Incorporating traditional Ojibway music and culture with modern influences, roots/rock musician Mitchell Makoons has received radio play across Canada, United States and on SiriusXM with three of his singles reaching top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. 

Formerly known as Mitchell Mozdzen, he released five EPs under his legal name accompanied by their own Western Canadian tour. In early 2021, Makoons decided to change his stage name to something that nodded to his Ojibway heritage. Makoons is an Anishinaabemowin word that means “Little Bear or Bear Cub.” Since Mitchell Mozdzen’s spirit name is “Standing Strong Black Bear” and he is only 5’5, this name is perfectly fitting.

Makoons suffered over two dozen concussions throughout his adolescent years as a result of sports. By the age of 18, he was battling alcoholism as a means of coping with the concussions’ impact on his mental/physical health. During the pandemic, Makoons realized that he needed to make a positive change and sought help from his doctor. Over the course of a couple years, he saw tremendous improvements. In 2021, his head injury was finally healed enough to be cleared for sports for the first time in a decade. 

“I’m in a new chapter of my life now,” Makoons says. “I’m no longer scared of my own fatality, every second of the day. I focus on fostering great relationships with people and writing music that the world can connect with. I am a changing man.”

Hailing from Guelph, ON, Royal Castles are Katrin Sawatzky, Jordan Gabriel and AJ Johnson. Together they blend riffy guitar licks, wooly bass and ear-candified harmonies to create their own sound of nostalgic but contemporary garage-power-pop. The band’s sophomore album, Just The Hits, was released in 2021 and recorded at North Of Princess Studio with producer Zane Whitfield (Glorious Sons, Blue Stones). 

Royal Castles have partnered again with Whitfield and are in the midst of releasing five new songs towards an EP entitled Singles Night, set for release on April 19th. “Stage Fright” can be paralyzing if you let it, but it can also act as a fuel to make you push past something that scares you. That’s what the third release ahead of Singles Night  is about – fearing something or someone and pushing past to harness that nervous energy.

It’s been one hell of a wild ride for Wine Lips. Originally formed in Toronto back in 2015 as a part-time project between Cam Hilborn (vox, songwriter, guitar) and drummer extraordinaire Aurora Evans, they are joined by Andrew Donofrio (guitar) and Wes Martin (bass). Wine Lips quickly escalated into a full-blown, full-time, full-on international phenomenon, touring across the world with sold out shows, scoring a handful of great licensing deals (ABC’s The Rookie, Hockey Night In Canada, Population 11) and they are now readying their fourth full-length album, Super Mega Ultra, for release on April 5th via Stomp Records. Their third LP, Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party, hit 20 million streams on Spotify.

Their follow-up to lead single “Derailer” is “Fried IV,” with Hilborn explaining: “I’ve written a version of ‘Fried’ on every record we put out, so naturally I had to add a ‘Fried IV’ to this album…It was the last song recorded for [Super Mega Ultra]…and it became one of my favourite tracks.”

Recorded by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack in Ontario, Super Mega Ultra is jam-packed with 12 ramped-up supersonic ear-scorching auditory delicacies. What may be Wine Lips’ most ambitious undertaking to date explores new thematic territory while firmly maintaining their signature psych garage punk rock panache. Bad Nerves, Meatbodies, MONSTERWATCH, The Macks will accompany them on their North American tour kicking off on April 25th with nearly 30 dates announced so far.

Described as, “a multi-genre marvel,” Kellie Loder (they/them) is a JUNO Award nominated singer-songwriter who began their musical journey on the shores of Newfoundland & Labrador, lending to their unmatched songwriting prowess, and distinctive blend of folk, Americana and indie pop influences. Kellie’s signature sound coupled with their magnetic stage presence has earned them notable accolades including, “Songwriter of the Year,” and “Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year” at the 2023 East Coast Music Awards, and placed as first-runner-up on Canada’s Got Talent (2022).

Songs need room to breathe. It took Kellie over two years to complete their song, “The Month of May.” The first part was written when they were hurting, and the rest of it was written when they were healed.

Kellie felt that it had an old school, retro feel so they used an old guitar amp from the 50s. They also brought in three gospel-based backup singers to sing choir-like parts and make the song feel as big as it deserves. 

For Kellie’s recent releases, these songs encapsulate different types of transitions. Transitions in life and relationships can be beautiful, hard, but necessary. 

Sam Weber is a Canadian musician known for his distinctive style that blends elements of folk, rock, and Americana. 

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, and gigging relentlessly across Canada and throughout the western US have honed Weber’s craft to a fine point.

Leading into spring 2024, Weber is sharing “Hey Hey,” a song whose tumbling percussion and introspective acoustic guitar serve to articulate and realize the concept that “the truth always rises to the surface,” Weber explains. 

“The music I write that feels good is me articulating a truth to myself. Sometimes in the moment I don’t understand what it means and it sort of comes to fruition at some point. It can seem clairvoyant when it happens like that.”

Having directly improvised the song’s first verse and chorus, Weber felt as if he were channeling the song out of the air, “seeing what’s under the surface by letting it come out” instead of overthinking the process.

Sim Bansal of Action Forever, grew up in Brantford, Ontario. His obsession with music began at age five and, for the next two decades, his natural talents were fostered by a musical family upbringing and constant exposure to a unique and eclectic mix of influences ranging namely from 80’s pop, to progressive rock, to jazz and Indie.

For years, he has been working on a body of original fringe-pop music for a 4-piece band, now being released under the name Action Forever. The music, while lively, electric, melodic and danceable, explores darker themes such as loneliness in a digital age, abusive relationships, loss of identity, and mental health. 

The semi-autobiographical track, “In The Dead of Night,” is a reflection on the obvious downsides of being in a long distance relationship – not being able to hold your partner in your arms, look into their eyes, or hear their real voice next to you. For Sim, he started to believe the seed for the song, in part, came from a feeling of codependence. Upon analyzing what he’d written – in the moment, sort of quickly and instinctively, those lyrics struck him as more troubled than romantic. 

Though there is a lot of tension between the characters of the song, Sim wanted to make something upbeat and danceable to accentuate this feeling of stress and urgency. In addition, the counter melodies in the second verse were inspired by little musical carousel toys.