Without sounding like a broken record here, the single releases from across Canada are coming at us thick and fast right now. So much to choose from, so little space to share. At least with our #SnappySingles feature, we can devote time to four recent cuts that you absolutely need to become familiar with – so take an extended coffee break and marvel at this fine selection of fresh music.
Lapelúda, “You Are Safe”
Colombia-born, and now Montreal-based singer-songwriter, composer and producer Lapelúda released this latest single just a few weeks ago, as the second teaser track (following “Hermanes” last June) from their upcoming new album “Caidas,” which follows later this month. “You Are Safe” was composed alongside Québecois artist Gabi Tomé, and was born from the assimilation of three fundamental emotions: confusion, uncertainty and hope. “The simple and repetitive melody of the song was an opportunity for me to dig deeper into stagnant and buried emotions,” Lapelúda shares. “As I composed, time seems to drag on in these soothing loops.” These feelings represent the incessant cycles that only promised partial relief, and having their mentor Rachel Therrien add some stunning trumpet represents this aspiration to persevere in spite of all the obstacles and trauma. “Despite the discomfort and suffering that overflow from the lyrics, this single represents a message of hope and a journey that ends often towards an unfinished healing,” Lapelúda adds, offering more hints of what lies ahead with the upcoming album release.
Lesley Pike, “Paper Thin”
Establishing herself within the vibrant Toronto folk-music community over the last few years, Wingham, ON musician Lesley Pike’s music has since expanded across North America and overseas to Europe. With the announcement of her upcoming album, “Wild,” coming out at the end of this month, Lesley recently shared “Paper Thin,” a pre-pandemic tune co-written with UK indie-folk rockers The Dunwells – which offers a fragile, yet hopeful reflection on a couple’s fight that Lesley overheard while staying at a hotel one night in Leeds, UK. “Oh god, have I ever sounded like this?” Pike asked herself as she tried to catch some sleep, subconsciously planting seeds for this song that questions and challenges the perceptions of modern love. The next morning, she and The Dunwells set out to write a song which felt tender, yet optimistic and hopeful, and with delicate lap steel guitar accompanying Pike’s vocals, this emotionally-charged story came to life – telling a story of comparison and the shifting perceptions of conflict that come from overhearing such a personal row between strangers. “We still have now what we had then, but it feels a little cold / What got underneath our skin that keeps us from living in the full?”
Ellen Froese, “For Each Flower Growing”
Having featured a pair of singles from SK artist Ellen Froese in the early months of this year, the Saskatoon native returns to our pages once more with this exciting single, itself the title track from her upcoming album scheduled for release next month. “[For Each Flower Growing is an] homage to science and the outdoors and the majesty of plants and nature,” Ellen shares. “When I was working in a garden patch last summer, I got really into listening to space and physics podcasts and was getting pretty astounded by the concept of there being trillions of possibilities for everything in existence.” Calling again upon her talented studio ensemble of Clayton Linthicum (guitar/pedal steel), Chris Mason (bass), and producer Sam Corbett (drums), Ellen (vocals/acoustic guitar) delivers another outstanding Americana track that melds classic country, rock & roll, and even 70s sounding psychedelic grooves to her ever-expanding musical repertoire. “I wrote the song at Manitou Beach while sitting alone on a dock while taking a little break from socializing,” she adds. “I imagined that each step I took further into the lake disturbed an entire universe.”
Claire Davis, “Long Gone”
We wrap up our October single selections with this stunning new release from Toronto-based retro-soul artist Claire Davis, whose 2021 “Thrive” EP proved popular with GDW’s Richard Clark. Heavily influenced by powerful soul vocalists such as Etta James and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Claire’s own potent vocals and “take-no-mess” lyrics are once again surrounded by some unrelenting rhythm and sassy backing vocals – delivering this song’s message about knowing your worth, and walking away from those who do not. “My songwriting in the past year has been reflective of how I’ve been releasing things that are no longer serving me,” Davis shares. “Through the process of grief, I feel that the pandemic has shown me how important and limited our time is, and if we are in situations where we are not being valued, we need to walk away.” As an analog-sound enthusiast, Claire prefers to record to tape whenever possible to best capture the feel and energy of ‘that live sound,’ and this single does not disappoint. Be sure to pay extra attention to the saucy background vocal arrangement composed by La-Nai Gabriel, featuring dynamic vocals from Aphrose, Tegan Michelle Gordon, and Chynna Lewis.
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.
