JORDAN KLASSEN ANNOUNCES NORTH AMERICAN FALL TOUR DATES

TOUR DATES BEGIN OCTOBER 24

WATCH AND SHARE “VIRTUOUS CIRCLE” HERE

Photo Credit : Rachel Pick // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, BC songwriter Jordan Klassen has announced a run of North American tour dates that takes him across the continent. Tour dates begin October 24 in Alberta and run till the end of November when Klassen returns home to BC. Full route listings can be found below.

Recently, Klassen released “Virtuous Circle”, the first new music from Jordan Klassen since 2017’s Big Intruder.  Of the track Klassen says, "I wrote 'Virtuous Circle' at a time in my life where I felt surrounded by a lot of death primarily; a death in my family, broken relationships, personal instability, and a seemingly endless streak of career disappointments. The song is a plea of hope, that what feels like a vicious circle could invert into a virtuous one."

WATCH AND SHARE “VIRTUOUS CIRCLE” HERE

The stunning video for “Virtuous Circle”, directed by Farhad Ghaderi and produced by Shelby Manton of Boldly, explores the joys and pains of brotherhood through the volatile relationship between a young boy (Ben Andrusco-Daon) and his self-destructive older brother (Antoine Olivier Pilon) in the pursuit of winning a famous regional long-distance race.

Watch for more new music from Klassen in the near future.

TOUR DATES
Oct 24 -Edmonton, AB - Station on Jasper
Oct 25 - Red Deer, AB - Red Hart Brewing
Oct 26 - Calgary, AB - King Eddy
Oct 27 - Regina, SK - Artesian on 13th
Oct 28 - Winnipeg, MB - WECC
Nov 1 - Wakefield, QC - The Blacksheep Inn
Nov 2 - Toronto, ON - The Cameron House
Nov 3 - Kingston, ON - Musikki Cafe
Nov 5 - Elora, ON - The Porch Light
Nov 6 - Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
Nov 9 - New York, NY - Underwater Sunshine
Nov 21 - Kelowna, BC - New Arts Collective
Nov 23 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
Nov 29 - Victoria, BC - Lucky Bar

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WHOOP-SZO ANNOUNCE NEW LP, SHARE FIRST TRACK “AMARUQ”

WARRIOR DOWN OUT NOVEMBER 1 VIA YOU’VE CHANGED RECORDS

LISTEN AND SHARE “AMARUQ” HERE

ON TOUR NOW - MORE CANADIAN DATES BEGIN NOVEMBER 1

PRE-ORDER WARRIOR DOWN - PHYSICAL / DIGITAL

"There's an underlying gentleness to WHOOP-Szo's instrumental attack, and it keeps them grounded and connected with their communities as they righteously lash out against institutional inequalities, making their voices all the more powerful, literally and figuratively." - Exclaim! 

“A true psychedelic group ... For WHOOP-Szo, punk, DIY and psych principles go beyond music scene bubbles and fuse with Indigenous solidarity and healing through music.” - NOW 

“WHOOP-Szo has perfected their eclectic sounds, binding the paradox of indistinguishable familiarity with themes of Canadian history, language, and culture.” - VICE

Photo Credit : Rima Sater // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

On their new LP Warrior Down, WHOOP-Szo present a vast and barren landscape associated with the harsh truth of Canadian History, a post-colonial firestorm harbouring moments of doom and heavy introspection while remaining true to their psychedelic aesthetic. Today, the band shares the lead track from the album, “Amaruq”, which is Inuktitut for Wolf - named to honour the community the band worked in up North, Salluit. 

"As much as we try, we cannot always control the feelings that enter our lives,” the band says to Exclaim! about the song. “They can come in unexpectedly, like a wild animal appearing just when you thought yourself along. Have you ever crossed paths with a wolf? In the North, where we lived and worked for many years, they call them Amaruq.

We dedicate this song to Larry Tamusai and all the other young people who have suffered, are suffering and will suffer the effects of inadequate mental health resources in Indigenous communities across Turtle Island.”

LISTEN AND SHARE “AMARUQ” HERE

WHOOP-Szo is a force of nature, sprung from a mixed-blooded experience of Canadian history with deep Anishinaabek roots. Thunderous and ground-breaking, harmonious and generative—a WHOOP-Szo show envelops audiences in an emotional weather-storm that dances conscientiously between anger and discipline, frustration and hope. They tell us about colonial injustice loudly and punishingly, with haunting chord changes and monolithic distortion. They explore the possibility of wisdom and empowerment, with acoustic melodies that calmly find space within crushing layers of politics and sound. On stage and off, WHOOP-Szo engage communities with a powerful synchrony that invites people to feel and to heal. They are passionate storytellers who knock loudly on the door, and will reward you tenfold for letting them in. 

Forthcoming album Warrior Down harnesses their power into a concise, focused 35 minutes on wax, calling out both specific instances of injustice in Canadian history — such as the murder of bandleader Adam Sturgeon’s cousin by a Saskatchewan RCMP officer, or recalling Sturgeon’s grandfather’s experience at a Residential School (“Gerry”, “Cut Your Hair”) — and broader, wider-reaching ones such as the experience of having race and culture assigned to you by a government that doesn’t represent you (“6.1/6.2”). 

WHOOP-Szo is just wrapping up a string of tour dates this week and will head back out on the road in November. Full tour dates can be found below. 

