July’s new releases (Part 1)!

Orchard Sky / “Canadian Party Song” (Single) / Royalty Records

If you think something seems familiar about Orchard Sky, you’re not wrong. However, the trio, based jointly in Edmonton and Vancouver, has put its previous identity as The Orchard firmly in the past and is excited to debut its dynamic new sound that walks the line between Southern Rock and Country.

When the group’s long time musical collaborators Mitch Smith and Andreas Wegner were recently in search of a new lead vocalist, they struck gold in landing two-time Western Canadian Music Award winner Krystle Dos Santos. Along with her stunningly soulful voice, she brings to Orchard Sky a powerful stage presence that has also been displayed in productions of Dreamgirls, The Chelsea Hotel: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen, and her own cabaret-style musical, Hey Viola!, a tribute to Canadian Civil Rights heroine Viola Desmond.

Orchard Sky’s debut single, “Canadian Party Song”—which got its world debut during Sportsnet’s broadcast of the Edmonton Oilers/Calgary Flames playoff series—is out now via Edmonton-based Royalty Records, and will be part of the band’s forthcoming self-titled EP.


Cynthia Hamar / “Shaken” (Single) / Neon Moon Records

On her new single “Shaken,” Cynthia Hamar engages in an internal conversation about trauma. Over a subtly soulful musical backdrop, the Edmonton-based Americana artist conveys the struggle to let go of the pain in every heart-wrenching note delivered by her unmistakable voice.

“Shaken” is the initial taste of Cynthia’s new seven-song collection, Joint & Marrow, her first release with upstart Alberta label Neon Moon Records, due out in the fall of 2022. Working with a top-flight team of producers and musicians including Joel Schwartz (Jadea Kelly, Dione Taylor), Paul Johnston (Head of Recording at MacEwan University), keyboardist Chris Andrew and drummer Jamie Cooper, Cynthia unflinchingly draws from personal experiences to craft a record brimming with hard-earned wisdom.

Joint & Marrow continues to enhance Cynthia’s reputation for making hauntingly introspective songs rooted in her Métis heritage. Citing Buffy Sainte-Marie, Tom Waits and Feist as primary influences, she has performed across Canada through the VIA Rail Artists On Board program, and had her music chart on stations throughout North America, including attaining the #1 spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown.


Youngtree & The Blooms / “Heaven Ain’t A Lonely Road” (Single) / Independent

Youngtree & The Blooms is a band that can be counted on to liven up rooms and create pin-drop moments in equal measure. They’ve drawn comparisons to “late ‘60s Dylan and Gram Parsons” (Exclaim!) but labels fit them loosely, as their musical influences range from Patsy Cline to Wilco. It’s all there on the band’s new self-titled album, Youngtree & The Blooms, a nine-song collection out Sept. 23 that establishes front man Peter Youngtree as one of the most engaging new voices within the Americana scene.

The album’s first single, “Heaven Ain’t A Lonely Road,” in particular is a melodic gem, with its ragged-but-right arrangement complementing Youngtree’s heart-swelling lyrics. The band is playing around Canada this summer, including an appearance at Canada’s legendary Mariposa Festival.

Building on the themes present in the band’s previous album Musical Chairs, the songs on Youngtree & The Blooms explore notions of individuality, personal transformation, universal love and dark fantasy, while taking more chances musically with genre-bending instrumentation and arrangements.


Andrea Nixon / “Earthquake” (Single) / Independent

As anticipation builds for her forthcoming album Barbed Wire Dreams, Andrea Nixon is sharing a new single, “Earthquake,” a song as emotionally devastating as its title suggests. Rooted in a swampy blues groove, “Earthquake” follows the previous two samples of Barbed Wire Dreams, “Outskirts” and “Blind Spot,” in showing off the Edmonton, Alberta singer/songwriter’s creative evolution since her acclaimed 2017 debut album Diary Of A Housewife.

On the new single Andrea teamed once again with longtime collaborator Bobby Cameron, who produced and co-wrote the track with New Zealand-based songwriter Jenny Trindall. The recording features world-class musicians Chad Melchert on drums, Travis Switzer on bass and Bobby Cameron on guitar. The recording was captured at Edmonton’s newest state-of-the-art facility Dept. 9 Studio, with engineer Stew Kirkwood.

When it comes to writing, Andrea has never been one to fall back on clichés. And as an artist who believes that life and music are inseparable, Andrea’s aim is always to create positive change through her art and encourage others to find their own sense of power and connection.


