Last week, I was in England. Earlier this week, I was in Toronto. Next week, I plan to be in Denver. Needless to say, I am a man on the move this month. But even I can sit still long enough to take in this roster of great new singles and videos from around the country and around the corner. Surely you can do the same:
The Bankes Brothers | Bedroom Wall
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Bankes Brothers are back with Bedroom Wall, a vibrant and guitar-driven single that marks a bold next chapter for the Victoria band. The track delivers on everything fans have come to expect from the rising rock outfit — hook-heavy melodies, infectious energy, and the kind of timeless sound that feels right at home in both packed festival fields and sweaty club stages. Bedroom Wall opens with a bang — literally. “We felt like we needed a song that gripped you from the first line,” says Nelson Bankes. “The line just came to me while driving home.” It’s that kind of spontaneous spark that fuels the song’s restless momentum. Originally written over a long period and only fully realized after bringing in celebrated producer Gus van Go (Beaches, Arkells, Hollerado), the track became a testament to growth, collaboration and creative intuition. “Gus is a wizard. He breathed new life into the song and really pushed us to ‘serve the song’ – something we carried throughout the entire process,” says Nelson. “We’re really proud of where this one landed.” Though the title might not give much away — “It’s the lyrical bookend, but not really about the song,” jokes Morgan Bankes — it’s a fitting nod to the song’s elusive yet magnetic charm.”
Hot Mud | All Messed Up And Nowhere To Go
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spring is in the air, and mating season is upon us. Hot Mud supplies the soundtrack with All Messed Up And Nowhere To Go, an indie sleaze rocker about one-night stands and questionable life choices for dive bars across the globe. It’s the third song from his Shiny Single Sessions, a campaign that finds him releasing one song each month throughout 2025. Hot Mud is an alter ego of a man named Muddy Watters. The musician burst into the indie underground rock scene in 2024 with his debut album Rehab Rock, written during his struggle with addiction and the early stages of his recovery, and recorded entirely by himself during his stay at a treatment facility in Ottawa. Pink Cloud Pop, his second album, picks up right where Rehab Rock ended. His songwriting continued throughout his stay in rehab, gradually evolving into a new positive perspective, mirroring his attitude and behavior.”
Pleasure Craft | Don’t I Look Calm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pleasure Craft straddle the boundaries of swaggering industrial to throbbing post-punk to groove-heavy indie rock. Volatile and razor-sharp, ominous and grimey, beneath thick, industrial grooves, buzzsaw guitar riffing, tectonic synth palettes and gorgeous vocals — this is where the band lives: On the knife edge beween calm and chaos, the familiar and the frightening. The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist, producer and singer Sam Lewis, the project is rounded out by a rotating cast that includes Mingjia Chen, Ben Green and River Radcliffe. Today, they share the single Don’t I Look Calm, building on the sonic and thematic worlds that Lewis has been crafting over five years and two EPs. “The song feels like something that happened rather than something I made,” says Lewis. “I opened the session every now and then for a few years, adding things and making little changes until eventually it became a song. It sounds nothing like the first few versions and I love how that process turned it into this disjointed, rambling mess… The lyrics and tone of the song were born out of a state of doomerism and ambivalence towards the future. To me they give off a manic numbness that I’ve been feeling from a lot of people recently, overexposed and just blasting onward anyway.”
Aiko Tomi | Blueberries
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto alt-pop disruptor Aiko Tomi just announced her new album Everything Sparks Joy, a nine-track odyssey that feels like a sugar rush at the end of the world. It is due June 20. Effortlessly blending hyperpop energy with sharp introspection, Tomi delivers tracks that are playful, chaotic, and deeply intelligent — a rare balance that’s as fun as it is thought-provoking. Everything Sparks Joy invites listeners to lean into life’s contradictions: Seeking peace in chaos, balancing indulgence with simplicity and owning both confidence and vulnerability. Beneath the glittering hooks and wild production is a carefully curated statement on individuality, rebellion, and the beauty of being real. Today, Tomi shares the album’s uplifting and wholesome lead single Blueberries, a song about finding joy in simplicity. Playful yet deeply introspective, “it’s a meditation on embracing the richness and meaning in life’s small, unpretentious moments, rather than chasing external validation,” says Tomi. “The song exudes confidence, celebrating the power of being true to yourself while staying grounded in a world obsessed with appearances.”
