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Kayla DiVenere Explores the Stresses of Dating Through Dark Humour in “PSYCHOPATH”

Eric Alper
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Kayla DiVenere Explores the Stresses of Dating Through Dark Humour in “PSYCHOPATH”

Sometimes having a string of fleeting romances in our teen years makes it easy to feel like there might be something wrong if we can’t settle on one person… Canadian pop artist Kayla DiVenere confesses to these feelings, and more, in her alternatingly depressed-then-exuberant new single, “PSYCHOPATH” — available now.

Kicking off with a dark and heavy bassline that’s somehow both goth and grunge-y all at once, the pace picks up and the Montreal-born, Los Angeles-based dynamo’s song quickly turns into a danceable pop-punk earworm.

“Why do I keep stopping
Before it starts
I jump to the end
Like you already broke my heart”

Soon, the narrator asks herself: “Am I a psycho, psychopath / What’s wrong with me, I’m scared to ask.”

Another simpler explanation, however, soon arrives in the second chorus: “Boys are dumb.”

And we suddenly get the full picture of the teen type of angst that knows no particular generation….

“PSYCHOPATH was born through my experience with dating as a Gen Z teen,” DiVenere shares. “I always love to be really open and honest about what I go through in my songs, hoping that others will relate to it or at least laugh at how wacky my thoughts are.”

Revealing relationship rifts that all humans navigate, no matter the age, and no matter how evolved or mature the person is, “PSYCHOPATH’ portrays a romantic self-defense mechanism of ending things before they start, a form of preservation against a broken heart,” DiVenere continues. “The song is intended to show the listener that nothing is wrong with them, that it’s okay, and they are not alone in their fears of not understanding themselves.”

Well-known for her roles on hit shows such as “Law & Order”, Hulu’s “Love Victor,” and Hulu’s “Light as a Feather” — not to mention feature films such as “Under the Silver Lake” — Kayla DiVenere is a teenager enjoying incredible success in her budding music career since bursting onto the scene in 2018 with her debut, “Youth.”

At more than 1+ million streams across Spotify alone, the songstress is making an indelible mark on the industry with her innate talent, songwriting ability, acting and showmanship. Her last single, “Justin Bieber,” about teenage fandom, garnered 1.5 million views on YouTube, and her star just keeps on rising.

Platinum- & Gold-Awarded Canadian Producer & Singer/Songwriter Peter Karroll Releases “Coming Home” For The Vets

Eric Alper
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Platinum- & Gold-Awarded Canadian Producer & Singer/Songwriter Peter Karroll Releases “Coming Home” For The Vets

Inspired by his father’s experiences in WWII, and dedicated to those who fought alongside him for freedom, Platinum- and Gold-awarded Canadian producer, writer, and singer/songwriter Peter Karroll releases the poignant new song, “Coming Home” — available now.

The title track from Karroll’s forthcoming album of the same name, the song shines a beacon of gratitude on veterans, both those who perished during battle and who came home, able to share hard tales with their sons and daughters — something his own father did with him.

“When my brothers and I would come in late at night after our band played, our father would typically be up reading,” Karroll recalls of Edward John Karroll (1922 – 1984). “He would welcome us home, and clearly loved the company of his sons. And on many of these nights, he would tell us about his experiences in World War 2.

“He was one of the first 150 commandos trained in Canada and loaned to the British at the start of the war,” Karroll continues. “His stories spanned the European and North African campaigns, and these stories became the emotional fabric and background for the upbringing of my eight siblings and I.”

It would also serve as a foundation for Peter Karroll’s creative quest of his own; a true storyteller reminiscent of a bygone era of songwriters, he began his professional music career at age 12, singing and playing guitar in country halls and school gyms across the northern Alberta Peace River Country.

From there, it was a long and dusty trail filled with a million stories in the making; from touring on the backroads, to winding his way onto the international scene with major concert stages around the globe, Karroll’s robust career has resulted in chart-topping successes, including #1 on the Billboard Canada’s Top 100, and a multitude of awards and accolades as a music manager, indie-label owner, producer, songwriter, concert musician, and video director.

To that latter talent, the video for “Coming Home” was directed and produced by Karroll, in addition to the song’s writing, production, and performance. The video was edited by Doug Fury Inc, and the song — as well as the forthcoming album, Coming Home — are offered via Her Royal Majesty’s Entertainment and iGen Ventures Corp.

