Whether your view on the current state of global affairs is one of renewal and hope, or one of fearing a pending apocalypse, rest assured that no matter how divided societies may be, we can all agree that there is no shortage of phenomenal new music coming out of Canada right now. The GDW email inbox continues to overflow, to the point where it takes longer to select a new tune to review than it does to listen and draft the review itself. Unity through music, and having to make choices – first world problems, right?
Looking back through the GDW archives, it has been forever since we featured music from Toronto, ON singer-songwriter Georgia Harmer, whose late-2021 single “Headrush” landed on our listening radar thanks to plenty of airplay on SXM radio. The niece of Canadian indie-folk artist Sarah Harmer, Georgia’s follow-up single “Austin” was featured on our pages back in early 2022 – with little coverage since (a fleeting reference in our 2022 Top 20 Canadian Albums feature aside).
Making an uncredited appearance as part of Johnny 99’s band in the music video for his latest single, “Just Like You,” we promptly looked to check in with Georgia once again – and talk about perfect timing, quickly learned that the artist released her first solo tune of 2025 just last month. As the first taste of new music following those from her stunning 2022 “Stay In Touch” debut album, “Can We Be Still” spotlights Georgia’s eloquent storytelling and her expressive grace.
Blending folk-pop with both country and jazz elements has been the bedrock of success for many prominent Canadian female artists over the decades – spearheaded by both Joni Mitchell and Anne Murray, with the torch passed to k.d. lang and Rose Cousins, to name a few. And while Nova Scotian Terra Spencer rightfully earns plenty of accolades at the forefront of today’s generation, do not snooze on Georgia Harmer, whose unforgettable soft vocal delivery also transcends eras and genres with a natural ability to purely enchant.
“‘Can We Be Still’ is about lifelong best-friendship and striving to protect it from the inevitable changes that come with time,” Georgia shares. “Now do you understand / I don’t have another plan / Now is the time to say / What it is you’ve been dreaming of saying.” “It’s about having a shared vision of the further and a desire to preserve it, to see the plan for everlasting closeness through.”
Be sure to check out the accompanying music video for this single, shot on location at Rosedale Heights School of the Arts in Toronto – a place close to Georgia’s heart. “I went back to my high school eight years after graduating to film a music video for a song I wrote about having one plan for my future,” she recalls. “To never lose touch with my best friend, and to keep doing what I love most. It was like I was sending a message to my teen-self and letting her know – it’s working.”
Photo Credit: Austen Ambraska
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.