PRE-ORDER WARRIOR DOWN - PHYSICAL / DIGITAL

TOUR DATES
Sep 10 – Calgary, AB – The Palomino
Sep 12 – Winnipeg, MB – The Royal Albert Hotel
Sep 13 – Thunder Bay, ON – The Apollo
Sep 14 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Dryer Fire
Sep 15 – Sudbury, ON - Townehouse 
Nov 01 – London, ON – Rec Room
Nov 02 – Toronto, ON – The Round House
Nov 06 – St. Catharines, ON – The Warehouse
Nov 07 – Guelph, ON - Ebar  
Nov 08 – Hamilton, ON – This Ain’t Hollywood
Nov 09 – Windsor, ON - Green Bean Cafe
Nov 21 – Peterborough, ON - Sadleir House
Nov 22 – Ottawa, ON - Cinqhole
Nov 23 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa | M For Montreal
Nov 26 – Moncton, NB - Caveau
Nov 27 – Saint John, NB – Taco Pica
Nov 28 – Halifax, NS – Gus’ Pub
Nov 29 – Fredericton, NB - The Capital
Nov 30 – Quebec City, QC - Scanner

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

WARRIOR DOWN TRACKLIST
01 Amaruq
02 Gerry
03 Long Braided Hair
04 2CB
05 Naanan
06 6.1 / 6.2
07 Oda Man
08 Nshwaaswi
09 Homemade Candles
10 Cut Your Hair

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REUBEN AND THE DARK ANNOUNCES NEW LP, SHARES FIRST SINGLE

UN | LOVE OUT OCTOBER 25 ON ARTS & CRAFTS

LISTEN AND SHARE “FAULTLINE” HERE

PRE-ORDER UN | LOVE HERE

CANADIAN TOUR DATES BEGIN OCT 16

“Compelling and evocative”  - Exclaim!

“Bright Eyes meets Mumford & Sons” - American Songwriter

“Earnest, anthemic” - WXPN

Photo Credit: Sheva Kafai // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Reuben and the Dark, the alt-folk outfit helmed by frontman Reuben Bullock, announces a new full-length album titled un | love, set for release on October 25 via Arts & Crafts. As part of the announcement, they share the first new song “faultline" – an intimate portrait of internal struggle and soul-searching, caught between past and future. Reuben explains:

“It feels like a reflective song. Driving on the highway late at night. Looking back over your life. The plans you made. And the way those plans can change. Driving while your passenger sleeps beside you. It’s about trust and self-destruction. Feeling power and, simultaneously, a lack of control.”

“faultline” was one of the earliest songs written for this album. The demo was recorded during the band’s first sessions in Sayulita, Mexico, and like much of the album, finds Reuben writing with greater spontaneity and in closer collaboration with his band. By the time they brought the song back to the icy Montreal winter, “faultline” had evolved into a simple, yet contemplative driving song that bursts with unencumbered emotion.

LISTEN AND SHARE “FAULTLINE” HERE

The chorus, one of Reuben’s most memorable lyrics to date, breaks through the verses’ tension with rays of clarity. Over an anthemic melody of chiming guitar and scenes of rolling highways, he offers a foretelling admission, singing: “I’m not looking for trouble, but trouble is on its way. It’s a faultline on this map of mine.” 

un | love, is Reuben’s most honest and captivating album to date, opening a window into one of the most dramatic times in Bullock’s life. The spirited Canadian band’s third record – following 2018’s Arms of a Dream, and 2014’s debut Funeral Sky – tells Reuben’s story of endings and hope for the future. The forthcoming collection is a bare, cathartic exploration of life’s undeniable crossroads, and the fateful depths that await there. 

Produced by Reuben and the Dark with Marcus Paquin (The National, Timber Timbre, Local Natives) and Kevin Drew (of Broken Social Scene), un | love evokes the raw emotion of the songs with anthemic, atmospheric sound. In comparison to the polished songs of Arms of a Dream, the new album shows a drastic turn in Reuben’s ease as a writer and freedom as a recording artist. His voice is at once unbridled and fallible. Through the dense imagery of his poetry shines a light shot straight from Reuben’s soul in a natural way unlike any time before. 

Reuben and the Dark performs at AmericanaFest on September 13 at City Winery, and will be touring North America and Europe in 2020. The band has shared stages with the likes of Vance Joy, Serena Ryder, The Strumbellas, Boy & Bear, and The Paper Kites. Reuben and the Dark’s music has been heard in Handmaid’s Tale, The HIghwaymen, A Million Little Things, American Gods, Grey’s Anatomy, Ray Donovan and more. 

PRE-ORDER UN | LOVE HERE

TOUR DATES
Sep 13 - Nashville TN - City Winery Lounge (AmericanaFest)
Oct 16 - Penticton BC - Dream Cafe
Oct 18 - Banff AB - Banff Centre
Oct 19 - Banff AB - Banff Centre
Oct 22 - Red Deer AB - Bo’s
Oct 23 - Jasper AB - Jasper Legion
Oct 25 - Camrose AB - Bailey Theatre
Oct 26 - Moose Jaw SK - Mae Wilson Theatre
Oct 28 - Invermere BC - Pynelogs Cultural Centre
Oct 29 - St. Albert AB - Arden Theatre
Feb 13 - Paris ON - Dominion Telegraph
Feb 25 - Swift Current SK - Lyric Theatre

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UN | LOVE TRACKLIST
01 rising
02 faultline
03 welcome home
04 weightlessness
05 breathe
06 underground
07 inner river
08 unlove
09 outrun the rain
10 wisemen
11 dancer

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