MARS ASPEN’S BABY TEETH EP, OUT TODAY

Photo Credit: Oluchi // DOWNLOAD HIGH RES

On their new EP baby teeth, available today, Mars Aspen (they/them) offers raw, direct snapshots into the ups and downs of past relationships with others—as well as their relationship with their own mental health. The EP is “a collection of memories that all tie to growing up and moving forward to better things,” explains Aspen. “As someone who has been very much ruled by mental health issues in the past, this EP touches on the long journey of radical acceptance, carving a path out of that dark space, all while giving a voice to the confused and scared kid that had to navigate through that time. From the wake-up call of ‘spilled milk’, the emotional processing of ‘i’d like to stay mad’, the turmoil and self-loathing of ‘pest control’ and ‘i want to be so sweet’, to the grieving and growing of ‘baby teeth’, this EP is an ode to what I feel is the start of a purposeful life.”

Today, they’re also sharing the new live performance video of “i’d like to stay mad”, a song that “is a clear message that we feel our emotions for a reason,” says Aspen. “It was inspired by a person I was with briefly, who was never truthful in what they said. This song touches on the frustration of walking on eggshells, the concept of fight vs. flight vs. freeze vs. fawn, just to feel some semblance of safety, and the bitter end result of simply staying mad about how everything came to be.”

WATCH / SHARE “I’D LIKE TO STAY MAD” (LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO) HERE

MORE ABOUT BABY TEETH EP
Courageous enough to be vulnerable, Mars Aspen gets real with their lush folk confessionals. This Ottawa-based songwriter digs into the hardest parts of intimate connections, spilling their heart so that you—in turn—can better understand your own.

Aspen honed their production skills with 2022’s shimmering in orbit! EP (recorded entirely in Aspen’s basement). baby teeth features stunning arrangements dreamed up alongside producer Kieran Isley swaying from haunting, softly-strummed ballads to Kate Bollinger-inspired folk-pop. Aspen makes these songs soar with strata of vocal harmonies, as on the divine folk incantation “i want to be so sweet”.

Having always practiced songwriting as a form of therapy, Aspen’s songs on baby teeth are disarming in their candour. “pest control” explores the complexities of queer relationships and the painstaking process of digging into the reasons why some of them simply (or catastrophically) end (as Aspen sings, ‘I attract what I give / I give all that I am / nothing I won’t submit’). Aspen confronts holding onto righteous anger on “i’d like to stay mad”, a dissection of social toxicity. Aspen approaches songwriting by “dumping emotions onto a page, letting them settle, and rearranging them to sound like a song,” and you can hear them work out these interpersonal conflicts like puzzles. There’s a sense of calm in hearing the trauma settle, in hearing the narrator grow.

WATCH “SPILLED MILK” (LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO) HERE
WATCH / SHARE “BABY TEETH” (LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO) HERE


baby teeth is ultimately a collection of songs about growth. “They’re about realizing that we need to grow up sometimes,” Aspen laughs, “despite how jarring a sentence that is!” Having flirted with frustration, disavowal, and finally, bittersweet resolve, Aspen is leaving plenty of room for all that is to come.

BUY / STREAM BABY TEETH EP HERE

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BABY TEETH EP TRACKLIST
01 spilled milk
02 i’d like to stay mad
03 pest control
04 i want to be so sweet
05 baby teeth

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GARRET T. WILLIE ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES SUPPORTING NEW ALBUM ‘BILLS CAFE’

NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN TOUR DATES BEGIN THIS WEEK

GARRET T. WILLIE’S NEW LP, BILL’S CAFE, OUT FEBRUARY 27, 2026

WATCH / SHARE “I’M LATE” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “I’M LATE” HERE

PRE-SAVE BILL’S CAFE HERE

“Named after his grandfather's pool hall and café in Alert Bay, Bill's Cafe superimposes those Pacific ghost towns atop the streets of Nashville, communing with them in honky-tonk bars with a signature gravelly, blues rock pluck.” Exclaim!, 2026 Most Anticipated Albums

“Willie blends hard-hitting AC/DC riffage with a baritone voice that sounds like he has been making music for decades. The truth is, this devilishly good guitar-slinger isn’t even 30 yet.”
The Vancouver Sun, Music Acts To Watch in 2026

Photo Credit : Sydney Woodward // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Celebrated songwriter and guitarist Garret T. Willie is announcing upcoming tour dates supporting his new album, Bill’s Cafe, out late this month. The tour run takes Willie across Canada and Europe beginning this week. Full tour dates can be found below.

