For his latest track, J.O. MAIRS wasn’t trying to come off as – in his words – ‘super political’, but somehow the striking hooks and the bouncing bassline inspired him to vent some home truths….
‘Lingo’ touches on the lack of community unity across the globe and could be described as the anthem for black sheeps of society who constantly feel the need to conform. Delivered in a uber confident laid back flow, the Canadian spitter dishes out some valuable advice: become a member of YOUR own society, and set out to achieve YOUR goals, irrespective of how it is perceived by others.
In a nutshell, just do YOU…this guy did it with impeccable style…you might learn something here; it’s worth checking out…
Canadian alt hip-hop collective RAGERS enlisted fellow native rapper/songwriter Lou Phelps for their latest track ‘Medicine. The 80-inspired -ish soulful funk number is taking from their brand new LP ‘Raw Footage’, which embodies modern pop and hip hop, musical proficiency, on point flow – and the guys’ knack in creating catchy hooks and melodies.
Get the first taste of their LP and check out ‘Medicine’ below:
NEW LEASE MUSIC caught up with frontman of YVES AND THE TALENT Yves Gravel, whose single ‘Montreal’ was named Song of the Week in January by the blog. If you don’t know this Canadian band, I HIGHLY recommend you check out their discography – these guys sure know how to put the rock and roll into folk music…
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC.
YG: All the pleasure is mine. We need more blogs like this!
NLM: So what have you been up to on the music circuit?
YG: In recent months, I had the opportunity to play live on the radio which was a great experience. We had a couple shows here in Calgary which were instrumental in establishing our new sound; A departure from all acoustic to electric (with drums).
NLM: Your single’ Montreal’ was named Song of the Week by NEW LEASE MUSIC. What was the public reception of the single?
YG: It’s certainly one of people’s favourite being that it is very high-energy and backed up by an incredible performance from our fiddler Niki Romeril. I have since introduced a French part to the chorus and working with a rapper to mix things up. Stay tune for the next remix!
NLM: What was your inspiration for writing ‘Montreal’?
YG: It is definitely an ode to Montreal; a source of inspiration which I re-discovered 20 years after leaving the city. It’s falling in love all over again with this muse, leaving the listener wondering if certain lines are about the city or lovers. A mystery I intend to keep alive😉
NLM:So how would you describe your sound to potential fans?
YG:There is certainly some folk influences in the sound but not so much in my writing. It has been described as Edgy-Folk but Indie could also be a label. I’d rather say it’s very “Yves”!
NLM: If you had to collaborate with ONE mainstream artist, who would it be?
As a lifelong Leonard Cohen fan it would have to be him on a personal level. But sound wise I would have to say Arcade Fire because of their broad range of styles including an electronic angle.
NLM: If you had three wishes to change the music industry today, what would they be?
YG: Make tickets more affordable to live events, more emphasis on lyrics (rather than catchy hooks) and open music lover’s mind to more “unknown” artists.
NLM: So what are your plans for this year?
YG: We’re currently shopping for a producer to get into the studios in 2019! And in the immediate future, we will be performing live with the whole band on the University of Calgary radio station this fall while promoting our next show. As for myself, more writing.
NLM: How can potential fans make contact with you?
YG: My website is currently under construction (yvesandthetalent.com) so Instagram @YvesAndTheTalent.
NLM: Finally, if music didn’t exist, what profession would you do?
YG: Novelist or Sommelier. Although those are 2 things that are fun to do simultaneously; Drinking good wine while writing!
On surface, CHERSEA‘s debut single, Murphy’s Law’ may be full of pop blissfulness, but don’t get caught up in the hypnotic arrangements: scratch that surface a little deeper and you’re presented with a rather powerful message that make us step back for a minute and reevaluate our thoughts…
The Canadian singer/songwriter aims to serve as the voice of victim liberation. Through the three-minute production, she also urges us to reach out and try to understand those who have experienced similar traumas, in order to restore faith and provide a fresh perspective in the system of victim support.
CHERSEA is set to release her debut LP on Fierce Panda Panada later in 2018…but for now, listen to ‘Murphy’s Law’.
New Lease Music 