South African/Canadian multidisciplinary CON THE ARTIST bleeds creativity into anything he touches. From scoring films and producing records, to sound design, video direction and recently working with a 34 piece orchestra in Greece, CON has his hands in every aspect of his art. “As a younger person, my favorite artists were like superheroes to me, helping me find a sense of identity through their music. I want my music to provide a sense of ‘home’ or comfort for others who can relate to my lyrics or sound. I hope to never stop growing and evolving musically,” says CON THE ARTIST. 

With a bold approach and an avant garde vision, these infectious bops are ready to set off into the stratosphere. The latest of which is “Life Of The Party,” a cheeky laid-back tune about dating somebody you like… but other people don’t see them in the same light. “All your friends say that your partner is too this or too that… But no one knows them the way that you do when you are alone and in your own space,” CON explains. “They may be ‘boring’ to everyone else, but to you, they are the life of the party.”

Drawing influence from a diverse spectrum of artists, the Toronto trio, SWiiMS, blends elements of 80’s New Wave, 90’s Shoegaze, Indie Rock, Brit Pop and Dream Pop together to arrive at a sound that is all their own. SWiiMS is set to release their first full length LP, Into The Blue Night, on November 10, 2023.

“All I Die For” is an intense new track that sounds like a unique combination of uplifting music and moody, languid vocal melodies. It’s about the beginning stages of a relationship, and how you try to make yourself more intriguing or impressive than you are in order to keep that person interested. It also describes the feeling of hopefulness, bliss and loss of control that the start of any new relationship brings. Ultimately, the music progresses to match the intensity of the vocal. 

Fellow Camper is a folk duo featuring Lee Watson and Benjamin Roy. They sing in a close, two-part harmony style, drawing inspiration from Canadian folk pioneers who graced the stages of Toronto’s Yorkville music scene in the 60s and 70s. Combine that with a modern sensibility, and you’ve got Fellow Camper. 

Ben and Lee met at camp where they each experienced lots of moments laying under the stars next to friends – or someone who maybe could be more than that – and seeing these satellites in the sky. In those moments, you catch yourself thinking about the future and which of these relationships are gonna stick and which ones will end up on different paths where you might not see them again. Their song, “Satellites” (feat. Meredith Moon), is about those missed connections, and what could’ve been if things had been different. 

The song was first recorded with just Lee and Ben’s voices but they wondered if the feeling and message of the song would come through stronger with a third, female part. It was an instant fit when they introduced the song to Meredith Moon – her voice sounds so unique and yet it blended quite well into their cohesive 3-part harmony.

Hailing from a small town in the Philippines, HAIDEE‘s passion for music started in karaoke, singing contests, and Sunday worship services. At 16, she moved across the world to reunite with her mom, who had immigrated seven years before. Now based in Edmonton, music remained the only thing familiar to her.

The first three years of HAIDEE’s career made her a household name in the Edmonton music scene, and she independently landed placements with radio stations CKUA, CJSR, and CBC Radio One. Her new eight song LP, This Shouldn’t Be Typical, is an honest take from HAIDEE about the good and bad from her life, and her experience growing up as a woman of colour. The song “Typical” was inspired by her and her family’s experiences as first-generation immigrants in Canada. HAIDEE watched her parents leave a comfortable life with a supportive community back home in the Philippines, to move to Edmonton and start all over again with next to nothing. Their sacrifices made a thoughtful impact on HAIDEE, who promised to herself to write songs not just for herself, but also for her community. HAIDEE further explains, “During the pandemic, there was increased violence against the Asian community. I wanted to uplift our voices and experiences through a song. I wanted it to be a collaboration between another person of colour so I reached out to Josh Sahunta to write a song about this topic.”“I hope that when people listen to this album, they find a song that speaks to them and they feel like they have a friend,” says HAIDEE. “This is my life so far. It’s both beautiful and frankly it has also been unpleasant. I’m learning to embrace the complexities of being a first-generation immigrant and woman of colour in the music industry and living in Canada.”

Relentless and brutal are the two words that define the group’s evolving sound. With punk roots and power-pop sensibilities, alternative punk band Family Man are addressing issues such as sexuality, religion, deeply rooted trauma, and death. Iconoclast, the forthcoming album (2024), explores the darker sides of their life experiences and condenses it all into a gut-wrenching and poignantly intentional piece of work. 

Born out of pure rage and disdain for his experience in the private catholic school system, lead singer/guitarist Conner Root recounts his time at Loyola High School of Los Angeles in “FATHER JOHN.” Described as “a cesspool of toxic masculinity, archaic Catholic mindsets, blatant racism, and willfully ignorant rich kids,” this institution drove Root to the brink of suicide. After being admitted with financial assistance, Conner experienced “otherness” due to his ethnically Jewish identity, and his questioning of Catholic dogma, which ultimately led to him suppressing many aspects of his identity, sexuality, and sense of self for years to come.

It took him years to unlearn the toxicity that was ingrained so deeply into him, and it culminates with this – a cathartic cacophony of brutal rage. “FATHER JOHN” is an exposé, a recounting of disgust, but most importantly, it is an apology. 

Alternative pop artist ROKI started writing and producing music at a young age as a creative outlet, and later headed up multiple bands. After taking a brief hiatus from music to pursue her love of filmmaking, she returned, producing new tracks with Ben Kaplan (Mother Mother) and Winston Hauschild (Wanting Qu). During the process of recording her debut solo album, MOTHER, she experienced the greatest changes and challenges of her life: becoming a mother while losing her own. The latter spun her into a darker state, and unsure how to process her grief she poured herself into her music. 

2024 will herald a new era of sound for ROKI with her Lovable EP – dreamier, brighter, “loved up” and hopeful for new possibilities. With the message of trying to make love work, she was inspired to write “Hand’s Up” following a tiff with her partner. “There’s always going to be ups and downs,” she reflects. “[It’s about] figuring out how to navigate the ebbs and flows with more grace and understanding…sometimes you just have to put your hands up in the air, and say enough” to keep the peace.