Toronto based singer-songwriter and real life mermaid Sia Shells rhymes about the everyday magic we find through relationships, self love, reflection and dreams. Her emotive contralto vocals juxtaposed against enchanting lyrics and upbeat dream pop sounds instantly transport you underwater.
Coinciding perfectly with Disney’s live action version of The Little Mermaid, Sia has created “Your Mermaid,” an anthem for her ocean loving beach babes. The tropical seashell sounds evoke the nostalgia of Ariel, Flounder and co. while the chorus resembles the ethereal calls of a siren, managing to keep it positive and uplifting instead of too moody and dark.
Athena Park is an award winning actress who has starred in multiple film and television productions in Canada and the United States. Currently studying at the University of Toronto, she is continuously working on new music and film projects. Following up on her debut single, “Tuatara,” Athena‘s latest release is the bitterly honest “Heathen.”
Inspired by the feelings of falling in love with someone who doesn’t truly value you, “Heathen” encapsulates when someone gives themselves up completely for somebody who doesn’t even care to notice.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
This song was based off of a real experience I had with a boy that didn’t treat me how I should’ve been treated. So most of the settings of the songs (aka. the skatepark) were based off of locations that me and him hung out around. Near the end of the music video where I am placed behind bars, is a metaphorical representation of how our relationship made me feel.
2. What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
Because it was based off of real experiences, I thought this song deserved a visual for it. For the audience to understand what it was really like, where it happened, and what my perspective of the situation was.
3.What was the process of making this video?
The process was absolutely amazing! Thanks to OfTheSaint productions my creative input was very important to him, and we were able to use our locations to the best of our abilities, and together we produced a very innovative and creative music video.
Granny Smith is the brainchild of Toronto born musician Jason Bhattacharya whose main focus is production, songwriting and recording. Bhattacharya has been featured on umpteen records as a session musician and producer and has also worked in the music department for Netflix, Sony Pictures and Paramount Television Studios over the last three years.
“Egypt” is the latest and greatest release from the Granny Smith universe. Something a little different and a bit more unsettled. Layering a variety of instruments (acoustic guitar, rickenbacker bass, piano, wah guitar, bongos, tambourine, shakers), Bhattacharya played the acoustic guitar solo overtop before finally recording the drums.
The single’s accompanying visuals are by artist and creative technologist Dan Tapper. Created using a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques, the initial inspiration came from a series of film photographs and super8 stills shared by Bhattacharya. Tapper loved the texture and colour reproduction in these images and explored a combination of stop motion animation techniques fused with an AI image generator called StableDiffusion. This allowed him to create hybrid digital versions of these images departing from their initial form, taking us on a journey of continuous grainy, displaced zooms and rotoscoped flickering textures.
Thanks for listening! Click here to find out more about Granny Smith, grab photos + social links.
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
I wanted to do something a little different than my last releases which are more singer-songwriter based. I was more focused on creating a mood. I layered a variety of instruments (acoustic guitar, rickenbacker bass, piano, wah guitar, bongos, tambourine, shakers) then played the acoustic guitar solo over that. The final thing I recorded was the drums. The song was recorded to a Yamaha AW4416 recording console. I felt that this song told a story that was vivid enough to not include lyrics. To me, it seemed to breathe & be more of a conversation between the acoustic guitar solo & the drums that doesn’t quite settle until the last 30 seconds. I thought it would be interesting to take it one step further & pair the sonic journey with a variety of photos & super 8 stills i’d taken. For the most part the pictures were of landscapes & buildings.
2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
My music is my life in sound. I thought it would be interesting to see if the images in the music could be furthered by adding a video that was as experimental as this piece was. I reached out to Daniel Tapper to create this video.
3.What was the process of making this video?
