Brooklyn, NY/Toronto, ON-based, genre-blending 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 (The 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.”
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 two-time JUNO nominee 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.
