INsiders Guide: New Music and New Artists 10/18

Samuel Jack is a unique and emotive storyteller whose rugged soulful vocals command the room. Raised on Blues, Motown, soul and roots music, the London born singer spent his formative years in Johannesburg with his Father, a film director. The rich fabric of his childhood informs and oozes into the music he creates today which has been resonating with audiences across the globe.

His newest track ‘In My Head’ is a song inspired by Jack’s own experiences with mental health, a topic very close to his heart. The honest, open and very candid single exudes passionate vocals and compelling melodies. Considering himself somewhat of a ‘mental health survivor’ Jack has learnt how to successfully live with it, emerging stronger than ever before and even learning things about himself that he never realised. Jack confides, “For me, I struggled with depression and anxiety – and in my eyes, despite having a history of mental health issues in my family – I’m certain my issues were born through situation and subsequently has come to affect every aspect of my life. Romantic relationships, professional ones; it really took hold of me”.

The acclaimed singer spent years juggling two extremely high pressure and demanding careers. His work in hospitality, where he was immersed in high stress environments at Rosette and Michelin star kitchens was challenging alone; however, combining it with the exhausting lifestyle of a musician, self-funding records, self-promoting and touring across the nation, ultimately took its toll. Days and nights of this rigorous routine took him to boiling point, where he found himself thinking the only way to escape was to hurt himself.

The musician is speaking out now, publicly for the first time to shine a light on the importance of recognising and helping others with mental health issues, as it can happen to anyone at anytime. “Fuck the stigma. We’re not all crazy, we just struggle inside sometimes”, expresses Jack. ‘In My Head’ is the musician’s way of venting about his frustrations and hopes that it may be of comfort for others, reminding them that they are not alone and we are all in this together.

Samuel Jack’s career has found him performing at some of the world’s biggest festivals, landing multiple TV placements on shows such as Shameless and Nashville, as well as garnering acclaim from the likes of Clash, Music Week, Live Nation’s Ones To Watch and the BBC. He continues the next chapter of his fascinating journey with ‘In My Head’ currently available worldwide.

Italian singer-songwriter, Edo Ferragamo, releases his new single “Justice,” the third release from his upcoming album, The Edo Ferragamo Project – out February 2020. With “Justice” Edo Ferragamo explores the emotions behind a long-distance relationship through this sexy, stirring and atmospheric track. “Justice’s” paired-down composition, electronic influences, and slower tempo makes this release stand apart from his previous two singles, “Common People” and “That’s the Way”.

Reflecting on the creation of “Justice”, Edo Ferragamo says, “This song has been 3 years in the making. It was born in a very challenging personal moment when a lot was changing in my life. But the melody, vibe and lyrics have evolved into  a track that is even more meaningful for me today and something that I hope all of my fans can relate to.”

Born and raised in Florence, Italy, Edo Ferragamo picked up his mother’s guitar at age 12. He quickly fell in love with its chords and melodies, formed his first band at age 13 and by age 16 he became convinced that music would be his life. Chasing his dream of moving to America and immersing himself in the music scene that had inspired him throughout his childhood, Edo Ferragamo enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, to study guitar and music theory. After graduating, Edo moved to New York to pursue his solo career.

An avid performer, Edo Ferragamo has opened for the likes of Nile Rodgers at the Brooklyn Bowl, Fedez in Milan and Anastacia in Rome and Turin. This summer, he completed his first tour, performing at the Home Festival in Venice (which featured headlining acts such as Young Thug, Aphex Twin, Paul Kalkbrenner, and Pusha T),  the Oltre Festival in Bologna, Nammos Mykonos as a special guest of Amr Diab & Antonis Remos, and at Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence. Edo Ferragamo also regularly performs in New York at venues including the Bowery Electric, the Mercury Lounge, and Gospel.

Last year, Edo began developing his eponymous, debut album, The Edo Ferragamo Project, teaming up with American DJ/Producer Gazzo (Billie Eilish, Steve Aoki, Maejor, Lindsay Stirling, Mike Shinoda, Tom Morello, Desiigner) and Italian Producer Roberto Baldi (Sting, Depeche Mode, Giorgio Moroder, Robert Palmer, Club Dogo, Carmen Consoli).

