From the imaginative, yet highly-analytical mind of Alannah Kavanagh comes Grizzly Coast, the Toronto-based musical project blending dreamy indie rock instrumentation with introspective pop lyricism. Grizzly Coast’s songwriting successfully blends dreamy guitar rock sensibilities with their trademark thoughtful lyricism.
“Sweet” is a song for the sentimental. Born from a dream out of the blue about someone Alannah knew as a teenager, it got her thinking about how you don’t have to be in touch with someone to remember them fondly. Sonically, “Sweet” is filled with ambient and shimmering textures that mirror the dreamlike state that inspired the song.
4x JUNO Award nominated, Toronto based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is sharing the first glimpse of his upcoming new album, Pathways, the downtempo yet empathetic “Weighing Down.” Pathways will be released on September 27th.
Following his recent critically acclaimed albums, 2020’s The Ridge and 2022’s Beyond The Reservoir, Taylor considers Pathways to be centered around finding one’s happiness. “It’s about trying to find a way to simplify our lives and look for what really matters and makes us feel at home within our own hearts, soul and mind,” he explains.
Taylor wrote “Weighing Down” during a time of overwhelm over the constant pressures we face in this world, as he also grappled with navigating the heaviness of some of his own life decisions and where they had led him.
The creation of meaningful art can only occur in moments of despair or triumph; there is no grey area.
iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (short for waseskwan iskwew, meaning “blue sky woman”) is an award-winning Indigenous creator whose catalogue drips of a spectrum of emotions and is powered by resilience. Following several seasons of high highs being met with low lows, the Cree Métis artist retreated south to Mexico and inward to her soul to paint a 10-song collection that illustrates the gut-wrenching roller coaster ride that has been her recent life.
nīna, the opus of iskwē’s rebirth, is the Cree translation for “me” and was chosen as the title of her fourth solo album as an ode to the profoundly autobiographical elements. The album is the sonic manifestation of the divine feminine explored through vignettes of love, passion, anger, betrayal, and loss.
The album’s focus track, “Exhale,” is a reassuring call to the self, as iskwē encourages herself: “Blue sky woman, it’s time for you to breathe out.” The tense yet shimmering song holds onto the vulnerability at iskwē’s core.
“I needed to remind myself that I am vibrant, that I hold life in me,” she explains of the song.
“I am an artist, a creative, confident and soft. I needed to remind myself that I hold love in my being. It was time I remembered these pieces in me which had been dormant for some time. So now I start again, to rebloom. To be reborn. To look at myself in the mirror and exhale. It’s time for me to breathe out…”
Hobart based Indie Rocker Sam Hunn has unleashed his debut EP ‘Dope Rocket’, which was premiered exclusively via AMNplify.
“The ‘Dope Rocket’ EP is punkier, folkier and maybe a bit more candid than songs I’d previously written. This EP is not a stand-alone release but rather the start of me experimenting with different styles of writing and having more scope to do that by having another outlet to make music through.”
Sam Hunndraws influence from the likes of Weezer, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Ballpark Music, Courtney Barnett, and Neil Young to create his intoxicating brand of Indie Rock.
Hunn released his sublime single called ‘Kurt Cobain’ in 2023. The single (which is taken from his debut EP) received positive coverage from the likes of Backseat Mafia, TheMusic.com.au and Australian Music Scene, whilst securing airplay on over 100 radio stations worldwide.
“It’s visceral and raw, a post punk anthem that tips its hat at Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins with its scything barbed-wire guitars mixed with sweet melodies.”
Arun Kendall – Backseat Mafia
Debut EP called ‘Dope Rocket’ is available on all major online stores and streaming services.
Keira Gray grew up in Red Earth Creek, Alberta before eventually moving to Faust, Alberta. She has aspired to be a singer since she was a little girl listening to Ariana Grande, Rihanna, and Christina Aguilera. Most of her time was spent teaching herself to sing their songs.
Keira currently lives in Slave Lake, Alberta where she works as a server. When she’s not working, you can find her collaborating with other music professionals writing songs and recording music to share with the world.
Her new single, “After you,” was inspired from a personal experience that Keira has since moved on from. It was very therapeutic to express her feelings at that time and she hopes you all enjoy it as much as she enjoyed writing it.
One of the most exciting young musicians to come out of Western Canada, Emmett Jerome has established himself as a captivating performer with a world weary voice wise beyond his years. Rooted in the old school, troubadour tradition, he has traveled coast to coast, chasing songs and soaking up stories along the way. With a bluesman’s heart and a traveler’s soul, Emmett welcomes listeners into a world where tradition and youth collide.
His debut single “Goodbye Trouble” is lifted from the upcoming Rocky Mountain Son EP, set for release later this year through 604 Records. The song was written for a friend of Emmett’s who passed unexpectedly from a drug overdose – someone he never considered might’ve been struggling with mental illness or drug abuse – and hears him coming to terms with both his own naivete and the reality of mental illness.
Emmett wrote “Goodbye Trouble” from his van during a weekend tour in Tofino and debuted it live the next day at a festival in Comox, BC. The strong response inspired him to continue writing about the people and places he’s encountered, and the concept of Rocky Mountain Son began to emerge.
