Two years of pandemic fears and lockdown threats down the line, Sharon Kovacs returns with her third album Child of Sin. Music, videos, costumes, set design, make-up and even the sleeve are her own doing. The third record is a culmination of everything she has learned these past few years. One hundred percent raw, honest, and independent. 

The result is a collection of highly effective songs that form one cohesive whole. Musically, there’s a lot of diversity to be discovered. Each song presented challenges regarding vocal highs and lows, with lots of layers and belting. Whatever the listener will hear, is more often than not the first take. With Kovacs’ first album, Shades of Black, she could barely let go. With her second album, Cheap Smell, some details and fringes were lost. Now everything’s ace from the get-go. Overthinking a composition leads to the loss of a song’s personal relevance and impact.

Genre-defying multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and half of the production duo Zookids, Casey Moon is readying the release of ashes, the final installment in a trilogy of EP’s that tells a story about growing up, identity, love and loss. Previously released fountains EP and single “glass” received praise from notable tastemakers such as Wonderland Magazine, Masked Mortal, Fashionably Early, Exclaim! and many more.

Brand new track, “halflight,” is about disassociating from a once familiar place. Casey used to have these moments a lot when going out – having fun with his friends one moment and the next he would be totally out of his body. The song’s production blends the styles of gothic new-wave bands with more modern sounds.

Recognized by CBC as one of the top 25 Canadian rappers of all time, chart-topping Cree hip hop artist Joey Stylez has partnered with JUNO winning and Platinum achieving DJ Kemo for 6 tracks and executive production of his new album.

Horsethieves & Bootleggers will steal your heart, a 16-track compilation hitting hard on common issues faced by Indigenous North Americans. Dedicated to all who came before him, Stylez credits his success to faith, family and commitment. He overcame the struggles faced by North American Indigenous youth and his journey serves as an inspiration.

“Finally” feat. Lancelot Knight is an anthem of hope for persevering artists. “At the end of the day, I’m gonna leave my mark on this place,” Stylez declares in the optimistic new track with a little bit of rap and a little bit of rockabilly.

Sydney Mae is an award-winning pop/adult pop recording and performing artist based in Toronto. She has been recognized internationally for her gift of superior storytelling and room-silencing vocals that draw you in to see the world through her eyes. Mae’s debut release, “Feet First” (2021), generated 245,000+ streams, and was the #1 most played song on Stingray Music’s Pop Adult channel. 

Her new single, “Not the Only One,” was co-written with Nancy Laberge and is inspired by multiple experiences of outgrowing significantly one-sided relationships. It was written at a time when Mae was sadly validating and supporting others’ experiences without the reciprocation or recognition of my own. Within this particular relationship, it was realized that because of her focus on them, she wasn’t allowing her feelings to have the attention they needed to resolve naturally. 

Toowoomba based Pop Rock artist Machine On A Break has just released her extremely emotive debut EP called ‘Afraid Of The Dark’, which was premiered via Hysteria Mag.

‘Afraid Of The Dark’ is a collection of hard-hitting tracks that explore the inner world of Machine On A Break, covering themes such as domestic violence, mental health struggles and personal liberation. 

A delicate bird in a fiery cage, Machine On A Break (AKA Jessie Wilson) is equal parts fragile and fierce. She is exploring the catharsis of songwriting throughout the brightest and darkest of times and hopes that her storytelling can help others struggling through mental health issues.

She released her debut single ‘Avocado Toast’ at the beginning of 2022. She then followed-up the release with several more bangers called ‘Kindly Step Aside’,
‘Things That Go Bump’, ‘Til The End’ and ‘Magic Pill’.

Each release showcased a different side of Machine On A Break and put her name on the map, receiving positive coverage from AAA Backstage, Australian Music Scene and many more. Her releases have since gained airplay on radio stations all over the globe.

Debut EP ‘Afraid Of The Dark’ is available on all major online stores and streaming services.
“It’s an angsty whirlwind but Jessie’s in control of all the debris flying around this epic emotional storm.”
Dave Ruby Howe – Triple J 

Ryan Hicks is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from Regina, Saskatchewan. He cites Ron Sexsmith, Father John Misty, and David Bowie as influences for his melodic, cinematic, alt-pop music; as if Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, and Fleet Foxes made music for David Lynch.