Comprised of 8 original tracks, The Edo Ferragamo Project was inspired by the past two years of Edo’s life. He balances a variety of emotional moments through each song, expressing heartbreak, loss, joy, fulfillment, and redemption. Edo released the first single off the record, “Common People” earlier in 2019 and the single has gone on to amass over 160k streams on Spotify. He preceded the single with “That’s The Way”, a high-energy pop track featuring a strong guitar riff and heavy beats. The single has also become his most streamed single, with over 170k streams.

Today, Edo Ferragamo introduces another electrifying track with “Justice”, the single will be followed by a live music video coming soon.

Lucy & La Mer is the LA-based indie project of singer/songwriter Lucy LaForge. Known for her bright melodies and disarming lyrics, Lucy wrote her debut EP Little Spoon while living aboard a sailboat after a bad breakup. The folk pop EP charted on College Radio in 2015, followed by a national tour and 2 semi-finalist spots in the International Songwriter Contest. After landing in LA, Lucy began performing live with a full band and caught the attention of major press like the LA Times. Lead by Lucy’s welcoming stage presence and unmistakable attire (the band wears colorful bowties and decorates the stage), their live shows have gained attention for their interactive audience participation and focus on community activism. They’ve hosted fundraising concerts for LA’s LGBT Center (the “Love is Gay” event) and shocked their crowd at Lucy’s Locks of Love benefit when Lucy cut 15-inches of her hair off on stage to be donated to the cause. Lucy’s new EP I Feel Better Now, which includes highly acclaimed singles ‘Blue Dress’ and ‘Discover’, narrates the importance of empowering yourself through positive thoughts and intentional belief. The infectious feel-good folk pop record covers themes such as discovering one’s bisexuality, simplifying complicated feelings as well as self appreciation, confidence and sense of community. 

Lucy has garnered acclaim from the likes of Billboard, Huffington Post, Refinery 29 and Earmilk to name a few. The songstress has shared the stage with everyone from electronic artist Moby, folk sirens Joseph, to emo rockers Bayside. She is endorsed by Kala Brand Ukuleles and stays close to her fans by live-streaming every weekend on the band’s facebook page. Her message is about positive self-belief, self-care, and honest self-expression.I Feel Better Now is currently available worldwide.

(Photo Credit: Lauren Naylo)

It’s hard to imagine Noël Wells was at a crossroads given her previous successes. In the years prior to now, she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, the inimitable Rachel on Master of None, and the writer, director, and star of the award-winning indie feature film Mr. Roosevelt which continues to garner fans in the streaming space. After juggling roles in the worlds of comedy, television, and film, Wells never let her creativity or ambition pause. Which explains why now, with her debut album It’s So Nice, an 11 song LP that cinches Wells’ as not just a talent to watch, but a multihyphenate artist finding her voice.

“It kind of came as a surprise,” she says, referring to the songs that would eventually make up the 11 song LP. While Wells participated in band in middle school, and considered herself relatively musical, she had never actively entertained a career in music. But after experiencing an emotionally volatile 2016, including career frustrations, a breakup, and the national tumult that surrounded the election, she found herself writing poems to cope, and after buying a guitar and taking lessons, she eventually started writing songs. “They were just pouring out of me. I have always been somewhat of a songbird, but when I would sing it felt like I was imitating someone else, and so I never pursued it. Out of all this heartache I suddenly found I was singing in what felt like my real voice, there was no pretense, there was no filter. I felt almost possessed, like I had to get them out.” She spent the next year polishing the songs, taking guitar lessons, and eventually looking for collaborators to help her record. “I knew the songwriting was really good, and the songs were saying things I wanted to say much better than if I just said them. I wanted to do them justice.”

It’s So Nice is an engaging catchy song experience that saunters through a diverse set of folk pop songs, country ballads, and bonafide indie rock earworms. While beautifully and tastefully produced, what’s most striking is the songwriting. At times deceptively simple, the tightly composed lyrics are filled with timeless aphoristic one- liners, sometimes serious, sometimes political, sometimes lighthearted and witty, akin to songwriters like John Lennon (Sunrise) or Tom Petty (Brighter Day), both whom Wells’ cautiously sites as influences. Under the guise of her playful persona, she deftly and poetically addresses the very confusion, patronization, and heartbreak that got her behind the guitar in the first place. “It’s easy to blame your unhappiness on something outside of you, the world is messed up. And I am totally aware and can make fun of myself about how many songs there are about being a woman on this record, but I really was going through it man. Like, oh wait, maybe life is hard not because there’s something I am doing wrong. Maybe it’s hard because culturally we really have this deep hatred of women, all of us. But then again, who is responsible for making me feel better? And I realized, at the end of the day, what if most of my woes really stem from how much I really don’t like myself? It’s a floodgate that had to be reckoned with.”