“The visuals for Egypt are created using a combination of traditional and contemporary techniques. The initial inspiration came from a series of film photographs and super8 stills shared by Jason. I loved the texture and color reproduction in these images and explored a combination of stop motion animation techniques combined with an AI image generator called StableDiffusion. This allowed me to create hybrid digital versions of these images departing from their initial form and taking us on a journey of continuous grainy, displaced zooms and rotoscoped flickering textures.” – Daniel Tapper
Toronto’s Puma June released her first single, “Lost Years,” in November 2022, followed by Exclaim! naming her an “emerging Canadian artist you need to hear.” Puma June wants to continue to change the conversation in pop music – pushing discussions on the hard truths and painful pasts that shape us into the people we become. Her music centers around regaining power in one’s life and the duality of people. With a clear political point of view, Puma June has a particular focus on women’s rights, familial trauma, and the struggle of being an artist in a world that under-appreciates art.
Her latest single, “Ride or Die,” is a light soulful bop dusted with funk. The inspiration of the track comes as an ode to the relationship with her twin sister Vale. “It’s a beautiful thing to have a person in your life who you know will remain by your side, through thick and thin, forever. For me, that’s my sister. This song is for her.”
1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
This song was inspired by my relationship with my twin sister Vale. As all close relationships do, ours has gone through many ups and downs. She has made me laugh until I cry and cry until I laugh, but in the end, no matter what, I know she will always have my back and I will always have hers. She is my Ride or Die. I thought this song would be a good opportunity to show another side of my personality and make a video that was uncanny and weird to fit with the funkiness of the track.
2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The music video concept was to celebrate that child-like light-heartedness and to just have fun, while channeling some David Lynch-esque bizarreness. We wanted to leave the video up to interpretation to the watcher – it doesn’t have a glaringly clear message or meaning, we wanted people to find their own meaning based on what the song means to them. We wanted to show a funkier, quirkier side to Puma June.
3.What was the process of making this video?
The director Nathan Hughes-Berry and I packed up my car to the brim with props and furniture and drove to the campus of a Humber college after hours, where he was teaching film classes. We spent a few hours dancing and laughing – just having fun and being weird, playing with lighting and creating something much more bizarre than our beautiful, ethereal videos in the past. It was a relaxed environment since it was just the two of us and his camera and we didn’t have a strict treatment plan, so we were very creatively free to experiment with different shots and energies, bringing Nathan’s vision to life.
Today, American Ink reveals their epic new album What I See, What People See, available via all digital outlets.
American Ink is an independent Boston-based pop-punk/alt-rock band composed of drummer Nick Fauza, guitarist Michael Romano, and bassist Aidan Crotty.
American Ink somehow successfully manages to stay relatable while creating trendy, yet nostalgic, music”. What I See, What People See, is the next chapter in the band’s catalog, which sees them creating music further on their own terms. Their latest single from the release, “Synecdoche,” is a perfect first glimpse into the world of American Ink. With swirling guitars, strong and shout-out-loud vocals, the track is filled with a hypnotic rhythm section that helps to set the tone for the further release.
No strangers to the music world, in 2018 their debut EP, Hand-Drawn Hearts, saw the band first starting to make waves. Their follow up, 2019’s Please Forget You Knew My Name, explored everything from hardcore punk to acoustic-driven balladry and included their most confessional, intimate lyrics at the time. In early 2021 the band released Up Next On... which further brought their sound and vibrant energy into the spotlight.
Fast forward to today; What I See, What People See showcases that theamount of sub-genres applicable to their sound just keeps growing. The release features a combination of upbeat, nostalgic pop-punk instrumentation and thoughtful lyricism.
What I See, What People See willhave American Ink enticing you with their shredding riffs, exhilarating percussion, and hostile vocals – reviving the attitude and vigour of a sound which forges some monumental hits.
American Ink’s What I See, What People See is out now via all streaming platforms.
