Melbourne-based jazz singer/songwriter and the creator of Transformational Entertainment Connie Lansberg is not your run-of-the-mill jazz vocalist. With her beautiful single “Free,” she’s serving up a dish that’s equal parts elegant strength and refined power. It’s like she’s sipping tea with one hand and arm-wrestling your soul with the other.

This gentle ballad has been a decade in the making, fo

lks. Lansberg held onto it like a secret treasure, waiting for the stars to align. And align they did when she teamed up with jazz pianist Mark Fitzgibbon. The result? A delicate dynamism that’s as comforting as it is compelling.

“Free” is a track off Lansberg’s self-produced album “Alone with Bees,” and it’s a gem among gems. Recorded in a single take with Fitzgibbon on piano, Ben Hanlon on double bass, and Peter Hodges on drums, the song is a testament to Lansberg’s songwriting and producing prowess. It’s like she’s an energy healer using her voice as a scalpel, cutting through the noise and getting to the heart of the matter. Is this the future of jazz? Well, if it is, sign me up!

Lansberg’s vocals are a gentle force to be reckoned with. She’s got this fiercely graceful thing going on that makes you want to listen and reflect. Backed by Fitzgibbon’s delicate piano, the song explores the complexities of happiness, freedom, and the shackles of the past. It’s a musical journey that’s as introspective as it is liberating.

About the recording process Connie says: “Being in the studio with my three favorite musicians was such a joy. And then hearing them so completely respect the delicacy of this song, it just blew me away.”

Connie Lansberg’s “Free” is a masterclass in what I’d call “delicate dynamism.” It’s a song that’s both introspective and liberating, compelling listeners to confront their own past traumas. Lansberg’s evocative storytelling and unique sound—somewhere at the crossroads of jazz, classical, and country—make this track a must-listen.

So, if you’re in the mood for a tune that’s as thought-provoking as it is soul-stirring, give “Free” a spin. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

There you have it, jazz aficionados. Connie Lansberg’s “Free” is a gentle force in a world that could use a little more nuance.

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Night Wilds is rolling out their debut album, All That Should Have Been, one single at a time. Comprising 17 meticulously crafted tracks, this isn’t just an album; it’s a full-fledged concept project. The narrative arc follows the harrowing journey of a young boy raised in a suffocating environment where the stakes are as high as they come: perform or perish.

All That Should Have Been is an album of healing. Much like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, along with modern epics by Tool, Radiohead, and even Rage Against The Machine, it blurs the line between entertainment and enlightenment. The record’s thrilling narrative is viscerally enhanced by the project’s strictly analog ethos. No corners were cut on All That Should Have Been—even the string arrangements are real—and the songs feature world-class musicians recorded on vintage recording gear at storied studios in the band’s Seattle hometown.

But this album goes beyond mere storytelling. It delves into the complex psychology of addiction, exploring how these destructive patterns take root and, eventually, begin to loosen their stranglehold on the soul. It’s a transformative tale that takes the listener from the depths of self-loathing to the heights of self-acceptance. Along the way, it tackles the thorny issue of religious upbringing, ultimately leading to the discovery of a more authentic spiritual path.

With their first full production video “New Jerusalem” we get a glimpse into just how harrowing it is.

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

this way?

The song is about the suffering that can be created in certain religious places where the image people protect is far more important than who they are and children and family become mirrors to reflect something vs humans. The song tells a story of a little boy in that world trying to find himself first by fitting in as children so often will do no matter what environment they are placed in. Yet, the violence which is hidden in this world can be seen in clues like the blood stains on his collar or the bruises on his wrist and that violence must go somewhere so it comes out in little places like a violent picture of two pirates killing each other and wherever it leaks out he is served more suffering as a reminder to seal the gap and never let it come out. This, of course, has severe consequences for the child who attempts to lock those parts of himself away in a cage in a very dark room where he is only a mirror for others to see what they wish to see in themselves in his face. His hope is to keep it all locked deep within but in the darkness, it festers and grows. This seems hopeless but at the very end of the video there is a ray of light that reaches through all the blackness and holds his heart, this is hope, and the story of God beyond man or religion and finding true connection after trauma.

