BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE’S “STARS AND SONS” GETS REWORKED BY TORO Y MOI

RELEASED ALONGSIDE MIYA FOLICK AND
HAND HABITS’ TAKE ON “ALMOST CRIMES”

LISTEN / SHARE “STARS AND SONS” BY TORO Y MOI

LISTEN / SHARE “ALMOST CRIMES” BY MIYA FOLICK AND HAND HABITS 

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE’S ICONIC BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM GETS REWORKED WITH ANTHEMS: A Celebration of Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People 

ALBUM OF COVER SONGS BY MAGGIE ROGERS & SYLVAN ESSO, THE WEATHER STATION, HOVVDY, SERPENTWITHFEET, AND MORE OUT JUNE 6, 2025 VIA ARTS & CRAFTS - PREORDER NOW

Album Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, ANTHEMS: A Celebration Of Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People releases two standouts from the tribute album out June 6th. The genre shapeshifter Toro y Moi  puts a synth-laced spin on Broken Social Scene's torn and frayed anthem, “Stars And Sons” -  adding extra ragged texture and spacious air. The rework arrives as a single bundle with "Almost Crimes," performed by Miya Folick and Hand Habits with producer Sasami. "Almost Crimes" takes on layers of heartrending, bittersweet emotion, a deeply felt ode to Broken Social Scene and You Forgot It In People's everlasting influence on the musical fabric of today.

“I remember first hearing about BSS when I was a sophomore in high school,” Toro y Moi reflects. “You Forgot It In People especially caught my ear. I thought the production was so ahead of its time— the intros and outros, the interstitials… so much of it informed how I like to make records. I’m so happy to be included in this project.” 

Miya Folick adds, "You Forgot It In People is one of my favorite albums, and I feel very honored to be part of this compilation. Meg [Hand Habits], Sasami, and I made this song in Stinson Beach, taking long breaks for walks and meals. It's long, meandering, and meant for headphones." 

“This record led me to deep musical consumption and discovery.” Meg Duffy of Hand Habits said. “Despite being nearly 25 years old, it’s an honor to be included in the commemoration of this collective of musicians. I truly think that without BSS I wouldn’t have made the records I’ve made today, wouldn’t have sought out community in the way I do today, wouldn’t be so addicted to collaboration and reinvention

LISTEN / SHARE “STARS AND SONS” BY TORO Y MOI

LISTEN / SHARE “ALMOST CRIMES” BY MIYA FOLICK AND HAND HABITS 

Over the last two plus decades, Broken Social Scene’s breakthrough album You Forgot It In People has cemented its place amongst indie rock's greatest -- through its collective energy pushing the genre far beyond its noisy ’90s slacker roots to a more tirelessly collaborative, sonically expansive, emotionally expressive vision. The album, out June 6th, reimagines You Forgot It In People with cover versions from today’s indie music icons, including Maggie Rogers and Sylvan Esso’s rendition of “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” released last month, The Weather Station, serpentwithfeet, and more (full tracklisting below). 

The album is available for pre-order now on limited edition vinyl via Arts & Crafts. Bundle options include a You Forgot It In People graphic novel by Z2, and You Forgot It In People songbook. A newly released documentary film, It’s All Gonna Break, revisiting Broken Social Scene’s early days, is screening throughout the USA in May and June– see cities and dates here.

LISTEN TO MAGGIE ROGERS & SYLVAN ESSO’S COVER OF “ANTHEMS FOR A SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD GIRL” HERE

PREORDER ANTHEMS HERE

ANTHEMS: A Celebration of Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People Tracklisting: 
1. Capture The Flag - Ouri 
2. KC Accidental - Hovvdy
3. Stars And Sons - Toro y Moi
4. Almost Crimes - Miya Folick & Hand Habits
5. Looks Just Like The Sun - The Weather Station
6. Pacific Theme - Mdou Moctar, Mikey Coltun 
7. Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl - Maggie Rogers & Sylvan Esso
8. Cause = Time - Middle Kids
9. Late Nineties Bedroom Rock For The Missionaries - Benny Sings
10. Shampoo Suicide - SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
11. Lover's Spit - serpentwithfeet
12. Ainda Sou Seu Moleque - Sessa
13. Pitter Patter Goes My Heart - Babygirl

