Montreal-based art rock trio DahL unveil their arresting new single, “High Tide” – a nautical fugitive romance that sails straight into the imagination. Equal parts prison break and polar expedition, the track anchors the listener, drags them under, and refuses to let go.

Inspired by Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky, “High Tide” conjures a bleak escape story set on a fragment of land surrounded by wreckage, penguins, and saltwater static. The song follows a silent passenger – Hightide – as the narrator delivers a fragmented, feverish monologue of exile and flight. The identities of these castaways remain uncertain: prisoners, explorers, or simply stranded souls. What remains is their grim camaraderie, soaked in isolation and nautical tension.

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

This song was inspired by a book titled Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky. The song is essentially a depiction of two individuals; The narrator and the silent passenger  — Hightide. The narrator delivers a fragmented, feverish monologue of exile and flight. The identities of these castaways remain uncertain: prisoners, explorers, or simply stranded souls. What remains is their grim camaraderie, soaked in isolation and nautical tension. The song is intentionally ambiguous in terms of what took place that condemned these two figures to this fragment of land surrounded by wreckage, penguins, and saltwater and that more or less leaves space for the listener to make their own meaning and through that, hopefully the songs intent, feel and sound lend itself to the listeners imagination and they can for an instant visualise a nautical escape tale. This was the first time we did a visualizer. We plan to continue releasing singles while we also prepare to complete our new album to be released in 2027.

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

The visualizer was the result of a gift I had received from DahLs co -founding member, Bryan. On a trip back from Eastern Quebec in Canada, I think or I imagine, I’m not actually sure —  he was at a souvenir shop of sorts and found this nautical rat fella in a bomber jacket, hat and binoculars. It was a great gift and I received it around the time we were planning on releasing a visualizer for the new song and it seemed too serendipitous to be releasing a nautical themed escape song and then receiving a miniature nautical captain and not put 1 and 1 together.

3. What was the process of making this video?

We wanted to make something that was fun for us. The band has always used gifts and trinkets we’ve acquired from touring, friendships and beyond. As I mentioned earlier, our nautical pal is now a part of our collective. It was our first time using a green screen and we had a blast doing it. It was a post rehearsal project one day that we spent the afternoon doing. Bryans got a really great eye and found the best angles for the project and also was a great artistic director! I was responsible for shifting the light from all the lamps we could source to get just the right shot. We think it turned out well and we hope the visualizer gives some extra shine to the story of Hightide and we hope folks enjoy the song.

Toronto indie rocker Brodie Christ (surname rhymes with wrist) has released his second full-length album, Big Feelings. The record is a powerful statement of self-discovery, catharsis, and emotional honesty – unafraid to embrace life’s contradictions. 

Recorded at Toronto’s Canterbury Music Co. with longtime producer Neil Whitford and a trusted circle of collaborators, Big Feelings is the product of three transformative years for Christ – marked by the passing of his father, the birth of his daughter, and a personal health reset that led him to quit vices, embrace meditation, exercise, and daily Qigong.

Alongside the album, Christ spotlights “In a loop,” the contemplative and defiant focus track that serves as a perfect entry point into the record’s core themes. “I was feeling frustrated about the mental, emotional, and conversational patterns that I would get myself in,” Christ shares. “I wanted to write about trying to step out of the pattern and being pulled back in, and repeating that until, well, I stopped.”

Marked by a freeform verse melody that resists repetition, “In a loop” captures the tension between breaking cycles and falling back into them. The song’s climactic ending sees saxophone and guitar weaving together in contrasting styles – the guitar locked into hypnotic repetition while Gordon Hyland’s saxophone never once repeats, creating a striking sense of release. “It’s beautiful and sophisticated,” Christ reflects. “And I can play along with every note on my MouthSax.”

Following on the recently released Serenity Sessions, Vol. 1, Gabriola Island-based composer, vocalist, and meditation leader Mark Fenster unveils his latest single “Heavenly Bliss” – a flowing, neo-classical journey inspired by the awe and freedom of his first heli-skiing adventure in British Columbia. Equal parts calming and exhilarating, the piece blends meditative textures with soaring cello lines to capture the miracle of being fully alive in nature’s embrace.

“After growing up on skis – having skied on snow, sand, grass, water, glaciers and even in the air – the one bucket list item which had to be fulfilled was heli-skiing,” Fenster explains. “Last spring, the experience was granted and it felt like, well, ‘Heavenly Bliss.’ The openness and freedom of the alpine winds… the glorious blue-bird, open sky… the comfortable temperature… It’s impossible to describe with words alone, but this song captures the feelings of freedom and joy perfectly.”

