I know, I know: It’s been a long, stupid week. But hey, it’s finally over. So turn off your notifications, crack open a cold one (or whatever works for you) and ease into some much-needed downtime with the finest new singles and videos from coast to coast to coast. After all, you’ve earned it:
Ché Aimee Dorval | I Want You To Die
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver musician Ché Aimee Dorval shares the first part of her Evil Art Session, covering I Want You To Die by French labelmate Bonnie Li. Ché will follow this cover live versions of her songs Loveless (on Nov. 21) and Sleeping, Stoned (on Dec. 12). “I’ve always been drawn to dark, macabre songs, and Bonnie Li’s I Want You To Die resonated with me right away. I love how it voices those raw, unspoken thoughts — the kind we usually bury, feeling guilty for even having. Singing it allowed me to release those fleeting shadows in a cathartic way. Sometimes, you just have to give those feelings a voice, even if you don’t really mean them.”
Tara Van | Things I Wanna Say
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Tara Van of Toronto is sharing a blend of chamber folk and pop entitled Things I Wanna Say, a horn-inflected and subtly percussive dance with the vulnerability that can arise when your feelings present themselves before you’re necessarily ready to share. Produced by Mark Calderone, Things I Wanna Say glides along gently, evoking the feeling of a summer breeze as Van explores the feeling of trying to protect yourself, along with the playfulness and competition between partners during the standoff of who exposes themselves first. “A little under two years ago, I was seeing someone and the words ‘love you’ slipped out of my mouth at the rock climbing gym when I was saying goodbye. Both of our eyes kinda bulged and I just quickly said ‘bye’ and proceeded to freak out. I went home and wrote this song.”
Ark Identity | I’m Done Living
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto singer-songwriter Noah Mroueh, also known as Ark Identity, just releases his introspective indie pop EP Anndale. “Anndale is a journey back to where it all started, a deep dive into the memories, questions, and lessons that have shaped who I am today,” he says. “It’s a reflection on the past and a step forward in understanding myself.” The EP features I’m Done Living, a gently insistent, rhythmic yet atmospheric confrontation of old patterns which Mroueh recognizes he is ready to let go of. “It’s a story of letting go of old habits, regrets, and mindsets, and finally deciding to step away from what no longer serves me. It’s about finding clarity and accepting that even though I’ve changed, my past has always been a part of me.”
Carmen Braden | Really Pretty
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning singer-songwriter and contemporary composer Carmen Braden shares her new single and video Really Pretty. The third single from her forthcoming album A Hard Light (due Dec. 5), Really Pretty is a songwriting masterclass in sparse beauty. The Yellowknife musician, known for her emotive storytelling and evocative soundscapes, taps into the raw, stark energy of big spaces and ephemeral connections. “Life is memories — you live in the moment once, and then it all coalesces into what you know and feel and believe happened,” says Carmen. “Your life is built on memories upon memories upon memories, and they can be beautiful and mournful all at once. The song shares simple and gentle glimpses, almost like silhouettes, of how the world feels special and beautiful when you’re with someone you love… but also of the changes that come as those connections deepen, grow, and part.”
Stonehocker | Take Everything
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stonehocker crafts songs that explore and express the pain and joys of life. In a society where mental health issues have become even more prevalent, his goal is to be open, honest and inspire people to have the courage for self-discovery. The music finds life through Stonehocker’s Calgary home studio. His latest offering Take Everything is a purposefully sparse song that allows the emotional vocals and lyrics to take focus. It continues the songwriter’s vein of self-discovery and acceptance. “When I wrote those words, Take Everything, it was like a weight being lifted,” Stonehocker explains. “My burdens broke me. It was inevitable, yet I’m still here to sing this song because I surrendered.”
