Adrienne Nye’s single “I Need the Light” focuses on the metaphorical (and physical) journey of seasons, particularly dreary winter spells. The single grabs the listener’s attention with crescendoing drum synth pads. The song off her upcoming EP, These Winter Skies, out now, and the 5-song EP comes out April 27.
The lead single from the project lays out a catchy rhythm with syncopated snaps and staccato keys. Adrienne’s steady vocals drive through the percussive backdrop, previewing the talent on These Winter Skies.
Around the two-minute mark, Adrienne’s vocals dissolve into a showcase of her newly realized electronic production skills, courtesy of producer Cody Taylor at Fiend Recordings Trickling synth backs her powerhouse lyrics as she croons about self-love and acceptance.
“The song is actually about a relationship I found myself in at the time that really wasn’t working. In a lot of ways, this relationship had me feeling ‘left out in the cold’ figuratively,” Adrienne mentioned she stripped down and reworked the production of the song, but the lyrics for this tune poured out of her with ease.
“One little snowflake on my tongue
There for a second, then gone
And underneath these winter skies
Stripped naked, there’s nowhere to hide
I’ll pull the stars down from the night
‘cause I need the light,” Adrienne sings.
The impermanence of snow parallels the uncertainty of love in life. The ebb and flow of relationships.
“Love is often so temporary. Like a snowflake that melts on your tongue, every person you fall for is unique, one of a kind, and often gone in the blink of an eye, leaving you feeling raw and grieving in some ways,” she added.
For Adrienne, this single represents the positivity one can gain from internal reflection. When she finds herself in a pickle or with an issue, she looks to nature for guidance. “I often look to the sky when I need to connect to something bigger than my ego. It humbles me and brings me back down to earth with a little more perspective.”
The album spans the theme of nature, as well. Adrienne said nature helps her make sense of the strangeness that is this thing called life.
“Nature brings me back to simplicity. To simple truths about the world.”
According to the multi-faceted singer, These Winter Skies is a “hopeful and uplifting” foray into the human condition. An exploration of what it means to fully exist. How to navigate life, love, pain, and ultimately, accept yourself.
A musician’s influence can be incredibly apparent in their sound, but Albuquerque, New Mexico singer-songwriter Kàsh Mojo takes it one step further with a live electric cover of Sparklehorse’s 1999 live at Leeds indie clanger “Cow.”
From Mojo’s debut album Buried or Replaced, he adds to Sparklehorse’s alluring dark landscapes, created in the original version of “Cow,” with his baritone voice building on the song’s already haunting lyrics with an addition of harmonious electric guitars.
The song builds with the listener being introduced to Mojo’s post-rock universe as it reaches a slow crescendo of emotions and brooding visions. Backed by a group of musicians from Austin, Texas, Mojo breathes new life into an indie classic.
Mojo became obsessed with Sparklehorse after band leader Mark Linkous’ suicide in 2010. He found that Linkous sometimes hid his lyrics behind different effects such as purposely singing into poor quality microphones for effect.
When Mojo went to cut the album Buried or Replaced, he brought in “Cow” to cover because he felt like it embodied the mood and scene he wanted on the record. And Mojo achieves it with the reimagined electric version that brings the haunting lyrics to the forefront.
For this single, Mojo is backed by an all-star crew from Austin, Texas, including members of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. The song was produced by Bryan Ray (Lonely Child) and Grammy Award winning engineer Stuart Sikes (Loretta Lynn, The White Stripes, Modest Mouse). “Cow” is a follow-up single to Mojo’s first song, “Galveston Gone,” off the album Buried or Replaced to be released in 2023.
Mojo’s debut single “Galveston Gone” was released in 2022. It tells the tale of another pensive songwriter, Townes Van Zandt. The booming baritone voice of Mojo croons themes of love, opportunities, and memories lost in Townes’ tumultuous life. A catchy bassline and scorching baritone saxophone and guitar solos builds a signature sound for Mojo that is unique but also familiar.
The truth is out there – it just depends on where you look for it. If you’re searching for the answers to some serious questions about the world we live in today, then look no further than “Newspaper Man”, the newly released single by the talented rocker Scot Sier.
Sier sets the tone on his new track with a variety of fast-paced heavy guitar riffs that electrify your musical senses as he begins to tell the story of “Newspaper Man.”
“Newspaper Man on the corner.
I still don’t know your name.
I see your face on the front page.
You look the same.”
The Gary, Indiana native dives deep into the world of politics and societal injustices by pointing out that people who have worldly experience can decipher what they see and read in the news. This is all so clear when listening to the powerful chorus:
Eight quarters and a dollar.