In anticipation of his fourth studio album, Experience, dropping on March 24th, Hicks shares a message of hope: “My dream is that like the kaleidoscope, all people can come together and see how beautiful the world is with all of our differences together.

His lush new single “Kaleidoscope” captures the spirit of peace and love in the ‘60s/‘70s, while sounding fresh and contemporary with its distinctive melody. The drum pattern of the verses sets up the satisfying and powerful chorus.

The psychedelic video evokes wonder and beauty, an affectionate nod to flower power.

The Weather Holds is the latest project and supergroup formed by Montreal-based producer and composer Devon Bate whose career is rife with secret contributions to contemporary Canadian music, theatre, and dance. As the producer behind JUNO Award and Polaris Prize winning albums for artists such as Jeremy Dutcher and Jean-Michel Blais, Devon has built friendships and relationships that have shaped his compositional voice. The Weather Holds is fundamentally about recognizing those connections, bringing disparate worlds of Canadian indie and contemporary classical music together, grounded in prairie soil and nourished with a Montrealaise spirit of experimentation.

New single, “It Feels So Strange,” is about what it feels like to age, but also laughs at the seriousness of those feelings. These tectonic inner transformations and the profound feelings of conviction as a younger person – Devon is singing to their validity, but with a warmth and humour he couldn’t have had while in the thick of them. 

Seven-piece outfit Augusta debuted on Toronto’s rock scene last year with the release of their debut single, “Little Birds.” Officially added to Sportsnet’s rotation, you can hear “Little Birds” weekly on the channel’s Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts. The group have since been hard at work on their debut EP, and are excited to share another offering.

“Better Off” was written during Augusta’s first band retreat. Leading members Joe Dent, Zach Stuckey and August Jones went to the latter’s cottage to write music from scratch together for the first time. This is the first of four songs to be released from that session. It is also the first song to be released that was recorded from start to finish in August’s bedroom.

Bill Majoros aka The Foreign Films is an award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist. Deeply fascinated by the musical alchemy of the past and the present, he creates retro-futurism: sparkling melodies that dream of tomorrow. 

Imagine yourself as a ghost floating away from this earthly life. Free from everything yet forever tethered to your memories. That’s the premise of “Perfect Future” from new full-length album, Magic Shadows.

Sparked by the magical realism of The Twilight Zone (1959), “Perfect Future” is reminiscent of a lost summer deep in the memory. The nostalgic and dreamy pop track conjures up hazy imagery of summer twilight.

The Halifax synth-pop duo, Smaller Hearts, began as a game. Kristina Parlee and Ron Bates tore up a bunch of pieces of paper, and on each they wrote a word that could describe a song: slow, fast, quiet, loud, odd time signature, with or without certain instruments, et cetera. Then they’d mix the paper all up in a bowl and pull out a few. The results were treated as instructions: the corresponding song would be written and recorded to the random spec of the draw.

When Smaller Hearts first started, Parlee and Bates enforced a firm rule of no guitars allowed, as an effort to get out of their comfort zone. They stuck to this through three albums, but eventually this rule that was initially liberating had become a limitation. The synths are still at the forefront, but by permitting their earlier punk and indie rock styles to influence their current interests, Smaller Hearts believes that this song is one of the truest expressions of the sounds they love.

This song is partly about trying to escape reality by sleeping and dreaming—but also about the limits of that approach. Sleeping through your problems can feel like a relief; but at some point you might notice that you’re accidentally escaping a lot of good stuff as well as bad. Parlee and Bates wanted it to feel dreamy and optimistic, but tinged with melancholy. There’s a cloud of background noise throughout that frames the sunnier guitar melody and vocal harmonies—the hope is that it reflects the moment of pleasant confusion you feel upon waking from a hopeful dream.

Escape reality with Smaller Hearts with their new song, “Sleeper Agent”out Jan 27th‘