The waiting, Tom Petty once informed me, is the hardest part. That’s especially true at this time of year, when winter is juuuuuust about over, but spring hasn’t totally arrived. Toss in a bunch of upcoming shows and trips that I’ve been anticipating for months, and it’s no wonder I’m antsier than usual. Thankfully, I’ve got these fine videos and singles from around the country to distract me. If you haven’t seen them yet, now’s your chance. After all, what are you waiting for?
Ark Identity | Take Me To Tokyo
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ark Identity’s new single Take Me To Tokyo is a high-energy track that captures a yearning for escape and the thrill of new experiences. Blending elements of ’80s synth-pop, indie sensibilities, and modern pop, the song is an anthem for those dreaming of breaking free from the ordinary and embracing the unknown. Take Me To Tokyo is both a personal expression and a universal anthem of wanderlust, inviting listeners to reflect on the impulse to explore and reinvent themselves. The song’s inspiration comes from a long-held dream between Ark Identity’s Noah Mroueh and his best friend to one day visit Tokyo — a dream that has yet to be realized. The track blends that aspirational longing with the infectious energy of chasing adventure. Says Noah: “Musically, it began as a droning synth idea that we jammed on with Ron Lapota, my producer. It evolved into a track about breaking away from routine, chasing something new, and embracing uncertainty.”
Young Friend | Trouble
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver indie-rocker Young Friend (aka Drew Tarves) shares Trouble, the last single before unveiling his debut album Motorcycle Sound Effects on April 4. Trouble paints a dusky atmosphere as he reflects on a love that wasn’t meant to be. The sparse, almost improvised-sounding backing band adds to the spontaneous feel — like an early morning realization that things won’t be the same. Tarves elaborates: “Trouble feels to me like a bunch of dads that get together once a week to jam and play music with each other. The song itself is slow and a little loose, but feels like it hits all the right moments. trouble is meant to feel a bit like a walk down memory lane. You realize now this person wasn’t any good for you but at the time it made you feel so alive.”
Dream Eaters | Program Me, I’m A Machine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian-American dream-pop duo The Dream Eaters return with their latest single, Program Me, I’m A Machine, a synth-driven, hypnotic track that blends robotic detachment with eerie human emotion. Channeling elements of retro-futurism and deadpan humor, the song explores the blurred line between devotion and submission — asking whether true autonomy is ever possible in a world obsessed with control. Program Me, I’m A Machine is taken from the pair’s upcoming EP, The Dream Eaters Quarterly Report: Q125, out April 18. With its pulsing beats, shimmering synths, and Elizabeth LeBaron’s mesmerizing vocals, the song evokes a sense of nostalgia while feeling distinctly modern. The track’s mechanical yet emotive delivery mirrors its thematic core: An AI-like partner programmed for compliance but perhaps harboring something more beneath the surface.”
Matías Roden | Disease With No Name
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s Matías Roden unveils his introspective single Disease With No Name, a midtempo indie-pop/soft-rock ballad that explores themes of existential dread, depression, and self-examination. Drawing inspiration from a personal struggle with chronic pain and the frustration of being dismissed by doctors, Roden transforms these emotions into a larger meditation on the feeling that something in life is missing — but being unable to pinpoint what that is. Infused with the atmospheric textures of early ‘90s pop rock and structured like an EDM track, Disease With No Name builds on anthemic instrumentals, icy synths, and cinematic swells to evoke a sense of melancholy, movement, and catharsis. Says Matias: “I wanted this song to feel both intimate and grand — like you’re sitting alone with your thoughts, but they’re expanding beyond the room, beyond the city, into something huge and uncontainable.”