Get your news hot off the press.
Delivered by a man with fifty years experience.
I can tell you anything about the news.
You need to know.
Current events, politics.
And those who’ve turned their toes.
Freedom of speech, human rights issues, and equality for all are the underlying themes on not only this new single, but prominent throughout his 2nd full-length, 8-song LP, “Space and Other Things” – also available now. The guitarist, and singer-songwriter gives us the meaning behind his new album by saying, “The goal of the new album is to showcase songs that serve a higher purpose fueled by my concerns over free speech, human rights abuse, rising inequality, and climate change.” Sier further explains, “I wrote and produced each song to deliver universal messages that I hope will bring people together to create a more enlightened world through meaningful change.”
The multi-talented and creative classical rock veteran collaborated with a host of acclaimed Los Angeles musicians on the new ambitious “Space and Other Things” album, including the likes of Chris Chaney, Aaron Sterling, and mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer, Michael Patterson.
Sier began his career as a child classical violin prodigy, following the long line of family musicians from the industrial city of Gary, Indiana. With an extensive library of hundreds of songs, his mission is to challenge the status quo through his unique guitar style and poetic lyricism.
Lisa Hartt’s new EP, “Arrival,” is a deeply personal and heartfelt collection of songs that has been 40 years in the making. The second single, “Tell the Truth,” is out now.
Lisa was born in Montreal but grew up in La Tuque and Dorval, Quebec. At the tender age of 10, she embarked on a long music career, taking her to many parts of the world, which included London and Cairo. During the 1960s and 1970s, Lisa toured extensively with various established musicians before returning to Canada, where she founded The Lisa Hartt Band. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Lisa explored multiple genres of music before eventually combining her vocal talents with world instruments and the ancient practice of reiki. As a result, she became a reiki master and developed her music into a holistic and transformative experience.
Lisa showcases her ability to lay every emotion on the table and tell a story that speaks to health, mindfulness, body, and spiritual themes. The single is a powerful anthem that encourages listeners to reject others’ attempts to dictate their emotions and to trust their inner voice. Through her music, Lisa reminds us to stay true to ourselves and to honour our feelings, no matter what others may say.
With her new EP, “Arrival,” Lisa Hartt has poured her heart and soul into a deeply personal and reflective musical journey. After settling in Port Credit, Ontario, Lisa took the time to reflect on 40 years of recovery and clean sobriety, drawing on her own experiences to create a collection of vulnerable and courageous tracks.
These songs had been floating around in Lisa’s mind for some time, but it wasn’t until the pandemic hit that she decided to record them. With the help of Chris Birkett, a multi-talented producer and musician from 2Mounties, Lisa brought her vision to life. She explored the many different genres that have influenced her over the years.
The vocals and acoustics were recorded in Lisa’s home studio, giving the EP a raw and intimate feel that captures the essence of her music. Lisa’s voice has undertones of Joni Mitchell, incredibly vibrant, drawing inspiration from this iconic woman to create something unique.
From gentle folk to groovy soul to the occasional hard rock, Lisa’s influences come together to create a backbone that runs right through “Arrival.” Each track tells a story, inviting listeners to join Lisa on a journey that is at once personal and universal. Lisa Hartt has created something extraordinary with this EP, and we are privileged to share her journey.
“Tell the Truth” is a song that reflects a hero’s journey, from the quest to the journey into despair and the plunge into the abyss, to finally emerging fresh and clear-eyed with the knowledge of the truth shining like a golden beacon. What sets this song apart is its upbeat feel, funky bass, driving chorus, and smooth breakdown.
The lively, joyful sounds, including the use of an accordion, give the song a happy-go-lucky vibe that almost makes you want to dance. The funky bass provides a groovy foundation for the music, creating a solid rhythm that drives the beat forward. The driving chorus is powerful and uplifting, with a catchy melody you cannot help but sing along with.
The calming breakdown contrasts with the energetic chorus, allowing the listener to catch their breath before diving back in.
Overall, “Tell the Truth” is a song that celebrates the journey of self-discovery and the peace that comes with it. With its upbeat feel, catchy melody, and soulful vocals, it’s a song you cannot help but feel good about.
Lisa Hartt opens her world here with her ‘Arrival’ EP. This recording is a new journey of Lisa’s life, and we will be hearing a lot more from the talented songwriter in years to come.
The second single, “Tell the Truth” is out now, while ‘Arrival’ is available early Spring 2023.
The entertainment world is filled with extraordinary stories of musical power-couples, but few match the beguiling true-life tale of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. Known as Canada’s reigning stars of Celtic music, the two musicians’ combined album sales exceed one million; they sell out performing arts centers across North America, and their enthusiastic traditional folk music loving fan base (which boasts Shania Twain and The Chieftains) stretches from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Sydney, Australia.
