Welcome to the weekend. It’s about damn time, amirite? Coincidentally, it’s also time to welcome the latest crop of great new singles and videos by Canadian arists from near and far. Their work has just begun:
Chxmeras | Sublimation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Experimental electronic duo Chxmeras are a transatlantic collaboration between U.K.-based Canadian Paul Finlay and Vancouver’s Jarrett Martineau. Together, they weave immersive soundscape with angular dub, experimental techno, mutating noise, and bit-crushed beats into a genre-blending, otherworldly experience. Out June 13, their new EP Second Sight is about “standing face-to-face with the wild, furious, anything goes, free-for-all, freefall present moment that we’re all living through… When we set out to make this record, we didn’t know where we would end up, but we knew that we wanted it to sound and feel like the chaos and anxieties that are swirling all around us.” The EP’s first single, Sublimation, set that idea in motion. “When we were making the song, it felt like we were being guided by premonitions,” the duo explain. “Like the future rushing toward us. And the music came flying at the same speed. Sublimation channels the feeling of being hurtled inevitably through space toward an unknown destination and unknowable outcomes. It’s driving, overwhelming, and always on the edge of breaking down. But it’s also about trying to capture that frenetic energy and take its power back before everything cascades fully out of control.”
Yawn | Help Myself
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Julia McDougall’s project Yawn unites her far-ranging sensibilities into a supercharged core of misty dream-pop and electronic haze. For the past several years, McDougall has been holed away working on her debut record for Yawn; what’s come out of the clouds are 12 carefully crafted songs that have been developed as inspiration struck from all around her. Today, the Vancouver artist shares the new track Help Myself, a song that challenges toxic positivity and the pressure to be the “best version” of ourselves. “It’s about the various kinds of doubt and darkness that we face, and how the constant noise of social media and mainstream culture dulls our ability to love ourselves,” explains McDougall. “It was inspired by social media ads I was served during the early, frantic days of COVID isolation that were promising me that now was the time to finally ‘get ripped’. It seemed detached from our lived reality that in the middle of a global pandemic, we were being force-fed so-called wellness ads that completely overlooked the psychological and emotional impact we were all facing. The song is about our relationship to ourselves, and how our media consumption habits make it easy to go about our lives without truly connecting to who we are.”
Newbridge | Iroquois
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Halifax Americana-rock outfit Newbridge have released Past Lives, an album steeped in storytelling and rich, evocative soundscapes. The focus track Iroquois encapsulates the heart of the record — a folk-infused, country-Americana tale of longing, love, and the journey between them. With roots in the traditional folk of the Maritimes, singer-guitarist Keith Maddison’s songwriting reflects the historical seafaring nature of his ancestors, where leaving was an inevitability, but returning was never guaranteed. This contrast of freedom and sacrifice forms the backbone of Iroquois and much of Past Lives. Inspired by a summer spent in the small town of Iroquois in eastern Ontario, the song reflects the experience of many Maritimers who must leave their homes, traditions, and communities in search of work, only to find themselves in unfamiliar places, forging new connections, and making sense of it all. With a sound reminiscent of Neil Young’s Harvest and The Band’s self-titled album, Iroquois evolved in Nashville, where Newbridge leaned into warm, earthy tones that perfectly frame the song’s wistful narrative.”
Kasador | Butterflies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kingston’s Kasador just released their new EP Kasador I. Featuring the powerful grunge anthem Butterflies, the EP ushers in a bold new era for the band, blending raw energy with introspective lyricism. This collection of songs marks the band’s strongest and most confident work to date, following their successful 2023 album Youth. With Kasador I, the band embrace creative freedom, allowing their personalities to shine through their music in its purest form. Butterflies is a thundering grunge anthem that showcases Kasador at their most powerful. Inspired by frontman Cameron Wyatt’s experience with tachysensia, a condition that distorts reality and causes time to feel like it’s moving quickly, Butterflies embodies the struggle of hiding inner turmoil while trying to carry on.”
Borza | Toujours
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal artist Borza unveils his latest single Toujours — a hypnotic, introspective track that calls for self-awareness and reconnecting with one’s essence. Blending electro-indie-rock and French pop, the song weaves deep bass, simple keyboard lines, and electrifying guitars into a vibrant, thought-provoking atmosphere. Inspired by a radical change of events in his life, Borza channels his personal evolution into “Toujours,” using music as a mirror for emotional transformation. The track serves as a reminder to resist the pull of routine, embrace authenticity, and listen to the signs the universe provides. “Music is a reflection of our emotions and experiences,” Borza says. “Toujours is a call to self-awakening — a reminder to reconnect with our essence, embrace self-love, and live life fully.”
Ambre Ciel | The Sun, The Sky
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ambre Ciel is a Montreal composer, violinist, pianist and singer who is a purveyor of dreamy, expansive, spacious pop. Her debut album, Still, There Is The Sea, represents a beginning, a first and she says imperfect attempt to create this other world that was living in her mind. “On a personal level, I was searching for silence. I had just finally moved to a quiet apartment in Montreal and for the first time, I had all the time and space to hear silence and create, being solitary and living in the intangible world of possibilities”. Today, she shares the album’s first single, The Sun, The Sky, a song about “returning to a familiar place but feeling like our perception has shifted, that we’ve changed, grown in some way,” says Ciel. “The sun and the sky are at the same time metaphors of this dynamic state and constant figures as the narrative around them evolves. The whole structure of the song reflects this cyclical journey, embodied by the first four chords on the piano — they go somewhere but return to their original point, like a sort of paradigm. On a larger scale, the album also starts and ends with this theme of four chords, mirroring a cycle in itself.”
Bernadette Connors | White Magnolia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hamilton singer-songwriter Bernadette Connors unveils her powerful new single White Magnolia — a deeply personal and emotionally raw anthem about patience, faith, and trusting the timing of life. With a haunting vocal performance, soaring melodies, and a gripping blend of Southern Rock, Americana, and Indie Folk, the song captures the tension of longing and the beauty of surrendering to the unknown. Written with John-Angus MacDonald (Trews) during a time of creative and personal transition, White Magnolia is a reflection on the slow, often frustrating journey of chasing a dream. The magnolia — symbolizing rare, fleeting beauty — serves as a poignant metaphor for the rewards of perseverance. With Jeremy Kleynhans on drums (and knee slaps), Anthony Carone (Arkells) on keyboards and Mike Bruce providing backup vocals, the track carries a rich, full-bodied sound that blends rootsy authenticity with modern production.”
