Winnipeg’s Tyler Del Pino has always struggled to fit in, and there’s nothing like his music that truly challenges the concept of genre and delivers his one-of-a-kind brand of Canadiana. Del Pino has a pure passion for songwriting and an honest sound infused with starry-eyed narratives; a hybrid of Rock-Pop, Americana, and East Coast folk-rock that stays true to the roots of timeless tunes.
Unlike Del Pino’s usual bright and upbeat tunes, “Wolf In The Hen House” is rooted in raw anger. It’s a rock anthem with a punch, a departure from his usual vibe that adds a whole new dimension to his music. The song delves into the portrayal of a sinister individual, drawing from various observations in Del Pino’s life. It’s a deep dive into the depths of human deceit and malice, crafted from the shady characters that he has personally encountered over the years.
“I wrote this during a period in 2018 when I was grappling with my own encounters with less-than-desirable individuals,” says Tyler Del Pino. “This coincided with the second year of Trump’s presidency, a time when political drama seemed to unfold daily. It sparked contemplation—what truly makes someone a snake? What twisted journey leads them to embrace deception and malice?”
Custie is an emerging alternative pop artist hailing from London, Ontario. His distinct sound explores pop music as it intersects with singer-songwriter, R&B and alternative music.
His song, “ON E, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN,” deals with themes related to addiction. Although Custie hasn’t personally struggled with addiction, it has affected the lives of people close to him. E stands for ecstasy in the broadest sense, and also energy. There’s been this uptick in songs about energy, the cosmic pull of stars and planets, and attributing behaviours and interactions to continuums beyond our capability of understanding. Though Custie doesn’t believe in astrology, he always seems to write romantic things that bring the possibility of it to light.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Every song I write has a specific visual identity by the time it’s done, and a lot of what you hear sonically is trying to plot the texture and topography of that space/place (that the story of the song decides) and map it on a record when the record gets to its second or third pass. It’s often the hardest part trying to understand the locale of the song and then allowing some sort of partnership between a song and its video. Trying to understand how to present where you imagine a song’s story playing out in the real world has to convey believability but suspend disbelief, yet have some pretense at realism… that’s my style, at least. Basically if you ignore everything else I just said and just focus on one thing, it would be that the partnership is paramount.
2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
This video has a longer cut that I might release at some point, but the short one I released basically distills a longer story about what it would be like to live and eventually die in a car with a ghost as the driver, driving you nowhere. The story actually comes from an old friendship where I used to ask someone to give me a ride home a lot, and what feelings came from that. I guess the video concept is rooted in the ghost thing as some allegorical reach to depict what really happened. But I also find myself compelled by the magnetism of real, troubled people and their freewheeling energy.
3.What was the process of making this video?
The process was rooted in a lot of experimentation as an editor. I’m not a video editor by any means, but I like to approach the editing suite like I do a digital audio workstation. Most things I do musically are patchwork experiments and I like to apply the same technique to filmmaking. I don’t think I could ever work with an editor, but the guy who shot it–a friend named Benjamin Collins–knew what I was going for and gave me the tools I needed.
‘E’ is an attempt to stylize and leave much of the song up to listener interpretation. By giving things concrete names, it makes everything very topical. I always like to find a way to have my listeners move with me by presenting a song with a certain kind of allure in mystery. Hence the ‘E’ – it stands for anything you’d like. – Custie
Movina is making waves in the music industry with her latest pop single, “PWITB?” Born out of a fusion of her diverse musical influences, Movina’s track promises to captivate audiences with its unique blend of Indian beats and Western melodies.
Listen here:
Movina’s journey from contemplating a career in medicine to pursuing her passion for music is a testament to her unwavering dedication to her craft. Despite initially opting for a pragmatic approach by pursuing finance to support her musical aspirations, Movina’s heart ultimately led her back to her true calling.
With a background in both Carnatic and Western classical music, Movina brings a rich tapestry of sounds and influences to her work. Her upbringing, steeped in the melodies of legends like Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, and A.R. Rahman, alongside icons such as Michael Jackson and Madonna, has shaped her distinctive musical style.
However, breaking into the mainstream music scene hasn’t been without its challenges. Movina acknowledges the competitive nature of the industry, especially as a South Asian artist navigating a predominantly Western market. Yet, she embraces her uniqueness as an asset, setting her apart from the crowd.
“I like the Indian beats and melodies. And it comes through in my music,” says Movina, whose love for her cultural heritage is evident in both her sound and aesthetic.
Movina remains steadfast in her commitment to her artistry. With multiple projects in the pipeline, she continues to bring each song to life on her own terms.
With “PWITB?” Movina invites listeners on a journey through her eclectic musical universe, where East meets West in a harmonious blend of sound and style. As she paves her own path, her star continues to rise, promising a future filled with endless possibilities.
Movina is an Atlanta-based pop artist. Blending her diverse musical influences, including Carnatic and Western classical music, Movina’s sound is a fusion of Indian beats and Western melodies. With a passion for storytelling and a commitment to authenticity, Movina is carving her own path one captivating track at a time.
“I imagine us as a rock band, trapped inside of a nightclub,” says frontman Harry Parsons of the Newfoundland rave punk band Ctrl+V (pronounced paste). After more than a decade of being a drummer in touring bands, he began to experiment with making electronic music. Along with co-writer/producer Sweetboy Music, the songwriting soon began to flow, and the pair began shaping their sound, influenced by darkwave, hard rock, and a dash of punk.