Their new album Canvas, the pair stretch the boundaries of Celtic folk, experimenting with global sounds combining their virtuosic fiddle playing with more contemporary production and innovative arrangements, incorporating new instrumentation and contributing musicians. Special guests include celebrated Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Grammy award winning Americana music/Appalachian banjo/fiddle player Rhiannon Giddens. Canvas follows the duo’s 2015 release One, their first recording together, won Instrumental Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and A Celtic Family Christmas, the best-selling seasonal album and concert tour currently on stage at performing arts centers across North America.
The entertainment world is filled with extraordinary stories of musical power-couples, but few match the beguiling true-life tale of Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. Known as Canada’s reigning stars of Celtic music, the two musicians’ combined album sales exceed one million; they sell out performing arts centers across North America, and their enthusiastic traditional folk music loving fan base (which boasts Shania Twain and The Chieftains) stretches from Sydney, Nova Scotia to Sydney, Australia.
Their new album Canvas, the pair stretch the boundaries of Celtic folk, experimenting with global sounds combining their virtuosic fiddle playing with more contemporary production and innovative arrangements, incorporating new instrumentation and contributing musicians. Special guests include celebrated Classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Grammy award winning Americana music/Appalachian banjo/fiddle player Rhiannon Giddens. Canvas follows the duo’s 2015 release One, their first recording together, won Instrumental Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, and A Celtic Family Christmas, the best selling seasonal album and concert tour currently on stage at performing arts centers across North America.
The reggae vibe of Suzanne Cook’s new single, “Red Wine and Red Roses,” evokes sunshine, warm weather, and falling in love on the beach. It’s a fusion of Britpop and Reggae, the London sound shaking hands with the Caribbean.
Written by the British singer’s guitarist and regular collaborator Tim Devereaux, it’s the second single from Cook’s upcoming album, Waking Dream.
Cook says “Red Wine and Red Roses” was originally written to be a heavy rock song, but inspiration struck as the crack band she and Devereaux had assembled in a London studio began talking about their mutual love of Bob Marley.
The new direction for the number took shape around a simple reggae rhythm on the guitar, and the new melody followed naturally. The rhythm is such a perfect match for the romantic lyrics that it’s nearly impossible to imagine the song done in any other style.
Over a masterful beat set by drummer Howard Tibble (Paul McCartney, Little Richard), percussionist Everett Bradley (Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen) and bassist Winston Blissett (Massive Attack, Boy George), Cook delivers a sultry performance, singing of a friendship turning into something more, something exciting, something fresh and new.
There’s a sense of anticipation, a yearning for that first kiss, that first embrace. Punctuated by a horn section, guitars from Devereaux and Pascal Glanville, and organ and keys from Charlie Giordano and producer Mark Plati, Cook paints a picture of days of easy-going frolic, turning into evenings filled with romance and, of course, red wine and red roses.
It’s a playful, joyous song, as Cook sings of the “promises when love is new”, waking up to “autumn’s sun in morning’s dew.”
You’ll want to uncork a bottle of red of your own, and enjoy the tune with someone special, perhaps in a room strewn with red rose petals.
Sometimes, the grind of everyday life can be overwhelming. When that happens, almost everyone has a place, thing, or person they turn to for a sense of comfort and peace.
Nigerian-born, Edmonton-based pop singer Osasioo conveys this yearning for comfort in his new single, “Home”. Written alongside his friend and manager Femi Sobaki, “Home” expresses the weariness and stress of everyday working people and how they cope.
With R&B influenced pop vocals that are reminiscent of Miguel’s sultriness mixed with Owl City’s down-to-earth whimsiness, Osasioo croons about the difficulty of getting by when everything seems to be going wrong.
“When familiar friends turn into foes
And these memories they seem to get old
Cuz when we have time there’s no money
And then there’s money there’s no time”
Osasioo wanted to make a song that everyone going through “the business of life” can relate to. Of the song’s inspiration, he says, “Femi and I share very common stories-we were both born and raised in Nigeria and moved to Edmonton in 2010 to continue our education. We wrote this song at a point in our lives when we felt homesick, and exhausted from the craziness of life and the pressures we faced.”
Besides the vocals and lyrics, a remarkable thing about “Home” is how it doesn’t refer to a specific thing that people call home. Instead, it is applied in a universal sense so that almost anyone can relate to the song.
Osasioo explains this further: “In order to make the song more relatable for everyone, we constructed the lyrics to make the word “Home” feel more than just a place- Home could be a person, a thing, a glass of wine, or even a hobby.”