Among the synthesized textures, “Heavenly Bliss” is elevated by a beautifully expressive cello part from Corbin Keep. Fenster and Keep first met 30 years ago in Vancouver’s music scene and recently reconnected on Gabriola Island, where they now both live. “Corbin added a precious gift to this piece with his story-telling cello,” Fenster says. “I couldn’t be more grateful to play with my dear brother again.”

As part of Fenster’s ongoing Serenity Sessions series, “Heavenly Bliss” reflects his guiding principle: to create music that calms, uplifts, and reassures. “Every piece is designed to remind us that even in chaos, there’s still peace and love,” he explains. “Imagine a sign that says: ‘Spoiler Alert! Everything’s going to be ok.’ My music is designed to help Calm the Folk Down.”

The track is comforting, flowing, and spiritually uplifting – a meditation on awe, grace, and gratitude.

New York-based artist Lauren Minear shares her transformative new album, Boxing Day, featuring the fragile, urgent lead single, “Bruise.” Written in the aftermath of betrayal and self-reflection, the record traces a path through anger, shame, acceptance, and ultimately liberation. With raw confessional lyrics and immersive soundscapes that blend alternative, pop, rock, and folk, Boxing Day is Minear’s most ambitious work to date.

Minear began writing the record in July 2023, after cutting ties with a creative agency she discovered had been stealing from her. “I always write my way through intense feelings,” she explains. “But I realized that the anger and shame I was experiencing went deeper than just this one conflict. These songs allowed me to confront patterns of repressed anger and codependency, and to liberate myself from them in the process.”

At the core of the record is “Bruise,” a song inspired by the paradox of loving someone who also causes deep pain. Acoustic and guitar-driven, the track reveals the sadness that lies beneath anger, reinforced by Minear’s choice to sing the chorus in falsetto to highlight fragility. “We wrote ‘Bruise’ on Day 4 of our Woodstock sessions, bundled up in coats in a freezing guest house,” she recalls. “The environment and the song were well suited, because we ended up with something that sounds fragile. I think the cold added some urgency.”

“Bruise” draws on themes of survival, shame, and self-overcoming, and for Minear, singing it still stirs discomfort. “It was painful to write and, for a long time, painful to sing,” she admits. “I’m working on that.”

Toronto-based trio NERiMA return with All My Mistakes – a bold and energetic new EP that marks their biggest leap yet as a band. Showcasing a heavier, darker sound and a refined sense of songwriting maturity, the record is a dynamic mix of pop-punk intensity, alt-rock edge, and emotional self-awareness. At its core sits the electrifying focus track “You Want It, You Got It,” a biting and empowering anthem that flips the script on control, desire, and confidence.

Recorded with producer Dan Bell (Nothing Special) and mastered by Kyle Marchant (Silverstein, Boys Night Out), All My Mistakes captures the evolution of a young band coming fully into their own. “We spent a lot of time on our first two EPs figuring out what sounds and style choices we like,” shares lead/rhythm guitarist AJ Paspalis. “We really like the heavier easycore instrumentals with pop-punk melodies we’ve created for All My Mistakes. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, you’ll definitely like ‘You Want It, You Got It,’ and the rest of the EP.”

At the heart of the EP, “You Want It, You Got It” stands out as a confident declaration of strength and self-possession. Written by vocalist/bassist Lexi Orial, the song was inspired by a real-life encounter at a club but its message reaches far beyond that night. “It’s written from the perspective of a woman speaking to a pushy man who won’t leave her alone,” she explains. “He tries all his old tricks that she’s seen hundreds of times, but she plays along and has him completely fooled, until she admits she’s just been messing with him and waiting to watch his downfall.”

With its thunderous rhythm section, melodic hooks, and cinematic buildup to breakdown, the track embodies NERiMA’s signature blend of polish and unpredictability. “Keeping songs easily digestible and familiar to our favourite genres is great,” says AJ, “but trying things you wouldn’t think to try is what truly makes a song unique. Having some less conventional parts in ‘You Want It, You Got It,’ like the triple-instrumental buildup to breakdown to dramatic dropout, really makes it feel like our own.”

For Lexi, the song represents more than a confrontation – it’s reclamation. “It’s an angry song when it comes to the lyrics and instrumental,” she says. “But listening to it now, it just makes me feel powerful and proud. It’s meant to put power back into the hands of women who’ve been in this situation.”