I could ask about your Labour Day weekend plans, but let’s be honest: I don’t really care. I mean, you do you. Fill your boots, you know? All I know is that no matter where you plan on ending up, you should get started right now — by easing into it with the help of these excellent homegrown offerings. That’s the long and short of it:
Dan Mangan | Four Chords
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dan Mangan is releasing the Being Elsewhere Mix CD, a followup collection to his Juno-nominated album Being Somewhere, bringing together everything you know and love about Dan — reimagined versions of fan-favourites, covers of Bob Dylan, Damien Jurado and Lumineers, and new songs like Four Chords. “Four Chords” is about “getting over yourself and just surrendering to the sweetness found in love,” says Mangan. “There was a moment at my wedding, late in the dance party — Tyler from Said The Whale was crushing a rendition of You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oates, backed by Yukon Blonde. My wife and I were standing on a speaker stack. Everyone was dancing like the world was ending and it just felt like a perfect moment. All of our friends and family, lost in the thick of the weight of everything. Like a photograph in my mind. Laden with gratitude and nostalgia. I wrote this song with my pal Andy Stochansky. He’s a big sappy sweetheart who is unafraid to write love songs. I’ve always resisted love songs because it’s hard to write one that isn’t riddled with cliche. He really encouraged me to tap into my sappy sweetheart side and I’m thankful he did, because I think this song unlocked something for me as a songwriter.”
Pssyclwz ft. Delilah Jolie | Party Animalz
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In this era of bottomless content consumption, Toronto’s Pssyclwz is committed to creating campy content for outsiders who can’t relate to songs written by popular girls. Pssyclwz can’t stop / won’t stop writing bangers to turn bad days into dope tracks, and will continue to release singles while she works on her debut album supermilf. Pssyclwz and self-proclaimed “goddess in progress hermaphrodite” Delilah Jolie have spent over a decade collaborating, spirituality bonding through their worship of Lana Del Rey, and supporting their respective creative pursuits. The duo team up on the new single Party Animalz, an acoustic sad girl song-turned-party bop. “I’m all about the alter ego when it comes to art and wish everyone embraced this perfect medium to understand their shadow side,” says Pssyclwz. “For all the times I haven’t been able to say what I mean, it’s very satisfying to find the perfectly sassy words and to share them as intended without stuttering.”
Cigar Club | Rain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since their inception in 2016, Toronto’s Cigar Club have been blanketed under a plethora of categories. Their eclectic sounds branch them into the realm of blues rock, alternative, psych, soul, punk and hard rock; amassing their myriad of influences to create something truly authentic. The result is a refreshing take on alternative rock. Their latest single Rain evolves a melancholic yet beautiful style prevalent in their last recordings and was written as a collaborative effort between the band. Capturing that hazy and contemplative feeling of looking out a window on a rainy day was part of the aesthetic intent of the track. Ultimately, the song does invoke hope with a crescendo to help overcome apathetic malaise.”
Sartah Brix | Ended Here
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sarah Brix is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the genre of alt-pop. Now based in Toronto, Sarah was born and raised in the picturesque town of Elora before moving to the city to pursue music. She enjoys writing about mental health and addiction and released her first self-produced single, Fly, in January. She hopes that by creating songs like this she can help people dealing with depression and anxiety feel less alone, as her favourite artists have done for her. Sarah’s brand new single Ended Here tells the story of being ghosted by her best friend and working through the loss and plethora of emotions that she experienced. It was produced by Colombian producer and engineer Juyi.”
Snez | Never Enough
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Snez is the artist name of Ezra Mendel, a hip-hop artist from the Annapolis Valley. His versatile fusion of elements is a key aspect of his style. As a young teen, he dropped his first two singles, which garnered attention in his home town. He would be asked to freestyle at parties, and was referred to as the “Jewish kid who can actually rap.” Snez exudes a chameleonic prowess, showcasing many different styles of hip-hop that heavily emphasize lyrical ability, cadence and delivery. The inspiration for his new single Never Enough comes from his inner dialogue about his struggle with substance abuse, pride, overthinking and self-worth. He opted out of working with a professional producer, preferring to record, mix and master the track himself to add a personal and unpolished feel to the raw lyrics.”
Stonehocker | I Am Divided
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stonehocker’s powerful vocals are the focal point of his show. Accompanied by acoustic guitar, minimalistic electronic beats and samples, the live shows capture the unique, alternative sounds of his music. As a personable and unique individual, Stonehocker puts on a well-crafted performance with songs from his multiple albums. Stonehocker’s music is a dialogue of his learning about himself, how to love and forgive himself. The lyrics are an examination of the conflict in his own life. His latest track, I Am Divided, is a driving arrangement that speaks to feeling lost in life and conflicted by your own decisions.”
W/Frnds | First Rodeo (ft. Jordan Brynn)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning DJ/producer W/Frnds (originally from Toronto but now based in Nashville) began creating music in his teens while pursuing a hockey career. He’s now blending ingredients of pop, house, country, and techno to create a new flavour of music that has something for everyone. On his latest single First Rodeo, W/Frnds teams up with Nashville singer-songwriter Jordan Brynn to create a sad banger. The duo found inspiration by wising up to charming people who have ill intent. When his former folk-rock band broke into the festival scene and started gaining industry hype, W/Frnds‘ dreams shifted. He followed his passion and began writing and producing music for other artists. This is where he fell in love with the art of collaboration and songwriting.”