“Home” is Osasioo’s second single after 2022’s “Gravity”, a gorgeous ballad that he intended to be “his future wedding song”. As with “Home”, “Gravity” was a collaborative effort, originally written in 2021 with Femi Sobaki as well as Canadian producer Ryan Stewart. The track was recorded in 2022 at Vancour at the same studio used by his peers Carly Ray Jepsen and Owl City.
Osasioo, aka Osas Igbinosun, became enamored with music when he picked up his brother’s guitar and taught himself songs from YouTube. At sixteen, he joined his local church’s worship team as a guitarist and singer. His musical influences include Vianney, Usher, and Ne-Yo.
“A Beautiful Darkness” is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Marc Meriläinen, the creative force also known as Nadjiwan, who has been recognized in many corners, including Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Native American Music Awards, the Indigenous Music Awards, along with invitations to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.
It is the second single off the upcoming Sultans of String album entitled Walking Through the Fire (Sept 22, 2023 release), the most ambitious and important project of their career, a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.
Referencing the title, Marc Meriläinen explains “We were just getting through COVID, and lockdowns, and of course, being in isolation… everyone had that feeling that this was an extra-long winter, because when we started COVID, it was still in the wintertime. And then, sure, we had spring and summer, but those seasons just blew right by, it seems. And we’re back in winter again, back into COVID.
“It seemed like everyone needed this refreshing break from the darkness that has engulfed our lives and forced us into this new way of living that we all had to adapt and adjust. But with each new night, or each night, there’s always a new day that comes. So the song is about breaking free from these barriers and these things that hold us down… or keep us maybe depressed or not feeling happy.”
Indeed, the chorus lifts the listener out of moody verses. “I always look into it as the chorus being the awakening of spring” Marc continues, “And then the light breaking through the darkness and reinvigorating our lives. And to steal Bruce Cockburn’s little quote from that song, “Gotta kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight.”
Sultans of String bandleader and violinist Chris McKhool, who was recently awarded the Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award from the JAYU Festival For Human Rights, is trying to transform the darkness in his own way. “We are creating this recording in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and Final Report that asks that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people work together as an opportunity to show a path forward. I am really excited about working with Marc because I am a super huge fan of his work, especially the incredible skills he learned during the pandemic, working with outer space screenscapes, that have made their way into the video for this song. He is one of many fantastic Indigenous artists on my playlist right now.”
When asked about the newfound popularity of Indigenous artists, Marc says: “Definitely we are seeing a Renaissance, if you will, with Indigenous culture, and artists, and entrepreneurs, and everything else. And it’s good to keep that ball rolling. And hopefully, this project keeps that ball rolling, which I’m sure it will. And that’s one of the big reasons why I signed on. And I love everything that you’re doing with the project, because this is a great way to build some of these bridges, as well as leaving the evening or a listener with a great selection of tunes.”
Marc likens a hesitancy for more collaborations to a high school dance. “Guys are on this side of the wall. And then on the other side, the girls are here. And everyone’s afraid to ask each other out to have a dance and then have a great time. I think it’s like that in the music community, like, ‘I’d like to work with this community, but I’m not sure what the protocol is. Or maybe they don’t want me there.’ But I’ll tell you, we love working, I mean, I can’t speak for all Indigenous people, but we love working with new music, and new artists, and people from all backgrounds and ethnicities and genres, because that’s what makes music exciting. And it’s all about promoting these cross collaborations that make it exciting for the audience as well.”
Studios were used throughout Ontario to record this track, including Marc recording his guitar and vocals at his own Meriläinen Music studio, Sultans co-founder Kevin Laliberté’s guitar tracks at his own studio, multiple fiddle overdubs with Grammy and JUNO Award winning John ‘Beetle’ Bailey in New Hamburg ON, and Sultans bed tracks recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton Ontario.
But the spiritual roots of the song may come from Northern Ontario. “My grandparents are Andrew Patrick and Isabel Nadjiwan. Cape Croker Chippewas of Nawash is the community.” says Marc. “Although my mother was born and raised in Wikwemikong First Nation, which is on Manitoulin Island. And there’s actually a street named after the family. If you go to Wiki, there’s Nadjiwan Lane, which the old family house used to be on. The house is no longer there, but the street is still there. So I grew up mainly in Thunder Bay in my early years. And Thunder Bay, they have a classic rock station. And then there’s all these cultural things. So it’s a large Indigenous population and Finnish population. So I remember in the summers going to different ceremonies and powwows. And in one ear I’d hear the sound of the powwow drum, the singing. But in the other ear from a car radio, I’d hear the classic rock station.