Sunshine Coast based Rockers Lazy Guns have released their highly anticipated debut album called ‘Waste My Breath’, which premiered exclusively via
AAA Backstage.
The band have also announced that they will be celebrating the release with a launch show at Solbar on May 18th alongside The Dandy’s and Monstera.
Lazy Gunsdraw influence from the likes The Dandy Warhols, Oasis, and Jet to forge their unique brand of high energy Rock.
The bandofficiallydebuted in 2022 with the release of their single ‘Runaway’. They quickly followed-up with the release of their single
‘I Like It (When I’m With You)’, which gained airplay on radio stations such as Triple M and Rebel FM. They have since shared the stage with industry heavyweights British India and Kingswood, whilst cementing their reputation for possessing a fierce live show.
Lazy Guns are now ready to share their highly anticipated debut album with the world.
‘Waste My Breath’ is available on all major online stores and streaming services.
LAZY GUNS | TOUR DATES
May 18th – Solbar, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Album Launch W/ The Dandy’s + Monstera
Tickets available at www.oztix.com.au | 18+ only
June 1st – The Valley Loft, Brisbane, QLD
Supporting The Dandy’s
Tickets available at www.oztix.com.au | 18+ only
“I imagine us as a rock band, trapped inside of a nightclub,” says frontman Harry Parsons of the Newfoundland rave punk band Ctrl+V (pronounced Paste). After more than a decade of being a drummer in touring bands, he began to experiment with making electronic music. Along with co-writer/producer Sweetboy Music, the songwriting soon began to flow, and the pair began shaping their sound, influenced by darkwave, hard rock, and a dash of punk.
Their debut EP, Prequels, is dark, yet optimistic. Mysterious yet fun. The bittersweet opening track, “Apple Blue,” sets the mood with a feeling of isolation and loneliness. “The title puts me in a neo-noir film headspace. It’s like a David Lynch version of a heavy song,” says Parsons.
Basement Revolver has always centered around the friendship of bassist/keyboardist Nim Agalawatte (they/them) and guitarist/vocalist Chrisy Hurn (they/them). Lead guitarist Jonathan Malström (he/him) and drummer Levi Kertesz (he/him) round out the band’s larger-than-life sound. When tour plans went on hold through 2020, Basement Revolver found time to wrestle with questions about identity, faith, mental illness, and sexuality. Their sophomore LP, Embody, is explicit about these new ideas and new thoughts, addressing them with a deeper sound and crisper production to adroitly express the complexity of the world. It is an album of friendship, of working out identity together, and making deeply personal art.
The deluxe version of the Embody LP features the focus track, “Pull Yourself Together,” written about songwriter Chrisy Hurn’s experience having really bad panic attacks at parties. Maybe it’s not the kindest way to talk to yourself, but it was Chrisy’s way of giving themself some tough love and saying, “Get it together!”
Acid Tongue is an American garage band heavily influenced by classic soul, punk and psychedelic rock. Formed in a damp Seattle basement in 2015, the band immediately hit the road, extensively touring the US & Europe and refining their unique brand of rock & roll. Consisting of a core duo—singer/songwriter Guy Keltner & drummer/vocalist Ian Cunningham—the band also includes numerous touring & studio musicians scattered between Paris, New York, London, Mexico City, and Los Angeles, with a rotating roster that seems to grow larger by the day.
Their focus track “Hollywood Ending” from new record, Acid On The Dancefloor, is inspired by Guy Keltner’s return to his childhood hometown, Los Angeles. The L.A. landscape and culture is so easily romanticized, yet there is also a loneliness and emptiness to the city that is inspiring. While writing these lyrics, Keltner was dealing with some pretty significant losses in his life. As we start to age, it’s really common to watch our dreams get broken, and we start to face our mortality. Some people truly expect a “Hollywood Ending” and are met with serious disappointment when they enter their 30s. This is a love song for all of those disenchanted children.
Martha Johnson is a founding member and the lead singer of the Canadian art pop band Martha and the Muffins which formed in 1977. Her career, spanning more than four decades and eleven albums, has had many highlights. In 2000, Martha was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and was eventually forced to stop performing live.
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month. Martha Johnson and Company’s “Slow Emotion” began with the suggestion of her neurologist Dr. Fasano at Krembil Research Institute/University Health Network in Toronto. He encouraged Martha to collaborate on a song with another of his patients, songwriter/musician Fabio Dwyer, to show that life and creativity doesn’t end with a diagnosis. Released on April 11th, World Parkinson’s Day, the uplifting anthem was largely performed by musicians and singers with PD.
“I came up with the title, Slow Emotion, years ago and it seemed like a good fit with the theme of accepting and adapting to the changes both physically and emotionally you go through when you are living with PD. I’m hoping that people are moved by the song to a place of better understanding. Parkinson’s is continuously a life changing event for me. Life is what you make of it and you’ll have a better time if you just slow down a little and really take it all in.” –Martha Johnson
With the support of Krembil Research Institute/University Health Network and Parkinson Canada, there is an accompanying documentary by Toronto filmmaker Jason Cipparrone that looks at the creation of “Slow Emotion.” Watch.
