LISTEN / SHARE “SIDEWINDER” HERE
BUY / STREAM TOTAL CINEMA HERE
“Total Cinema is imbued with a lightness that feels triumphant and fresh: the tempo is faster, the guitars are brighter, and the narrator -- though still cynical -- seems to have found a measure of peace. Indeed, if "Cerulean" was about moving through the bitter disappointments and nihilism of early adulthood, "Total Cinema" is about coming to terms with the broken state of the world -- about planting roots and celebrating the relationships that give life its shape and purpose." Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
“That all-consuming magic of escapism that happens in a darkened movie theater? Ken Yates harnessed it with his 2022 album Cerulean, and with its aptly named follow-up Total Cinema, he’s bottled it.” Maeri Ferguson - No Depression
“'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." Mitch Mosk, Atwood Magazine
“After a decade of honing his craft and organically building a loyal following, Canadian songwriter Ken Yates has arrived at Total Cinema with clarity, confidence, and a creative spark that’s hard to miss.” Matt Conner, Analogue
“Can’t quite put my finger on why I’m obsessed with this song by Canadian troubadour Ken Yates, ‘Cataclysmic End.’ Or maybe I can…” Ann Powers, NPR Music
“Under the Cover of Light” can only further enhance his reputation, and if the new album delivers on this early promise, then this may be the moment that tips the fortune in his favour.”
Richard Clark, Great Dark Wonder
Photo Credit : Brittany Farhat // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
"I feel like there are songs on this record that I had to live my whole life so far to write," reflects Yates on his new album Total Cinema, available everywhere today. "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.
With advance singles seeing radio support from both SiriusXM's The Verge and North Americana as well as play listing on Spotify's Indie All Stars, Fresh Folk, Folk & Friends, and on Apple Music's New in Alternative, Wax Eclectic, Morning Coffee, Acoustic Spring to name a few, Yates is now sharing the album release week single and opening track "Sidewinder".
“Sidewinder" is a “love letter to someone who insists on doing life the hard way, where everything feels like an uphill battle, refusing shortcuts not out of pride, but out of principle,” says the songwriter. “It’s for those who are carving their own path and questioning the life that is presented to them as the "right" way to do things."
LISTEN / SHARE “SIDEWINDER” HERE
BUY / STREAM TOTAL CINEMA HERE
MORE ABOUT TOTAL CINEMA + KEN YATES
"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
WATCH / SHARE “PERENNIALS” LYRIC VIDEO 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 “UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT” MUSIC VIDEO HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “THE GREAT RESOLUTION” 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.
After live dates with Kathleen Edwards, Madison Cunningham, Rose Cousins, and more Yates will be celebrating the release of Total Cinema with a June 10 performance in Nashville at Urban Cowboy. Watch for more tour dates to be announced soon.
LISTEN / SHARE “CATACLYSMIC END” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “MY LOVE FOR YOU IS A STRAIGHT LINE” HERE
BUY / STREAM TOTAL CINEMA HERE
MORE PRAISE FOR KEN YATES
“The Canadian is now releasing his fourth album Total Cinema. As the title suggests, the sound is grand and colorful. Subtlety and restraint remain paramount to him” Alex Vos, Make A Fuzz
"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
“The new single from folk singer/songwriter Ken Yates ‘Total Cinema’ has a smooth sailing yacht-rocky vibe fans of Andy Shauf would dig, and supposedly according to the PR Sam Fender is already a fan. So join Fender’s gang. 'Total Cinema’ is the title track from Yates’ newest album which was produced by Halifax-based Dan Ledwell and is set to drop June 6 2025. Yates is originally from London, ON. and has previously worked with Jim Bryson and released his debut back in 2013. So kat’s been around for a while. Good stuff.” -
Will McGuirk, Slow City
“Musically, “Under the Cover of Light” embodies this ongoing creative evolution, dancing on an emotional knife’s edge as Yates injects energy and warmth into his heavy subject matter. The result is something unexpectedly uplifting: A bright, cathartic reckoning that can’t help but lean into the light, even as its narrator wrestles with the ache of wanting to support those who aren’t ready to receive it.” - Mitch Mosk, Atwood Magazine
“Let me introduce you to Canadian Ken (that’s what I call him). I met him via the algorithm this week. I was listening to Ruston Kelly’s new song, and Spotify decided to serve me up songs like it. The Swap text thread can attest that I’ve been wearing Yates out ever since. I love the pacing of “Under the Cover of Light”. It makes you tap your foot. The guitar in the background is pleasant, noticeable, but not overwhelming. If you listen closely, Ken kind of sounds like Ruston (thanks for pointing this out, Adam). If you like this one, check out Canadian Ken’s other song, Total Cinema.” The Music Swap
PERFORMANCE DATES
Jun 10 - Nashville, TN - Urban Cowboy
