So many new tunes, so little space to include them all – an all too frequent dilemma here at GDW. But, fear not, we have hand-picked some recent discoveries that simply have to be heard, and squeezed them into this final slot to wrap up the month. And, not unlike a similar feature we shared back in November, all five artists are making their GDW debuts here (disclaimer: both Say Anise and Kris Ulrich have received previous mentions, but never as featured artists). We’ve done all the work for you – so go ahead and take a well-earned break, brew some coffee, and enjoy our February Finds – we’ll keep things concise, promise.
Say Anise, “Hurry Honeypie”
This tender indie-folk ballad was released recently by an emerging London, UK-based artist – who earned our attention via UK-based GDW contributor Richard Clark, who name-dropped Say Anise (Emily Barnett) following her collaboration with Ali Neil on his 2022 “Land Before Us” EP. “[Hurry Honeypie] was written at a time when everything was a bit of a struggle,” Emily shares. “The song is a sort of call to the universe to bring something new and good into my life.”
Justine Vandergrift, “Little Bird”
Dish out some old-school Americana with a generous serving of steel guitar, and you have my attention. How Calgary, AB artist Justine Vandergrift stayed off our radar until now is a crime, especially give her collaborations with GDW faves such as Jay Gilday and Eva Foote. Co-produced with Trevor McNeely, Justine openly admits that this song was a little outside of her regular comfort zone, but with an extra verse included, she magically eased into it, and added on her upcoming album in the process.
Kris Ulrich, “Big In The USA”
Winnipeg, MB artist Kris Ulrich has been mentioned here at GDW, but never as a featured artist – it’s time to correct such an oversight. A highly sought after ‘side-man’ for many popular Canadian acts, Kris plans to release a solo album next month, and shares this latest teaser of his new music. “I wrote this song as a way to talk openly with myself about my insecurities surrounding an artist career,” he offers. “The last verse is a reminder to myself about why I started making music in the first place.”
La Faute, “Blue Girl Nice Day”
Check out this single from Winnipeg-born, and Toronto-based artist Peggy Messing, recorded under the moniker La Faute. “Blue Girl Nice Day was inspired by the Milgram Experiments of the 60s, in which subjects were told to give ever-increasing electric shocks to a ‘learner’ who had to repeat word pairs: Blue/Girl, Nice/Day,” Peggy shares. “The song reflects on how easily we can betray and hurt each other, and how we don’t necessarily know ourselves and what we are capable of.”
Pete Eastmure, “Devil’s Taxi”
A seasoned ‘genuine vintage Americana’ artist of the Toronto music scene, this troubadour fulfilled a dream of travelling to Nashville – post-pandemic – to record his latest album, “Devil’s Taxi.” Sharing this title track late last month, Pete describes this single as “an evocative and emotional journey song that affects the listener and is rooted in the story of Robin Hood; seen through the lens of the modern world gone mad,” adding that the guitar hook wrote itself and is deeply rooted in the folk tradition.
The British guy that crossed the ocean and crash landed in central Pennsylvania (to quote Greg Keelor, “And I wonder what am I doing here?”). As the youngest of four siblings, exposure to music from a very early age nurtured my passion and appreciation for many musical genres. Continuing to discover some amazingly diverse and talented musicians based in Canada, I gravitate to live music experiences and remain devoted to spreading the word about such a vibrant music scene.
