AIKO TOMI 富愛子 RELEASES EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY, SHARES VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK

AIKO TOMI’S (富愛子) NEW ALBUM, EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY,  IS THE SOUNDTRACK TO BEING LOVESTRUCK, OVERSTIMULATED, AND DEEPLY ALIVE - OUT TODAY

WATCH / SHARE “EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY” HERE

BUY / STREAM EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY HERE

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW : JUNE 28 - TORONTO @ THE IVY

“Instantly inspire[s] anyone to defiantly flaunt their individuality” - The Guardian

“Prowling synths and percussion that taps like honed talons.” - Complex

"Tomi's lyrical deftness doesn’t just reveal the blinding glare of materialistic boast-posting; Her savvy ear for production and equally catchy voice will also make you — to paraphrase a much different elder pop artist — dim your screen and dance in the dark." - Exclaim!

Photo Credit : Spencer Edwards // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Out today, Toronto alt-pop disruptor AIKO TOMI’s (富愛子) newest album, Everything Sparks Joy, is a nine-track odyssey that feels like a sugar rush at the end of the world. Blending hyperpop energy with sharp introspection, AIKO TOMI shapeshifts between brat and philosopher, diva and gremlin—delivering playful, chaotic, and unexpectedly intelligent songs that hit just as hard on the dance floor as they do in your psyche.

The album is a maximalist meditation on meaning, chaos, and aesthetic survival. It explores joyful nihilism, weaponized cuteness, digital overstimulation, and the soft violence of longing—inviting listeners to lean into contradiction. Glittering hooks mask deeper reflections on identity, rebellion, and what it means to be real.

"This album concept was born when I was called out for being full of shit for saying that I'm a minimalist at heart. My response was, ‘I’m not a hoarder, I’m just an indecisive minimalist—EVERYTHING sparks joy,’" says Tomi.

A genre-defying trip through identity, diasporic duality, and playful rebellion, the album captures AIKO TOMI at her most mischievous and sincere. With a bold sonic palette by producer Andrew Rasmussen, the album features an art piece for each track by Poi and Keely. Everything Sparks Joy is the soundtrack to being lovestruck, overstimulated, and deeply alive.

BUY / STREAM EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY HERE

Today, Tomi shares her new video, shot in Taipei, Taiwan, for the album’s title track, “Everything Sparks Joy”. In a euphoric burst of alt-pop maximalism, it captures the feeling of tumbling headfirst into something electric and fleeting—where intimacy meets adrenaline in the surreal moments that feel too vivid to last—but too good not to chase.

The track opens with a childlike voice repeating: ‘One big thing is many little things, all the big things are one little thing.’ It’s a playful mantra that sets the tone for what follows: a sensory rush where meaning is found in fragments: glimpses, tastes, touches, moods… where chaos and joy exist side by side, in the moments you feel your universe coming together and falling apart at the same time.

WATCH / SHARE “EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY” HERE

MORE ABOUT AIKO TOMI
Alt-pop artist AIKO TOMI 富愛子 has been called everything from “Asian Brat” to “Asian Peaches”—but behind the playful labels is a sharp, genre-blurring songwriter with a taste for the unexpected. The Taiwan-born, Toronto-based artist of Japanese-Chinese heritage weaves the duality of her experiences into a sound and aesthetic all her own: distorted hyperpop beats, hypnotic synths, and thoughtful yet addictive hooks that explore the contradictions we carry—with what Exclaim! calls “lyrical deftness.” Her high-energy live shows—described as “riveting—and fun” (NEXT Magazine)—pair bold physicality with moments of brutal honesty. Fresh from performances across Asia and Europe, AIKO TOMI has been spotlighted in The Guardian, Complex, and CBC Radio. She also curates The Cult of AIKO TOMI, a self-produced live music series spotlighting diverse artists through Asian-inspired themes.

