Vancouver, BC rock outfit CHASE THE BEAR share “This Is What You Wanted,” a dark, groovy, and deceptively danceable new single that turns the collapse of a relationship into something built to move to. Pairing mysterious synth tones with a heavy, rhythmic pulse, an instantly memorable chorus, and the raw energy of rock ‘n’ roll played live in a room, the track represents a fresh direction for the six-piece, balancing self-reflective lyrics with an upbeat surface that gradually reveals something much heavier underneath.
Inspired by a past relationship of drummer Connor Brooks and his struggle to hold onto a deep emotional bond as it unravelled, “This Is What You Wanted” captures the moment when uncertainty begins giving way to acceptance. Rather than lingering solely in heartbreak, the song traces the uncomfortable process of recognizing that something has ended and beginning to understand who you are without it.
That transition is embedded directly into the title. Early in the track, the phrase first appears as a question: Is this what you wanted? By the time “This Is What You Wanted” fully asserts itself, doubt has hardened into acknowledgement, subtly charting the emotional distance travelled over the course of the song.
The song itself took a considerably longer road to arrive. It began with a poem written by Connor and a groove from bassist Brady Royer that immediately caught the band’s attention, even if they couldn’t initially figure out where it belonged. For several years, CHASE THE BEAR repeatedly returned to the riff, rewriting and abandoning different ideas without finding the piece that could pull everything together. Then, almost without warning, the chorus arrived.
What had spent years refusing to take shape suddenly became a finished song in what the band describes as a “creative hurricane,” transforming an orphaned groove and deeply personal poem into one of their favourite new additions to the live set.
That spontaneity carries into the recording itself. “This Is What You Wanted” finds CHASE THE BEAR experimenting with synth textures they hadn’t previously explored while simultaneously stripping away some of the polish that has become commonplace in modern rock production. Recorded live off-the-floor, the track prioritizes the chemistry and volatility that emerge when all six members are playing together.
The single arrives as part of a prolific new period for CHASE THE BEAR. Recorded alongside previously released single, “Isolation,” and forthcoming follow-up, “Sick Of It All,” it belongs to a new collection of material that will eventually form an additional EP in early 2027. That project will lead into the band’s second full-length album, currently planned for mid-2027.
Australian musician, songwriter, author and performer Tomi Gray has just released his new single and music video called ‘Oh My Darling’, which premiered exclusively via The AU Review.
“The song sits in that space between fault and consequence — understanding why someone hurt you doesn’t make the hurt disappear. The video turns that idea inside out: an emu wearing my face tears through the Australian bush causing havoc, leaving my identity to carry the blame. It’s about the strange versions of ourselves that live in other people’s memories — they might wear our face, but they’re not entirely us.”
‘Oh My Darling’ is the latest offering taken from his forthcoming LP called ‘Are We Having Fun Yet’, which is set for release in 2027.
Gray’s work lives somewhere between the absurd and the profound — blending Alternative Folk, Rock, live loops/sample and spoken-word storytelling with a distinctly theatrical streak. A prolific songwriter, Gray has written hundreds of original songs, with a steady stream of releases throughout 2025 and 2026. His restless, shape-shifting approach has drawn comparisons to Gorillaz and Beck, while his conversational storytelling and rhythmic delivery sit closer to the world of The Streets — all carrying a surreal, mischievous streak reminiscent of Noel Fielding or Tim Minchin.
That world expanded in 2026 with Tomi Gray’s TRIP, Gray’s original one-man stage production combining live music, surreal comedy, storytelling, puppetry, animation, projection and audience interaction. Following its Adelaide Fringe debut, TRIP moved onto the road under the Infamous Big Top.
At the centre of it all remains the songwriting: strange, melodic and emotionally direct songs that can move from humour to melancholy without warning. Whether delivered from a festival stage, beneath a circus big top or through a surreal music video, Tomi Gray is building a body of work that treats music, theatre, comedy and visual art as parts of the same increasingly peculiar world.
New single ‘Oh My Darling’ is available on all major online streaming platforms.
Guitarist, singer, and a founding member of New York City’s Spin Doctors, Eric Schenkman returns with “Avocado Eldorado,” a driving rock ‘n’ roll track inspired by his grandfather’s Cadillac.
In “Avocado Eldorado,” Schenkman looks back at his grandfather’s green Cadillac Eldorado, presently rusting away in an old Vermont barn. The relic – a wide-ass, loud, stately car – represents freedom and the romance of the open road. For Schenkman in particular, it also honours the “old men” who played pivotal roles in his life.
The song’s title has its own history. In 1995, Schenkman traveled from San Francisco to legendary guitarist David Lindley‘s Reseda, CA home with drummer Wally Ingram. When they arrived, Schenkman spotted Lindley‘s big blue 1970s Cadillac Eldorado sitting in the driveway.
“My grandfather has the same car, only it’s an avocado Eldorado,” Schenkman remembers telling him. Lindley‘s response was immediate: “That’s a song you should write.”
“It only took 30 years!” Schenkman says.