It’s this kind of vulnerable honesty that can be seen as the through line of the creative work Wells’ has done to date, and while a heartfelt examination of self-loathing may seem like a predictable area for an artist to undertake, there’s an air of unexpectedness to the album, ping-ponging from earnest childlike hopefulness to astute and acerbic political observations which keeps you on your toes, done so smoothly and effortlessly you may miss it. But on careful listen, you realize this isn’t an actress making a record for fun. It’s a musician and artist finding her voice in a time of need.

Wells fits in alongside peers who similarly get lost in thought. The dark folk sighs of opener “Played For Keeps” echoes with the stirring vibrato of Weyes Blood. The country-tinged “Burn It All Down” sees Wells cooing in the vein of Neko Case. Armed with an omnichord and an acoustic guitar, she channels her inner Sharon Van Etten on the lonely “Follow Me.” Instrumentally, these songs build to subtly catchy choruses that showcase her natural singing voice, often verging on the casual talent of a virtuoso like Andrew Bird. But there’s no more obvious comparison to draw than that of Jenny Lewis, an iconic musician whose lackadaisical songwriting style and innate melodies go down easy. Wells does the same with her own unique flair on “Star,” “It’s So Nice,” and “Brighter Day” — so well that it’s tempting to listen to them again as soon as they’ve ended.

It’s So Nice took roughly a year to make, with the bulk of the recording happening on and off in Los Angeles with producer Chris Nelson and engineer Branden Stroup, finishing in her home state of Texas with producers James Jones and Dave Jones in Austin. By the time she wrapped, Wells had largely worked through her troubles and found herself in a more confident headspace. This positions It’s So Nice as a retrospective album that contains a timeless authenticity and honesty she hopes helps listeners navigate their own complicated times.

“I really feel like we are in a sort of dark ages. The world is flipped upside down, it’s very easy to get defeated. Optimism and hope aren’t in vogue, but that’s what I want to lead with because it’s the antidote to the gaudy seriousness that is tearing the fabric of culture,” says Wells. “It’s kind of incumbent on all of us to figure out how to put something positive into this world, everybody has the capacity to. Part of that is embracing our fears, embracing our natural playfulness, and for me, embracing a femininity that is normally seen as a weakness. We could stop rejecting feminine attributes and the optimism we had as children. Instead, we could all simply agree to have fun, to drop this emotion-blocking baggage, and the next thing you know that’s what we’d be doing.”

It’s this distinguished, singular way of living that sets Noël Wells apart from her contemporaries. True to her method of comprehending intricate emotions by way of writing, the spirit of It’s So Nice is best summarized by a lyric from “Follow Me”: “No I wasn’t trained to jump for joy / Or how to change the key / But I’m writing my own story now / And I hope you follow me.”

Kingston-based alt-rock outfit Kasador spent their first 3 years cutting their teeth on the road, garnering attention from their engaging and high-energy live performances. Duelling vocals and dynamic guitars delivered by Will Hunter and Cam Wyatt offer depth and versatility, while Boris Baker and Stephen Adubofuor provide a strong base for the band, rooted in rock and funk.

Kasador wrote and self-produced their debut 2016 EP ‘KASADOR’, which they toured extensively through Canada and the USA. Since, the band released a follow up 2-track single titled ‘Come Get Yer Money’ in 2017. Both tracks are featured on their upcoming full length, titled ‘Brood & Bloom’ – an album written through tough times and trying to find something more positive from those experiences. Produced in part by Graham Walsh (Sam Roberts, Lights, Wintersleep) and by Rob Baker & Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip, ‘Brood & Bloom’ is set to release in the fall of 2019.

“My partner and I had just gotten home from celebrating my birthday with a classy dinner out. We were both dressed to the nines, and in high spirits. Everything seemed so spacey – I felt like I was on top of the clouds. Transferring that feeling of pure ecstasy into the studio, I blacked out and entered this flow state. I felt a special kind of high. My brand new track (prod. by French producers RED ROCKERZ) was born.