WHAT PRESS HAS SAID ABOUT
BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE’S YOU FORGOT IT IN PEOPL

“a powerful and affecting album… they've made just exactly the kind of pop record that stands the test of time” - Pitchfork 

“BSS set the mold for some incalculable hybrid of post-rock-meets-stadium-rock-meets-folk-pop” - Stereogum 

“You Forgot It in People was a critical smash, paving the way for the great musical invasion from the north that’s still going strong today” - The New Yorker

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE ONLINE
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KEN YATES SHARES MOVING NEW VIDEO FOR “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” FROM UPCOMING ALBUM

KEN YATES’ NEW LP, TOTAL CINEMA, SET FOR RELEASE JUNE 6, 2025

“'Under the Cover of Light' is a masterclass in contrast: At once heavy and buoyant, intimate and anthemic, delicate and driving. The Ontario native transforms raw hope and heartache into a soaring, revitalizing experience on his latest offering – a comforting, cathartic, and charged folk rock track that invites both quiet reflection and emotional release." Atwood Magazine

WATCH / SHARE “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” MUSIC VIDEO HERE

BUY / STREAM “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” HERE

PRE-SAVE TOTAL CINEMA HERE

SPECIAL ‘IN CONVERSATION’ EVENT AND PERFORMANCE WITH THE TORONTO STAR’S RICHIE ASSALY ON MAY 28

KEN YATES FOLLOWS UP TOUR DATES WITH MADISON CUNNINGHAM & KATHLEEN EDWARDS WITH MORE U.S. DATES IN JUNE

“Under The Cover Of Light” Video Still

Today, Ken Yates is sharing another new track from his upcoming album, Total Cinema, set for release June 6, 2025. “Under The Cover Of Light” was one of the first songs Yates wrote for Total Cinema, and in a lot of ways, it became the album’s compass. “At its core, it could’ve easily been a ballad—slow-burning and introspective—but I nudged the tempo just enough to give it this unexpected buoyancy,” says Yates. “I like the tension of it being light on its feet vs the weight of the lyrics—about the quiet heartbreak of trying to help someone who may not be ready to be helped. That tension really set the tone for what the rest of the record would sound like.”

The song is “propelled by a dynamic guitar lick and crisp, kinetic percussion, the track surges forward with Yates’ signature emotional depth – his voice hot on the mic, charged with feeling but tempered by reflection”, shares Atwood Magazine. Adding that “It’s an anthem of empathy, a rallying cry for anyone caught between breakdown and breakthrough.”

Of the music video itself Yates explains "It was done by Dan Ledwell—who also produced, mixed, and engineered the entire album” shares Yates. “He’s a man of many talents, and I love the cohesion of having him add his touch to both the sonic and visual identity of the record.  The video itself mirrors the song’s emotional undercurrent—that restless, sleepless churn in your gut as you fumble through the detours and disappointments of being human."

WATCH / SHARE “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” MUSIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” HERE

MORE ABOUT TOTAL CINEMA + KEN YATES
"I feel like there are songs on this record that I had to live my whole life so far to write," reflects Yates on Total Cinema. "That's a cool feeling after doing this for a while—to have songs that still surprise you and feel like you had to earn them."

This atmospheric depth permeates Total Cinema, an album that captures an artist who has found clarity in making "the exact record I wanted to make." After years of determined evolution and a creative breakthrough with 2022's Cerulean, Yates has crafted his most immersive and dynamic work to date—a widescreen vision that embraces both the shadows and light of human experience.

"I don't think I found my 'sound' until Cerulean," Yates acknowledges. "It took me a decade to figure out the kind of music I wanted to make." This recognition of being a self-described "late bloomer" belies the strength of his earlier work, but carries the characteristic modesty and wisdom of an artist who understands that authentic creative identity emerges on its own timeline. 

With Total Cinema, Yates widens the frame. His work, marked by precision, emotional depth, and a quiet kind of intensity, now takes on new dimensions. Where Cerulean was a study in restraint—hypnotic, meditative, deeply introspective—Total Cinema expands the lens, embracing electric textures, dynamic shifts, and an unshakable pulse that feels urgent, alive.

