Behind the name and the electric guitar, you’ll find Danish singer/songwriter and fuzz-loving guitar player Lauritz Carlsen, better known as Lou Z. Dressed in a leather jacket and a freshly trimmed mullet, he swings by themes like heartbreaks, loss, sorrow and the inevitable and unbearable detour of the human kind in a way that is best described as melancholic, heavy-hearted, but to-the-point – clean cut and with a pair of tired, dreamy eyes.

The music is covered in gritty analog soundscapes with many layers, but always with the electric guitar as the main supplement to the songs and vocals. In the studio, Lou Z plays many of the instruments himself but often with the aid of accomplished musicians such as drummers Sterling Laws (Olivia Rodrigo, Matt Berninger, The War On Drugs), Silas Tinglef (Trentemøller) and English gospel/soul singer Claire Virginia. 

Having previously released two EPs as Lou Z, his debut album Holes for the Hearts is being released through the Danish indie label Møs Møs. The Copenhagen-based musician is a part of other local underground rock bands such as PBSM and Some Speak of the Future. Holes for the Hearts is an accumulation of songs written over the past five years. While writing, Lou Z did not intend to release an album but realized he had enough there to release his solo debut LP. 

The album’s title track (and a great primer for Lou Z’s unique sound), “Holes for the Hearts,” started as a beat on the analogue Korg DDD-1. The eclectic single features many different instruments and production facets including a combination of acoustic instruments like the mandolin, analog sounding programmed beats, a heavy fuzz guitar solo and a gospel-like chorus. It’s a love song that is unclear on whether that love is good or bad and the splitting feeling that comes with it.

Emerging singer-songwriter CON THE ARTIST unveils Best Days, a deeply personal EP capturing moments of heartbreak, healing, and transformation. Spanning alternative, indie, and alt-pop genres, the record is both explosive and introspective, blending dynamic production with raw, emotional storytelling.

The EP concludes with the focus track “Bad Guy,” an acoustic ballad that strips away excess to lay bare the pain and growth of a long-distance relationship marred by infidelity. Through its candid lyrics, “Bad Guy” becomes a time capsule of emotions and a turning point in CON’s journey of self-discovery.

“Bad Guy” tells the true story of a relationship turned sour after a partner’s betrayal. Written in the aftermath of a long-distance romance, the song delves into feelings of bitterness, accountability, and eventual healing.

Born to a French/Vietnamese mother and a German father, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Nathalie King’s music 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. She is known for her sultry smooth low voice, reminiscent of the true artists of the vintage jazz era. 

King is now releasing her new six track EP, PTSD, which is a healing journey throughout her childhood trauma. “I’ve been writing songs as a therapeutic means to overcome childhood trauma and depression throughout my life,” says King. “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.” 

PTSD’s lead single, “Within a Dream,” brings back dark memories but also lets King see how far she has come with self-work.

Within a Dream” is about the many nights I spent in my bed as a child, sweating and being scared and feeling a ton of anxiety because my parents were fighting or I just got a beating and got screamed at for nothing important in particular. This song revisits the tremendous anxiety I felt in my stomach and sorrow as I cried myself to sleep countless times. It’s about the dark memories of my childhood that stored the trauma in my cells and the beginning of generational trauma. – Nathalie King

King has released one studio album, Odyssey (2013), followed by a series of singles, notably “Break Away” which landed a placement in a S’well water bottle commercial, and “Ghost Rider” which was featured in an episode of ABC’s The Fosters. Recent sync placements include her song “Beautiful Soul” in Howard Hall’s underwater documentary Soul of the Ocean. Awards include being a semi-finalist at the 2016 International Songwriting Competition and reaching the semi-finals at that same year’s IndieWeek.

She also produced and hand animated her own music video for 2019’s “Suckr for Love,” which was officially screened at international film festivals including the Berlin Music Video Awards and the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival in 2019 and won Best Music Video at Experimental, Dance & Music Film Festival in Toronto that same year.

Born from the soul of Cape Breton soil, Halifax-based Tyler Mullendore blends rough and tumble roots-rock with the electrified emotion of southern fried Americana. The Canadian Idol finalist proves why he was awarded the top spot in eOne’s National Big Break Songwriting Competition; it’s clear the judges were just as taken with the authenticity of his songs as you’re sure to be. 

His much anticipated debut EP, Time Heals Everything (released on November 21st) draws from the bottomless well of inspiration that seems to guide artists who hail from Cape Breton Island. His stories are shaped by his own personal trials, yet made deeply relatable by his lyrical prowess. Time Heals Everything has its share of tales of sorrow and regret, but it ultimately culminates in the promise of positivity as one comes to grips with their own flaws and failures while looking hopefully towards better things to come. As the years pass, wounds close and the pain abates, reminding us to be good to ourselves, and take life’s lessons in stride as challenges are met and overcome.

The EP’s focus track, “Mama Cry,” reads like an intervention letter, a plea for a loved one to better themselves and get their life back on track. The heartfelt single was written after the mother of Tyler’s friend had called him in desperate worry about her son’s struggles with addiction, leading him to write a handwritten letter to the friend and pen this song.