Havelin, also known as Alex Zaichkowski, is an acclaimed (unofficially) singer-songwriter (allegedly) whose passion for music began at a young age and will continue until his untimely demise (which will likely come at the hands of some great warrior or foul beast…or, more likely, slipping on a banana peel). 

Five to six years of getting kicked around by life’s ups and downs culminated in Havelin almost hanging up his hat as a songwriter, until a fortuitous spark of creativity struck him while driving by a rodeo grounds in his home province of Alberta. 

That moment birthed “Rodeo Clown,” a forlorn and melodic reflection on toxic relationships in all their forms: business, platonic, and romantic. Its plaintive organ, guitar, and piano provide the backdrop to an earnest song that speaks of Havelin’s inner turmoil when feeling the need to perform a role within these unhealthy dynamics.

This song’s definitely cathartic for me. It brings up a lot of the emotional baggage and exhaustion that I’ve felt trying to get my music out there over the last decade… but at the same time, it also gets me really excited. It represents the start of something new. Something more honest, more sincere – a record that really feels like me. – Havelin

Piano pop songwriter Mike Evin is sharing an earnest and hopeful new album by the name of Something Stirs When You Sing, featuring a collection of songs whose characters long to find joy and feel alive. Working with producer Chris Stringer (Rose Cousins, Abigail Lapell), Evin and Stringer prioritized emotion and vibe over precision and perfection, handpicking from a batch of about 120 songs, mostly written during the early pandemic years.

The album’s focus track, “Outside With A Guitar,” was inspired by the community of musicians that Evin was a part of led by Ken Whiteley who performed on Toronto’s Roxton Road during that time. Every night for almost two years, they made music outside. The jovial song took root one night after seeing the abandon with which one of the street’s couples sang a song. It alludes to difficult times but is ultimately about the catharsis of making music.

This song is noteworthy also because the album title comes from one of the lyrics, “something stirs when you sing.” It encapsulates my raison d’etre for making music, and it ties in with a theme that is in a lot of my work – the search for joy and connection through music. This was the first song we recorded for the album, and it’s fitting that it’s also the opening track on the album. I feel it sets the tone nicely – joyous, yet also hinting at dark times (“now that seems like a dream”) and the need to uplift ourselves to a more lively state of being. – Mike Evin

4x JUNO nominee Julian Taylor has teamed up with Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter, Allison Russell, for a stately new ballad entitled “Pathways,” taken from Taylor’s upcoming record of the same name out on September 27th.

“Pathways” was written by Taylor with Toronto songwriters Robert Priest and Rosanne Baker Thornley, created to be a duet with Russell. Its understated Americana production provides the bedrock for Russell and Taylor’s rich vocal harmonies.

The journey of life puts us all on our own respective pathways to find out who we are and how we can strive to overcome any of the inner doubts and struggles we all experience. This song is meant to be a letter from a person who has gone through many trivial experiences and who is trying to be there for someone younger like their child and protect them and guide them through the hard points in life. When we wrote the song, each writer felt as if they were speaking to their children. – Julian Taylor

Alternative folk singer-songwriter Rory Taillon is sharing his fourth full-length album Now It’s Quiet on Tuesday August 20th, 2024. The album features the two previously released singles, “Hatchet” and “Wish You Would Stay.” The record’s main theme centres on loss, “whether it is the loss of someone you love, the loss of a friendship, loss of an ideal, or the loss of contempt towards something that hurt you,” explains Taillon. He will be touring Canada in support of the record through the end of the summer and the fall.  

This song is about trying to make sense of one’s own grief while watching others grieve the same person in their own ways. I lost a really close friend of mine who I had been friends with since childhood. At his wake there were a number of people that I hadn’t seen since high school. Another friend of mine made a joke saying, “This is the worst reunion I’ve ever been to,” and I thought that was really dark and profound and decided to run with that thought. – Rory Taillon

RecoHavoc has transformed the trials of his Southwest Philadelphia upbringing into a distinct and compelling voice in hip-hop. From an early age, he found solace in music and dance, but life threw him off course. At 16, a robbery charge landed him in a juvenile correctional facility, where he faced the heartbreaking loss of his mother. With his father battling addiction and legal issues, RecoHavoc had no choice but to navigate life’s harsh realities on his own.

Instead of letting these hardships define him, RecoHavoc turned his pain into power, channeling his raw experiences into music that resonates with authenticity. He began releasing self-produced songs and viral videos, quickly making a name for himself in his community. His breakthrough came in 2016 with the viral hit “Lucas,” which amassed millions of views and put him on the map as an artist to watch. This momentum, paired with his mixtape One Way Out, caught the attention of radio stations and record labels, ultimately leading to a deal with Atlantic Records in 2017.