Brazilian music superstar and philanthropist Alok, known for chart-topping collaborations with the likes of James Arthur, John Legend, Tove Lo, Ella Eyre and Ellie Goulding has teamed up with global pop sensation Ava Max, known for monster hits like “Sweet But Psycho” with over 2 billion streams, for their new single, “Car Keys.” With a combined monthly listenership of over 50 million on Spotify alone, along with an all-star songwriting team of collaborators and Tiesto’s iconic “Ayla” sample leading the way, “Car Keys” is a contestant for Summer hit of 2023 and is available now on all DSPs and streaming services HERE, with an official music video filmed internationally in Hamburg, Germany and Sao Paulo, Brazil on the way.
The most-listened-to Brazilian artist in the world on Spotify and #1 DJ in Latin America is ending his Spring with this new single following an action packed few months highlighted most recently by a performance at EDC Las Vegas and virtually accepting a charity award from Cannes Film Festival in the same night, his massive Infinite Experience concert, and exclusive Tomorrowland radio show launch. The collaboration “Car Keys” features Tiesto’s iconic “Ayla” sample and was produced by top producer Cirkut (The Weeknd, Maroon 5, Rihanna) and written by another superstar in UK singer-songwriter Raye, who just recently won the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriter award for Best Contemporary Song for having written “Escapism.” All songwriters of “Car Keys” have over 40 billion streams combined on Spotify.
“Ava is someone I’ve wanted to work with for a long time and I couldn’t be happier with the experience and the result. I can’t wait for the world to hear it!” – Alok
Known for his massive international performances, especially in his home country of Brazil, Alok has been continuing to build his new and now infamous Infinite Experience brand, which is a globe-traveling experimental concert project aimed to create a deeper connection through mind-blowing visual experiences and appearances by special guests timed to key moments in his audio-sensory vision. Following his massive Infinite Experience show in Brazil earlier this month, Alok also announced the launch of his Infinite Experience radio show on Tomorrowland Radio. In line with his aim to take Brazilian music to the world, his Infinite Experience radio show airs on One World Radio every first Friday of the month between 21:00 and 22:00 CET, where he brings the Tomorrowland Brasil atmosphere to the airwaves.
Known globally as a climate change activist fighting for indigenous peoples, just after his colossal performance at one of the world’s biggest dance music festivals, EDC Las Vegas, Alok was honored virtually with a prestigious award from the Better World Fund Gala during the Cannes Film Festival for his charity work with his Alok Institute in conjunction with the Amazônia Fund Alliance program for the Brazilian Federation of UNESCO. In 2022, he launched his “The Future Is Ancestral” philanthropic project, with a remarkable inaugural event that brought his climate change initiatives and partnership to the United Nations’ Global Compact to kickoff New York’s Climate Change Week with a series of panels and a historic, first-ever performance on the rooftop of the United Nations headquarters.
“It has been a great experience collaborating with Alok on ‘Car Keys.’ The process of cutting the record and shooting a video while on tour was a blast, and I’m excited for the world to finally hear it!” – Ava Max
Ava Max has emerged as a pop powerhouse with billions of streams, a procession of multi platinum certifications, countless sold out shows, and Billboard Hot 100 success. With her unapologetic attitude and jaw-dropping vocals, Ava vaulted to the forefront of pop culture with “Sweet But Psycho,” which is now quadruple platinum and held a spot in the Top 10 on the Hot 100 for three weeks. In 2020, she released her platinum-certified full-length debut, Heaven & Hell, which boasted the double-platinum “Kings & Queens,” platinum-certified “So Am I,” and gold-certified “Salt.” She has had blockbuster collaborations with the likes of David Guetta, Alan Walker, Pablo Alborán, and Jason Derulo. Ava also linked up with Tiësto for “The Motto” which not only crashed the Top 5 of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs Chart, but it also picked up a platinum certification.
Her body of work has led Forbes to place her among its coveted “30 Under 30” for 2021, and win “Best Push Artist” at the MTV Europe Music Awards. Ava Max has continued her tremendous success in 2023 with the release of her impressive sophomore LP, Diamonds and Dancefloorsin January. One of the lead singles on the album, “Maybe You’re The Problem” reeled in hundreds of millions of streams. Her next single from the project, “Million Dollar Baby” arrived to widespread critical acclaim.
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