WATCH / SHARE “BLUEBERRIES” HERE

WATCH / SHARE “BOUNCE” HERE

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EVERYTHING SPARKS JOY TRACKLIST
01 Everything Sparks Joy
02 BOUNCE
03 gliiitch
04 blueberries
05 Violently Kawaii
06 296
07 delulu demon
08 agenttt of chaos
09 Some Lights Need To Be Dimmed

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THE DEEP DARK WOODS ANNOUNCE NEW LP, THE CIRCLE REMAINS, SHARES NEW SINGLE

THE DEEP DARK WOODS TO RELEASE NEW LP, THE CIRCLE REMAINS, OCTOBER 3, 2025 VIA VICTORY POOL RECORDS

WATCH / SHARE “TRADED IN YOUR NAME” HERE
BUY / STREAM “TRADED IN YOUR NAME” HERE

PRE-SAVE THE CIRCLE REMAINS HERE

CANADIAN TOUR DATES BEGIN THIS OCTOBER

Photo Credit : Heather Saitz // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

The Deep Dark Woods' new album is an exercise in understatement, showcasing a band who clearly knows what they're doing, and simply keeps getting better at doing it, paradoxically making it seem more and more effortless with each release. These nine gorgeous, mesmerizing tracks combine sturdy, heartfelt songwriting with sparkles of tiny, luminescent detail tucked into every corner of this album's sonic landscape. Shadowy and inviting, The Circle Remains sounds like the band playing in a darkened, fireplace-lit wood cabin in the middle of the night, and you're right there with them in a well-worn armchair. 

Today, The Deep Dark Woods are sharing the new single “Traded In Your Name”, a song that was “originally written during the Changing Faces sessions, but it never quite came together the way I wanted,” says frontman Ryan Boldt. “I remembered it during a day of recording for the new album—we ran through it once or twice, and that was it. Evan Cheadle added a beautiful harmony on the chorus—probably my favourite harmony ever recorded on one of my songs.”

WATCH / SHARE “TRADED IN YOUR NAME” HERE
BUY / STREAM “TRADED IN YOUR NAME” HERE

MORE ABOUT THE CIRCLE REMAINS
As always, The Deep Dark Woods' music exists in a proud continuum of songwriting, but this is a band whose influences can be felt more than heard. The spirit of the '60s and '70s hovers around the perimeter at all times, but truly only in spirit: there is no aping here, just an enviable ability to conjure that same world-weary-but-hopeful sound that, for instance, Levon and company patented across The Band's early '70s masterpieces. And that era leans heavily on the sonic palette of The Circle Remains as well; in a welcome detour from the trends of so much contemporary music, there is nothing about the album that screams “2025”. This “out of time” aspect can be attributed to their influences of course, but also to the analog tape-heavy recording process the band and producer David Parry (Alice Phoebe Lou, Loving) favoured for this album. And it makes perfect sense, adding a burnished quality to the album's sound and placing a premium on the considerable abilities of these musicians.

A passing listen to the voice of The Deep Dark Woods' Boldt may find one drawing comparisons to some of the other titans of this strain of intimate, personalized songwriting that emerged in the during the '90s “indie folk” scenes, but the more one listens, it becomes apparent that Boldt has carved out his own niche in this rarefied realm. His singing (which is often coated with the gentle spectre of good old-fashioned analog tape delay) is lilting and mellifluous, imbuing a floating, mercurial element to the performances, but it's also playful, each line gently teasing out the edges of his melodies. 

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

While the general tone and timbre of the album is one of a well lived-in piece of clothing, there are a few songs on The Circle Remains that provide a few perhaps unexpected ear-catching moments.“Can't Keep From Singing” opens with a washy delay trail that would not sound out of place on a classic psych-folk album, then slides into one of those wily chord progressions that gently bends the mind a bit when first heard, but after repeat listens becomes absolutely crucial to the vibe of the song. “Golden Petal” revels in its three-quarter-time lope, glimpsing moments of pure, unadorned groove and a few swooping slide guitar smears from Evan Cheadle. 

“Circle Remains Unbroken” sidles out of the gates with a deliciously restrained palette of tasty, deep-pocket drumming courtesy of Mike Silverman, (Kacy & Clayton), a perfectly locked-in bass line, and one of the most gossamer-like vocal performances Boldt committed to tape for this album. As the song progresses, a variety of keyboards enter surreptitiously, filling up towards the final moments of the song, before it fades away as elegantly as it began. 

While The Circle Remains can be easily lauded for its effortlessly cohesive sound and focused temperament, the album's wildcard, without a doubt, is the magisterial keyboard playing of longtime member Geoff Hillhorst, whose deft touch moves between wonky, Garth Hudson-style organ moves (on “Sweet Grows The Fruit”, for instance) and lush, understated piano work throughout the album. On “Traded In Your Name”, Hillhorst alternates between sounding like he's learning the song on the fly, filling in holes with a jazz improviser's elegance and grace, and a moment later like he's lived in it for years, judiciously highlighting and supporting Boldt's delicate vocal melodies. 

