The Motion Epic is a synth-pop trio with a heartland rock twist that transports listeners to another place and time. Guided by Pat DiMeo‘s powerhouse vocals and Aaron “Mister the Kid” Henry‘s electrifying guitar, with Nick “Kalimocho” Colbert on keys and drums, they deliver a sound that’s both nostalgically familiar and undeniably fresh.

Their track, “Heartbreakers,” was heavily inspired by a certain type of 80’s top 40 “party” bop – à la “Sussudio,” “Dancing on the Ceiling,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” But The Motion Epic are a rock band, no matter how hard they try not to be, so inevitably the huge drums and driven guitars came out to play, and in the end what we had was something that captures the most fun and extreme aspects of ‘80s music across its most memorable genres – synth-pop, glam rock, and John Hughes montages. Picture Michael Jackson and Phil Collins collaborating in the studio. That’s what “Heartbreakers” is.

The Dream Eaters have evolved from a dream pop band into a full-on video art project with an extensive catalogue of weird and darkly humorous music videos of their catchy pop songs. The duo started working together after vocalist Elizabeth LeBaron, originally from Calgary, started working at the same bar as singer/songwriter Jake Zavracky, originally from Boston, in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.

“I AM BLEEDING INTERNALLY” is their take on synth-pop and country fusion. Their macabre sense of humor shines through, with Elizabeth citing this favourite lyric—”Now I’m crying on the floor of a Wamart store”—as “visceral and troublingly relatable.” Jake adds that “Most of our songs are about dealing with emotional problems and the lyrics are the sort of things you mutter under your breath when you’re walking around pissed off.”

Originally a classically trained pianist, Andrew Spice is an indie pop songwriter based in Toronto. After releasing his acclaimed debut album, Pretty Demons (2003), on three-time JUNO nominee Emm Gryner’s label, Andrew took an unexpected step away from music to become a clinical psychologist.

When musical inspiration struck again, Andrew wrote his first single in 20 years. “High Park” was produced by industry veteran Matthew Barber, and features Adrian Gordon Cook (Noah Reid) and Mike Tompa (Silverstein). Like his very first songs, “High Park” is devastatingly vulnerable with a piano and queer male voice at its center, and firmly re-establishes Andrew Spice as a unique artist and indie trailblazer.

“When I left my initial music career to become a clinical psychologist, I never imagined that I would return to music,” says Andrew Spice. “Making ‘High Park’ reminded me that I am still a songwriter and an artist. It is a song about recovering from trauma by reconnecting with nature, animals, my piano, and my voice. ‘High Park’ is a song about profound loss, a celebration of newfound independence, and a love letter to both Toronto and my dog.”

An artist embodying the roar of the sea with a pure and delicate voice, Rose Morrison has seen, and done, a lot in her almost 25 years as a professional musician. The versatile fiddler from Baddeck, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia has recorded and toured with Oscar and Grammy Award winner Glen Hansard, Irish folk legend Breanndán O Beaglaoich (Breanndán Begley), and celebrated Scottish-Canadian tenor John McDermott. She’s performed twice at Carnegie Hall, recorded three albums and won three East Coast Music Awards.

On her latest album, The River She Knows, Rose explores new territory, and after living away from Cape Breton for more than a decade, discovers a new connection to the land and how it shapes her music. While she has firmly established herself as a fiddler drawing from a deep well of fierce, untamed wildness, Rose has also been writing songs for years, though rarely singing or playing them for many people – until now.

The songs on this album have been written over the past four years, but began to find life when Rose stepped into the studio with producer Dave Gunning in November 2021. The focus track, “The River She Knows,” was inspired by a conversation with a genuine friend who taught Rose to be still, walk the river, and connect to the good around her. For Rose, the river is a place that holds deep knowing.

WAASH — the latest, pop-refining project from Vancouver songwriter Andrew Bishop — is releasing its self-titled full-length with “Might As Well Know.” A soaring, synth-coursing statement on putting up boundaries as a form of self-care, the single arrives through WAASH’s label home, Light Organ Records.

Even if WAASH’s album reflects the wisdom of withdrawing, the project likewise found Bishop nurturing friendships with a number of familiar collaborators. Lyrics were often co-written with Courtney Ewan Hancock, Bishop’s longtime partner in pop-rock outfit Twin River, and Louise Burns, the esteemed songwriter/producer Bishop had first met when he’d briefly entered her back-up band a decade ago. 

The eponymous album was written during a time of isolation and separation. During this particular period, Bishop began to take stock of what was important to him and his relationships. So despite the feelings of loneliness being an inspiration for the album, it was the ability to spend those moments writing music with his closest friends which helped him finish it. 

“Look back” is the uplifting new single from borza, with an enticing flow that keeps you glued. “Sometimes certain things happen that tame our fire down for too long, so it’s good to look back and remember how we felt just before the interruption, and why,” says borza about his inspiration.