If you haven’t already you should take a listen to these new tracks from Iskwe, Saxsyndrum, and Close Talker. They all bring us something different to hear and I love that diversity. Read what they have to say below and don’t forget to take a listen!

Iskwe – Little Star

““Little Star,” my new song, serves as both a reminder and a starting point. Set to the drumbeat of an Anishinaabe honour song, “Little Star” reminds listeners that we still need to act on the lessons learned from the Tina Fontaine and Colten Boushie tragedies. It also gives birth to a new direction for me, as I’ll be digging deeper into the astrology teachings of my Cree ancestors and amplifying the work of thought leaders like Wilfred Buck. Bridging cross-cultural aesthetics while exploring my own struggle to both fit into and breakaway from modern Western archetypes has always played an important part in my artistic vision.”

Saxsyndrum – Let Go

The basis of Saxsyndrum is just that: saxophone, synthesis and drums.

Our sophomore album, Second Nature, took about four years to make. Somewhere in the middle, we had added AP as a vocalist and we subsequently spent a lot of time trying to figure out who we were as a band and what roles each of us would play.

““Let Go” was one of the last songs we wrote and it was interesting how quickly it all seemed to come together. By the time we started working on this tune, we all had a very clear sense of what strengths we each brought to Saxsyndrum. The songwriting process then became much more intrinsic, more second nature. We had let go of our past overthinking and simply played, allowing us to put our emotions and states of mind directly into the piece. The resulting tune has a candid energy that really captures the at-times meditative process of songcraft and the spirit of our live performance.

Close Talker – Half Past Nine

A concert is a place where people from all walks of life come together for the same reason. It’s a place where you share something in common with complete strangers, a place where you can experience something transcendent with people you will never even know.

“Half Past Nine” is about a concert the three of us attended at our favourite summer festival. It’s about looking around at friends, at strangers, and seeing each person sing along to words that mean so much to them – words that have carried them through times only they know about. It’s about holding on to the moments that you never want to end, and then desperately trying to remember them after they are gone. It takes hindsight to recognize when something profound has happened, but every now and then, you’re able to sense it right in the moment.

“Half Past Nine” is about those moments and attempting to cling to them. This song is a testament to our integrity and a desire to produce music that is original and pure. It’s a song we wrote for ourselves about a night we’ll never forget.