Consisting of singer/songwriter Jenny Lea, producer/guitarist Mikey J Blige, and producer/multi-instrumentalist Amine Bouzaher, genre bending trio I M U R has unveiled their reflective new single, ‘Birdseye,’ taken from their album, ‘My Molecules’ out this month, 25th June. The forthcoming project thematically touches on topics that everyone has experience with but that are often not discussed publicly, such as love, lust, loss, death, trauma and purpose.
Their offering takes inspiration from Lea’s near-death experience in a car accident and serves as a reminder that simply stepping back and taking a breath can be the difference between losing your mind and appreciating your day-to-day life.
CHIN INJETI continues to heal and uplift through the power of music with his latest single ‘Golden.’
Co-written with producer/writer Brian West and featuring on going collaborators Thieves Like Us, ‘Golden’ delivers a touching message of self-forgiveness and redemption.
“I’ve come to know so many people that are in deep depression, that have been abused when they were younger, that for some crazy ass reason carry a lot of blame with them,” says the multi-Grammy and Juno Award-winning artist.
More than simply recognizing those who struggle with these heavy burdens, ‘Golden’ is a modern hymn of hopefulness. “This is a message to tell those people that there is a good place, a safe place, a place of peace, a place where they can start over again,” explains Injeti. “There’s no reason to carry this weight because the truth is we never get rid of our demons. We just need to learn to live above them.”
‘Golden’ follows Chin’s self-love anthem, ‘For The Love Of Life’, featuring Vancouver rapper Teon Gibbs. Check out the music video for the latest therapeutic single below
Acclaimed producer MARCUS JAMES and esteemed duo RYYZN, have released the stripped version of their collaborative EP, ‘Warning Sign’ out now via Physical Presents. For the original EP, the team was supported by tastemaker Youtube channels Sensual Musique and Cloudx Music as well as features on major Spotify playlists such as Cardio, Tropical House, New Music Friday and Mint Canada and collected just under 1.4 million plays across streaming platforms.
The title track of the revamped EP immediately marks itself one to watch. ‘Warning Sign’ opens with bold brushstrokes of the elegant grace of a piano and intimate vocals from RYYZN. Introducing an accompanying acoustic guitar and a deep intimacy, the three have managed to diversify themselves – proving their worth with both upbeat dance music and the slow tempo. An underlying “emo” atmosphere appears throughout both EPs, tying the two together with more than just lyrics and creators but an important sentiment of expression, much like the works of Dayglow, My Morning Jacket, Jacob Lee and Vance Joy.
Born and based in Vancouver, Marcus James (pictured far right) is well-known for his collaborative works, having worked with the likes of multi-platinum selling artist Trevor Guthrie, remixed Dylan Matthew’s ‘Saturday Night’ as well as Warped Tour bands Anarbor and Courage My Love. The producer has also shared stages with the likes of Robin Schulz, 3LAU, Lost Frequencies, Zeds Dead and many more. The rising star has received support from the likes of Your EDM, EDM.com, EARMILK, MrRevillz, and Tropical House Records, Vancouver Sun, Substream Magazine and HERTZ Mag all of which has contributed to his noteworthy play count of over 7.4 million streams across platforms.
RYYZN is a Vancouver-based duo comprised of David York and Jessie Elias who come from Calgary and Saskatoon respectively. The pair have received significant attention on streaming platforms with features on the tastemaker Youtube channels Audio Library, MrRevillz, AirwaveMusicTV, and ChillTracks as well as appearing on the Spotify playlists for New Music Friday: Canada, Indie pop & chill and Fresh Finds. As a result, RYYZN currently sit at an impressive play count of well over 11 million.
Introducing East Vancouver’s musician Russell Gendron into the blog’s interview hot seat. He’s the frontman and songwriter for indie folk band BILL JR. JR. whose third album, ‘Homebody’ was released back in January. So I spoke to Gendron about the eight-track project and whether the pandemic impacted the production of the album.
NLM: Hey, thank you for taking part in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. How is 2021 treating you so far?
BJ: My pleasure. 2021 has been great thus far. I’ve definitely had to adjust some plans and be at peace with the uncertainty around me but all in all, I’m good.
NLM: You released your album HOMEBODY back in January. What is the public perception on the singles so far?
BJ: It’s been going well thanks. The press’ thoughtful reviews we’ve received for Homebody has been fun to watch roll in and I’ve been packaging up vinyl to post every other week since the album’s release. It sure would have been nice to play some shows however.
NLM:What inspired you to produce the album?
BJ: The idea to make the album was borne from a collaboration at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity during an artist residency. I had a bunch of finished and unfinished songs about Vancouver and the idea of “home” and I joined forces with Dan Nettles and Daniel McNamara in order to bring them to life.
NLM: What is/are your favourite single(s) from the album and why?
BJ: I like “Run Home” because it’s fun to play live and it goes on for a long time.
NLM: So how would you describe the album’s sound to potential fans?
BJ: Hmmmm, pleasant, expansive, emotional and pulsing.
NLM: If you had to feature one mainstream artist on the album, who would it be and why?
BJ: Is Sufjan Stevens available??? His voice is magical and devastating and I’d love to hear it blended into this record.
NLM: Did the Covid pandemic present any drawbacks in the production of your album?
BJ: Covid disrupted the tour we had planned so that was tough to let go of. At this point, I don’t think that this album will be what we all feel like playing by the time shows are happening again. Is what it is, we pivoted and I’m happy with how it went despite the challenges.
NLM: Do you have other project(s) for 2021?
I’ve been tucking myself away in a little cabin this spring to give myself space to write songs. I’m not sure what that will end up looking like but I’m enjoying the process.
NLM: How can potential fans find you?
BJ: Bandcamp is a great place to listen to and support our music. Otherwise, we’re all over the internet in all the usual places.
NLM: Finally, any special shoutouts to those involved in the production?
Multi-Grammy and JUNO Award-winning artist CHIN INJETI‘s new single ‘For The Love Of Life,’ is a rallying cry of self-love and reliance. It wasn’t completed without some of Injeti’s tenured collaborative magic; he called upon fellow Vancouverite Teon Gibbs to feature on the track.
With a burgeoning catalog at 255,000+ streams across Spotify alone, ‘For The Love Of Life’ is Injeti’s first of the year, and follows 2020 offerings of ‘Let Go,’ ‘Serious,’ and ‘Falling’ — the latter of which featured Esthero on accompanying vox and Delhi 2 Dublin’s Tarun Nayer on tabla.
Born in Hyderabad, India and having to survive polio from birth, music therapy treatments helped facilitate his motor skills — ultimately changing his life. His path towards the craft became clearer when Injeti teamed up with then-partner DJ Khalil with whom he made multi-GRAMMY and JUNO Award-winning music with and for the likes of Dr Dre, Eminem, Drake, Pink, Aloe Blacc, The Clipse, Lecrae, K’Naan, and more.
Check out the video for Chin’s first release of the year…
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