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

I covered some of this in the first question, but the visuals I choose to set in the period of WW2, to tie to the overall story of the generational trauma that leads to these places and forms of systems. Both my grandparents were veterans of wars and my Jewish lineage also has been touched by historical trauma which makes its way down through the ages and settles where it does like a rock rolling downhill. The story then is set back in time to showcase a feeling of the war and the world as it was then but as a metaphor for the hidden war that the boy is trying to hide now. These images are seen in his excitement to see a young girl playing who he thinks is cute but then the image behind her turns suddenly dark and like a battlefield. He begins to see battle and war and the scars of it across everything now as his worldview is formed.

3. What was the process of making this video?

We shot this video in LA working with Zane Productions. I chose the cast carefully to find the exact right people to tell the story and then coached them on the back stories they have. We shot at a few locations and then I was heavily involved in the editing to tell a very specific story with a lot of nuance. That being said, Zane did a fantastic job with the setup and coaching to ensure we got every shot we needed. It was a thrilling experience and one I hope to repeat.

Watch The Video Here:

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The Lightning Struck is an indie rock band from Toronto. To watch the Lightning Struck is to be transported to New York’s Lower East Side, sometime between ’69 and ’91. Listen carefully – you can hear the Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, the Ramones and Television. Of course, this careful curation of sound didn’t happen by accident. In 2000, Loren Davie moved to New York City after listening to the Velvet Underground and Nico one too many times. After 20 years of making music there, he returned to Toronto, bringing that New York sound with him. 

One night while he was walking home from an open mic, Davie became fascinated with the unknown stories of everyone passing around him, and he got to thinking how much of life is spent in transitional moments between events. In some way it’s the “real” life we fail to acknowledge.

Their song “Inbetweening” is about those moments that happen between what we think of as events – walking from one place to the next, waiting for something. Generally these happen when you’re alone, and it’s in these moments that self-reflection happens – when we give ourselves permission to think about what things actually mean.

Maya Blue have been together since 2019, playing festivals, bars, and venues across the Greater Toronto Area. Their debut, self-titled EP was released in 2021.Now, they’re sharing their first LP, Trouble in Mind—stream it here. Pulling from rock, blues, indie and Canadian music, Nick DePaul (guitar/vocals), Tyler Pasta (drums), and Derek Osborne (bass) tie these influences together with unique grooves and classic guitar tones.Produced by Aidan Robson at the legendary Catherine North Studios (City and Colour, Practically Hip), this rock ‘n roll record kicks off with “Hey,” a punchy track straight out of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s with a heavy blues rock riff. 

Sarah Segal-Lazar has been making music since before she could talk. Folks say she took her first steps in ¾ time. By the time she was nine, she was sending songs into the local radio station. These days, the Femme Fatale of Folk splits her time between the busy streets of Montreal and the red shores of PEI–sharing her own special blend of folk and country, wherever the wind may take her. 

Her latest album Valleys is produced by Canadian folk luminary Matthew Barber. After putting off making it for years, always waiting for the right time in her career, Sarah decided to finally let it out. “I’d say to myself, I’m not wasting these songs. I’m not going to record them until I move to Nashville and get signed, until I move to New York and get signed. And then one day I woke up and realized, I don’t want to get to be fifty and be resentful that I never recorded this album. So I reached out to Matt and just went for it.”

Valleys is inspired by a lyric from the track “Still Waters” that goes “On that uphill climb there are valleys on the way.”  The album is a collection of tracks about struggle. “Each of the songs tell a story and within each story is a struggle. And most of the time, we make it through to the other side,” says Sarah.

Highlight single “Earlier” is a bittersweet and wistful track on the perils of a relationship destined to not be, and the struggle within that realization.

Canadian singer-songwriter Hunter Sheridan unveils a new single titled “The Moment’s in a Hurry” (feat. Mattie Leon) about the moment you realize you are truly falling in love. Next, you’re trying to capture and preserve every detail so you can enjoy it as much as possible. 

Through self-recording and producing, the message of the song is highlighted by simple instrumentation and storytelling lyrics that are strengthened by catchy melodies and a nostalgic atmosphere.

Hunter adds, “Mattie started playing this awesome picking pattern on the acoustic guitar, and then we started building the song lyrically while not getting over complicated with the arrangement to highlight that daydreamy, romantic style.”