advertisement
FYI

Dylan Sinclair: Fly Girl

Soulful vocals and inventive production are featured here. 

Dylan Sinclair: Fly Girl

By Kerry Doole

Dylan Sinclair -Fly Girl (Five Stone Records/The Orchard): Earlier this year, this 22-year-old Toronto R&B singer-songwriter earned a Juno Award in the Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year category via his feature on Savannah Re's track Last One. He had been nominated in this category in 2021 for Proverb and has been widely tipped for major success (Spotify named him a 2023 R&B Artist to Watch).


Helping that cause is this new single, his first release of 2023. His press bio claims that the track's "distinct sonic shift represents a fresh perspective, sound, and tempo not previously heard from Sinclair," and Fly Girl does see Sinclair lean in a more contemporary direction.

advertisement

Paying tribute to the object of his desire, Sinclair's keening soulful voice sits atop a laidback groove, and the production features some inventive arrangements of backing vocals. The Sinclair composition was co-produced by Jordon Manswell (Daniel Caesar, Mariah Carey), Zachary Simmonds (Daniel Caesar), and Joe Aste.

Sinclair first made a breakthrough with his No Longer in the Suburbs EP and such singles as Lifetime and Open. Over the past year, he has played three consecutive sold-out hometown shows at Toronto’s TD Music Hall and attention-grabbing shows Stateside, as well as performances at this year's Junos, the Montréal International Jazz Festival and Toronto’s Manifesto Festival. Anticipation builds for his upcoming sold-out London headline debut at Village Underground on Aug. 30.

Links

Website

Instagram

Twitter

Publicity: Michael Tomczak at The Orchard

advertisement
Max Kerman playing with Arkells in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on Dec. 18, 2025.
Nathan Nash

Max Kerman playing with Arkells in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on Dec. 18, 2025.

Music

A 2026 Resolution: Remember The People Behind The Music (Guest Column)

In a year where it was hard to get a footing, Max Kerman of Arkells found meaning in human interaction. Let's remember the people — the stagehands, the crowds, the invisible ecosystem — that allow the things we love to exist in the first place.

I’ve always been a bit wary about giving too much credit to art, in the grand scheme of things. It’s not the foundational part of the hierarchy of needs. I think that instinct comes from my mom — her Okay, let’s not get too carried away with ourselves disposition, which always carried a hint of suspicion when things felt a little too steeped in praise or flattery.

But there’s a generosity in that instinct. There’s a reminder to remember the people — the stagehands, the crowds, the invisible ecosystem — that allow the things we love to exist in the first place.

keep readingShow less
advertisement