RecoHavoc’s rise continued with his 2018 DJ Drama-hosted mixtape Started, which further showcased his gritty storytelling and unique delivery. Collaborations with industry heavyweights like PnB Rock and Lil Uzi Vert, a four-time GRAMMY® nominee, solidified his presence in the hip-hop scene. RecoHavoc’s ability to transform personal pain into poignant lyrics has earned him a dedicated following and a growing reputation.

Now, with his new single “Circles,” featuring Reese Youngn and DJ Crazy, RecoHavoc is preparing for the next phase of his career. The track highlights his evolution and sets the stage for his upcoming project, slated for release in late 2024. As RecoHavoc continues to rise, his journey remains a testament to resilience, using his art to turn adversity into triumph while captivating listeners with the depth of his storytelling.

These experiences didn’t break him, but rather shaped his music, adding depth and authenticity to his sound. RecoHavoc began to release self-produced tracks and viral videos, quickly gaining attention in his community and beyond. His breakthrough came with the track “Lucas” in 2016, which rapidly garnered millions of views and solidified his place as a rising star. The momentum from “Lucas” and his mixtape One Way Out attracted interest from local radio stations and record labels, leading to a major milestone in 2017—a deal with Atlantic Records.

RecoHavoc’s career reached new heights with the release of his DJ Drama-hosted mixtape Started in 2018. Known for his distinctive delivery and raw storytelling, Reco captured the attention of prominent artists, including PnB Rock and four-time GRAMMY® nominee Lil Uzi Vert. His ability to channel personal pain into lyrical storytelling set him apart in the industry, as he continued to evolve his sound and build a loyal fan base.

Now, RecoHavoc is gearing up for the next chapter of his career with his latest single “Circles,” featuring Reese Youngn and DJ Crazy. The track showcases his continued growth and hints at what’s to come from his highly anticipated project, set to drop in late 2024. As he continues to climb the ranks of the hip-hop world, RecoHavoc remains a testament to resilience, turning adversity into art and building a career that’s as compelling as the stories he tells.

Snez is the artist name of Ezra Mendel, a hip hop artist from the Annapolis Valley, NS. Snez‘s versatile fusion of elements from rock and pop with hip hop and rap are key aspects of his style. As a young teen, he dropped his first two singles which immediately garnered attention in his home town and would be asked to freestyle at parties, leading to being referred to as the “Jewish kid who can actually rap.” He is currently building his local and online audience and working on his first full-length release.

Snez exudes a chameleon-type prowess of musical artistry, showcasing many different styles of hip-hop that heavily emphasizes lyrical ability, cadence and delivery. He strives to combine elements from different genres like rock, pop-punk and country. Snez shares similarities with SonReal, Mac Miller, Logic and Futuristic. Versatility is a key factor to his craft and this encapsulates his identity as a creative.

The inspiration for new single, “Never Enough,” comes from Snez‘s regular inner back-and-forth dialogue about his struggle with substance abuse, pride, overthinking and self-worth. He also opted out of working with a professional producer to record, mix and master the track themselves to add a personal and unpolished feel to the raw lyrics.

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

I have been working on this song as sort of a back-burner project for about a year now, but recently got the inspiration to finish it after a careless mistake led me to fall back into an old routine. 

I believe that the self-questioning nature of the lyrics could be validating to someone struggling with substance abuse, pride, overthinking or self-worth. While writing the lyrics for Never Enough I felt that this inner dialogue could be visually represented in a cool way, so I knew there had to be a video to go with it. 

Self-questioning nature of the lyrics

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

For quite some time I struggled with substance abuse issues, and I found it interesting that even when I got sober I had these two conflicting instincts, or personalities around whether I could stay clean or keep using. I wanted this video to visually represent that fight for control, and how easy it is to fall back into old patterns. 

3. What was the process of making this video?

I was planning a single release a few years ago while in high school and I heard from a friend that there was a kid at school who had video editing skills, so I hit him up and we made a music video. I looked super awkward on camera, neither of us had any idea what we were doing while filming, and the whole video was shot behind a local Canadian Tire, but the editing was fantastic. Shoutout to Josh Cummins (@jc_inc__ on Instagram). When I decided I wanted to shoot a video for the new single Never Enough I knew that I wanted Josh to edit the video. I learned after contacting him that he was in film school and had been working on his skills, so I figured what the hell, he killed it with the last one, so why not have him shoot, direct, and edit?

After talking with Josh about the sentiments around the lyrics for the song, he came up with the idea to have me turn blue to represent the fight for control, and I was sold. It fits the vibe of the song, and a line in the hook is “I’m feeling blue again,” so it just made sense. 

We shot the whole video in a day (which was more than enough time spent covered in blue paint, thank you very much) with the help of my girlfriend who stars in the video as the black-eyed demon lady, and my friends, who starred in a couple