For both neophytes and the converted alike, The Circle Remains will be an easy point of entry for the uninitiated, and it will certainly provide another proof-positive for the longtime fan. 

PRE-SAVE THE CIRCLE REMAINS HERE

TOUR DATES
Oct 14 - Regina - The Exchange
Oct 15 - Saskatoon - Capitol Music Club
Oct 16 - Sherwood Park - Festival Place
Oct 17 - Calgary - Festival Hall
Oct 18 - Lethbridge - Geomatic Attic
Oct 22 - Nelson - Spirit Bar
Oct 23 - Penticton - Dream Cafe
Oct 24 - Vancouver - Fox Cabaret
Oct 25 - Victoria - Capitol Ballroom

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

THE CIRCLE REMAINS TRACKLIST
1.Ruby
2.Traded In Your Name 
3.The Circle Remains Unbroken 
4.Golden Petals 
5.Ye Banks and Braes 
6.If I Was A Bird 
7.Keep Your Hands Upon The Throttle 
8.Can't Keep From Singing 
9.All Through The Seasons 
10.Many Days Of Leisure 
11.Sweet Grows The Fruit 

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PATRICK WATSON RELEASES GHOSTLY BOSSA NOVA DUET “THE WANDERING” IN COLLABORATION WITH MARO

UH OH, A COLLECTION OF NEW SONGS AFTER LOSING HIS
VOICE AND NOT KNOWING IF HE’D EVER SING AGAIN,
OUT SEPTEMBER 26 ON SECRET CITY RECORDS

FEATURING ANACHNID, CHARLOTTE CARDIN, CHARLOTTE OLEENA, HOHNEN FORD, KLÔ PELGAG, LA FORCE, MARO, MARTHA WAINWRIGHT,
NOVEMBER ULTRA, AND SOLANN

LISTEN TO “THE WANDERING” WITH MARO HERE

SET A REMINDER FOR THE YOUTUBE PREMIERE AND AFTERPARTY ON FRIDAY HERE

PRESAVE UH OH HERE
PRE-ORDER UH OH VINYL HERE

SUMMER PERFORMANCE DATES BEGIN JUNE 20

Photo Credit: Lawrence Fafard //  Simão Castro Pernas // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, singer-songwriter, film composer and pianist Patrick Watson has released “The Wandering”, a new collaboration with Portuguese artist MARO. A ghostly duet of wordless harmonies, eerie orchestration, and a subtle bossa nova groove, the new track is featured on Watson’s forthcoming album Uh Oh, out September 26 via Secret City Records. An official music video will premiere on Watson’s YouTube Channel this Friday at NOON ET, with an afterparty available for premium users, a conversation between him and director Jacob Jonas. Watson announced the new LP earlier this month with the single/video for “Peter and the Wolf”, a composition inspired by the ghosts of New Orleans.

Widely known for her appearance in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest representing Portugal, MARO imbues “The Wandering” with a gorgeously cinematic luster, her smoky vocals supporting Watson’s sensitive tenor with grace and strength. 

“The Wandering” is accompanied by a music video directed by Jacob Jonas and filmed in a Los Angeles warehouse with a dozen dancers. Patrick Watson and MARO can be seen dancing in the otherworldly video. 

Speaking about the new track, Patrick Watson noted: “I’d like to introduce you to ‘The Wandering’. It’s inspired by the feeling I’ve had since I was 16: touring and traveling the world playing music, and that unique sense of being a ghost, quietly watching the world go by. I first experienced this feeling as a kid, taking the train to school, and now, as a touring artist, I still feel it: like a ghost observing everything around me. This song is about that feeling, but also about the ghost becoming a companion on your journey. It’s a love song about the kind of company you keep with yourself, and how it can turn into this mysterious, guiding force that leads you on all kinds of adventures.

“Everyone knows how much I love Portugal. So when I first heard MARO’s voice, with its smooth, silky tone, it reminded me of the beautiful melancholy you feel while walking through the cities and spirits of Portugal. I was so excited to ask her to join me on this track, and it was an honor to have her lend her voice. Her charisma and charm brought something truly special to the music.”

