Glammed-up & blissed-out in the sun, Montreal-based FLEECE is an eccentric, chosen family band doing it their way. As they tell stories about being queer & dancing through life’s troubles, they feel a dire need to bring play and fantasy to the forefront (or/ back into the world). “Where’s My Beach Hat” is the second single from the band’s forthcoming LP, kicking off their 2024-25 album cycle. A fresh, fun summer pop song, it follows 2023 hits “It’s The Life” and “Do You Wanna Party.”
Produced by Gus Van Go (The Beaches, Metric, Cowboy Fringants) in Toronto, “Where’s My Beach Hat” was written live in the band’s Montreal jam space and as the band describes it: “It’s a nostalgic, bittersweet one, about making the same mistakes over time – the mistake of overconsumption, the things that might be bad for you, working too hard, and trying to escape from reality. This song showcases our softer side, with a beachy, sweet, and soft vibe.”
Since long before its conception, traditional music has been at the center of the priorities of the musicians who formed the group El Balcón in the summer of 2018. Josh (requinto and oud), Valeria (vocals and foot percussion), Charles (vocals and jarana), Alex (double bass) and Nicolas (cajón and other percussion) initially made up the ensemble. Shortly after, Nominoë joined on violin and vocals. Drawing on learnings from travels across several continents, El Balcón experiments by arranging songs from the Son Jarocho repertoire, a folk music from Veracruz, Mexico, with rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic concepts borrowed from Eastern European countries.
With the strength of their first two real productions of traditional covers and compositions released in 2020 and 2021, La Bruja and Contracorriente, the group is now preparing to present its first album consisting entirely of original compositions titled El Errante, which will be launched in the spring of 2025.
New single, “Enredada,” is about being from different places at the same time and getting to know yourself through culture. In Spanish, “Enredada” means tangled up. The song is a very special blend of many styles of music that the group love: son jarocho, rumba flamenca, samba, balkan music, gnawa. It was written in Xalapa, Veracruz and recorded at Wild Studios in Lanaudière, Québec.
Ben Cherry and Chris da Silva, the Toronto-based producer duo Chrome Daphne, blend their diverse musical tastes into a unique sound that’s both catchy and introspective. Childhood friends turned musical collaborators, their music bridges the gap between Ben’s affinity for bouncy melodies and Chris’ penchant for moody atmospherics.
Their music, often likened to artists such as Jungle, Cabu and Two Another, has quickly gained traction. Debut single, “There,” caught the attention of national radio while “Little Bit” feat. Bobby Fremont, landed spots on coveted Spotify playlists like Outliers, RnB Now, Mood Ring and RnB Canada.
Upbeat new single, “Like It Does,” was originally written last year and changed unbeknownst to Ben by Chris recently while the former was in Australia and came home to a season change. The original production was dark and had been reworked into a brighter, more funky style. It made him feel a new connection to Toronto as the city entered summer, like hearing “unexpected sunshine.”
Toronto-based singer-songwriter Nathalie King is known for her sultry smooth low voice, reminiscent of the true artists of the vintage jazz era and an upper range that is soft and melodic. The music she makes is noted for its cinematic electro pop and trip hop style, while her sound expresses deeply rooted themes like mental health and emotional life experiences.
King is currently working on her new EP PTSD with the plan to release in October 2024. “I’ve been writing songs as a therapeutic means to overcome childhood trauma and depression throughout my life,” she says. “Working in the studio together in Toronto, PTSD has a more electronic and UK sound to it thanks to the contributions of Bristol born producer Joseph Snook.”
New single, “You,” is about the many thick layers that people wear to protect themselves from a harsh world. Underneath all that is the vulnerable soft inner child that just wants to belong, be accepted and loved. The song’s intimacy is achieved through vocals and piano alone, sharing its message without big production.