Listen to “Super Power” via APPLE MUSIC x SPOTIFY x SOUNDCLOUD now.

Make sure to peep the official “Super Power” music video on YOUTUBE.

If you don’t believe in yourself, then nobody will. We all have a special gift to share with the world, so it’s up to us to find that gift and shine bright! I hope that someday we all feel comfortable in our own skin, doing what feels right to us. I have high expectations for myself, and I plan to maintain that mentality all while enjoying the journey.

I’ve always dreamt of being at the big award shows, and on the covers of magazines so that I could use that influence to spread my message of wellness and universal balance. Next year will see me releasing a new single per season followed by an album in the late summer titled, 3 EYE HIP. Hope you stick around with me on this crazy ride!”—Joey Stylez

Matthew Chaim is unveiling the official lyric video for his current single, “Reason.” Illustrated by Matthew Chaim himself and animated by Damien Lawson, the visual brings Chaim’s introspective lyricism to the forefront. Watch “Reason (Lyric Video)” here.

Originally hailing from Montreal and now settled in Los Angeles, Matthew Chaim’s innovative indie-electronic soundscapes have quickly captivated audiences. His 2016 breakout, “Vanilla Ways,” found a home on the Spotify Viral Charts, and he followed up the early buzz with a soulful EP, Homemade. Now signed to Big Noise, Chaim is preparing to release his sophomore EP, The Mathematics of Nature, slated for release later this Fall. The new EP will include “Reason” and his Summer single “Sunflowers,” a powerful ode to parental loss.

A fixture of Toronto’s music community and a sought-after collaborator, Lydia Persaud stands alone with her debut album Let Me Show You.

Exposed to music from a very young age, Lydia’s early influences sprang from the gospel styles of her religious upbringing. “Unpacking the last 24 years of my life as I grew up in church is an ongoing journey. I was sheltered in many ways, through homeschooling (grade 2-5) and extreme involvement in my church. At the same time I was introduced to the concept of singing for a greater purpose than that of fame and glory. Music was for God and for giving thanks, a foundation that I am grateful for to this day. Removing the ego and vanity in music and giving back, connecting, and sharing relatable stories is how I have grown from these early experiences.”

It wasn’t until Lydia stumbled across a cassette that she was exposed to soul music. “My first introduction to soul music was through one of my early tapes, VH1 Divas Live. It was a live performance taping with Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Carole King and Gloria Estefan. I so wish that Whitney had performed as that would have covered all of my favourite vocal queens.” The vocal skill of these icons drew Lydia in to explore the soul genre. This influence ultimately reached into the recording studio where Lydia created Let Me Show You. “Soul music has always affected me the most, a soulful conviction on matters of the heart. Voicing struggle or sharing joy and celebration has always been my favourite method of expression.”

Lydia’s sound expands the boundaries of soul to include both folk and jazz, styles that have been foundational to her musical growth. Lydia attended the rigorous jazz program at Humber School of Music, where she won the Oscar Peterson Jazz Award and connected with fellow members of the folk trio The O’Pears, whom she has been collaborating with for the past 5 years. Working in these styles honed Lydia’s mastery of sophisticated vocal harmony and blend, leading her to become an in-demand vocalist. She has performed with a varied range of artists such as Jill Barber, Lee Fields, and Royal Wood, and is a member of renowned cover band Dwayne Gretzky.

Participating in the folk and jazz scenes in Toronto developed Lydia’s technical expertise while infusing her work with a storytelling and emotive quality. “I’ve always considered jazz to be very soulful, expressive and spontaneous where folk music and is a bit more calculated with a singer-songwriter form that boil down to the root complex feelings and concepts”.

As a woman of colour from a multiracial background, Lydia has actively sought to break stereotyped expectations of her identity through her music. She finds it empowering to disrupt assumptions that pigeonhole her in genres such as R&B: “Swaying far from those expectations by picking up the ukulele and writing folk songs felt like I was carving out my own space. I always had a love for early country music and storytelling through song, which always kept me close to artists like Shania Twain and Stevie Wonder.”

Let Me Show You, recorded in Toronto with producer Robbie Grunwald (Donovan Woods, Jill Barber), is an album that runs the gamut from romance, to social activism, to anger: “The songs shift from being based in love and heartbreak to social commentary on race, LGBTQ and gender issues. The album conveys a full spectrum.”

