Following up on the release of Astral Swans’ catchy, nihilistic pop single, “The Coward,” Swans (also known as Matthew Swann) and garage legend Julie Doiron are releasing the entirety of their Split 2 7”. 

Focus track, Doiron’s “Last Night I Saw My Love,” is a stripped down, melodic love song spontaneously composed in winter 2023. Julie recorded it at home with her friends and collaborators Dany Placard (bass, engineering, mixing), and Colleen Coco Collins (drums and background vocals).

The song was written very quickly, in the wintertime. It just fell from the sky and into my head. It’s also about being in love with someone who lives far away. – Julie Doiron

Even if WAASH’s new album reflects the wisdom of withdrawing, the project likewise found songwriter Andrew Bishop nurturing friendships with a number of familiar collaborators. Lyrics were often co-written with Courtney Ewan Hancock, Bishop’s longtime partner in pop-rock outfit Twin River, and Louise Burns, the esteemed songwriter/producer Bishop had first met when he’d briefly entered her back-up band a decade ago. 

The focus track, “Might As Well Know,” was written and recorded during the first session for the album. Bishop had been working on a handful of demos and this was the song that really set the pace. It was energetic, fun to play and had lots of room left for the musicians to put their own spin on. 

Madam Sad started as a folk project between Maddison Schreiber (they/he) and Evelyn Charlotte Joe (they/them). Their song, “Hope For You,” has two parts, both inspired by love for different people. A feeling of rejection and loss for something that was never real, a sort of limerence. 

The song title is a way of holding myself accountable to make sure I am always hoping for the happiness of those who have hurt me. I also do get to a more genuine place where I feel compassion for an ex-lover’s success, and that’s a nice kind of sad. – Maddison Schreiber

“Look back” is the uplifting new single from borza, with an enticing flow that keeps you glued.

“Sometimes certain things happen that tame our fire down for too long, so it’s good to look back and remember how we felt just before the interruption, and why,” says borza about his inspiration. borza has collaborated on many records with emerging artists from the Quebec music scene, as well as international established artists such as Emmylou Harris and Lauryn Hill. In 2016, he debuted his solo work with an alternative/experimental folk EP titled playing with time. He followed it up with full-length record Cocoon in 2019, produced by his friend Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois) and showcasing essences of indie rock, folk and reggae. Since then, borza has been releasing a steady stream of singles.

10-year-old Toronto artist Bianca Lily’s journey into music was both organic and deeply personal. She began crafting songs at her family home, their melodies evolving through experimentation on the piano. Recording these creations for her debut Too Much EP was a natural next step, transforming their home into a foundation for professional studio sessions. At Candle Studio, Bianca’s youthful innocence met seasoned expertise, fostering an environment ripe for innovation and discovery. 

Her music, a blend of boundary-expanding hyper-pop, offers listeners a vibrant mix of beats and melodies that challenge conventional pop norms. Each song, a testament to her resilience and creativity, encapsulates themes of frustration, overcoming obstacles, and dreaming of better days.
Title track, “Too Much,” captures Bianca’s journey through the fragility of friendships and the pain of betrayal. The title serves as a declaration of strength and self-assertion. Recording this track was a transformative experience, blending personal narrative with cultural commentary.

Like the tides of the Bay of Fundy on which she was raised, or the steadfast city line that broods along its port, Kylie Fox has been devoted to honing her craft as a songwriter for as long as she can remember. Growing up with a mother who would sing to her, and a father who sat at the helm of every kitchen party with his Yamaha and uninhibited voice, it became clear to Fox from a young age that music was how to show love, how to express identity, and how to connect with the people around her.

Grand, ethereal and epic, “Brandi Baby” is Fox‘s “coming-of-age song. It touches on my awkward high school years where I had the confidence to go to a school dance by myself, my early touring years where my ambition and my schedule prevented me from dating much, to when I found real big love in my now fiancé and drummer Ryan, where I feel so free and safe.”

She continues, “I used to straighten my hair to Brandi Carlile everyday in high school, and she became a big influence for me becoming a musician. ‘The Story’ was the first song my partner and I danced to and we are going to use it as our first dance at our wedding next year.”

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

I’ve always been tall and taken up a lot of space. I found myself in a relationship where I felt like a “teacup”, as I say in the song,  or just taken care of in a way I hadn’t before. “The Story” by Brandi Carlile was the first song we slow-danced to, and we are using it as our first dance song at our wedding next summer. I didn’t know that when I wrote the song, it’s weird how it sort of predicted the future. We have also seen Brandi live together twice.

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

The song is about being a tough girl, and having to learn how to be vulnerable. Who is tougher than a wrestler? So a part of me filmed the video for Brandi Baby at a local wrestling match because I have a flair for the ridiculous, but also to nod to the tough girl in me.

3. What was the process of making this video?

I have a go-to gal named Jill who is a brilliant film maker and who really gets my vibe and sense of humour. We have made a ton of videos together and when I called her to pitch we shot this one at a very public and unpredictable event, she was super game. We wanted to get some footage of me in the seats before people arrived and didn’t anticipate that all the wrestlers would be rehearsing, so it was a bit of an intimidating scene to walk into in my sequin fringe jacket, but they were all very nice and excited to have us, and it was a riot to see them become angry and beat each other up. In the video I found a boy to sit beside and it turned out he was the son of the champion wrestler who runs the events. He was key to me knowing who to yell “you suck” at. 

In 2020, she released her first full-length album, Green, and is now preparing to release her second studio album, Sequoia, that was made with the support of ArtsNB, Music New Brunswick and Canada Council for the Arts. Sequoia has come to life as an 11-track album, developed with her band and six-time ECMA-winning producer Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Fortunate Ones, The Good Lovelies).