Bill’s Cafe, is more than a record — it’s a tribute, a turning point, and a reckoning. Named after his grandfather’s pool hall café in Alert Bay, British Columbia, the album carries the ghosts of home into the bright lights of Nashville. It was there, under the guidance of Grammy Award-winning producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Kingfish, Susan Tedeschi), that Willie sharpened his blues-rock fire into something bigger, bolder, and truer.

The album is a road map of grit, heart, and soul. Written and recorded between late nights, long drives, and Nashville sessions, the record captures the restless spirit of a young artist carrying old-soul blues and rock traditions into the future. Across the album, Willie threads tales of whiskey-fueled nights, missed chances, stubborn resilience, and the freedom that only comes with chasing music town to town.

WATCH / SHARE “I’M LATE” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “I’M LATE” HERE

With his guitar in hand and a voice that cuts like hi-beam headlights on a dark backroad, Willie delivers songs that feel lived-in and timeless. Bill’s Cafe is about the forces that hold us — love, loss, addiction, ambition, and the unshakable call of music as a means of survival. It’s a live wire of raw energy and soul — a reminder that sometimes the most dangerous thing is also the most irresistible.

That edge runs through the whole record. From roadhouse stompers to backseat ballads, Willie shines a light on hustlers, heartbreakers, and the broken pieces we all carry. He doesn’t just sing the blues — he spits them, shouts them, and bends them into something both timeless and dangerous. 

LISTEN / SHARE “DEVIL DOLL” HERE
BUY / STREAM “DEVIL DOLL” HERE

In Bill’s Cafe, Garret T. Willie doesn’t just honor his past — he builds a bridge between worlds: Alert Bay and Nashville, tradition and reinvention, the ghosts of family and the fire of the future.

On stage, Garret T. Willie is undeniable. At just 25 years old, his towering stature and deep, gravel-soaked voice channel the weight of an artist who has lived every shade of the blues. His performances are electric — no gimmicks, no fluff, just raw shredding, searing tone, and solos that rip straight through the room. He plays with the intensity of the greats, often bending the guitar behind his head mid-solo or leaping into the crowd to bring the fire even closer. Willie’s live show is more than a concert — it’s a shockwave of blues-rock energy that leaves audiences speechless and makes believers out of anyone.

LISTEN / SHARE “HYPNOTIST” HERE
BUY / STREAM “HYPNOTIST” HERE

Willie first made his mark with his debut album Same Pain, written with Parker Bossley at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver. The record lit a fire that spread far beyond Canada’s borders, earning praise from The Toronto Star, RANGE, Guitar World, Wonderland, Blues Matters, Blues in Britain and Classic Rock Magazine, while also landing airplay on BBC Radio 2’s The Blues Show with Cerys Matthews. Same Pain broke into the Top 20 on the UK Blues Albums chart and the US Roots Music Blues Rock chart in 2023, earned Willie two Western Canadian Music Award nominations for Blues and Indigenous Artist of the Year and a nomination for Best New Touring Artist at the Canadian Live Music Industry Awards. He carried those songs across Canada and in the US, opening for legends like Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Fogerty, Kingfish, and recently performed on Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Cruise with Marcus King, Jimmy Vivino, Jeremie Albino, Ariel Posen, and more — proving that his firebrand blend of blues, rock, and raw honesty could hold its own on any stage.

LISTEN / SHARE “GOLDEN HIGHWAY” HERE
BUY / STREAM “GOLDEN HIGHWAY” HERE

GARRET T. WILLIE LIVE
02/07 Prince George, BC - Coldsnap Festival
02/14 Port Renfrew, BC - Song & Surf
03/20  Guelph, ON - Sonic Hall
03/21  Toronto, ON - The Baby G
03/22  Hamilton, ON - Mills Hardware
04/8 Rossland, BC - The Flying Steamshovel
04/09 Lethbridge, AB - Owl Acoustic Lounge
04/10 Edmonton, AB - Blues on Whyte 
04/11  Calgary, AB - Palomino 
04/14 Golden, BC - Rockwater Bar & Grill
04/15 Salmon Arm, BC - Canooligans
04/16  Kelowna, BC - Red Bird Brewing
04/17 Kamloops, BC - The Effie Arts Collective
04/18  Cobble Hill, BC - Cobblestone Pub
05/14 Cumberland, BC - The Waverley
05/16 Nanaimo, BC - The Queen's
07/11 Evansburg, AB - Pembina River Nights
07/17  Winthrop, WA - Winthrop Blues Festival
09/08 Newcastle, UK - Cluny 2*
09/09 York, UK - The Crescent*
09/10 London, UK - 100 Club*
09/11 Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms*
09/12 Norwich, UK - Adrian Flux Waterfront Studio*
09/13 Manchester, UK - The Deaf Institute*
09/15 Glasgow, UK - Stereo*
09/16 Bristol, UK - The Exchange*
09/17 Faversham, UK - The Old Brewery*
11/12-14 Sumperk, CZ - Blues Alive Festival