WATCH / SHARE “TOTAL CINEMA” VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “TOTAL CINEMA” HERE

Working with producer Dan Ledwell in his Halifax backyard studio, Yates builds upon the atmospheric foundation of his previous work but adds new colors: sharper contrasts, broader instrumentation, a rawer sense of motion. "I wanted Total Cinema to be a lot more dynamic, different tempos, different vibes, different colors," Yates explains. This expansion of his sonic palette represents the natural progression of an artist no longer constrained by necessity or expectation.

The shift is more than sonic—it's thematic. If Cerulean was steeped in grief and introspection, Total Cinema is a reckoning with gratitude, self-awareness, and the absurdity of it all. The turning point came with "Under the Cover of Light", an uncharacteristically buoyant song that signaled a creative shift. "I was getting tired of playing the role of the brooding, tortured artist all the time," Yates explains. "I found myself starting to call out my own bullshit in the things I was writing."

That realization unlocks something across the album's ten tracks—a newfound willingness to explore joy alongside cynicism, to let the light in without losing the weight of experience. Tracks like "Perennials" sit beside the punchy, pop-forward "Greatest of All Time", proving Yates is unafraid to push his own boundaries.

WATCH / SHARE “PERENNIALS” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “PERENNIALS” HERE

The recording process itself was marked by both collaboration and restraint. Joshua Van Tassel provides the rhythmic backbone, while Ledwell layers bass, piano, synths, and horns. Guest appearances from Jenn Grant, Breagh Isabel, and Kinley Dowling add warmth and texture, grounding the album in a shared creative energy.

Yates arrives at Total Cinema riding a wave of growing recognition. Recently selected as an Official Showcasing Artist at both SXSW and Americanafest 2024, he's been opening for acclaimed artists like Madison Cunningham and Kathleen Edwards while expanding his collaborative reach through songwriting with artists including with Katie Pruitt, Lori McKenna, Tiny Habits, Trousdale, Jenn Grant, and John Mark Nelson. His previous work has garnered robust support across streaming platforms, landing on playlists like Your Favorite Coffeehouse, Infinite Indie-Folk, Fresh Folk, Breaking Singer-Songwriter, and "New Music Friday Canada," with Apple Music already championing his latest singles.

Total Cinema is exactly that: a complete picture of Ken Yates in 2024—an artist embracing his evolution in real-time, crafting songs that celebrate this moment. For listeners who have followed his journey, it's the culmination of a path worth taking. For newcomers, it's an ideal entry point into the work of an artist who has learned that the most compelling stories are often those that take time to fully develop.

LISTEN / SHARE “CATACLYSMIC END” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “MY LOVE FOR YOU IS A STRAIGHT LINE” HERE

PRE-SAVE TOTAL CINEMA HERE

Photo Credit : Brittany Farhat  // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

TOUR DATES
5/28/25 - Toronto, ON - The Cameron House | In Conversation with Toronto Star’s Richie Assaly
6/1/25: Chicago, IL - The Hideout
6/3/25: New York, NY - Nightclub 101
6/4/25: Wayne, PA - 118 North
6/5/25 - Boston, MA - Lizard Lounge

PAST PRAISE FOR KEN YATES

“...I’m obsessed with this song by Canadian troubadour Ken Yates” - Ann Powers, NPR Music on “Cataclysmic End”

"It’s another lyrical vessel of yearning and emotional reckoning matched up with strummed acoustic guitar, further setting the scene for what Cerulean has in store." - FLOOD

"Cerulean is more astral than backroads, a soundscape that gives Yates room to ruminate, approaching the concert hall atmospherics of The War on Drugs, Andy Shauf, and Big Thief." - The Creek 100.9

“Yates has now asserted himself as one of Canada’s most unique folk artists with a true knack for effective songwriting.” - Canadian Beats

"An enchanting song of acceptance and resolve, Ken Yates’ “The Big One” is a soothing and stirring apocalyptic lullaby that finds refuge in the face of life’s fragility." - Atwood Magazine

