MAJOR LOVE RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE, “MAKING THE MOST OF IT”

MAJOR LOVE, THE MUSICAL PROJECT OF COLLEEN BROWN & SCENIC ROUTE TO ALASKA, SHARES NEW SINGLE AND LYRIC VIDEO FOR “MAKING THE MOST OF IT”

WATCH / SHARE “MAKING THE MOST OF IT” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “MAKING THE MOST OF IT” HERE

Photo Credit : Ryan Parker // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

MAJOR LOVE is the moniker of Edmonton singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Colleen Brown, and a collaboration featuring Alberta rock darlings Scenic Route To Alaska; Trevor Mann, Shea Connor, and Murray Wood.

Today, they share the first single, “Making The Most Of It”, produced by Marcus Paquin. Born of pandemic-times, Brown reflects on the dissolution of a once vibrant existence, turned mundane; and the pressure to become a ‘productivity drone’ in place of a social life on the outside.

Opening with a cathartic wail, and settling into head-bopping riffs and hand claps, with gang vocals chanting ‘making the most of it, when I feel like it’, Major Love deliver a wry and rugged indie rock anthem for the collective ennui of our times.

WATCH / SHARE “MAKING THE MOST OF IT” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “MAKING THE MOST OF IT” HERE

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The single arrives with a lyric video from director Dale Bailey. Creating the “Making The Most Of It” lyric video was a very meta experience. The team had booked a date at the Varscona Theatre in Edmonton and hired a set designer - Chantal Fortin - to create a Lawrence Welk influenced variety show stage in a dreamy, nostalgic style. Colleen had sewn scarves for herself and the band, and customized her dress to match the set. The rest of the band flew to Toronto to play some Scenic Route To Alaska shows and were due back the day before the shoot. However a huge storm hit Ontario and they were grounded for an extra 48 hours, missing the shoot and leaving Brown on her own in Edmonton.
With the stage already booked and decorated, Colleen decided to go ahead with the shoot. That meant Brown was digging around in her closet and thrift stores to dress herself as ‘the band’. “It was basically my recurring nightmare come to life,” says Brown. “I show up at the venue, I have spent too much time on my costume and makeup and don’t feel prepared. I’m rushed onstage and I don’t know how to play the instruments, but I have to go through with it anyways, haha. But as this was all playing out, we just had to laugh because we were making the most of it, as the song says.”

“This shoot was intended to just be one scene inside the Official Video for the single, but we loved it so much we had to release a full length version, and it seemed perfect as a lyric video.”

Forming after a chance meeting overseas, Major Love’s debut album was released in August 2018. The singles “Tear It Down” and “So Good” were embraced by CBC Music Top 20 and Sirius XM, and enjoyed some initial commercial radio crossover. The album spent thirteen weeks in the Top 50 earshot! National College Radio charts. 

PAST PRAISE FOR MAJOR LOVE

'You can hear the warm frenzy of creation in the songs. Major Love wield energy with an electric bite: melodies twist catchily and Brown's pop-happy voice swoops into psychedelic undertones...Major Love have managed to propel the joy of finding — and connecting with — other Canadians abroad, and has turned it into a soundtrack for revelry’ - Exclaim!

‘…driven by a sense of fun and Ms Brown’s inimitable vocal which, as I may have said before, has all the dexterity of Joni Mitchell coupled with the raw abandon of Carole King. The uncomplicated, confident production, spotlighting hefty bass and chunky guitars give the songs weight and claws while the performances on the record are of a band who have properly found their sound and hit their stride.’ - Red Guitar Music 

‘…the record is imbued with an infectious energy. Brown’s voice cuts through ‘Tear It Down’s naggingly insistent riff and backwards guitars, giving way to the mantra like chorus- an ode to new beginnings.’ - The Line Of Best Fit
“a terrific album of guitar-driven dream pop” - The Edmonton Journal


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RUBY SINGH’S TWO NEW LPS OUT THIS WEEK, SHARES NEW SINGLES

RUBY SINGH TO RELEASE NEW DOUBLE LP, kraKIN - A MORE-THAN-HUMAN HIP-HOP COLLABORATION - AND POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II - AN AMBIENT COLLECTION. 

