You buy Canadian at the grocery store. You cancelled your trip south of the border. You booed The Star-Spangled Banner at the hockey game. How else can you show your true patriot love? Well, you could spend your time and money on homegrown artists instead of Americans. Here are some of your latest options:
Two Hours Traffic | On The Spot
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After more than a decade spent carving out their place in the Canadian indie-rock landscape, Two Hours Traffic took their final bow in 2013. Or so they thought. Music has a way of calling you back. So after a quiet reunion in 2018, the Charlottetown group, comprised of Liam Corcoran, Andy MacDonald, Nick Doneff and Derek Ellis, soon found themselves playing together again, first occasionally, then more often, until new songs began to emerge naturally. Now, 12 years since their last release, Two Hours Traffic make an unexpected but welcome return with their May 23 EP, I Never See You Anymore. Today, they share another single from the EP, On The Spot — “one of the first songs we started to work on once we decided that we’d write some new material,” says Corcoran. “I wanted to go back to basics and write a high-energy song that would have fit into our sets back in the early 2000s. The acoustic guitar off the top, the driving rhythm section, lots of electric guitar hooks… as the song started to come together, it reminded us of the old days in an exciting way.”
Pierre Kwenders & Poté | We Like
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pierre Kwenders, the Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ, just released his new EP Tears On The Dancefloor, along with the video for its lead single We Like, featuring St. Lucia-born, Paris-based electronic artist Poté. Directed by Stephen Trivieri with cinematography by Bryan Beltránd, the video captures a vivacious scene in Medellín, Colombia. In keeping with the song’s rallying cry for unity, connection, and celebration, the video features dancers Anny Atehortúa, Kathe Villa P and Santiago Murillo Lopez dancing in the streets and restaurants throughout the neighborhood. On Tears On The Dancefloor, Kwenders’ first new project since his award-winning album José Louis And The Paradox Of Love, he delivers a heartfelt ode to the club, intimately exploring themes of love, vulnerability, and self-discovery. The tracks across the EP are a reflection of the personal and collective experiences we all share as we navigate love, joy, fear, and growth, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the emotions that arise when we connect with others and with ourselves, creating a space where emotional depth and freedom collide.”
Jont | The Next Ramana Maharshi
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jont’s new single, The Next Ramana Maharshi, is a deeply introspective and rousing anthem that explores the journey of personal growth, spiritual yearning, and the search for meaningful connection. Born Jonathan Whittington in London, the longtime Halifax resident’s music has always strived to capture the nuances of life’s emotional landscapes. In this track, he reflects on his spiritual journey — not in pursuit of fame or recognition, but rather to understand what to do with “all this love I got.” The song tells the story of a seeker who, inspired by the call-and-response of two songbirds, discovers the true nature of love and the part he is meant to play in this vast world. The inspiration behind the song came from Jont’s own yearning for a partner, balancing his spiritual quest with the deep desire to share his love with someone. “I’m not here to be some famous Indian guru, I’m just trying to work out what to do with all this love I’ve got,” says Jont. “Where is the person I can share this love with? What am I meant to do with all this love?”
CJ Wiley | Get Paid
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This Friday, CJ Wiley will release their debut LP So Brand New. To help celebrate, Wiley is sharing the new single Get Paid, co-written with Dave Monks of Tokyo Police Club. Get Paid takes “a tongue-in-cheek look at how expensive it is to be alive, reflecting my frustration with the relentless grind of life,” says Wiley. “It captures the feeling of being stuck in a society we’re sick of, enduring it for the sake of our loved ones, while knowing full well that we all deserve something much more meaningful.” The single arrives with a video from Doran Brooks in which Wiley delivers a cheeky yet grim reminder that we’re all born just to work. The video is “a playful take on the relentless grind we’re all stuck in,” explains Wiley. “With a nod to Thelma & Louise, it shows how we’re working our entire lives until we die.”
Maya Cook | Silarjuaq
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Recently, multidisciplinary artist Maya Cook announced her debut album Salt, set for release March 21. Today she shares the album’s second single Silarjuaq, a song she wrote “for a friend in Igloolik who was going through a hard time. It’s a song about how despite all the bad things that happen, and the harmful things we do to others and ourselves, the world is an incredibly beautiful place-because we are alive and get to exist in it together. Silarjuaq, meaning ‘the universe’ or ‘the world’ in Inuktitut, is a declaration of that, an ode to the heartbreaking beauty of being in this world.” Cook’s journey into music was paved by her path as a multidisciplinary artist. As a circus performer with Artcirq, the renowned performing arts collective in Igloolik, Maya has spent years expressing herself with dynamic acrobatics and sharply crafted storytelling. Her debut album is a testament to her artistry in a different medium — one that swings between the soulful melodies of soft jazz and the infectious energy of folk-rock.”