Ché Aimee Dorval | Joyride
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver musician Chè Aimee Dorval shares her empowering new single and video Joyride, her first new music since her acclaimed album The Crowned, in 2023. On this single, Chè crafts an atmospheric blend of late-night trip-hop, dreamy art-pop, and laid-back electronica — reminiscent of Goldfrapp’s sleek production, Bonobo’s organic pulse, and Lana Del Rey’s moody allure. It’s a new sound experiment for Chè, but her voice and experience remain at the forefront, coming through loud and clear. “Joyride was one of those songs I’d been writing on and off for years, and it took on all sorts of shapes and meanings over time,” says Chè. “I’m someone who apologizes for pretty much everything. It’s almost a knee-jerk reaction just for existing on this planet. Maybe it’s because I’m Canadian or maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but it’s something I’ve tried to curb over the years. For me, this song is about saying ‘no’ to a broken situation and not apologizing for setting boundaries or speaking up when it needs to be said.”
Debby Friday | 1/17
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Debby Friday is sharing 1/17, an anthemic and salacious new dance-pop single. Written and produced during a whirlwind European tour, 1/17 marks an exciting evolution for Debby, who unveils a softer, more playful side of her artistry. 1/17 was produced by Friday and Darcy Baylis, mixed by Alex Gamble, with assistance by Taylor Finnigan, and mastered by Levi Seitz. Its soaring and singular video was directed by Friday and frequent collaborator Kevan Funk and filmed at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Friday says: “It’s based on an amalgamation of two experiences that I had. The first was when I won the Polaris Music Prize at Massey Hall, which felt like a peak moment in my career. The second was when, nine months later, I played a festival show to absolutely no one in the audience. I’ve spent the past year detaching myself from the highs and lows of this business and trying to see everything as a sign. Of what? I don’t know. But I’m sure in the end, it’ll all mean something.”
Pssyclwz | Odessa (She-Side)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto singer-songwriter and filmmaker Pssyclwz unveils her mesmerizing new single Odessa (She-Side), a haunting and melancholic cover of Caribou’s Odessa. This alternative electronic anthem brings a fresh, female perspective to the song while capturing the introspective, hypnotic mood of the original. The track showcases Pssyclwz’s ethereal vocals, which seamlessly replace some of the instrumental elements, creating a unique and intimate version of the song. Pssyclwz recalls hearing the original version over a decade ago and being drawn to the idea of a “girl version,” much like other memorable reinterpretations of popular songs from the early 2000s. The track is a labour of love and finally exists after numerous attempts to capture its perfect balance between technical mastery and emotional authenticity.”
Georgia Harmer | Little Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following Georgia Harmer’s recent return with Can We Be Still — and a jaunt overseas supporting The Weather Station — the celebrated Toronto singer-songwriter is sharing new single Little Light, a gentle and reflective tune that brims Georgia’s eloquent storytelling. Her lithe acoustic guitar dances around the unmatched beauty of her voice singing a country-inflected lullaby lightly accented by measured doses of vibraphone and slide guitar. In Georgia’s words: “Little Light is an homage to a very peaceful place out in the country where I lived for a few months, and a new love taking root,” says Harmer. “It’s a very hopeful song, about being led to inner solace, and feeling like the blinds are being opened to let the light in a little bit more than they’d ever really been. It’s a song about tranquility and reverence, for the place I was in, physically and emotionally, and trying to take in the beauty that surrounded me and let it seep inward enough to make me feel like I could be part of it.”
Maya Cook | Black Ice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Multidisciplinary artist Maya Cook just released her debut album Salt, along with the single Black Ice. “I wrote Black Ice over several rainy winter Vancouver nights, sitting on my ocean-green carpet in front of the fire,” says Cook. “The song came, and it took some time before I really knew what it was about. It’s about leaning into and feeling what my body has to say, being present with the sensations of the world around me, and the healing that needs to be done through that.” Salt brings together Maya’s reflective nature and her curious spirit, offering listeners a vivid sonic landscape inspired by a life in coastal BC and steeped in the Arctic’s contrasts — its beauty and challenges, warmth and cold. The album’s eight tracks each reveal a piece of her world and her heart. Themes of healing, introspection, connection, and community, run through the record.”