“‘Coming Home’ is dedicated to all of the men and women who paid the ultimate price, and gave their lives for the freedom of generations to follow,” Karroll says. “It’s also dedicated to the veterans who fought, and came home to tell their stories.

“Shall we never forget their sacrifice.”

“Coming Home” is available now.

Toronto Folk Rockers The Honeyrunners Ask “What Are You Scared Of?” in New Single

Eric Alper
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Toronto Folk Rockers The Honeyrunners Ask “What Are You Scared Of?” in New Single

Toronto folk rockers The Honeyrunners set the scene ablaze, asking “What Are You Scared Of?” with the release of their new single and debut LP, Everything Is On Fire — available now via Gypsy Soul Records / Warner Music Canada / FUGA / Proper Music Group.

The band’s new nine-song full-length aims to disrobe our culture of apathy — a sentiment that everything is always on fire, with nothing to do but watch. The chorus of the title track sums up the band’s approach to art: ‘Let it burn. It’s the ashes that I admire.’

Written and composed by the band’s pianist and lead singer Dan Dwoskin and engineer, producer, bassist and vocalist Guillermo Subauste, Everything Is On Fire is a response to a public outpouring of anxiety and depression. The record was born of late nights and long drives; a tapestry of rhythm and melody, underpinned by desperate optimism and a stark reminder of why your presence is needed in times like these.

After a year and a half of challenges in a broken music industry, the two musicians are well-acquainted with these feelings (as are most artists, to some extent), yet they are also acquainted with self-reinvention (as are most artists). The process was cathartic — writing and recording songs for people who need to feel they are not alone in this heaviness, surrounded by a world full of apathy.

“We write songs for the times we need them,” pianist and lead singer Dan Dwoskin notes when asked about the insomnia-fueled lyrics of the album. For him, “this record was born of the love, fear, and insecurity of being a new Father.”

“We anchored tracks with a New Orleans sensibility, using pocket rhythms, countless styles of keys, and punchy horns to bring the songs to life,” Subauste says. “The cherry is a quilt of guitar hooks, a choir’s worth of harmonies, and a soulful lead vocal by Dan.”

It feels like home; there is no coincidence that the band toured to New Orleans in January 2020, showcasing at Folk Alliance International, with the entire industry coming to a standstill shortly after.

“The music on Everything Is On Fire was years in the making, honed during a gap between the original Honeyrunners roster and a new lineup of musicians joining the band between 2018 and 2020,” Dwoskin continues. “We started with 25 songs and trimmed it down to nine, crafting a front-to-back listen with a potent story.”

The four-piece Toronto group (toting 11 members for larger shows) is fronted by Ottawa-born songwriter Dan Dwoskin (keys, lead vocals) and Canadian-Peruvian multi-instrumentalist, engineer, and producer, Guillermo Subauste (bass, vocals). Newer additions to the lineup include the soulful Conor Gains (electric guitar, vocals) and Toronto-born drummer and filmmaker, Lewis Spring (drums, percussion, vocals).

Recording at Subauste’s Pacha Sound studio in Toronto was a blessing for the band, taking the time to fine-tune their new sound, a melting pot of folk, pop, rock, blues, and soul-Americana to the discerning Radio DJ.

Self-produced by Subauste and Dwoskin, the band enlisted a slew of local Toronto talent for the album; Carleigh Aikins (Bahamas, Paper Bird), Haig Beylerian, Marcus Bucci, Meg Contini (The O’Pears, Dwayne Gretzky), Tom Ionescu (Jane’s Party, Whitney Rose), Bruce Mackinnon, Samantha Martin, Tom Moffett (Arkells, Bedouin Soundclash), Andrew Moljgun, Champagne James (Lindi Ortega, Lydia Persaud), and Micah Sky.

The Honeyrunners are a Northern take on Southern Americana – hot-blooded and rife with the poetry of heartache. Their energy is contagious on stage and on record; as are their stories. Their music suits fans of bands like The Lumineers, Bahamas, Alabama Shakes, Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Leon Bridges, to name a few influences.

The Honeyrunners have toured North America coast-to-coast, fueled by early commercial success with song placements on ads by Coca-Cola and Bacardi. Singles from the band’s earlier releases, EP I (2013) and EP II (2014) have garnered heavy play on hundreds of Canadian and US college radio stations, paving the road for live appearances on national television, music festivals, breweries, club circuits, and Nashville-style backyard BBQ’s alike (a band favourite). They have been lucky to share stages with friends and mentors, including The Sadies, The Trews, The Beaches, Philip Sayce, Nick Waterhouse, King Khan, U.S.S., Grapes of Wrath, Skye Wallace and many more.

