It’s that time of the week again – a collection of new songs from some terrific Canadian artists.
The Once, “Before the Fall”
We’ve been waiting for ages for new music from Newfoundland’s The Once (Phil Churchill, Geraldine Hollett, and Andrew Dale), and their new single, “Before the Fall,” bids fair to indicate their forthcoming album, “Time Enough,” will be totally worth the wait. We first heard The Once live at last year’s Home County Music and Arts Festival and we can’t wait to hear not only the new album, but more live music from these fabulous folks.
The Fortunate Ones, “Steady as She Goes”
Sticking with Newfoundland, we turn to The Fortunate Ones (who we heard live last fall at the Sanderson Centre in Brantford, ON) and the second single off their upcoming album, “Hold Fast.” Written together with Alan Doyle and Tim Baker (Hey Rosetta), the song was written during and after the Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta. Says the duo, “We wanted to write a song that could be a light in those dark days for our friends, family and the people of Fort McMurray. A beacon of hope to hold on to.” The Fortunate Ones (Catherine Allan and Andrew O’Brien) are currently touring with Alan Doyle and will release “Hold Fast” next month.
Visit The Fortunate Ones’ website.
Ace of Wands, “Jolt the Amplifier”
This Toronto-based group has just released “Jolt the Amplifier,” the second single from their EP, “Grown From Good.” Ace of Wands is the music and songwriting of Lee Rose; joined by Anna Mernieks (Beams) and Jody Brumell (SHANKS), the band creates mixture of tones and emotions, blending soaring vocals, violin, synth-bass and guitar into songs inspired by the supernatural, elemental forces and physical sensation. Drawing on a background of rock and roll, classical violin training and folk music, Ace of Wands expands their songwriting to incorporate facets of cinematic soundscapes, pop melodies and interlocking guitars and vocals.
Dan Mangan, “Fool for Waiting”
Dan Mangan’s new single “Fool For Waiting” is an instant classic love song, destined to be played on first-dance floors and lover’s soundtracks for years to come. The multiple JUNO Award winning songwriter has now shared the new video for the single. Mangan says the video isn’t “meant to be revolutionary or shocking. It’s meant to subtly convey how far we’ve come as a society in the last several decades.”
While the video holds a mirror to society as a whole, it also strikes a personal chord with Mangan himself. He explains, “When I was fifteen, my mom took me out for dinner and informed me that our good family friend Liz would be moving in. I was raised in a very open-minded household and had never for a moment considered myself homophobic, but I completely freaked out. I was terrified of being the kid in high school with the ‘gay mom’. I stopped inviting people over. It took ages to tell my closest friends – to which (of course) they responded, ‘Obviously, we figured it out. Who cares?’. My mom’s partner, whom she has since married and is still with, has become such a crucial part of my life that it’s pretty much impossible to imagine our family without her. Love is love, and sexuality is not binary. World goings-on are currently worrisome, and we have a long way to go, but we are moving forward. This video celebrates these steps forward amidst the chaos. It’s about celebrating the normalization of a more diverse understanding of love.”
Photo credits: Vanessa Heins (The Fortunate Ones), David Waldman (Ace of Wands), Holly Chang (Dan Mangan)