The Dream Eaters | Sacrifice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn / Toronto-based duo The Dream Eaters return with their new EP, The Dream Eaters Quarterly Report: Q125, the first in a planned series of four quarterly EPs. Bathed in retro synths, spectral vocals, and existential yearning, Q125 is a dispatch from inside a crumbling reality — equal parts dystopian satire and heartfelt confession. “We post a lot of bite-sized content,” explains Jake Zavracky. “These quarterly reports are our way of giving fans the full picture — finished versions of the choruses they’ve fallen in love with on social media.” The EP’s focus track Sacrifice takes that concept and dials it all the way up. Written after a late-night screening of Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, the track spirals into moody, synth-drenched melancholia, capturing the quiet ache of someone desperate to matter to someone else — even if it means disappearing into their shadow. “It’s like giving up,” Jake says. “Like saying: You do everything, and I’ll be the weight on your shoulder.” Produced in Toronto with help from vocalist/producer Jimmy Chauveau (Strumbellas, Kadeema), the track showcases some of the band’s most evocative vocal performances to date. “Jimmy and I push each other a lot,” says Elizabeth LeBaron. “It really helped me tackle some of the vocal gymnastics on Sacrifice — this song required a lot emotionally, and technically.”
Braden Lam | The Hold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Braden Lam is following up the release of his debut album The Cloudmaker’s Cry with the video for The Hold. It “has all the ingredients for this record in it, like a little appetizer to open The Cloudmaker’s Cry and give you a taste of the sonic and lyrical themes,” says Lam. “It’s a love song in the purest form where I’ve done my best to articulate the feeling of longing for someone or someplace in a new and timeless way. ‘You’re an island of everyone I missed / I’ll never go back over that bridge’ is a reference to the bridges that span the harbour between the Halifax peninsula and my home in Dartmouth. And just like a bridge, the music video directed by Tim Mombourquette takes us from a depressing and lonely game of bingo to a more colourful and pleasant reality where anything is possible. Like when you find your person and it feels like from that point on your lives or timelines are inextricably linked.”
CJ Wiley | Don’t Die Charlie
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the release of their debut LP So Brand New, Toronto slack rocker CJ Wiley shares the live performance video of Don’t Die Charlie. The video was shot and edited by Katja De Bourbon, with audio recorded and mixed by Calvin Hartwick at Dreamhouse Studios. The band features Kate Palumbo on bass, Madelyn Kirby on rhythm guitar, Julia Wittmann on lead guitar and Nick McKinlay on drums. Don’t Die Charlie is about “my decade-long battle with addiction and the grief I still carry for the friends I lost along the way,” says Wiley. “It holds vivid memories, taking me back to high school when everything felt so chaotic, though I didn’t fully realize how dark things really were at the time. It’s for anyone who lost someone and still feels their presence, wishing you could spend just a few more moments with them.”
Andrew Spice | Gentle Sentinel
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Returning to music last year after a 15-year hiatus, acclaimed singer-songwriter Andrew Spice continues that momentum with the release of Gentle Sentinel. Inspired by his late cat Bea, the ballad pays tribute to the enduring love and quiet guardianship of animal companions. The single marks a deeply personal and poignant re-entry into music for Spice, whose career has drawn comparisons to the likes of Tori Amos and Thom Yorke. Produced by Matthew Barber, Gentle Sentinel features a breathtaking string arrangement by Grammy nominee Drew Jurecka, whose strings subtly mimic a cat’s purr in an especially moving section. The track’s delicate piano and tender vocals are elevated by a graceful bassline, creating a grand yet intimate atmosphere. “Gentle Sentinel is my love letter to Bea, who was by my side for nearly two decades — through countless heartbreaks, cross-country moves, and life changes,” says Spice. “Writing this song was my way of honouring her unwavering companionship. Now that she’s gone, it’s both a comfort and a grief-soaked experience to perform it, but knowing it’s part of her legacy makes it incredibly special.”
Foxwarren | Yvonne
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Foxwarren — Andy Shauf, Avery and Darryl Kissick, Dallas Bryson and Colin Nealis — have released Yvonne, the second single and video from their new album 2, due May 30. Following lead single Listen2me, Yvonne is a compulsory study of love’s strange spell. Shauf sets the beach-like scene above a polyrhythmic sampled loop, and then when his vocal harmonies hit the string section singing, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Yvonne,” it’s like watching the sun rise in someone else’s eyes. “Yvonne, the woman scanning the beach each morning for buried treasure, deserves a love song too,” the band say. A collage-style animated video by artist Meghan Fenske accompanies Yvonne, nodding to the cut-and-paste elements of 2.”