Robert Thomas & The Sessionmen | The Way We Roll
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “ECMA Entertainer Of The Year nominee Robert Thomas is a natural storyteller. With an energetic and welcoming voice, he highlights the stories of our lives with empathy, energy and humour. Based in Moncton, he has written for Bonnie Raitt, The Chicks, Kenny Rogers and Mister Mister. Robert is now sharing The Way We Roll. As a boy, his Marine Corps aviator father would tell him “son, there are two kinds of people in this world — Marines and crazies.” This song is about two of the crazies. The protagonist is a hell-raisin’, good time-lovin’, pedal-to-the-metal fella and his girlfriend is all in with him. They hit the road in a stolen ‘69 Mustang, hell-bent for leather with no plan other than to have a helluva time. When a state trooper lights ‘em up, there’s no way they’re slowing down — they just floor it and head for Mexico. When they run out of gas just short of the border and get taken in, there’s no regret or second thought — it’s just The Way We Roll.”
Kylie Fox | Flush
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Brunswick singer-songwriter Kylie Fox released her sophomore studio album Sequoia in September. Developed with her band and ECMA-winning producer Daniel Ledwell (Jenn Grant, Good Lovelies), the 11 songs on Sequoia are reflections on gratitude in relation to the women in Fox’s life, her environment, her relationships, and herself. Fox started writing Flush during the first summer of dating her now-fiancé and drummer Ryan Barrie. The couple were going out a lot at the time, and Fox noticed how rosy his cheeks get when he’s having drinks. That led to the catchy first verse, which grew into a song that lists quirky things about him, like how he sleeps in, or how he looks like a tough guy but can’t stomach the sight of blood. “Flush is a love song about honouring ‘the best and all the rest’ in your partner.”
Jon Harris | My Little Lady
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Get ready to groove as Jon Harris, an exceptional rock guitarist from Edmonton, releases his third single My Little Lady, from his upcoming album Parallel Heart. This track brings a burst of fresh, sunny rock with a funky twist that will instantly lift your spirits. My Little Lady captures a vibrant and joyful energy, blending catchy rock riffs with a funky groove that’s sure to get your feet tapping. Harris’s playful guitar work shines through, offering a delightful mix of upbeat melodies and infectious rhythms that perfectly showcase his unique style.”
Louie Sanchez | Notice Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Louis Sanchez (Eirene Cloma of Pantayo) just released their self-titled EP. Recently, Cloma opened up about their experience serving in the Canadian military and how playing music helped them cope while being deployed to Kandahar. Notice Me was written “after coming home from my deployment to Afghanistan at the age of 21 and adjusting to civilian life,” says Cloma. It “speaks to the invisibility and loneliness I felt as a young racialized army veteran trying to get on my feet after a very intense experience. I felt like I couldn’t relate to my peers in leftist activist spaces. I thought that being in the military and going to war would help gain the respect and confidence I was looking for but that wasn’t the case. I wrote this song while processing that grief and disappointment.”
Odd Marshall | Lucky Dragon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ontario’s Odd Marshall is that strange guy in the backwoods. His songs speak of world travels, but it kind of feels like he’s come out of nowhere. Continuing his canon of “failure” in his songwriting, always open raw and feeling in his lyrics, Odd Marshall‘s new single Lucky Dragon was inspired by a rundown Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh that he would frequent after a long night out. Recorded in Toronto at Rooster Studios, the energetic single features poignant, raw lyrics. “I remember paying for a meal with loose change,” Odd Marshall elaborates. “The stoic lady behind the counter, Cici, never befriended me as much as I tried to learn Chinese. She was busy; I was usually drunk.”
Heather Avalon | Use Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heather Avalon is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter in Toronto. Over the past three years, she has been in and out of the studio writing, recording, and creating as much as possible. Her new single Use Me was inspired by past heartbreak. Despite making a lot of indie bedroom pop music in her early days, she wanted to take the turn from polished pop to a more high-energy, rough rock sound — which is exactly what can be heard on Use Me. She says it was inspired by “moments of weakness in regards to an ex-partner. The song showcases that no matter how far removed from someone you may be, being single can get lonely and sometimes, as human beings, we crave the comfort and validation from a person so much that we allow them to use us.”