* Supporting Ally Venable 

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BILL’S CAFE TRACKLIST
01 Hypnotist
02 Devil Doll
03 Going to Toronto
04 It Won’t Get Done
05 Small Town People
06 High Beam Blues
07 Young Country Boy
08 Golden Highway
09 I’m Late

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STATUS/NON-STATUS SHARE “GOOD ENOUGH” FT. JULIE DOIRON FROM UPCOMING LP

STATUS/NON-STATUS NEW ALBUM, BIG CHANGES, DUE OUT MARCH 6, 2026 VIA YOU’VE CHANGED RECORDS

BUY / STREAM “GOOD ENOUGH” FT. JULIE DOIRON HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “GOOD ENOUGH” FT. JULIE DOIRON HERE

PRE-SAVE BIG CHANGES HERE

LIVE PERFORMANCE DATES BEGIN MARCH 13

“In a moment defined by fragmentation, Status/Non-Status offers something sturdier: music as community, and community as survival.” RANGE Magazine, Frequency Forecast 2026

“Adam Sturgeon and co. are back with an album centred on family.  …a record that’s raw and urgent.” CBC Music, Albums We Can’t Wait To Hear in 2026

“We have the utmost faith in Anishihaabe songwriter Adam Sturgeon and co. to mine the trials and tribulations of navigating life's Big Changes” Exclaim!, 2026 Anticipated Albums

Photo Credit:  Natasha Roberts // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Last month, Status/Non-Status announced their new album, Big Changes, a record about survival, but also about making connections in order to endure. It is the big noise we make together when the world feels like it’s falling apart, and the harmony that comes when we keep time with one another. At its core, Big Changes is an act of community-building. Though its songs focus on reckoning, reflection, and resistance, the album derives its strength from the people who contributed to its creation.

Led by Anishinaabe musician and artist Adam Sturgeon, today the band is releasing the second single from the album, “Good Enough” featuring Julie Doiron. “Working with Julie is something I could only ever dream of as a teenager, while I lay with my old wire headphones attached to the boombox on the floor beside my bed - listening to Eric’s Trip,” says Sturgeon. “I don’t take living out my dreams for granted and am just so lucky Julie is such a giving and wonderful person. 

“‘Good Enough’ is about uplifting a friend out of the tyranny of doubt and fracture and pain. It could be any friend - your friend. Maybe it’s you. It’s sad, because maybe you know you can’t help them. But, the message is clear. This song is also meant to rebuild hope, even if it doesn’t feel quite right. The tidbit is that this feeling of hopelessness has perpetuated since this friend was a child… something learned, that wasn’t their fault. So, the need for a refraining reminder was ever present. I think repetition in song is nurturing. It soothes you, even in its bleakest moments. It holds you and meets you where you are at. Sometimes, when I write my best, I am in a state of fury, shock or sorrow and this process of creation is the natural remedy that guides me through. Perhaps it is not to look for answers but to ascertain that carrying on is the only answer.”

BUY / STREAM “GOOD ENOUGH” FT. JULIE DOIRON HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “GOOD ENOUGH” FT. JULIE DOIRON HERE

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MORE ABOUT BIG CHANGES (by Jim Di Gioia)
Over the years, Adam Sturgeon has undergone a metamorphosis, shedding old monikers and reclaiming heritage. In 2021, the collective formerly known as WHOOP-Szo became Status/Non-Status as part of Sturgeon’s ongoing exploration of the complex roots of his family history. Together with Zoon’s Daniel Monkman (who makes a guest appearance on Big Changes), Sturgeon introduced the world to OMBIIGIZI in 2022 via their Polaris Music Prize shortlisted record Sewn Back Together. Regardless of which project Sturgeon is working on, though, the one thing that doesn’t change is how he treats it: like family, protecting it at all costs. Every reinvention, every reckoning, every return leads back to the same role: provider, protector, father.

Alongside Sturgeon, there is a host of both long-time and new collaborators and friends—like Eric Lourenco, Jessica O’Neil, and Kirsten Kurvink Palm—as well as an extended circle of artists (including Steven Lourenco and Sunnsetter’s Andrew MacLeod) expanding Status/Non-Status into an every growing collective of artists that embodies the push and pull that animates the album itself: the tension between consistency and change and living in solitude and solidarity. 