“So those two influences kind of stuck with me from, I think, when I was four or five. I didn’t know how to play the guitar. I had a fake guitar with rubber bands for strings. But I think that’s where I started working on the sound. There’s still definitely an Indigenous element there, but there’s also this classic rock sound as well. And how those two came together, it’s like the Reese peanut butter and the chocolate story, we’ll say.”
“Time takes its toll,” sings the 77-year-old Bruce Cockburn on the opening song, “On A Roll,” his 35th album, O Sun O Moon, out on May 12 via True North Records. “But in my soul / I’m on a roll.”
Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while earning high praise as a prolific, inspired songwriter and accomplished guitarist. He remains deeply respected for his activism and humanist song lyrics that thread throughout his career. On all his albums Cockburn has deftly captured the joy, pain, fear, and faith of human experience in song.
O Sun O Moon is his first vocal album since 2017’s Bone on Bone. It’s also only the third album Cockburn has released since writing his memoirs (2013’s widely acclaimed Rumours of Glory), after which he felt creatively spent. He doesn’t feel that way now. A lot has happened in the zeitgeist in the last six years, and the renowned singer-songwriter has plenty to talk about. While he addresses political calamity on “Orders,” and climate change on “To Keep the World We Know” (featuring popular Indigenous Canadian artist Susan Aglukark singing in Inuktitut), Cockburn largely focuses on spiritual connections, forgiveness, and love — in ways that perhaps only a performer of his experience can do. Except that Cockburn has always done that, from his 1970 debut onwards.
What will go wrong will go wrong
What will go right will go right
Push come to shove
It’s all about love
– From Push Comes To Shove, Words & Music by Bruce Cockburn
O Sun O Moon finds Cockburn again working with his close friend Colin Linden as producer, who doubles on guitar, along with Janice Powers on keyboards and Gary Craig on drums, the album features bassist Viktor Krauss, drummer Chris Brown, accordionist Jeff Taylor, violinist Jenny Scheinman and multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke. Cockburn’s guest vocalists include Shawn Colvin, Buddy Miller as well as mellifluous singers Allison Russell, Sarah Jarosz and Ann and Regina McCrary, daughters of gospel great Rev. Samuel McCrary, one of the founders of the Fairfield Four.
Bruce Cockburn has won 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada, among many other accolades. He has 22 gold and platinum records including a six-times platinum record for his Christmas album. Cockburn continues to tour internationally.
He’s on a roll.
Tracklisting
1. On a Roll 3:31
2. Orders 4:44
3. Push Come to Shove 4:12
4. Colin Went Down to the Water 4:41
5. Into the Now 4:15
6. Us All 4:40
7. To Keep the World We Know 3:30
8. King of the Bolero 5:24
9. When the Spirit Walks in the Room 4:15
10. Haiku 4:01
11. O Sun by Day O Moon by Night 3:50
12. When You Arrive 4:33
Sonia Aimy’s new single “TRACE” features mellow grooves, bright horns, smooth singalong vocals, and an overall vibe of joy and positivity. Its corresponding music video celebrates the beauty, diversity and history of Black Canadians with a montage of historical photos, as well as a celebration of the food, dress, and traditions that strengthen Black Canadians’ roots.
“TRACE,” an acronym for Tracing Rare African Canadian Extraordinaire, is the theme song Aimy wrote for a documentary of the same name, which she also directed and produced.
Called “The Velvety Voice of Africa,” beloved Nigerian vocalist Sonia Aimy is also an entrepreneur, actress, and activist with many humanitarian passion projects. Sonia’s life and work almost reads like an ongoing serendipitous conversation with the universe, with every song, album, and project steeped in altruistic purpose and the result of a refreshingly unpretentious self-reflexivity.
The documentary, out now, recognizes the work and efforts of seven Black Canadians in diverse sectors including business, entrepreneurial, academic, arts and culture, history and philanthropy, as well as front-line workers and more, all of whom have impacted the community with their great accomplishments.
The inspiration for the song comes from the TRACE project itself – the desire to discover true role models who do a lot for their community, but do not boast about their actions. The Afrobeat genre at its core follows a similar principle: allow the instrumentals to speak to the narrative, while the vocals are simply an added flourish.
“It inspired me to focus on the musical arrangement that will balance the TRACE beautiful narratives”, says Aimy.
Prior to filming TRACE and recording its theme song, Sonia released her post-pandemic album Reconnect, which exudes her signature dynamic sound – a blend of Afro-Jazz, Afrobeat, highlife, and elements of the African griot call-and-response tradition “in a string of easy flowing, yet virtuosic performances.”
