“Love Deficiency Syndrome” by Jody Glenham

Between shows Kirk and I have seen Jody perform at over the two years, we’ve slowly heard the song from her upcoming EP Still Here be released.

“Love Deficiency Syndrome” is the latest to come out ahead of the album release (April 24th), and I’ll let Jody describe where the track came from:

“I wrote [it] with a friend, the artist Georgette, inspired by an article Lena Dunham wrote about a breakup after a long-term relationship. We were drawn to the idea of how, when you're with someone, you take for granted the small things, like always having someone to eat dinner with. The song is full of subtle nods: the opening synth/guitar hook is meant to sound like one of those old, drawn-out doorbells, like you were waiting for your Uber eats to arrive, and the bridge has computer shut down references, mimicking both the autopilot of being in a relationship and the process of making yourself whole again as an individual.
We also leaned into really melodramatic imagery in the verses as a nod to how a breakup can make you feel like “my life is ending,” when really… you’re going to be just fine.”

I’m looking forward to hearing the whole album recorded after hearing the tracks live during so many performances - come on April 24th!

Christine

“Sweet Nic” by Pastel Blank

Pastel Blank is the solo project of Angus Watt, supported by an ‘ever-shifting cast of musicians and collaborators from Montréal, Vancouver, and Victoria’, and last week they released their latest single with “Sweet Nic”.

The track is the second single off the upcoming album Unmade In Minutes and is a quirky & catchy song about the dangers of nicotine, with Watt explaining:
“I wrote Sweet Nic after being left unattended with Connor Head’s accursed Juul (while Juul’s were still legal in Canada) when he and I lived together in an apartment in Victoria’s Chinatown. The idea was to write a song about (or around) nicotine without using any words that were too obvious, such as 'cigarette' or 'smoking'. What started as a writing exercise has resulted mostly in confused reactions, or people asking who Nic is? Hopefully the music video with the bruiser cigarette thugs clears things up. It's very freeing, being dressed as a human-sized cigarette.”

Unmade In Minutes comes out on April 24th, and be sure to check out the absolutely unhinged (complimentary) music video below!

Kirk

“Last Life” by Thea May

I’m not gonna lie, it was the first line in the press release for “Last Life” by Thea May that caught my attention:

Don’t bother with anything but honesty with Thea May. An emo kid at heart, the Anishinaabe artist from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, ON, makes music because she has to.

And I’m glad it did, because as soon as I started the song, I had to crank it. “Last Life” is raw and energetic, with a dark humour as May shares, “It's how I cope. It’s not a cry for help, it’s a side-eye at the clichés you lean on when you’re emotionally and spiritually overloaded and still expected to function.”

There’s a video out later this month, but you can have a listen now, and keep an ear out for more from Thea May later this year!

Kirk