Sammy Volkov / “Weather Report” (Single) / Independent

Sammy Volkov doesn’t have a problem describing himself as weird. Rather than socializing, the Edmonton-based singer/songwriter spent most of his formative years collecting records and inventing secret songs in his mind. Even today, if he comes across any kind of music he likes, he has the audacity to picture himself as a contemporary of that artist. It doesn’t matter how old the recording is—Sammy might borrow a couple of quirks from Sinatra, a little flourish from M. Ward or Neil Young, a riff from the Shirelles, and before you know it he’s crafted something startlingly original from an esoteric palette of sonic colours.

It’s all there on Sammy’s debut full-length album Be Alright!, an 11-song collection that combines pure twang with Brian Wilson-esque ambition, all tied together by a voice as supple and entrancing as any heard in recent memory. Indeed, first single “Weather Report” caresses the ear like a dual homage to Roy Orbison and the great Brill Building songwriters, while capturing Sammy’s almost cinematic approach to making music.

Clearly, Sammy takes music history seriously, and we get to reap the benefits. While taking his first leap into recording with a 2018 independent EP (released under the name Sam Wolfe), he went to New York City to follow his other longstanding dream of becoming an actor. Although he graduated from SUNY’s prestigious Acting BFA Conservatory, Sammy’s life in New York primarily consisted of doing behind the scenes work for many top rated television shows, and singing at open mic nights in Brooklyn.

When, one day, he came to the conclusion that he wasn’t making much creative progress, he contacted his producer Harry Gregg and engineer Scott Franchuk back at Edmonton’s Riverdale Recorders and said, “Let’s make an album.” What followed has been an emotional two-year journey, from initial recording sessions at the start of 2020, to finishing the album at the height of the pandemic, to now finally being able to share Be Alright! in the Fall of 2022.

2021 Playlist

In spite of everything, 2021 was an amazing year for music. I had the pleasure of working with many incredible artists, and here’s a playlist featuring my favourite songs by 26 of them. Of course, the majority can be classified as Americana, but there’s also some power pop, experimental pop, Reggae, and even a sea chanty. I’m looking forward to sharing even more great sounds from Canada in 2022!

Out Now: John Borra – “The Wars ’21”

It was only in January 2020 that John Borra released his critically acclaimed album Blue Wine, but for obvious reasons it already feels like a lifetime ago. Normally, the veteran Toronto artist would have spent the past year doing what he’s always done best: Playing his ragged-but-right alt-country to his loyal audience, both at home and across Canada.

Instead, Borra has adapted to promoting the album in new ways, mainly through honing his video skills. However, now he’s utilizing his more well-known audio engineering chops by offering a new mix of one of Blue Wine’s standout tracks, “The Wars.” As one of the three songs on the album co-written with the award-winning poet Eva H.D., “The Wars” has a special meaning for Borra, which is why he felt compelled to revisit it.

He explains, “We wrote this song after everything else was recorded and mixed, but I was able to record it just in time to get it on the record. Because of the rushed nature, I never felt it had been given its proper due so I thought I’d give it a new mix and release it as a single. I re-did the bass but otherwise it’s the same song as on the record, just given a little extra love and attention it didn’t get the first time around.”

Indeed, “The Wars ‘21” glows with a classic country warmth, accentuated by Borra’s signature, timeless vocal performance. It is available April 23, 2021 on all digital platforms, and Bandcamp.

Out Now: The Wanted – Strange Flight

Happy release day to The Wanted’s new album Strange Flight!

Produced by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, his trademark sonic approach emphasizes The Wanted’s live group chemistry, created by the core trio of Natalie Rogers (vocals, guitar), Jeff Rogers (vocals, guitar) and Richard Henderson (lap steel guitar, vocals), along with bassist Dan Mock and drummer Kyle Sullivan—borrowed from Jerry Leger’s band The Situation.

The Wanted’s honest and gritty approach to roots music has greatly evolved since they released their self-titled debut album in 2010. That record has since tallied close to a half-million Spotify streams while earning them appearances at the Mariposa Folk Festival, Folk Alliance International, and the Canadian Country Music Awards.

However, the essence of their sound has remained consistent since The Wanted formed in 2003 out of informal songwriter gatherings centred around Toronto clubs the Cameron House and the Tranzac. They bonded over a shared love of classic roots artists such as Gram Parsons and Townes Van Zandt, and that connection continues to guide them nearly 20 years later.