With Let Me Show You, Lydia draws inspiration from her musical heroes, such as Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers and Carole King, while touching on vital issues that deeply affect her. Her music melds genres while Lydia’s clear message shines through on the power of her unforgettable voice.

Finnish born, London based artist Sätilä, aka Teemu Sätilä, combines a fresh fusion of infectious alternative/indie music with rich pop soundscapes. Having started writing songs at the age of seven after learning the piano, Sätilä spent his formative years in an alternative rock band before moving to Sydney, Australia, where he studied songwriting. His time spent there defined who he was as an artist and the songwriter soon realised his ambition to create something that was entirely his own, eventually heading back to Europe to follow his own sound. 

Leading single ‘Like You Do’ was inspired by past relationships and narrates the struggle of receiving love from someone who you think is more gracious and trusting than you are. Highlighting Sätilä’s velvety vocals and impressive range, the track comes to life through twinkling synths, pulsating basslines and vibrant melodies. The musician reveals, “This song has been the defining cornerstone of a bigger body of work I’ve been working on when it comes to production and the sonic vision”. Produced by Mikko Pennanen, the song emulates fragments of Foster the People and Tame Impala, featuring analogue synths and illustrating Sätilä’s goal of blending organic and electronic elements together.

“When I was a kid I listened to a lot of mainstream pop and as a teenager I got into alternative and indie rock. I feel like that has shaped me more than I thought it did. I know people say indie rock has had its moment but I’m just not sure. It still makes me feel. I think there is room for all sorts of music so why restrict people’s expression just because it’s not a trend and if it still makes people feel something”, expresses the Finnish native. 

Sätilä hopes his music will be an aid in times when you feel you are not enough. Through uplifting lyrics and building progressive components, ‘Like You Do’ transforms into the ultimate pep-talk, self-love anthem. He confides, “I hope my music inspires people to live their life to the fullest. Make the change you need to make whether that’s circumstance or your attitude. Make the dream a reality. Love yourself and others. Make every situation better when you come around”. 

Sätilä has seen success with his previous releases garnering close to a million streams on Spotify alone. He has received attention from the likes of YleX (Finnish equivalent of BBC Radio 1), as well as being playlisted on official Spotify playlists in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Canada. ‘Like You Do’ is currently available worldwide.

Meet Alt/Pop singer-songwriter Hux  who is an up-and-coming artist/songwriter signed toUniversal Publishing. Today he has released his new single “Heavy” that is out now and featured on We Found New Music. 

Hux says, “This song is about never really being able to escape from your past. No matter how hard you try to change, there’s always something that creeps back in. It illustrates the emotional roller coaster that many people go through. Whether it’d be stress, anxiety, or depression that leads into different forms of self medication. Life can just leave you feeling heavy sometimes.”

About a year after signing his deal, he moved from Los Angeles to Nashville, where he has been steadily writing songs and developing his sound. The result of the time spent developing his craft is a sound he describes as “left-of-center pop with urban undertones”, told through songs inspired by his “learning to speak the truth, even when it feels messy”. Hux has pursued his artistry with patience and intentionality and he’s excited to now enter a new stage of his career, performing and releasing the music he’s worked so hard on.

Nuela Charles is an alternative/soul singer-songwriter known for her soulful vocals and captivating stage presence. Kicking off 2019 with her second JUNO Award Nomination for her self-released EP “Distant Danger,” Nuela is solidifying herself as a Canadian music staple. 

Her singles “Do it Right”and “Danger” maintained steady ground on the CBC Radio Music charts, collectively spending over 14 weeks in the Top 20, and had “Do it Right” named as one of 2018’s Top 100 Canadian songs.

Nuela has brought her distinct voice to various stages over the last several years and recently performed at Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, and made her UK debut in London last year. This past summer Nuela shared the stage as direct support for some of Canada’s musical icons – Sam Roberts Band, Jann Arden and Stars.

With a nod from uber-coveted tastemaker FADER, a placement on the hit show “Jane the Virgin”and some comfortable real estate on the CBC Music (Radio 2) charts, Charles is ready to release more of her fiery brand of cinematic soul.