CJ Wiley | Adelaide
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Non-binary singer-songwriter CJ Wiley doesn’t waste any time. Twirling guitars, a steady drum beat, crunchy bass; ballads twanged slightly country, anthems skewed slightly grunge; a message of love and anger, healing and rancour; all of them are found on their debut LP, So Brand New, due Feb. 28. Today, Wiley is sharing the track Adelaide, a heartfelt tribute to chosen family and the conscious choice to love and grow together instead of growing apart. “When I was writing songs for my album, Boy Golden introduced me to the writer Bell Hooks, who has many beautiful perspectives on love,” says Wiley. “The quote, ‘Love is as love does. Love is an act of will — namely, both an intention and an action,’ really resonates with me. It reminded me of the relationship I have with my best friend. We’ve experienced a lot of ups and downs and seen each other evolve through many stages of life. Adelaide is a song about choosing to grow with someone rather than growing apart.”
Patrick Smith | Another Set
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Patrick Smith is a saxophonist in Toronto. He currently helms a quintet, his trio 3-Oh and his latest project Pangea — a jazz-fusion concept group that combines Arabic music, R&B/neo-soul, U.K. jazz and the sounds of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Sun Ra. The melody of the upcoming LP’s lead single Another Set is based on violin sections of old Arabic songs. It perfectly encapsulates Pangea’s influences and captures the feeling of pushing through when you really want to quit. “I came to music because I was lonely as a kid,” says Smith. “Everything I do is in the spirit of being connected with something bigger than myself. With this project, I realized as we were recording that (we) all have different ethnic backgrounds and have vastly different upbringings and listened to vastly different music growing up. I think that’s cool. Artists and musicians know this, but it’s just ridiculous that humans as a species are still killing each other over being different.”
Nia Nadurata | Practice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “They say that over time you start to take on your partner’s characteristics, but who do you become when that relationship ends? According to Nia Nadurata, her ex simply become a watered-down version of her. Back with her latest breakup anthem Practice, Nia captures the heartache of being left behind while not so subtly hinting at the fact that no matter what you do, you’ll always be haunted by her in one way or another. The soft melodies paired with hard-hitting (and sometimes harsh) lyrics reflect those used in Casual by Chappell Roan. The build and strength of the chorus have a Taylor Swift like quality that makes you want to scream it at the top of your lungs, and who knows… maybe your ex will hear it.”
Thélonius Garcia | Évocation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal pianist and composer Thélonius García introduces his meditative style with Marche Nocturne, his debut album. A collection of 16 original solo pieces, each short and deeply evocative, the album explores García’s unique fusion of classical sensibilities with jazz’s improvisational freedom. Évocation is emblematic of García’s reflective, deeply personal storytelling. Drawing from the timeless compositions of Chopin, this piece captures both the serenity and isolation he experienced during a residency in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Évocation “speaks to the feeling of losing a loved one, of a nostalgic yet joyful reunion that unearths old memories and feelings,” he says. “In the album, you can hear a raw, natural feel — almost like a live recording — since we had only a few takes for each piece. The theme of loss is prevalent in my music. It’s a loss of our environment, an ode to nature, to time itself.”
Bad Tractor | Corner Of Blue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian alt-country band Bad Tractor just released their new album Inland Sea, a fusion of country, punk and psychedelic influences that follows in the sonic footsteps of forebears like The Mekons and Sadies. Based in the wilds of eastern Ontario, Bad Tractor’s sound is in many ways a reflection of the band’s surroundings, with the eight songs on Inland Sea capturing the beauty of rural life, while also highlighting the threats to its existence. The followup to Bad Tractor’s 2018 debut album Blessington, it displays the evolution of the songwriters Tim Hadley and Ian McKendry, as well as their overall growth as live performers. Nearly all members of Bad Tractor also being a part of Grievous Angels, the long-running and prolific folk-rock project helmed by NDP MP Charlie Angus. The others splitting duties are keyboardist/vocalist Alexandra Bell and drummer Nathan Mahaffy, with bassist Corey Rump rounding out the lineup.”