BOTH ALBUMS INCORPORATE ‘BIOSONIFICATION’ OF FLORA, FAUNA, AND FUNGI, FIELD RECORDINGS AND KEYBOARDS TEMPERED WITH THE SONGS OF VARIOUS ANIMALS INCLUDING WOLVES, ORCA AND OWLS

DOUBLE LP SET FOR RELEASE THIS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

WATCH / SHARE “TOOTH N’ CLAW” (VIDEO) FROM kraKIN TODAY HERE
BUY / STREAM kraKIN ON FRIDAY HERE

WATCH / SHARE “AFTER THE FIRES” VISUALIZER FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II TODAY HERE

BUY / STREAM “AFTER THE FIRES” FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II ON FRIDAY HERE

Photo Credit : Dessmin Sidhu // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

This Friday, JUNO Award nominated artist, 2023 WCMA Winner (Global Artist of the Year) and the recent recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Music and Art, Ruby Singh is releasing two new albums; one a hip-hop collaboration entitled kraKIN, the other, Polyphonic Garden Suite II, explores the pulses and soundscapes of life. Both albums were created incorporating ‘bionsonification’, raising songs from indigenous flora and fungi, transforming bioelectricity into midi data to inform pitch and rhythm.

Today, he shares “Tooth N’ Claw”, the third single from the multispecies hip-hop assemblage—kraKIN. This narrative track imagines a dark and stormy night in the near-future. Marching on unsustainable cities, an animal liberation force aims to raise the consciousness of the human world to make us understand our role in creating the climate crisis. The music is created through what Singh refers to as “NI” or “Natural Intelligence.” Synthesizers ring out with the songs of the Northern Spotted Owl while Salal biosonifcation triggers mallets and strings, and warning drums are composed from coastal thunderstorms, various frog species, and the crunching of dried crab shells. The accompanying video was created through the use of AI technologies: future intelligence juxtaposed against the traditional and timeless intelligence of the land itself. A strange tentacular entity gathers above the urban landscape, packs of wolves and armies of frogs, racoons, and owls infiltrate the city limits, and only the children seem to understand their presence. The other-than-human world has had enough of these “vendors of trash” and their short-sighted, short-lived dominion. As war drums echo down the valley, the Wild Ones march to the music of the revolution. KraKIN delivers an eco-surrealist warning, letting us know it’s time to wake the f#%k up or squander our collective future. 

WATCH / SHARE “TOOTH N’ CLAW” (VIDEO) FROM kraKIN TODAY HERE
BUY / STREAM kraKIN ON FRIDAY HERE

The celebrated artist is also sharing another track from Polyphonic Garden Suite II, “After the Fires”. Amidst the hottest months and largest fires in documented history, the recordings and biosonifications for “After the Fires” were collected from the smoldering earth in Nłeʔkepmxcín lands in the summer of 2021. The first growth after fires in these territories trigger synth pads, including sage, alfalfa flower, and the tender shoots of fireweed. Field recordings of  ‘dune boom’, a phenomenon wherein wind over sand dunes plays the landscape like a flute, create the low humming sound throughout the track. Fire is a dangerous element that brings grave destruction but it also provides the right alchemy for change, transmutation and nourishment for forests. Animations by Sab Meynert portray this beauty and power in fine balance. May these lands continue to recover, may we steward these lands so that they may hold the generations to come. 