Their debut EP, Prequels, is dark, yet optimistic. Mysterious yet fun. The bittersweet opening track, “Apple Blue,” sets the mood with a feeling of isolation and loneliness. “The title puts me in a neo-noir film headspace. It’s like a David Lynch version of a heavy song,” says Parsons.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Apple Blue was the 2nd song that Ctrl+V ever wrote. It’s a personal and a fan favourite, so I wanted to put together a little visual piece for it. For me, the song was evoking some imagery of constantly falling through space. I had envisioned the idea of the Ctrl+V text falling down the screen, basically like falling cards. It took a little while to find a motion graphics designer, but we eventually found Michael Speed, through the powers of the internet. We noticed that he had worked with Interpol, which we thought was pretty cool. After some discussion with him, he can back with basically the final version of the video. Instead of the Ctrl+V simply falling straight down the screen, Michael had the idea of giving some other types of directional movement around the screen, to spice things up a little extra. He also came up with the really awesome looking flashes of the Dusk Rider mask on the screen, during some key moments of the song.
2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
My idea of the falling cards was basically the main inspiration for the video. I really wanted to emphasize the Ctrl+V logo, and make sure it was a very repetitive element of the video. I also related to Michael that I often enjoy when some colors are meshed together, which would not traditionally go together. I put together a mood board with some pictures that demonstrated this, and it certainly helped inspire how the video turned out.
3.What was the process of making this video?
The making of the Apple Blue video was done completely by distance. We are in Canada, and Michael is England. But it was very simple, in general. Just a few emails back and forth. We had come up with a Mood Board, which we shared with Michael, to help establish a color palette, and overall vibe for the video. He took that and ran with it, which is how we ended up with the nice orange and blue theme for the chorus part of the song. This road to glossy and gritty darkwavey goodness was augmented by producers/mixers John Fryer and Mark Needham (who mixed the The Killers’ debut album, Hot Fuss) and the guidance of Ted Sablay (touring guitarist with The Killers), giving the songs a slick and heavy delivery.
Matías Roden is a Peruvian-Canadian singer-songwriter living in Vancouver, BC. After performing in cover bands and writing for others in the city’s indie pop scene (including landing college radio play for one of his cuts), Matías began developing his own material as an artist. Drawing from classic British synth-pop combined with a modern, sample-based production sensibility and unflinchingly personal lyrics, Matías wrote and produced over a dozen demos in his makeshift bedroom studio. Those caught the attention of acclaimed singer/songwriter/producer Louise Burns and shortly after he was signed to Vancouver’s Light Organ Records/604 Records.
New single, “Great Escape,” is sung from the perspective of depression itself, telling a depressed person they’ll never get over them, like a twisted love song. Written during COVID while recovering from a brain injury, Matías channeled the feelings of darkness from that time into the song’s lyrics but made sure to retain a twinge of hope in its rousing production.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
This was the first song I wrote for my upcoming debut project as an artist. It’s a song bottling up intense feelings of wanting to get out and change your life at any cost, emotions I’d experienced all through my teenage years and early 20s, and seemed like the perfect starting point for me as an artist. As the first single and I thought it was important to have an accompanying visual that introduced me as an artist. Whenever I write a song, I usually start to picture visuals at the same time, from the artwork to the music video, and this one was no different.
2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
I wanted it to reflect the fast pace of the song and the paranoia and intensity of the lyrics, so me and the director, Peter Faint, came up with the idea of me running non-stop through different environments for the whole video. I’m dressed in a suit, which I thought could represent the formality and responsibilities of life (you usually only wear a suit on occasions like a job interview or a wedding), and I’m running through all these hallways, outdoors, up stairs, all these seemingly empty and abandoned places. It’s like I’m trying to run away from my own life, and that perfectly encapsulates the song.
3. What was the process of making this video?
I chose Peter Faint to direct the video because I’d seen his short films and I knew he had an amazing energy as a filmmaker. We sat down and discussed references and ideas until we arrived at the final concept. Then we had to location scout and pick an outfit that I’d be wearing as I’m running through all these different places. The actual filming took place over three days across Metro Vancouver (including apartment hallways and an outdoor park) and was quite physical and exhausting for myself and the cinematographer, Matt Sawtazky, as we’d both have to run in every take; myself towards the camera and him backwards as he filmed me. Then the editing process took place over a couple of weeks of back and forth until we were all satisfied. I’m very proud of the final video, I wanted to make something that had the same level of energy as the song but that was also very symbolic and I think we achieved that.
The official music video was shot by Peter Faint, a friend of Matías‘ who has worked as an editor on shows for Netflix, Adult Swim and others. His incredible energy as a filmmaker was exactly what Matías wanted for the propulsive song’s visuals.
Mickey Cake’s Jonny Drucker (guitar/vocals) and Graham Corrigan (bass/keys) met when they were 11 years old and played music together throughout high school and college. The band eventually morphed: Jonny and lead guitarist Brian Robertson began playing duets around Philadelphia, eventually convincing the latter’s brother Brett to join on drums. Graham brought his bass down from New York to join in, and a live set began to take shape.
The name Mickey Cake is a nod to Jonny’s early days as a beatmaker. Their debut album, So That You Know, was made up of live takes recorded over the course of one weekend. Sadly, Brett passed away just a month after those sessions. Jonny moved to New Zealand, Graham to Los Angeles. But the music continued: their second album, The Mickey Tape, has been coalescing, slowly but surely, over the last three years.
Mickey Cake have just released a self-titled compilation of tracks 2020’s So That You Know under Analog Machine Records. It features the energetic “Parakeet,” whose title spurs from the idea that being somebody’s pet is a cute idea, but a bit of a trap.
This album is a love story, a crescendo of adoration for an audience of one. Part plea, part sales pitch, all romance. – Graham Corrigan
Modern Mystery 
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