Mark Fenster | Gabriola Breeze
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mark Fenster is no stranger to musical storytelling. After early mentorship by producer Ben Kaye (Céline Dion), he went on to collaborate with members of April Wine, Luba and Chilliwack, and spent nine seasons with the Vancouver Opera. His work has scored Jessie Award-winning productions, and his songs have reached TV, film, and choirs around the world. Now, the Montreal-born composer, vocalist, and meditation leader is unveiling his latest single, Gabriola Breeze — a soulful instrumental odyssey inspired by his transformative move from bustling city life to the calm nature of Gabriola Island, B.C. The piece blends multicultural instrumentation with lush, cinematic textures, offering a serene yet emotionally charged soundscape that explores what it means to follow one’s calling. “This is essentially a musical rendition of my move to Gabriola — or more generally, of one’s leaping quest to their dream,” Fenster explains. “It begins with a ‘calling’ of sorts — somewhat softly alluring, but also accompanied by a bit of tension and fear as it represents the unknown. Then ultimately, [the music] shows us the value and loving kindness that awaits if we prove our strength and faith are stronger than the fear.”
Nick Faye | Right Way
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nick Faye is a songwriter from Regina. His new single Right Way is a deeply personal reflection on the masculine influences of his youth and their impact on his relationships — both with his partners and himself. The track is a raw yet triumphant statement of self-awareness, personal growth, and commitment to healthy love. Blending elements of pop, rock, and country, Right Way pairs heartfelt storytelling with a dreamy, slow-burning instrumental that evokes the feeling of a late-night dance in a roadside saloon. The song is the third single from Faye’s forthcoming album (Good) Love, which arrives Sept. 26. Right Way was inspired by personal reflections on growing up in a Catholic, patriarchal, and colonial society on the Prairies. Immersed in hockey culture, where “toughness,” ego, and repressing emotions were the masculine norms, Faye recalls moments in his past where he didn’t always treat his partners with the respect and empathy they deserved.”
Eric Kane | Over And Over
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Eric Kane unveils his most vulnerable release to date with Over And Over — a stark and moving portrait of grief, memory, and the daily reckoning that comes with loss. Built on stripped-back production, soul-baring vocals and raw lyricism, the song captures the haunting ache of life after unimaginable tragedy. Written about the devastating death of his brother, Over And Over explores the long shadow grief casts over time. Where many songs reach for closure, this one bravely chooses to sit with the pain. With unflinching honesty, Kane leans into the silence and stillness of mourning, allowing the weight of absence to speak for itself. “Over And Over comes from the deepest part of me,” Kane says. “It marks a 10-year journey of trying to understand how grief permanently alters a life. Losing my brother, my other half, changed me forever. But in that pain, I’ve found purpose through connection. Sharing my story has not only helped me heal, it’s allowed me to connect with others who are carrying the same weight. This song is for anyone who’s felt that kind of loss, and for those of us still here, trying to find our way.”
Maggie Rogers & Sylvan Esso | Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Over the last two-plus decades, Broken Social Scene’s breakthrough album You Forgot It In People has cemented its place amongst indie rock’s greatest — through its collective energy pushing the genre far beyond its noisy ’90s slacker roots to a more tirelessly collaborative, sonically expansive, emotionally expressive vision. This vision is set to see new heights with the release of Anthems: A Celebration of Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot It In People — a front-to-back tribute to the hallowed Toronto band’s 2003 masterpiece. The album, out June 6, reimagines You Forgot It In People with cover versions from Toro y Moi, The Weather Station, serpentwithfeet and more. Here is Maggie Rogers and Sylvan Esso’s stirring rendition of the iconic Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl. The song takes on a newfangled pop energy with Sylvan Esso’s exultant production laying the groundwork for Maggie’s soaring chorus. “Anthems is one of those songs that fundamentally changed my life,” Rogers reflects. “There’s something about the lyrical repetition that functions as a sort of mantra within the song and it made me understand at a very early point in my creative life that music could be a form of meditation. Broken Social Scene has long been one of my all-time favorite bands and covering it with my dear friends Nick and Amelia from Sylvan Esso was an absolute joy-beam dream.”