Watson adds about the Jacob Dance Company, who directed the video project: “They are like family to me. This isn’t the first time we’ve worked together, and every time we collaborate, it’s a thrilling experience. They always blow my mind with their creativity. This time, the timing was just perfect - when I knew I’d be in town to shoot with MARO, Jacob needed music for a dance show. One week later, we found ourselves in a beautiful warehouse, making this chaotic and wonderful dance video together. A huge thank you to all the dancers who were so open and generous with their energy. It was honestly a dream come true, I’ve always wanted to be a dancer for a day, and working with them felt like I was back in high school, visiting my parents’ workplace just to try it out! Much love to everyone involved.

“The music was written with Mishka Stein and Olivier Fairfield. Fun fact - Mishka played the drums, and Olivier brought the chords and vibe on guitar for this song, swapping their instruments for this song. We recorded most of it in one take, with just two mics, in this strange mansion in the hills of Los Angeles.”

Says MARO: "I still remember when Patrick sent me the song for the first time - I thought there was something magical about it and immediately got excited to be a part of it and his sonic bubble, overall. I’ve known Patrick’s music for many years now and it’s truly a dream to collaborate.”  

LISTEN TO “THE WANDERING” WITH MARO HERE
SET A REMINDER FOR THE YOUTUBE PREMIERE AND AFTERPARTY ON FRIDAY HERE

MORE ABOUT UH OH
The 11 new original songs on Uh Oh find Watson meditating on the idea of life being a series of “uh ohs”: a little phrase uttered in response to everything from childhood accidents to our most overwhelming anxieties. For Watson, it came to mind when faced with the biggest “uh oh” that a singer could endure he lost his voice. Unsure if or when he would be able to sing again, his new album took a new shape, a collection of collaborations with friends and strangers; artists that he wanted to hear sing. Uh Oh represents a vision that Watson has chased for his entire life, the culmination of 20 years of musical exploration and lived experience that enabled him to translate the films in his mind to the sounds and words swirling in your ears.

WATCH / SHARE “PETER AND THE WOLF” HERE
BUY / STREAM “PETER AND THE WOLF” HERE

Most of the songs on Uh Oh see Watson and his long-time bandmates, collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Mishka Stein, Olivier Fairfield, and co-vocalist Ariel Engle (La Force) joined by a guest singer. The featured vocalists range from the iconic voices he’s idolized for years – Martha Wainwright – to ones he discovered through Instagram scrolling like Solann and local Quebec favorite Klô Pelgag, and include international phenoms MARO, Hohnen Ford, November Ultra, JUNO Award winner Charlotte Cardin, Félix award winner Anachnid, and a friend he met when she worked the counter at this local coffee shop, Charlotte Oleena. “Every singer has these different magical powers on this record, and each song kind of represents that,” Watson says.

Watson has previously shared three songs from Uh Oh: “Silencio” with French artist November Ultra, “Gordon in the Willows” with fellow Montrealer Charlotte Cardin, and “Peter and the Wolf”. “Silencio” was the first preview of this new project, with Watson first revealing the loss of his voice, and among other impressions, finding the power of silence. It was recorded at Studio Rubin Alterio, an old artist’s loft in Paris. “Gordon in the Willows” was written and recorded by Watson and Cardin in a small lakeside village in Quebec, and around the song’s release last winter, they performed it during a surprise appearance on the top of Montreal’s Mont Royal. Inspired by the ghosts of New Orleans, “Peter and the Wolf” was accompanied by a pulse-pounding new video directed by Patrick Watson and SAM WOY and shot in the Quebec countryside. 

WATCH / SHARE “GORDON IN THE WILLOWS” (LYRIC VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “GORDON IN THE WILLOWS” HERE

MORE ABOUT PATRICK WATSON 
Patrick Watson composes, performs, and records his albums with his long-time bandmates, collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Mishka Stein, and Olivier Fairfield. The Canadian artist reached gold and platinum status in multiple countries (including five certified gold albums in Canada), and his shows sell out around the world. Over the course of his career, Patrick has retained the uncanny ability to coexist in mainstream pop-culture spaces and on the avant-garde fringes. Patrick’s songs have been featured in primetime crowd-pleasers like Grey’s Anatomy and This Is Us, as well as in multiple arthouse films from Denis Villeneuve (Polytechnique), Wim Wenders (Perfect Days), Philippe Falardeau (C’est pas moi, je le jure!) and more. He’s an artist who’s as comfortable performing impromptu pop-up shows on the train tracks in a Quebec mining town as he is leading the BBC Orchestra at London’s prestigious Barbican. He’s an in-demand composer with over 15 film scores under his belt. He was awarded the prestigious inaugural Impact Award at the 2024 Canadian Sync Awards. Watson’s viral single "Je te laisserai des mots" became the first French song to accumulate 1 billion streams on Spotify.