"Ken has earned a strong reputation as a bona-fide composer who combines his emotionally charged storytelling with some incredible and unforgettable melodies.” - Great Dark Wonder

"Welcome to my obsession in life. The single greatest, most played artist in my car, house, office in the last 3 years. When I’m not listening to That Station, I’m listening to Ken."
- Chris Edge, WRAL

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

TOTAL CINEMA TRACKLIST
01 Sidewinder
02 Greatest Of All Time
03 Under The Cover Of Light
04 Total Cinema
05 Cataclysmic End
06 Superimposed
07 Perennials
08 Paincaving
09 My Love For You Is A Straight Line
10 The Great Resolution
11 The Master

KEN YATES ONLINE
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YAWN SHARES “COLOURED LIGHTS” FROM UPCOMING DEBUT LP, ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES

YAWN’S (JULIA MCDOUGALL) DEBUT LP, WISH I COULD’VE OUT JUNE 13, 2025 

LISTEN / SHARE “COLOURED LIGHTS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “COLOURED LIGHTS” HERE

TOUR DATES BEGIN JUNE 18

Photo Credit : Eleni Nikoletsos // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Julia McDougall’s project Yawn unites her far-ranging sensibilities into a supercharged core of misty dream-pop and electronic haze. Today, she shares the latest single from her upcoming debut LP, wish i could’ve, out June 13. “coloured lights” is a “party song for existentialists,” says McDougall. “It’s a song dedicated to the lonely and the weary, for everyone who’s ever wondered if they might always be alone—even in a crowd.

“In the song we meet some familiar characters at a party; the loud guy joking and telling stories on the balcony with a lit cigarette in his hand, the best friend who knows something is wrong. Ultimately, we realize that some things never really find a resolution - you can be left questioning the same things forever and sometimes there’s nothing else you can do but dance.”

LISTEN / SHARE “COLOURED LIGHTS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “COLOURED LIGHTS” HERE

MORE ABOUT YAWN + WISH I COULD’VE
For the past several years, McDougall has been holed away working on her debut record for Yawn; what’s come out of the clouds are twelve carefully crafted songs that have been developed as inspiration struck from all around her. With a composition degree from Simon Fraser University and a mainstay presence in underground venues and festivals across Western Canada, McDougall’s intricately-layered pop stylings emerge in stories of longing, nostalgia, loss, and hope. 

Primarily produced by Jo Hirabayashi (Jo Passed), wish i could’ve is a record about getting older, about losing track of dreams, and being met with feelings of futility and failure. It’s a record about wanting more but not getting it, about loving and losing people, how we move forward, how some feelings never leave us, and how more often than not in life there is no tidy resolution. “I like to write songs that pin down all the feelings that are left floating around, the ones that, even years later, we can’t really make sense of,” McDougall writes. And while many of the songs touch on heavier subject matters, there is still room for lightness and humour in her work. 

WATCH / SHARE “HELP MYSELF” HERE
BUY / STREAM “HELP MYSELF” HERE

wish i could’ve is a record that was made to make you simultaneously laugh, cry, sway and dance and it holds a universality that reaches out and holds the listener’s hand. Amongst this panorama of emotion is McDougall’s distinct voice, laid out across Yawn’s spectrum of melodies as the melancholic heart of the project. With cues from Beach House, Haim, Mitski and Caroline Polacheck, Yawn’s sound and vision will linger with you like fog on a spring morning, lifting with the heat of the sun to reveal the buds finally opening.

LISTEN / SHARE “BROKEN BABY” HERE
BUY / STREAM “BROKEN BABY” HERE

TOUR DATES
Jun 18 - Cumberland, BC - The Green Room
Jun 19 - Nanaimo, BC - The Vault
Jun 21 -  Vancouver, BC - Green Auto
Jun 27 - Wells, BC - Artswells

DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

WISH I COULD’VE TRACKLIST
01 help myself
02 broken baby
03 coloured light
04 wish i could’ve
05 you & i
06 let it all go
07 i deserve better
08 wading in the water
09 back in my head
10 world is burning
11 wasting time
12 take your time

YAWN ONLINE
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