Ava Lake is revealing her glittery debut EP, The Rise. The six-track EP includes her two recent singles,  “God’s A Ghost” & “Mystery,” as well as four brand new tracks.

Created in her Chicago bedroom studio with production contributions from Daniel Loumpouridis (co-wrote/co-produced Louis The Child’s “It’s Strange”), The Rise is Lake’s formal introduction to the world. She found her musical footing while writing the EP, leaning into her diverse skillset as a producer, songwriter, and performer. Her music is completely unrestricted by traditional song structure, often diverging into an array of genres and sounds that are, at once, jilting and captivating. On The Rise, Lake’s beat-driven production, confident vocals, dynamic pop-styling, and dance-floor rhythm come together to create an electrifying record. 

Ava Lake is a true creative in every sense of the word, dipping her toes into a variety of artistic mediums, including songwriting, production, fine art (she creates her own cover art), acting, and dance. Lake pulls influence from 2000s glitch-pop, 80s vaporwave, and current-day lo-fi bedroom pop in order to create a fresh new sound that feels ready to debut on the dance floor. 

Alternative rock band, New Politics, is thrilled to announce their fifth new album, An Invitation to an Alternate Reality to be released on November 1st via Big Noise. To celebrate the band has released the first single “Ozone” that is out now. Pre-orders are available at https://newpolitics.ffm.to/aitaar.

Lead singer, David Boyd says, “We’re excited about the release of this new album.  In all our darkness this album is a beacon of light.  Our new single Ozone is about escaping, it’s about meeting someone you can’t physically be with. This song is an invitation to an alternate reality where we hope listeners can escape and make theirs.”

In April, New Politics released the single “Comeback Kid”, to celebrate 10 years as a band. The song received rave reviews with features in Billboard/Rolling Stone/iHeart Radio and continues to be in top 40 rotation at Alternative Radio.

Formed in 2009 and consisting today of Danish-born members David Boyd (lead vocals, keys, Bvocals), Søren Hansen (bass, guitar, Bvocals), and New York native Louis Vecchio (drums), New Politics strikes again with their highly anticipated fifth album, “An Invitation to an Alternate Reality.” Combining the sound that originally made them an alt rock staple with newfound experiences and influences, New Politics is slated for a resurgence fit for next decade.

New Politics obliterated the alternative rock scene with smash hit “Harlem” in 2013. An ear worm of a song, the track presently boasts nearly 45 million streams on Spotify alone and peaked at number 5 on Alternative Radio. 

New Politics has since released four studio albums featuring a slew of hit singles, including “Everywhere I Go“, “One Of Us” and “Tonight You’re Perfect,” securing commercial spots for Bud Light, Microsoft and Doritos, to name a few, along with major placements on ESPN, America’s Got Talent, and featured in multiple trailers for the second-highest-grossing animated movie of all time, Frozen. The band has also performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers and CONAN. 

In support of the album, the band is hitting the road on The 3 DIMENSIONAL TOUR with Plain White T’s and The Mowgli’s. The tour will begin November 12 in Chicago with 23 stops through November and December. See full tour dates below.

Rising indie pop artist, Juliette Goglia, has released her third single off her upcoming EP, “Time”. The emotive track tells the tale of the highest highs and the lowest lows that concur with time passing by, desperately seeking for a stable middle ground to meet happiness.

Juliette Goglia continues to reveal a vulnerable side of her musical prowess in her new single, “Time”. The easy going melody, reminiscent of the alternative sound of the 70’s, carries the raw lyrics that can speak to people of all ages. Juliette speaks to the difficult journey of growing older and tribulations that come with it. 

“This song is about dealing with depression and anxiety— wishing you could speed up time to get to the “good part” of your life where everything is figured out, while simultaneously not wanting to get any older.”

Juliette Goglia is an artist born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She grew up before our very eyes through her roles in Hannah Montana, Scandal, Easy A, Two and a Half Men, Mike and Molly, and countless other TV shows and films. In 2018, she decided to span across platforms and enter the music industry. Writing honest, raw, and sometimes cynical songs, Juliette’s music drips with all the attitude of the early Katy Perry we all love and miss but with a 2019 alt-indie flare. Juliette writes about the experience of a young person in her early 20s trying to get by day to day and wanting the most out of life. 

