Single Servings: March 4, 2021
Welcome to a new feature here at FYI Music News that each week will highlight five fresh singles by Canadian artists that have caught our attention.
By Jason Schneider
Welcome to a new feature here at FYI Music News that each week will highlight five fresh singles by Canadian artists that have caught our attention. The amount of singles we receive for consideration is staggering, and we’ll try our best to give you the cream of the crop. If you hear something you like, please support the artists by grabbing a download or exploring their catalogue further. So without further ado…
The Human Rights – Peace Gun
Release Date: March 5
Label: Independent
Toronto’s Roots Reggae titans return with a first taste of their new album Reggae Strong, due out this summer. Recorded by Patric McGroarty and mixed by Dubmatix, Peace Gun combines a positive message with a heavy old-school rhythm that displays the full power of this eight-piece musical force.
Jess Benko – Worst Enemy
Release Date: Feb. 26
Label: Independent
Although it’s only been two years since this Toronto artist started writing songs, 18-year-old Benko has quickly amassed a collection of emotionally charged material that has earned millions of Spotify streams and prompted her to pursue a full-time music career. Worst Enemy captures feelings of frustration and self-sabotage, while acknowledging it’s all just part of being human.
Purchase/stream here
Laurence-Anne – Nyx
Release Date: March 5
Label: Bonsound
Montreal's electronica artist Laurence-Anne will release her second full-length album Musivision on April 23, and this new track offers a preview of its funky, disco-inspired elements. It shows Laurence-Anne’s continued determination to be as strange as she wants to be, something also in evidence through Nyx’s delightfully disturbing animated video created by Joey Desjardins.
Purchase/stream here
Michael J. Foxx and Sydney Sexton – Instant
Release Date: Feb. 15
Label: Independent
Coming off a handful of singles in 2020, this Moncton, New Brunswick-based hip-hop/R&B duo recently released Duality, their first full-length collaboration. Lead off track Instant sums up how they successfully blend Sexton’s more feminine, pop-influenced approach with Foxx’s hip-hop roots forged during his upbringing in New York City. Stream here or here
The Slowinks – One Shoe
Release Date: March 5
Label: Weewerk
Ever have one of those nights out when you end up coming home with only one shoe? That’s the idea behind this first single from Montreal classic country band The Slowinks’ new album Stay With Me Awhile, out April 2. In describing her experience, lead vocalist Felicity Hamer (formerly of United Steelworkers of Montreal) goes full Rose Maddox-meets-Neko Case on this instantly lovable offering. Website here