Get The Wanted’s Strange Flight from Bandcamp, and check out their latest video for the track “Stand Up.”

Out Now: DAVID PICCO – Live It Down

Today, St. John’s, Newfoundland singer/songwriter David Picco releases his sixth album, Live It Down, on all digital platforms and via Bandcamp and davidpicco.com.

As demonstrated by the previously released singles “If You Wanna Change My Mind” and “Waitin’ For the Summertime,” it is his most experimental collection of songs yet, veering away from the gritty alt-country sound of his acclaimed 2019 album Out Of The Past, and experimenting with looser, Kurt Vile-esque vibes. The change is partly a reflection of Picco’s experience during pandemic restrictions, as eight of the new album’s nine songs were written over a three-month span in 2020.

“I guess you could say that this about is about coming to terms with the fact that life never turns out as planned,” Picco says. “I would describe it as contemplative, but musically I was going after something more dream-like and ethereal.”

Produced by Mark Feener and featuring an all-star cast of local St. John’s players, Live It Down is certainly a glimpse into the new world of sonic possibilities Picco has embraced, part of an evolution that has been playing out since the mid-‘00s when he was a member of the roots rock band Jet Set Motel. From there, he became a familiar face within the Toronto roots rock scene, working closely with producer Don Kerr (Rheostatics, Ron Sexsmith) and cult hero songwriter Kyp Harness.

Following his move back to St. John’s in 2015, Picco released the album Start Again, which was warmly embraced by CBC Radio. Out Of The Past built on that success, being hailed by Americana UK as “a rock-infused country [album] with echoes of The Velvet Undergroumnd.”

With Live It Down, David Picco begins a new chapter, one that offers hope for renewal for all of us.

Scott MacKay’s Stupid Cupid available now!


Today, Scott MacKay releases his new album Stupid Cupid, a collection of 10 original songs that combine the Charlottetown PEI native’s sharp contemporary wit with his fondness for vintage country music of the ’50s and ’60s. Stupid Cupid is available on all digital platforms, and Scott MacKay’s Bandcamp page.

MacKay co-produced Stupid Cupid with Adam Gallant at The Hill Sound Studio in Charlottetown, with mixing done by Scott Franchuk in Edmonton. His third full-length effort, Stupid Cupid features MacKay backed by his regular rhythm section of Josh and Sam Langille, along with renowned guitarist Grant Siemens and pedal steel master Burke Carroll. For MacKay, the project is a reflection of what he describes as getting bit by the classic country bug since his previous release.

“I really became smitten with songwriters such as Shel Silverstein, Hank Williams, Bobby Bare, Roger Miller and others,” he says. “It made me focus my attention on improving my songwriting, and I tried to learn as much about it as I could. I took a lyric writing class, a storytelling class, and a creative writing class. I even took part in a songwriting workshop in Nashville where I got to meet and learn from some of the greatest songwriters in the world.”

The results of that hard work speak for themselves on Stupid Cupid. From the title track’s protagonist having his plan to win his dream girl go terribly wrong, to the tale of someone receiving a “Brand New Heart” from a man killed by his lover, to the surprisingly philosophical “God Walks Into A Bar,” MacKay effortlessly breathes new life into longstanding country music themes. However, it’s all designed to put a smile on your face, as well as a tear in your beer.

Click the logo below to watch the video for “Romance Novel” at The Bluegrass Situation.

Screening Room: The Hello Darlins – “Aberdeen”

Click the single art below to purchase The Hello Darlins’ “Aberdeen” from Apple Music or to stream on Spotify.

With their impeccable pedigree, The Hello Darlins continue to shake up the Americana and Roots music scene with each single they release leading up to the arrival of their full-length debut album, Go By Feel. Their latest offering, “Aberdeen,” (out now on digital platforms) features singer/guitarist Joey Landreth of The Bros. Landreth, the latest addition to The Hello Darlins collective, showing again how they’re living up to their reputation as “the Broken Social Scene of Americana.”

SCREENING ROOM: Jerry Leger “Read Between The Lines”

Jerry Leger‘s new video for “Read Between The Lines” is a brilliant piece of Rotoscope animation by Karly McCloskey. The song also happens to be my favourite from Jerry’s latest album Time Out For Tomorrow. Watch it here or at these links!

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