Juliette is set to release her debut EP, I’m Not Sweet, later this year. The raw EP focuses on growing up but not wanting to grow old, dealing with betrayal, battling depression and anxiety, and drowning in empathy and many other felt but under discussed topics. She is set to tour with Postmodern Jukebox later this fall. Juliette’s rendition of “Teenage Dream” through the group garnered 450K streams on Spotify and 530K views on YouTube. 

The best way to create art you love is to work with those you admire. That’s exactly what Victoria-based artist Dylan Perkons did on his upcoming debut, The Healing Day, and the result is a collection of richly orchestral songs that tell the story of an experienced songwriter finally stepping out to record under his own name. Perkons has spent his career working on various projects, honing his craft both on the road and in the studio, so while The Healing Day is his first solo outing, it represents a much longer journey.

Perkons knew early on he wanted to work with producer, Jonas Bonnetta of Ontario folk-outfit Evening Hymns, and had the privilege of recording at his secluded Port William Sound in Mountain Grove, ON. The woods were the perfect backdrop for an album that required, above all else, space. While the album was largely performed by Perkons and Bonnetta, The Healing Day also features a handful of Canadian indie mainstays like Michael Feuerstack (Snailhouse,The Luyas), Pietro Amato (The Luyas), Edwin Huizinga (The Wooden Sky), and Lisa Conway (L CON).

The album draws influence from Canadian folk songwriters that have come before him and while Perkons’ familiarity is comforting, he uses it as the foundation for his atmospheric indie-pop. The opening instrumental track feels like dawn, bringing listeners immediately into the woods before Perkons’ deep baritone breaks in, beginning the album’s tellings of imperfect, but meaningful, love. The songs move through relatable despair, knowing sometimes love must be set free in order to grow. There are also moments of reprieve where it is easy to imagine an audience singing along to the chorus in “Love Like Mine”. The album finishes with “Halfway to Winnipeg” where Perkons cultivates hope in the midst of self-deprecating sincerity.

The Healing Day is best described as layered. These are earnest, well-crafted songs, brimming with strings, french horn, electric piano and a plethora of synthesizers, creating a distinctive universe for the listener, one they will want to visit over and over again.

Singer-songwriter Dante Mazzetti recently announced his new EP Hotel Vol. 2, slated for release on November 22nd. Keeping with the themes and story-telling from his July EP, Hotel Vol. 2 continues the tale of a troubled man finding a new life and new challenges. Through 4 new original tracks, Dante Mazzetti tackles a darker tone, infusing his sound with somber vocals and bluesy undertones.

In preparation for his upcoming EP release, Dante dropped the first single “Ugly” in September. A combination of jazz, blues, and a slight Latin flair, “Ugly” conveys a story of an unpleasant encounter. Dante once again shows off his diverse artistry, while maintaining his notable songwriting skills.

Reflecting on “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti offers a clear explanation, “I purposefully wrote ‘Ugly’ to be able to be interpreted in different ways. I like to let the listener make the decision on how they want to receive the meaning. Some people hear it as being about a man who is sponging off of an aesthetically unattractive woman. I like to think of it as a song about a woman who is beautiful on the outside, yet has an ugly soul. I hope to inspire the listener to question the meaning of ugliness and to search for more in my songs than the surface understanding of the lyrics.”

Indie Pop songstress ZOLA releases her new single, “Crystal Floors” via KIDinaKORNER Records. Following the success of her independent debut EP, ‘Everything I Know’ (over half a million streams), ZOLA shares her latest gem mixing genres, languages and personality traits in an alluring musical cocktail.

Flirtatious but also remarkably deep, “Crystal Floors” brilliantly brings together chic melodies and playful teasing over Bossa jazz rhythms crafting a futuristic indie pop playground. Singer-songwriter ZOLA explains:“I wanted to create this character of myself; mischievous and mysterious.”

While weaving her way between French and English, ZOLA effortlessly displays her precocious songwriting and raw but elegant vocals against a backdrop of picturesque pop that lives somewhere between the beginning of a tryst and the end of dream. “Switching to French helped emphasize the mysterious aspect of the song. It gives a dramatic and cinematic effect which is the vibe I was going for.”

“Crystal Floors” was recorded and produced by San Francisco-based Tim Vickers (Grandbankss, Text Me Records) then mixed by Joe Lambert (Sharon Van Etten, The National, Animal Collective).

neillfrazer@hotmail.com