes of love, loss, and life experiences, expressing themselves with candidness, vulnerability and a big serving of humour. The result is Vicky von Vicky‘s music.

After almost two decades, the band reunited in 2019, paying tribute to their late friend and former bandmate Andrew Pricesmith. This “second chance” allowed Vicky von Vicky to regroup and return to the Toronto music scene with a renewed focus.

Their uplifting new EP, Broken Chairs, was mostly written in the week Michael Wynn was laid off from his full time job. Some of these melodies came straight from his dreams, and together with producer Nixon Boyd (Hollerado, Dizzy), they put together this rocking, five track EP.

The focus track “Be Still My Heart” is about someone talking to their soul or heart, and getting them to try to calm down or take stock of where they are in life. In some ways the narrator has not been true to themselves, i.e. the separation from their heart and what makes them human.

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

“Be Still My Heart” is a song that came to me in May 2020, it didn’t take long to write the lyrics and the music came quite quickly. At the time, I don’t think I really had a theme or realized what the song was about, i wrote the words first as a kind of ode to my heart and thanking it for hanging in there.  But then after reading the lyrics and realizing what I was singing, it sort of all kind of came together and realized the meaning, and the analogies i was making.

To visualize this song was a no-brainer. I mean, I have done all the other songs so why not this one? This is the last song of our EP that needed a video and to visualize in some way.

The song seems to be about someone reflecting on how they have lived their life and are regretting the choices they made, ie not being true to themselves or what was in their heart.  I am a huge fan of the Pixies and i felt some parts were inspired by them in this as well.

I like writing songs about the heart, it is an amazing organ! Also the various visuals and metaphors around it i find very intriguing.

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

I had visualized an arm holding a heart for sometime but as soon as i started looking for photos the metallic/robotic theme started to reveal itself to me and i felt it would make compelling imagery.

And in the end the robotic arm holding what seems to be an antique robotic heart had the most impact to me, especially when the hand holds the heart by a chain.  Its up to the viewer to decide if the robotic arm is a robot holding their own heart or someone or something else’s.

3. What was the process of making this video?

Making this video started pretty simply,  i began weighing ideas and visuals and then through a process of elimination i started seeing what i could get away with visually and if i was able to satisfy my own critiques.  In this case i just wanted to move around the song’s poster with the lyrics leading the way around using Ken Burns like movements.  

Having a deadline also helps sometimes, usually i am doing these things at the last minute!  I have always enjoyed painting and graphic design, pretty much self taught.  And i love the journey and problem solving aspect to it. Same with song writing.  It’s a sort of obsession, but in a good way.

Songwriter Michael Wynn envisioned the narrator as someone who once deemed making money as their primary focus and had lost sight of the important things. Making money may have been the most important thing in this narrator’s life in “Be Still My Heart,” but they soon realize that money means nothing when you are no longer around.

Award-winning power duo Campbell & Johnston are a soulful blend of vintage blues-rock, roots and folk with a modern twist. Trading off lead vocals, harmonies and guitar solos, the two are a musical yin and yang, captivating audiences with raw emotion and heartfelt authenticity. Whether experiencing their performance as an acoustic duo, or with their full electric band, the chemistry is palpable and the musicianship is top-notch. 

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness all led towards their album, Paisley Hearts, setting the stage for a jam-packed year of touring ahead. The new collection is centered around love and loss, regret, righteousness…and smoking hash and drinking coffee. Focus track, “Don’t Get Down (On a Good Thing),” serves as a “tongue and cheek reminder that this too shall pass, and a war of attrition can only be won one way, by staying the course,” says Johnston.

“Don’t Get Down (On a Good Thing)” is an upbeat soul rock jam reminiscent of Sly and The Family Stone and the Hendrixian ways of days gone by.

Veteran Toronto singer-songwriter and 4x JUNO nominee Julian Taylor has an upbeat and bluesy new slice of his upcoming album, Pathways (out September 27th), to share. 

“Running Away” juxtaposes the weary Americana of lead single “Weighing Down” with a driving piece of blues rock which tries to outrun hurt and pain instead of facing it head on.

“All my life I’ve been a huge rural blues fan,” explains Julian. “My grandfather used to spin old blues records like Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee when I was a kid so that kind of rockabilly country blues groove lives inside me. I would say that [this] song is inspired by the blues music that came out of plantation fields.”

This song was produced by Colin Linden and the version you hear today is the first take recorded live off of the floor, capturing the electrifying spark of a rollicking and soulful full band groove.