“What Are You Scared Of?” and Everything Is On Fire are available now.

Folk-Rockers THE ALL CANADIAN SOUNDCLASH Releases Blistering “She Won’t Play Your Game”

Eric Alper
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Folk-Rockers THE ALL CANADIAN SOUNDCLASH Releases Blistering “She Won’t Play Your Game”

Folk-rock outfit The All Canadian Soundclash brings the heat with their blistering new single “She Won’t Play Your Game” — available now.

The first single from the debut album, Better Late Than Never, the song is an uptempo number teeming with electricity that surges start to finish; the relentless energy of “She Won’t Play Your Game” is seamlessly intertwined with the positivity in the message.

A story of soulmates and the commitment that is shared between them take center stage in this supercharged love song; “She Won’t Play Your Game” is also a clear message that fate isn’t kind to those who take their partners for granted.

Inspired by the ‘60s and ‘70s arthouse films of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the music video for “She Won’t Play Your Game” is meant to fuse strong visuals with the complex nature of loving relationships. Beautifully shot on the banks of the Ottawa river, an intimate portrait of companionship is captured through the unbreakable bond of the video’s two stars; the founder of The All Canadian Soundclash Andrew Michelin, and his wife, Julie. Much like Lennon and Ono, the real-life partnership assisted in achieving a more authentic feel to the project.

The long-awaited debut album by The All Canadian Soundclash, Better Late Than Never, was meticulously composed alongside award-winning producer and musician Dale Murray. Murray is the nephew of iconic Canadian singer/songwriter Anne Murray. He brings his expertise to the album, having played with some of the biggest Canadian acts like Buck 65, Joel Plaskett and Matt Mays. Rounding out the band is Jordi Comstock, who keeps the band in time with his thunderous drumming.

The All Canadian Soundclash is based in Ottawa, Canada, and is the creation of Michelin whose songwriting lineage can be traced back to his grandfather. Michelin’s grandfather was one of the last generations of Indigenous trappers that traded with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Trappers would often write songs while isolated in the Canadian wilderness for fun. The connection Michelin has to his family history is indicative of the authenticity that he employs in his art and life.

The All Canadian Soundclash’s new single “She Won’t Play Your Game” from their debut album Better Late Than Never is available now.

Carlo Capobianco Worships at the Altar of Love in Sultry “Pray To You”

Eric Alper
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Carlo Capobianco Worships at the Altar of Love in Sultry “Pray To You”

Canadian pop singer/songwriter Carlo Capobianco is down on his knees, worshiping at the altar of an amorous lust so intense, it’s inspired a new single in “Pray To You” — available now.

“This song was a concept I had imagined several years ago,” the Winnipeg, Manitoba-based artist shares. “I was in the depths of a heartbreak, and the person I felt closest to almost felt as far away.

“I ended up having them spiral in my head forever, and I really did feel as if I had a sense of devotion to this person.”

That reverence ultimately spun the yarn that’s become a synth-infused, dance-floor bop, as well as set a solid foundation for Capobianco’s forthcoming album of the same name; the seven-song strong EP is centralized around themes of love lost, loneliness and unrequited love. For Capobianco, it is his life’s work linked together on a cohesive passion project.

“Lyrically, I wanted to make sure that all of my stories somehow connected together,” Capobianco says of the record. “I was sure to keep a consistent theme of production throughout the album — not allowing it to tip too closely to the 80s, or too closely to modernity.

“That said, the 80s were definitely the biggest influence on ‘Pray To You’…”

He admits seeking a producer for the title song proved more difficult than originally thought. For Capobianco, it was the juxtaposition of desire, yet finding freedom in loneliness that was the hardest to parlay to a studio. Luckily for him, Adam Fuhr of House of Wonders studio (Winnipeg, Manitoba) was able to understand the assignment completely; together, the pair masterminded “Pray To You.”

“I shopped the lyrics for a year, and found no one,” Capobianco reveals. “Everyone had turned the song upside down, and couldn’t nail the lonely, yet freeing idea of the song; it was either tacky pop or unfamiliar trap influenced instrumentals. None of it was me.

“By this time, even my own idea of the song changed,” he continues. “Before, it was a slower, piano based idea, and eventually it turned into a darker dance-track.”

