Hamilton trip hop artist, Mandolynne, has a new single out entitled “SCREAM.” The husky, foreboding track builds from understated to industrial, drawing inspiration from a traumatic experience that Mandolynne had while living in the foster care system.

She lived in what police refer to as a “sex cult,” which took many years of therapy and dissecting her experiences to recognize. “SCREAM” depicts Mandolynne’s experience of being groomed and disassociating from her body.

Mandoynne’s music is based on her lived experiences and serves as an extension of herself, her trauma, healing, and uprising.

Mandoynne shares:

“SCREAM” depicts being groomed and disassociating from your body. My new release is based on my personal experience with sexual assault. I know my story isn’t an isolated experience, it’s just the only one I can tell.

Women are conditioned to stay quiet and not report because it’s almost less harmful than the assault itself. All you want to do is scream, take your power back, and tell your abuser and the system to stop, but since the road to justice is trying and traumatizing, many choose silence. Though I believe there is power in coming forward, as I found with creating this song, it isn’t met without resistance and pain. Our system and its dealings with survivors of sexual trauma are inherently flawed, and this showcases what that looks and feels like when you’re on the inside.

3x Grammy Award winner David Bottrill’s (Tool, Peter Gabriel) mix takes you on a cinematic journey and Alfio Annibalini’s (Alex Lifeson, Arkells) production showcases me at my most vulnerable. I hope that with more education and survivor-centric care, a cultural shift occurs, and fewer women will have to relive their trauma.

What started out like every other modern day connection, founding members Nate Prevedoros (vocals, guitar) and Rhea George (vocals, keys) met on a dating app – coincidentally, however, both Nate and Rhea were searching for someone to start a new band. After a lengthy conversation about favorite guitars, pedals, and synthesizers, the two knew they had found their match. It wasn’t long after until the two met up to play and SLEEPSHAKE was born.

The pair had no trouble fleshing out their cannon-firing rhythm section: Enter Steve Clark (bass) and Sascha Enns (drums). Now, like the sweet aroma of a thunderstorm brewing on the horizon, SLEEPSHAKE is here to deliver the most electric and adrenaline-inducing live experience for miles to come.

Vividly electrifying new single, “Medicine,” is about the desperate need for stable emotional stimulation.

Midland, Ontario’s Opeongo, also known as Keegan Trumpour, has returned with a new single, “maybe maybellene,” written as a love song to a man that he loves infinitely – his late, great friend, Liam Steffler.

“maybe maybellene” is a stark, earnest folk number which centres around Trumpour’s evocative lyrics, blending optimism and the reality of addiction. “Ain’t we here after all?” Trumpour sings as slide guitar and gentle drums join him. 

Singer-songwriter Daniel James McFadyen began his musical journey by playing at small, bustling pubs in and around the Annapolis Valley. After touring Nova Scotia extensively in 2019, Daniel’s music began to gain publicity and popularity. His upbeat and captivating storytelling mixed with his interactive performances has made him a crowd favourite across the province.

Daniel’s debut album “August, I’m Yours” was released earlier this month. 

“On this fog filled morning, the smell of leaves fill your throat, I saw you leaving you took your bag and you took your coat” 

These are Daniel’s favourite lyrics from the album. He expands below:

“I think that these lines sum up the feeling of the end of summer. There’s a new smell in the air and everything feels a bit crisper. You can start to see your breath and there’s a sense of abandonment. Summer always goes by so quickly in Canada and you always feel that you didn’t take advantage of the time you had.”

BUD is a solo project that was started by singer/songwriter, Omar Elkhatib, in his hometown of Waterloo, Ontario. At a glance, BUD can be described as a happy-go-lucky approach to reviving the charm of rock n’ roll, whether that be metaphorically and sonically.

The groovy and tight take on rock that is “Nowhere” was influenced by a huge identity crisis that Omar had upon moving out away from home for the first time. 

Reflecting on the situation in the wider world too, “Nowhere” asks instead of being jaded, how can we make it a better place for ourselves and others?

Toronto punk-rock quartet Sham Family are loud in all the right directions and pure-heartedly ambitious in several other “right” directions you haven’t thought of yet. The forced break that was 2020 gave the band time to labour away in their practice space, honing in on and perfecting their sound.

Hostile new single, “This Blue Mob,” is a seething anti-police screed written in the wake of the George Floyd murder. It’s a protest song that calls out cops for what they are – a dangerous mob. 

Watch share the official music video, a cheeky play on copaganda, via YouTube now.