By entwining her acoustic roots with gentle electronic textures, singer-songwriter Cassidy Mann finds her true voice on debut EP, If It’s Not Forever. Co-produced with Roman Clarke, Mann notes that these emotionally driven pop songs serve as a catalogue of how her early relationships ended and why – and she hopes that other people will feel seen and comforted by her stories.

While processing one particular breakup, she remembers sitting on her bed and eating the same sour candy she once shared with the person she missed. When she discovered the metaphor – “this thing that seems sweet, but also physically hurts you if you have too much,” as she describes it – the reminiscent song “Tropical Sour Candy” emerged.

Roye Trout is a Vietnamese/Chinese-Canadian singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Windsor, ON. He is also a member of the bands Eraserhead, No Hands, and Lychi. 

His new song, “Dreamers,” is written with the hope that listeners can empathize with the complex feelings of frustration and fulfillment that musicians often experience. For many artists, the pursuit of their craft is seen by others as an unsustainable passion and generally a poor decision. There’s a perverse irony in the idea that an artist often earns respect not based on the merits of their creation, but on their success in growing an audience.

“‘Dreamers’ is inspired by the futility that musicians feel in the pursuit of success,” said Roye. “For most artists, the dream is to become successful in their craft. This song is about dreams not coming true and falling short of your goals. It’s about the personal sacrifices that artists often have to make in the pursuit of success and how for most of us, will gladly continue with the struggle, knowing that the dream is largely unattainable.”

The HP’s are a talent-studded Hamilton-based funk/soul collective, poised to make major moves with the upcoming release of its debut album, Gritty City Soul, Vol. 1. The group is the brainchild of drummer/bandleader ‘Parkside’ Mike Renaud, the founder/owner of noted Canadian music company Hidden Pony Records & Management. A life-long fervent fan of funk and old school soul, Parkside has assembled a crack team of musicians and vocalists dedicated to his vision of breathing vibrant new life into these classic forms.

Groovy new single, “Hope to See You Again,” was inspired by Parkside’s 40th birthday when he was charged with taking care of Sharon Jones for Hamilton’s Supercrawl festival. The two bonded quickly and the song’s title is taken from his final words to the late talent. 

Flowerless is the alter ego of Nightwell lead singer and frontman, Jason Emsallem. 

The project delves into emotional alt-pop with nods to the Toronto underground hip hop sound. 

With abstract vocal manipulation paired with luscious walls of harmonies, Flowerless aims to be as dynamic as the pop punk scene he grew up with while paying homage to the buttery RnB sound he fell in love with along the way. 

His latest release, “LAB,” reflects on the end of a relationship which taught Jason that he is, in fact, an “emotional bitch.” 

Two years ago, he was in a relationship that wasn’t committed and about to express deeper feelings to the woman he was with, when she slept with her ex.

“Even though she said it was trash and she didn’t want to go back to him, the damage had been done and I wasn’t able to get past it to really continue things,” explains Flowerless.

“LAB (Life’s a Bitch)” is the result of Emsallem turning this “fucked up thing into something beautiful.”

Jason Kent’s songs delve into the caverns of life, the abyss of loss, and the eternal light. 

His new album, Soft Commotion, is a collection of songs for these strange and peculiar times, and for those who are all too aware and empathic to the very nature of our own existence.

Soft Commotion features the focus track “Age of Emotion,” a meditation on alienation, loneliness, and ultimately hope. 
“I’m an agent of emotion, in this soft commotion, a bottomless crater, a lover not a hater,” sings Kent over laidback folk rock, featuring mixing from UK guitarist and engineer, Luke Potashnick.

Montreal songstress Sara Diamond is currently working on a new project, collaborating with experienced producers and songwriters in R&B and experimental pop. While her sound has always crossed the lines between pop and R&B through her previous projects, she is now diving deeper into the roots of her true inspirations.

New single, “Lovin’ From You,” is a provocative, sexy song about longing for a lover’s affection in a playful way. Featuring a verse from Nick Grant, the lyrics evoke a feeling of sensuality and being totally honest and loud about love. 

With her last few releases, the indie-pop star has gained over 20 million streams worldwide on her own music and another 16 million on collaborations with the likes of Kaskade, Adventure Club, NASAYA, Tyler Shaw, and several others.