Big Changes comes from living through what Sturgeon describes as “a war on people and their ways of being” while engaging in the everyday domesticity of dropping the kids off at daycare, heading into work, doing chores around the house, and figuring out how to survive “what is beginning to feel like a real apocalypse.” Inspired by his in-the-moment work with OMBIIGIZI, and with over 40 rough song ideas on hand, Sturgeon recruited Dean Nelson (Beck, Thurston Moore, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks) and Matthew Wiewel (of Deadpan Studios and engineer of Status/Non-Status’ previous album, Surely Travel) to build a home studio in the old church he lives in with his family in London, Ontario. Everything on Big Changes “Is centralized around our Monday morning recording sessions,” he says, “and this routine of caring for my young family in a disintegrating and tough city.”

For Sturgeon, Big Changes also reflects his lifelong dialogue with duality, a dichotomy “...felt through the contrast of being a mixed person,” who sees “racism perpetuated against people more visible than myself, while also not feeling like I’m Indian enough.” The record tussles with that uneasy and impossible balance of simultaneously walking in two worlds with conflicting values. It’s less a statement of intent than a lived reflection, one that acknowledges tension without resolving it. “I don’t feel conflicted about where I stand, but I’m not sure I’m always seen,” Sturgeon says, adding that, “[on Sewn Back Together, OMBIIGIZI] found balance in the dichotomy of being damaged and using it as a tool to move forward. Big Changes, however, is foreboding and inquisitive about what is to come.”

WATCH / SHARE “AT ALL” HERE
BUY / STREAM “AT ALL” HERE

The song “Big Changes” brings these big ideas and concepts down to street level, reflecting the daily realities of life just outside Sturgeon’s own front door. “This song is about my hood, where I live and raise my family and what I see when I walk out the door,” he says, describing a neighbourhood “mired by gaps in the system” and burdened by housing crises, addiction, and lateral violence. Caught in the crossfire between bureaucratic inaction and a community’s will to survive, “Big Changes” expresses how people are forced into change simply to keep going, whether that change leads somewhere better or somewhere harder doesn’t really matter. What matters is endurance, adaptation, and the resilience to find ways to live with what’s left.

Despite its title, one thing that Big Changes doesn’t mess with is the music. Status/Non-Status hold fast to their intuitive and fluid style, their musicianship grounded in connection, familiarity, and an overarching trust in the power of their glorious noise. If anything, Status/Non-Status is more refined on Big Changes, summoning a sound that’s deliberate while retaining the untamed energy that first inspired them. Crunching guitars clock the daily grind of the nine-to-five on opening track “At All”, while bursts of ’90s indie-rock energy collide with sugar-coated power pop melodies on “Peace Bomb”. Ominous shades of gothic blues hang in the air on the title track, while the yin and yang of male and female harmonies (supplied by Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Rachel McLean) on “Blown Again” temper abrasion with warmth. On “Basket Weaving”, a collaboration with Odawa poet and artist Colleen “Coco” Collins, contemplative acoustics and ambient synth textures intertwine with anthemic rock flourishes in an exploration of “ancestral experience of reconnection.” The influence of Canadian noise-rock pioneers Eric’s Trip runs like an undercurrent through Big Changes, especially in its community-minded spirit. That lineage comes full circle on the delicate lullaby ballad “Good Enough”, featuring Eric’s Trip Julie Doiron. “Working with Julie Doiron, my teenage hero and favourite bass player,” says Sturgeon, “is something I could only ever dream of. I don’t take accomplishing my dreams for granted,” he adds. “I am just so lucky Julie is such a giving and wonderful community member.”

Read the full album bio by Jim Di Gioia at https://www.killbeatmusic.com/statusnonstatus

STATUS/NON-STATUS TOUR DATES
March 13 - Zbtfd live in-store - Brantford - w/Indian Giver
March 20 - St. Anne's - Tkaronto - Wavelength Music festival - w/ Ribbon Skirt
March 27 - Palasad - London - w/ Indian Giver 
March 28 - Corktown Pub - Hamilton - JUNOFest
May 13-16 - Great Escape - Brighton/UK

PRE-SAVE BIG CHANGES HERE

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BIG CHANGES TRACKLIST
01 At All|
02 Peace Bomb
03 Big Changes
04 Blown Again
05 Basket Weaving
06 Arnold
07 Good Enough Ft. Julie Doiron
08 Bones
09 Bitumen Eye’s
10 Bitumen Eye’s II
11 Tom Climate

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