Building Bridges Under Northern Skies – The Canadians Experience

Fri Jul 10, 2026

=How North2North Turned a Music Competition into a Canadian/Swedish Family at Lilla By Festivalen 2026

Long before the first note rang out across the fields of Rinkaby, Sweden something remarkable was already taking shape.

Lisa Hartt Photo Credit Daphne Quigley
Lisa Hartt Photo Credit Daphne Quigley

Artists from across Canada arrived on different flights, converging by train in Kristianstad before being warmly welcomed by Lilla By Festivalen co-founder Jonas Tancred. From there, they travelled together to the picturesque Baltic Sea cabins in Åhus, where the Canadian delegation would make its home for the next four unforgettable days.

For many, it was their first visit to Sweden, some even Europe. For others, it was a welcome return. Yet within hours, any sense of being strangers had quietly disappeared.

Rockstalgia Music Festival Brings Two Days of Classic Rock to Orono Fairgrounds This July with Headliners Wide Mouth Mason

Fri Jul 03 2026
Rockstalgia Music Festival

Rockstalgia Music Festival announces its inaugural two-day celebration of rock music, set for July 11 and 12, 2026 at the Orono Fairgrounds in Orono, Ontario. Spanning 70s, 80s, and 90s rock across two stages and 24 bands, the festival is anchored by JUNO recognized Canadian headliner Wide Mouth, with tickets at $39.95 for Sunday, $69.95 for Saturday including taxes and fees.

Liverpool Singer-Songwriter Simon Howard Releases New Single "Lost and Found"

Fri Jun 26, 2026

A raw, searching Americana confession from one of Liverpool’s most compelling voices

Liverpool-born singer-songwriter Simon Howard releases his powerful new single “Lost and Found” today —a sparse, deeply felt Americana track that marks one of the most honest and fully realised moments of his growing career. Produced by Robert Whiteley and recorded at Whitewood Studios in Liverpool, the song is built around Howard’s instinctive hammer-on chord progression, a restless double bass line that gives the track its quiet pulse, and the kind of plainspoken lyrical courage that has defined his songwriting from the very beginning.

Acclaimed Classical Guitarist Emma Rush Continues Her Mission To Honour Catharina Pratten With New EP 'Home Sweet Home'

Fri Jun 26 2026
Emma Rush Photo Credit Sandra Mulder

Acclaimed classical guitarist Emma Rush, widely regarded as one of Canada's premier classical guitarists (Vivascene Magazine), returns with her new EP 'Home Sweet Home,' available now on 7" vinyl and through Bandcamp. The Hamilton-based virtuoso has built a remarkable career bringing forgotten music to light, and this release continues that mission with warmth, curiosity, and a deep sense of place. Recorded on a historic instrument and paired with a trio of striking videos, the project finds Rush at her most personal and inviting. 

8BANGER Releases New Dynamic Single “WALK N’ TALK”

Fri Jun 26, 2026

8BANGER Is a “festival style” rock act with half a century of combined rock and roll experience between members; having played the smallest of venues to the largest of stages. Based in Dundas, Ontario, Canada. The band has been active since 2023 and 8BANGER: is comprised of Matti Slick (guitar and vocals), Kris McBass (bass guitar) and Joey Bochek (drums).

Toronto/Ottawa Duo Crashmore Share Wry, Aching Single "I Do the Most" From Debut EP 'Hung Up'

Fri Jun 26, 2026

Childhood Friends Devin Calow and Michael Sheppard Craft Happy Sounding Sad Songs for an Anxious Generation

Crashmore Photo Credit: Daniel Hadfield

Toronto and Ottawa-based duo Crashmore release "I Do the Most," the bright and bittersweet single from their debut EP 'Hung Up'. Made by lifelong friends Devin Calow and Michael Sheppard, the song captures everything the band does best, wrapping aching, self aware lyrics inside an irresistible indie pop rock hook that pulls you in before you notice where it lands.