WATCH / SHARE “SILENCIO” FT. NOVEMBER ULTRA HERE
BUY / STREAM “SILENCIO” FT. NOVEMBER ULTRA HERE

MORE ABOUT MARO
MARO is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer from Lisbon, Portugal. After graduating from Berklee College of Music (Boston) in 2017, the Portuguese artist officially debuted her career in 2018, releasing five albums and an EP. She later joined Jacob Collier on his 2019 DJESSE World Tour as part of the band. In those years, MARO opened for artists including Jessie J, Gipsy Kings, Charlotte Cardin and The Paper Kites. 

During the pandemic in 2020, ITSAME, MARO! was born—a project dedicated to promoting collaboration across distances. This series includes 100 episodes featuring artists from various musical genres, such as Pablo Alborán, Lizzy McAlpine, Madison Cunningham, ANAVITÓRIA, Ivan Lins, Vitor Kley, Sílvia Pérez Cruz, Maria Gadú, Mayra Andrade, Rui Veloso, Lionel Loueke and Lennon Stella. 

In 2022, MARO won the Festival da Canção and represented Portugal at Eurovision with "saudade, saudade," securing a spot in the top 10. She later released can you see me?, an album blending influences from pop, trap, world, and folk music. 

Her latest album, hortelã (April 2023), presents an intimate, stripped-down version of her recent songs, showcasing a folky acoustic presence. Recorded in trio with the Catalan guitarists Darío Barroso and Pau Figueres, the album, mostly sung in Portuguese, won the José Afonso Award, as recognition of Portuguese Album of the Year. 

The collaboration with NASAYA on the EP PIRILAMPO marked the beginning of their sonic exploration, expanding MARO’s musical journey. This creative partnership evolved further in 2024 with the release of her 8th Album, LIFELINE bringing a fresh perspective to the electronic landscape. 

MARO has been touring the world for the past 3 years, performing to sold-out venues globally with both acoustic trio and electronic duo. After sharing the big stage with Jacob Collier, Odesza, and Parcels, MARO will take on the big stage on her own, as she prepares to open Shawn Mendes’ tour this August.

TOUR DATES
June 20 - Saint-Casimir, QC - Festival la Commission B
July 3 - Saguenay, QC - La Noce
July 25 - Calgary, AB - Calgary Folk Music Festival
August 9 – Reese, DE – Haldern Pop Festival
August 29-31 – Wentworth-North, QC – Live at Lost River
October 5 - Las Vegas, NV – RiSE Festival
October 28 - Toulouse, France - Bikini
October 29 - Bordeaux, France - Rocher de Palmer
October 31 - Nantes, France – Stereolux SOLD OUT
November 1 - Rouen, France - Le 106
November 2 - Lausanne, Switzerland -Théâtre De Beaulieu
November 4 - Paris, France - Zenith La Villette
November 5 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
November 7 - London, United Kingdom - Troxy
November 10 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Concertgebouw de Vereeniging
November 11 - Brussels, Belgium – BOZAR SOLD OUT
November 12 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Carre Theatre SOLD OUT

PRESAVE UH OH HERE
PRE-ORDER UH OH VINYL HERE

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

UH OH TRACKLIST
1. Silencio - Patrick Watson & November Ultra
2. Peter and the Wolf - Patrick Watson
3. The Wandering - Patrick Watson & MARO
4. Choir in the Wires - Patrick Watson
5. Uh Oh - Patrick Watson & Charlotte Oleena
6. The Lonely Lights - Patrick Watson & La Force
7. Ami imaginaire - Patrick Watson & Klô Pelgag
8. Postcards - Patrick Watson & Hohnen Ford
9. House on Fire - Patrick Watson & Martha Wainwright
10. Gordon in the Willows - Patrick Watson & Charlotte Cardin
11. Ça va - Patrick Watson & Solann

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