As the motivational speakers and corporate seminar leaders love to remind us: Teamwork makes the dream work. That’s certainly true with this lineup of new Canadian videos and singles. Co-operative (and even international) efforts abound — whether it’s Andy Shauf reuniting with his Foxwarren bandmates, Pup and Jeff Rosenstock joining forces, Allison Russell sharing the love with Annie Lennox or King Ludd assembling an allstar backing band. Of course, if you prefer the folks who go it alone, we’ve got you covered there too. Here’s the stuff that dreams are made of:
Foxwarren | Listen2me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Prairie quintet Foxwarren — Andy Shauf, Avery Kissick, Darryl Kissick, Dallas Bryson and Colin Nealis — just announced that their new album 2 will arrive May 30. To celebrate, the news, they also released the lead single and video Listen2me. 2 is a fun and surprising record, where boundaries between genre and song are constantly blurred. Built on 20 years of friendship, Foxwarren ostensibly play folk music, where warm tones and cantering rhythms buoy songs of characters wrestling with existential quandaries inside of twilit vocals. But after touring their lauded and Juno-nominated 2018 debut, Foxwarren decided to do it all differently, eventually dropping the familiar band-in-a-room routine to instead plug those songs — and various other sounds — into a sampler. The result is mesmerizing and uncanny: An album that traces two sides of a relationship through 37 minutes of collage art.”
Pup | Get Dumber (ft. Jeff Rosenstock)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto punk heroes Pup — Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zack Mykula and Steve Sladkowski — will release their forthcoming album Who Will Look After The Dogs? on May 2. The band have already previewed the record with Hallways and Paranoid; today they share another ripper entitled Get Dumber featuring longtime buddy and collaborator Jeff Rosenstock. On the scathing cut, which features backing vocals and unintentionally flubbed lyrics from Rosenstock, Pup are classically searing in all the best ways. Says Pup’s Stefan Babcock: “I wrote Get Dumber in Jeff’s basement. I was housesitting for him while he was on tour. I recorded the first demo for it on his guitar using his mics and his computer. Maybe because the ghost of Jeff was in the room with me, I always imagined our voices on this song together, so I was very happy when he agreed to sing on it. We recorded the vocals together, in the same room, facing each other. What that means is, we both had to nail it at the same time because we couldn’t really cut between takes. On the first take, he forgot a line in the second verse and said “Ahhhhhh, lyrics” instead. I couldn’t finish the take because I was laughing too hard. Anyway, he practised singing the correct lyrics but then we decided those lyrics kinda sucked and he should just stick to “Shhhh lyrics” because it’s funny and the song is called Get Dumber. We nailed it on the second take.”
Allison Russell | Superlover (ft. Annie Lennox)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, poet, activist and multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell has released the phenomenal, emotional new single Superlover, which features the legendary Annie Lennox. The song comes with a video directed by Mason Poole (Beyonce, Lady Gaga). Superlover was produced by DimStar and features Wendy & Lisa and Russell’s Rainbow Coalition band. “I don’t know how to pray, so I offered up this song,” Russell says. “This song is a prayer. This song is a protection spell. This song is a plea. This song is a belief. This song is a question. Are you a Superlover?… All Children are OUR Children. All of them. Everywhere. No Exceptions. This song is a Calling In. We are One Human Family. Equally. Thank you Annie Lennox for singing with me, for inspiring me. You are an Artist of The Ages. I love you so. I bless the day we met. Our Circle is Unbroken. Thank you to all who choose communication, coalition, hope and harm reduction over violence, abuse, despair and destruction. We can be Superlovers… Love is the Revolution”
CJ Wiley | So Brand New
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Next week, CJ Wiley will take their newly released debut LP, So Brand New, out on tour for a run of dates in Canada and the U.K. Today, they’re sharing the video for the album’s title track, a song which “captures the seductive essence of finding parts of ourselves in others, seeing life from new perspectives, and the irresistible urge to burn it down and start again,” says Wiley. Directed by Lea Rose Sebastianis and edited by Nate Wilson, the video “taps into that universal feeling of falling in love — becoming obsessed to the point of wanting to live inside someone’s skin,” says Wiley. “But the desire for something new is never-ending. For better or worse, it’s a raw and emotional rollercoaster many of us have experienced, including the darkness of being left behind. She only wants it if it’s so brand new.”
King Ludd | Trouble
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “King Ludd, the brainchild of seasoned producer and engineer Michael Keire, delivers a blistering debut on Trouble, a post-hardcore anthem fueled by tenacity, resilience, and the raw chaos of creation. With influences spanning Fugazi to The Mars Volta, Trouble thrives in tension, embracing a cinematic, narrative-driven structure that transcends traditional song formulas. The track is born from a deep admiration for the sincerity and drive found in music and art, channeling the energy of punk, the playfulness of experimental noise, and the fearless spirit of “skate and destroy.” Keire crafts an auditory experience where each section unfolds like a scene in a film, utilizing soundscapes and tone as essential storytelling elements. Featuring Luke Bentham (The Dirty Nil) on lead guitar, Theo Mckibbon (The Trews) on drums, Linnea Siggelkow (Ellis) on backing vocals, Jon Harvey (The Wild High) on bass, Marco Bressette (Dead Tired) on rhythm/lead guitar and even more Hamilton talent.”
Ian James Bain | Come & Gone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian singer-songwriter Ian James Bain, a core member of Nicolette & the Nobodies and guitar player for Jeremie Albino, unveils his latest single Come & Gone, a heartfelt country ballad that reflects on the struggle of trying to make a career in music while grappling with self-doubt, burnout, and the pull of nostalgia. A deeply personal track, Come & Gone paints a vivid picture of the uphill battle faced by independent artists, balancing romanticized dreams with the harsh realities of life on the road. Rooted in classic country storytelling but infused with Bain’s distinctive modern edge, it blends traditional form with unexpected chord changes, creating a sound that is both timeless and fresh. Lush pedal steel and warm, twangy guitars carry Bain’s introspective lyrics, culminating in a song that feels both melancholic and reaffirming. “This song makes me feel a lot of things, but ultimately, it reminds me that I’m in the right lane,” he says. “It’s easy to second-guess yourself, and even easier to burn out, but at the end of the day, I always come back to this music thing.”