The final result is a Bowie-esque, Modern English inverted Smiths, revved up Weeknd meets Ed Sheerhan anthem. It’s sexy, and electric. The lyrics drip off every word of Capobianco’s deep-end vox. It’s the back couch of a dimly lit bar, fumbling in the darkness. It’s the permission to give into wants. It’s the command to move fluidly above and below the sheets. “Honey, don’t you see? I’m down onto my knees,” Capobianco practically moans over the melody.

The subsequent music video for “Pray To You” was filmed shortly after songwriting officially wrapped. Featuring laser lights, a sultry Capobianco daring you to join him on the dancefloor, the video surmises everything we’ve earned off the track. Where the verse seduces you, it’s the hook in the chorus that holds you captive.

And it will take more than a prayer to break free.

Adele’s “Easy On Me” Isolated Vocals

Eric Alper
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Adele’s “Easy On Me” Isolated Vocals

Adele’s “Easy on Me” broke the Spotify and Amazon Music records for the most streams for a song in a day or a week. It topped the charts in 26 countries, including the United Kingdom, and United States, marking Adele’s third and fifth chart toppers in the respective territories, and reached the top 10 in 36 countries.

Isaac Asimov Predicts the Future on The David Letterman Show in 1980

Eric Alper
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Isaac Asimov Predicts the Future on The David Letterman Show in 1980

Isaac Asimov appears on David Letterman’s first talk show before moving to his late-night slot for NBC, and asks Isaac Asimov to predict the future. Asimov would go on to make a few more predictions in 1983 that were just as accurate.

Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard Announce Tour Dates For 2022

Eric Alper
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Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard Announce Tour Dates For 2022

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova will be performing their first shows together in over a decade next March to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the film ONCE. These select dates will highlight songs from The Swell Season and Once as well as their individual careers.

As announced by Variety “The pair came to prominence starring in the 2007 film Once and winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song with their composition “Falling Slowly” in 2008. Their collaboration continued as The Swell Season, who released the critically acclaimed album Strict Joy in 2009 via ANTI-. The two branched out into solo careers in 2011, though their legacy as a duo has continued to grow.”

Since their last appearance together both Markéta and Glen have kept themselves busy. Markéta has released three longform singles in the last two years – “Mother”, ”Among the Living”, and ”Quintessence” – and has a new full length album planned for 2022. She just released a video/short film for the song “Among the Living”, which was filmed in and around her home in Iceland. Glen most recently collaborated with Cat Power and Eddie Vedder on the soundtrack for the film Flag Day, released in August of this year. Glen also performed as part of Eddie’s new band The Earthlings at the 2021 Ohana Festival. He is also preparing new music for 2022.

Over the course of the last decade, Once has become a classic and a cultural touchstone being referenced in everything from The Simpsons to, most recently, Ted Lasso. The musical is a favorite to be staged by high schools and colleges everywhere with “Falling Slowly” earning a spot as a seasonal favorite for shows like The Voice and American Idol.

Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard 2022 Tour Dates:
Fri 3/11 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theater
Sat 3/12 – Chicago, IL – Cadillac Palace Theatre
Mon 3/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Cultural Campus
Tue 3/15 – Boston, MA – Emerson Theatre
Thu 3/17 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
Fri 3/18 – Washington DC – The Anthem

What Paul McCartney and John Lennon Talked About in Their Last Conversation

Eric Alper
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What Paul McCartney and John Lennon Talked About in Their Last Conversation

Paul McCartney describes to Howard Stern bonding over baking bread during his last conversation with ex-bandmate John Lennon.

My Next Read: “Good Pop, Bad Pop” by Jarvis Cocker

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “Good Pop, Bad Pop” by Jarvis Cocker

What if the things we keep hidden say more about us than those we put on display?

We all have a random collection of the things that made us – photos, tickets, clothes, souvenirs, stuffed in a box, packed in a suitcase, crammed into a drawer. When Jarvis Cocker starts clearing out his loft, he finds a jumble of objects that catalogue his story and ask him some awkward questions:

Who do you think you are?

Are clothes important?

Why are there so many pairs of broken glasses up here?

From a Gold Star polycotton shirt to a pack of Wrigley’s Extra, from his teenage attempts to write songs to the Sexy Laughs Fantastic Dirty Joke Book, his upcoming book Good Pop, Bad Pop – released on May 26, 2022 – is the hard evidence of Jarvis’s unique life, Pulp, 20th century pop culture, the good times and the mistakes he’d rather forget. And this accumulated debris of a lifetime reveals his creative process – writing and musicianship, performance and ambition, style and stagecraft.

This is not a life story. It’s a loft story.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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