WATCH / SHARE “AFTER THE FIRES” VISUALIZER FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II TODAY HERE

BUY / STREAM “AFTER THE FIRES” FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II ON FRIDAY HERE

MORE ABOUT kraKIN and POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II
In physical form, these 2 albums will incarnate as a 100% post consumer fibre book collaged with lyrics, poetry and artwork by Sab Maynert, the Flavourcel Collective and Singh himself. Set for release in November, the book will be accompanied by a seed bomb bookmark with QR codes for the albums. 30% of the profits will be donated to the incredible work of Raven Trust, who support the inherent and constitutionally-protected rights of Indigenous Peoples as a powerful pathway towards reconciliation and environmental justice.

WATCH / SHARE “INTO THE CLOUDS” FROM kraKIN HERE
BUY / STREAM “INTO THE CLOUDS” HERE

BUY / STREAM “FAIRY CREEK LAMENT” FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II
WATCH / SHARE “FAIRY CREEK LAMENT” VISUALIZER HERE

kraKIN is a more-than-human hip-hop collaboration bringing together the sonic stylings of Singh, the amphibious intellect of Dr. Michael Datura (aka professah exile), and a boom-bap menagerie of West Coast plants, amphibians, and mushrooms. In an age of ecological crisis, this multi-species assemblage aims to decompose human dominion and reintegrate our minds with the resonant ecology of a living world. kraKIN creates their unique place based sound by cutting and crossfading samples of field recordings of biomes throughout western canada and incorporating “biosonification”—a technology that translates the bioelectric signature of flora, fauna and fungi into musical information. 

Singh named his latest project, kraKIN, based on the birth of the project in the Octopus Islands, the habitat of the giant pacific red octopus, in Desolation Sound. The tracks include everything from cedar tree basslines, wolf-howl and orca song synths, fungi-triggered 808s, to woodpecker hi-hats —resulting in an ecological portrait aiming to shapeshift perceptions and help us stay awake to the ways of the world.

WATCH / SHARE “ECHOLOCATE” FROM kraKIN HERE
BUY / STREAM “ECHOLOCATE” HERE

Singh’s ambient offering, Polyphonic Garden Suite II, intimately explores our relationship with this living, breathing and animate world. He created the album over the course of two years of travels to six biomes throughout so-called ‘british columbia’. The emerging melodies are then mixed with field recordings and unique instrumentation (tambura, mohan veena and fujara). Singh tempers keyboards with the songs of coastal wolves, orca, and birds (western screech owl, thrush, robin, song sparrow). To further deepen these sonic landscapes, the midi data of plants and fungi trigger the songs of their animal cohabitants: a Cottonwood tree triggers the call of the Song Sparrow that lives within its branches; bull kelp triggers the song of orcas. What emerges are complexly layered sonic ecologies of connection and wonder for the natural world, where Singh imagines how we might move towards right relations with these generous lands, waters and skies.

BUY / STREAM “SHORELINES” FROM POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II
WATCH / SHARE “SHORELINES” VISUALIZER HERE

During this age of climate crisis, Singh continues to examine his role as an artist. This double release, kraKIN and Polyphonic Garden Suite II, ask us to question our relationship with this living planet and all the creatures and kin we share it with. In these twinned projects, Singh creates sonic ecologies, shining light towards our interdependence within every ecosystem. Polyphonic Garden opens a fragrant ambient invitation to explore this relationship, while kraKIN serves as an urgent warning of the crisis we face through a pointed critique of capitalism, colonialism and the terrible choices we have made and continue to make. At the time of writing, canada is experiencing the worst forest fires in recorded history. Singh believes that art has a crucial role in reimagining futures and repurposing aesthetic freedoms toward civil and environmental justice. 

