Hey, it’s a long weekend! And not a moment too soon. Let’s get it started ASAP — by wrapping up today’s shift with a slate of new videos and singles by Canadian talent from coast to coast to coast. Feel free to open an adult beverage while you peruse. I won’t tell. See you on the other side:
Nadjiwan | Not Undone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto-based Indigenous alt-rock project Nadjiwan release Not Undone, the first single from the new album The Mission, due this fall. Once again employing the trademark Nadjiwan combination of ancient and modern musical approaches, Not Undone is a slow-burning track with deeply personal meaning for Nadjiwan’s creative force, singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer Marc Meriläinen. “The song was inspired from my mother’s experiences while in the residential school system,” he says. “I originally wrote it many years ago and once performed it live with my mother as part of a special concert honouring residential school survivors.” Telling those stories has been the foundation of Nadjiwan’s music from the beginning, and 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the first Nadjiwan recording. During that time, Meriläinen has built an impressive body of work that reflects his heritage as a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Cape Croker, along with his love of alt-rock in its various forms.”
Chris Gostling | Bleed
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After leaving Toronto for the wilds of eastern Ontario a few years ago, singer-songwriter Chris Gostling is back with a new single, Bleed. It’s the first taste of his new album Forest City Town Country — out Oct. 4 — the long-overdue followup to 2016’s Breath, Blood & Tempo, which one reviewer described as, “chock-full of memorable songs delivered in a terrific folk rock style, including violin in stunning counterpoint to Gostling’s earthy vocals.” He has expanded that sound on Forest City Town Country by working with an accomplished team based on Wolfe Island that includes veteran CanRock keyboardist Hugh Christopher Brown, bassist Jason Mercer (Ani Difranco, Ron Sexsmith), drummer Liam Cole (Kate Fenner, Stephen Stanley), and the album’s co-producer/engineer Jake Bury. “Bleed is about that first unexpected moment when you realize you’re missing someone when they aren’t there,” Gostling says. “It can catch you off guard and expose your vulnerability, but at the same time it can be a nice feeling.”
Good Group Thanks For Coming | La Da Da Yeah
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto’s Good Group Thanks For Coming are a group of friends from different musical backgrounds. They combine their talents to create all of your favourite music, simmered in an indie-rock roux and served on a platter from your local dive bar. The band’s new single La Da Da Yeah is an upbeat and thundering track about smiling through life’s problems while you willfully ignore them. Shifting from aggression into glittering indie rock, Good Group Thanks For Coming lean into the frustration, sarcasm, and duality of this song’s themes. Emily Morse explains that La Da Da Yeah is, “ultimately, a song about saying ‘fuck it.’ I wrote it at a time where there was a lot going wrong in my life that I felt powerless to change. The song sounds upbeat but it’s also a list of terribly hurtful things and the more hurtful things I list, the more upbeat the song gets. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. I wrote this song, not just as my own outlet, but so that we can all commiserate together.”
Alex Southey | Athletes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto’s Alex Southey shares an exploratory new EP of singer-songwriter tracks in collaboration with producer Alex Gamble and saxophonist Ben Dwyer. Entitled Entertainers Bring May Flowers Collection, the EP includes Athletes, a contemplative and brooding piece inspired by power dynamics and careerism. The lilting acoustic piece features eerie effects that are juxtaposed with the delicate melodies of Dwyer’s saxophone playing. “I wanted the album to sound human, where you can hear some edits, and some songs are lo-fi and others are hi-fi,” says Southey. “This was achieved by recording and mixing and mastering some of the songs myself in my room, and recording and mixing and mastering other songs with a professional producer.” Southey began his career as a solo acoustic artist in 2019. With each subsequent release, he has developed an increasingly passionate fanbase, along with positive recognition, play, and coverage.”
Avery Raquel | You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Currently in Europe taking the world by storm, Canadian Billboard-charting recording artist, alternative soul singer Avery Raquel has been entertaining audiences for over a decade. Having released four solo albums now to critical acclaim and airplay, her latest self-titled release debuted on the Canadian iTunes Top 200 R&B/Soul Album chart at No. 5. Five tracks from that album were finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition in 2022, in four different categories, with one winning the Grand Prize in the pop category. Influenced by artists and songwriters such as Carole King, Amy Winehouse and Etta James, Avery creates personal yet relatable songs that are a soulful, fun mix of R&B/soul and pop with a flavour of her jazz and blues experiences. You was written by Avery as a songwriting challenge that she gave herself during COVID. “You was written with the idea of a past situationship that I was in,” she says. “The idea of not knowing what the other person wants with little communication on the matter. Communication is key.”
Pip | Everybody’s Sayin’
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pip contributed to the ‘first wave’ of music activity on Toronto’s Queen Street West and has lived and played extensively in Europe and Asia. He currently lives in Hamilton, writing, recording, performing and selling original art-pop with world and jazz elements. His new album Every City is his 30th LP. On Every City, Pip wants the listener to feel uplifted. There is a long arc throughout the 16 songs; a few melodic tunes, a couple of ballads, a rock-steady tune, a couple of rockier numbers, then a novelty song leading to the final two contemplative songs that take out the album’s journey. The double bass and nylon stringed guitar of Everybody’s Sayin’ is gentle and profound, asking the listener to step back from civil tensions. “In practice, we can’t just go anywhere; but maybe one day there won’t be any fences, borders, prejudices,” Pip imagines. “Never mind what everybody is saying. People may say you’re a victim but don’t listen to the shouting of the media. Use your resourcefulness, and think for yourself.”
Babo Baby | Your Babo Baby
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Babo Baby, also known as Jesse Merineau, is a singer-songwriter born in Sault Ste. Marie. He is now poised to embark on a fresh musical journey, bringing to life a vision he has long dreamed of. Merineau’s past indie-rock act quickly gained traction, captivating audiences and selling out numerous concerts. He achieved a significant milestone by signing with a renowned label in Spain, reaching many of his initial career goals. The pandemic’s impact on live performances, coupled with evolving musical tastes, prompted Merineau to pursue a new project. After a decade in the industry, he leveraged his network to create Babo Baby, collaborating with DJs and producers from Paris, L.A., Seoul, and New Zealand. This project features modern-futuristic pop instrumentals and lyrics inspired by his new love from South Korea, marking a significant evolution in his musical journey.”
