Fresh Sounds Canada: Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Bibi Club & More

In Fresh Sounds Canada, Billboard Canada puts you on to the must-hear songs of the week by artists on the rise and those about to break. Here's what's out this week.

Snotty Nose Rez Kids feat. Electric Fields, “Red Future”

Haisla Nation hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, the musical pair of Yung Trybez and Young D, signed to Sony Music Canada late last year. "Red Future" is the title track of their upcoming major label debut, and it sounds like a major label debut. What does that mean? The sound, featuring Australian Indigenous electronic duo Electric Fields, sounds lush and epic and widescreen — in a word, big. It's inspired by Indigenous futurism, they say, and opening the door for future generations to thrive. It's a bit more serious and less, well, snotty than previous releases, but it shows an ambition to match their new record contract and the budget that goes along with it (their first song after getting signed was called “I Got Paid Today.” After years of exciting releases, that's an intriguing prospect for the future of SNRK. - Richard Trapunski

Bibi Club, “L'île aux bleuets”

Bibi Club just announced the release of their second album, Feu de garde, on May 10 through Secret City Records, featuring the single "L’île aux bleuets." The duo, composed of Adèle Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque, takes us to the sanctuary of a lake in the Laurentians in Quebec for a pop ballad cradled by a candid flow. After being crowned Best New Artist at GAMIQ 2023, nominated in the "Revelation of the Year" category at the last ADISQ gala, and making it onto the long list of the Polaris Prize for Le soleil et la mer, Bibi Club have undoubtable buzz heading into the spring. They'll play France and Belgium in May and June and will return to Quebec for a series of concerts this fall. - Amélie Revert

Dana Gavanski, “Ears Were Growing”

Dana Gavanski continues to build anticipation ahead of the release of her new album, LATE SLAP, scheduled for April 5th via Full Time Hobby. Her latest single, the highly catchy "Ears Were Growing," is described by the London, England-based Canadian, who has ventured into Talking Heads-inspired sounds, as "a dream of escape confronted with the reality of being stuck on the same old couch with the same old thoughts." It's different from the artist's musical offerings thus far, but it's a beautiful success. - Amélie Revert

MacKenzie Porter, “Coming Home To You”

Now based in Nashville, MacKenzie Porter is one of a few Canadian country stars currently making a splash internationally. She has scored six No. 1 country singles across the U.S., Canada, and Australia and earned nearly 900 million global on-demand streams, and is now gearing up for potentially her biggest year yet. “Coming Home To You” is the new single from her upcoming full-length album, Nobody's Born With A Broken Heart, set for an April 26 release on Big Loud Records. It showcases her clean and unaffected vocals, boosted here by a full and swelling production incorporating both strings and steel guitar (hitmaker Joey Moi is at the production helm). Lyrically, the track urges us to count our blessings: “Why would I wish for a different life? We don’t got it all but we got all we need.” - Kerry Doole

EDITOR'S PICK: Poolblood, “Wringer”

Following up on their 2023 Polaris Music Prize longlisted-debut, mole, Toronto’s Poolblood is releasing a new EP on April 5, via Next Door Records. “Wringer,” the first glimpse of the new EP, theres_plenty_of_music_to_go_around.zip, is a searching dispatch that expands into a charged rock song. Featuring a video by Shamir and production by Allen Tate (San Fermin), the track finds Poolblood’s Maryam Said probing something or someone absent: “From where does it grow? / Why does it keep its hands off me?” Said asks. Beginning with just acoustic guitar and voice, the song builds to a dense outro (and features some beautiful guitar-work) as Said’s questions find a kind of sonic release that feels both cathartic and wistful.