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kraKIN TRACKLIST
01 Better Days
02 Midnight Wings
03 EchoLocate
04 Cross Pollinated
05 Tooth N Claw
06 Into The Clouds
07 Magnetic North

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POLYPHONIC GARDEN SUITE II TRACKLIST
01 Amrit Vela
02 A Wolf In Cedars Clothing
03 Fairy Creek Lament
04 After The Fires
05 Lost In The Grasslands
06 Cotton Song Of The Sparrow
07 Shorelines 

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ECHOES OF…, THE NEW PROJECT FROM THE JERRY CAN’S ANDREW MORRISON, ANNOUNCES DEBUT LP

Photo Credit : Pat Kane // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Echoes Of…, the new project fronted by the vocals of Andrew Morrison (The Jerry Cans, Terry Uyarak, Aakuluk Music) is sharing the new single, “Dead Or Dying” (Winter Version) ft. Lovely Things, which arrives alongside the announcement of a debut full length album, Euphemisms, out January 26, 2024 on Aakuluk Records. 

Echoes of... is an approach to creating music that prioritizes collaboration which leads to a mesmerizing auditory journey. The lyrics delve into the heart of life in Nunavut, inviting listeners to explore a day in the life of one of Canada’s most fascinating cities: Iqaluit, Nunavut.

"Dead or Dying’ is a song that honours the uniquely beautiful feelings of rage and grief," says Morrison. "This song was sparked by the passing of my mother, and fuelled through reflecting on the growing list of amazing friends who fight ongoing daily battles…with the world and with themselves, it is also partly dedicated to the many other beautiful souls who have given into their fight. This song is part therapy to express rage about loss, grief about the end of eras, rage about loss of childhood friends in my community, but also rage about death of people I don’t even know in international communities. Rage about the demolition of communities and cultures. At home and abroad."

WATCH / SHARE “DEAD OR DYING” (WINTER VERSION) FT. LOVELY THINGS

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MORE ABOUT ECHOES OF…
The intricate layers of sound, meticulously crafted by a wide-range of collaborators including James Ungalaq (Northern Haze), Terry Uyarak, Ivaana, Naja P, Jace Lasek (Besnard Lakes), and Maazes, the group draws on a diverse group of skilled instrumentalists and producers to create a sonic landscape that echoes the rugged beauty - and collaborative spirit - of the North. From Nunavut, to Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), to the Northwest Territories, to Montreal, Echoes of… is a response to increasingly industry-driven musical reality faced in Canada’s north.

Rooted in a deep dedication to collaborative art, the songs by Echoes of… are an exploration of death, loss, love and what life means after it all. Scents of indie rock, folk-pop, and soul-stirring alternative sounds converge to capture the essence of life at the edge of the world.

Echoes of… music is a celebration of the communities, the people, and the stories that live and breathe in modern day Iqaluit. Their songs touch upon the warmth of community, the icy embrace of isolation - whether self-imposed or exerted by outside forces - and the deep connection to nature that shapes daily life. 

WATCH / SHARE “ANAANAGA” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ANAANAGA” HERE

With a commitment to honouring the past while forging ahead, Echoes of… has become a vessel for both personal introspection and shared empathy. The release of this music is as much a process of grappling with the complexity of human experience while exploring what it means to continue to move through life. Echoes of… hopes to inspire listeners to explore their own creativity, to venture into unknown depths of themselves, while drawing on the resilience and spirit of their communities. 

As they step into the public light, Echoes of… seeks to be more than a band; they are the musical representation of life-long relationships between artists in the North. In this way, Echoes of… is a sonic bridge, connecting worlds through melody and emotion, infused with the soul of Nunavut. Echoes of… invites you on an extraordinary expedition into a new plain of heart / music / culture.

EUPHEMISMS TRACKLIST
01 Dead or Dying (Winter Version)
02 Shine Your Light feat. Naja P and Maazes
03 Inurulutuinnaujuguk feat. qiyuapik
04 Feel Along feat. Lovely Things
05 Blame The Government feat Jaaku Sørensen , Lovely Things
06 Iqanajarumanngittunga feat. Terry Uyarak
07 Sukkuga feat. Thelma Sól
08 Mamaqtuq
09 Dead or Dying (Summer Version)
10 Anaanaga (Winter Version)  

ECHOES OF… ONLINE
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