The Kensington Market Jazz Festival Returns For Its 11th Year, September 18–20, 2026

Tue Jun 23 2026
The Kensington Market Jazz Festival

Toronto’s Most Beloved Neighbourhood Jazz Festival Announces Its Return — Artist Lineup to Follow

Toronto, Ontario — The Kensington Market Jazz Festival (KMJF) is coming back. Now in its 11th year, the festival returns to the streets, stages, patios, and intimate venues of one of Toronto’s most storied neighbourhoods on September 18, 19, and 20, 2026. Artist announcements are coming, and they will be worth the wait. In the meantime, mark the dates: three days of live jazz, community energy, and the magic that only KMJF delivers, in the one neighbourhood that has always understood what music is for.

Mike Sands Releases New Single "Abandoned" and Announces Seventh Album 'Happy Hour,' Out July 10 on JIB Machine Records

Sun Jun 21, 2026

 Mike Sands, the New York-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter whose restless creative spirit has been carving out his own corner of Alternative Americana Rock for over two decades, releases his powerful new single "Abandoned" today, the lead track from his forthcoming seventh studio album 'Happy Hour,' due July 10 on JIB Machine Records. Produced by Lincoln Parrish, the celebrated Nashville producer best known for his work with Cage the Elephant, and recorded at Siena Studios on Music Row, 'Happy Hour' is the most fully realised and emotionally wide-ranging record of Sands' career, a twelve-track collection that moves between gritty rock swagger and plainspoken Americana storytelling with the ease of a man who has finally found the exact sound he has been reaching for.

Patras, Greece's Johnny B Blends Rock, Americana and Dark-Pop on New Single “This Is Your Life”

Sat Jun 20, 2026

 Johnny B, the independent rock artist from Patras, Greece, has released his new single "This Is Your Life," a cinematic and emotionally charged track that captures the moment a person decides to take hold of their own path. Rooted in personal conviction and built on a sound that moves between cinematic rock, dark-pop atmosphere, Americana, and blues-rock grit, the song carries the weight of lived experience. From its opening lines, "Listen to your inner wish / You know best what brings you peace," the track sets its course with clarity and quiet purpose, inviting listeners into a space where honesty and courage are what matter most.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3cI-7Z_7_M

Canada Black Music Archives' Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour Returns to Toronto, Bigger Than Ever, as the City of Toronto Proclaims June 2026 Black Music Month

Thu Jun 18 2026
Canada Black History Archives

The acclaimed audiovisual tour of Eglinton West's storied cultural district expands with more dates, new locations, and private bookings

The Canada Black Music Archives' Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour is back and better than ever, returning to Toronto for a new season that celebrates one of the most culturally significant neighbourhoods in the country. Following a sold-out run last year that drew residents and visitors alike, the immersive 1.5-to-2-hour audiovisual tour invites participants to walk through the living history of a community that became the second largest hub for reggae music in the world, after Kingston, Jamaica.

Oshawa Singer-Songwriter Bedford Bells Releases "Hands at Midnight," the Sultry Lead Single From His Debut Album 'Fell in Love in My Hometown'

Thu Jun 18, 2026

The alt-country storyteller turns a stripped-down, acoustic-driven sound into an intimate portrait of love, place, and the streets that raised him

Bedford Bells has released "Hands at Midnight," the smouldering lead single from his debut full-length album 'Fell in Love in My Hometown,' out now. The solo moniker of Oshawa, Ontario-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Adams, Bedford Bells crafts songs rooted in country, Americana, folk, and acoustic storytelling that feel both intimate and enduring, and "Hands at Midnight" arrives as the album's most sensual moment.

Montréal Singer-Songwriter Silka Weil Releases "Forever," a Warm and Tender New Single From Her Forthcoming EP 'Midnight Blue'

Thu Jun 18, 2026

The Musi-Flo Artist of the Year trades urgency for ease on a sun-warmed ode to lasting commitment, ahead of her second EP due July 3, 2026

Montréal singer-songwriter Silka Weil has released "Forever," a relaxed, feel-good new single that reveals a softer, sun-warmed side of the emerging artist as she continues the rollout toward her second EP, 'Midnight Blue,' due July 3, 2026. Where her recent work has leaned into tension and desire, "Forever" settles into something gentle and secure, an easy-listening ode to the kind of love that makes you feel completely safe.

Elina Filice Releases "Bury Me," a Punk-Pop Pride Anthem About the Shirt You'd Be Buried In and the Love You'd Never Want Back

Tue Jun 16, 2026

Toronto-based singer, songwriter, and storyteller Elina Filice releases her joyful, life-affirming new single "Bury Me" today, a Canadiana-soaked punk-pop anthem that announces itself immediately as one of the most infectious and emotionally generous songs of her career. Co-produced by Filice and Kevin Brennan and released on her own Red Vine Records, the track is a love song built around a Molson Canadian t-shirt, a running joke, and the quietly astonishing realisation that you have built a life with someone you never want to give back. It is the kind of song that sneaks up on you, arriving as a laugh and staying as something much deeper and more lasting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlZx4OyrCxc

Slovenian Neo-Soul Sextet SATORI Introduce Themselves to North America With New Single "Walking" and Album 'The Seat of the Soul'

Wed Jun 10, 2026

SATORI, a six-piece neo-soul band from Zagorje ob Savi, Slovenia, release their captivating new single "Walking" today, the lead track from their debut album 'The Seat of the Soul,' out now on Spotify and all major platforms. For North American listeners discovering them for the first time, SATORI arrive as something genuinely rare: a band steeped in soul, blues, jazz, and pop who have built a sound that feels both warmly familiar and entirely fresh, anchored by the extraordinary voice of vocalist Ursula Luthar and the rich keyboard and compositional vision of multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Jure Tori.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vnI47RACxw&list=RD1vnI47RACxw&start_radio=1

Award-Winning Game Composer Dren McDonald Announces 'Vox Pterous', Shares New Single "Fading" Featuring Sophia James

Wed Jun 10, 2026

San Francisco Bay Area composer, producer, and musician Dren McDonald announces Vox Pterous (Appearing Records), a stunning new album due July 31, 2026 on which he takes the instrumental architecture of his celebrated 2023 record Pterous and opens it up entirely, inviting a remarkable ensemble of vocalists into those layered, sonic worlds to create something wholly new. The result is one of the most emotionally resonant records of his career that sits at a unique intersection of contemporary classical composition, songwriting, and the warmth of the human voice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=IomlSuQdlr7fn8_O&v=N3iMjR3ZqFM&feature=youtu.be

Irish Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist Maria Butterly Releases Transatlantic Single "The Last Ship to Shore"

Wed Jun 10, 2026

Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Maria Butterly joins forces with celebrated Quebec guitarist and producer Martin Larose for "The Last Ship to Shore," a luminous, cinematic new single co-written with arranger Frank Corneau that bridges two of the world's great folk traditions across one extraordinary piece of music. It is a song about longing to belong, about setting out across deep open waters in search of a place to finally call home, and it arrives as one of the most emotionally resonant collaborations of either artist's already remarkable career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBWtW62I9no

16-Year-Old Guitar Prodigy and 2026 Canadian High School Songwriter of the Year Cooper Benaiah Releases Debut Album 'CRUSH'

Wed Jun 10, 2026

Cooper Benaiah, the Toronto-based 16-year-old singer-songwriter, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who won the 2026 Canadian High School Songwriter of the Year award for his single "Falling," releases his debut album 'CRUSH' today on Spotify and all major platforms. Eight original songs, written, recorded, and produced entirely by himself in a makeshift basement studio, 'CRUSH' is a high-energy indie pop record that moves with the instincts of an artist well beyond his years and the fearless, unfiltered charm of someone who has absolutely nothing to prove and everything to share. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqxKz0F2uck&list=OLAK5uy_khBhmKPeHI7rnL9ZikZ8A0kwv3j4HV4u0

Tia McGraff Releases Joyful New Children's Single "Caterpillar Song" to Celebrate the Launch of Her New Book 'In Your Dreams, Jake'

Mon Jun 08 2026
Tia McGraff

Tia McGraff, the Simcoe, Ontario-based Canadian folk singer-songwriter, children's author, and Norfolk Music Hall of Fame inductee, releases her delightful new children's single "Caterpillar Song" today on Bandana Records, a warm and wonderfully singable kids' pop anthem that celebrates perseverance, the joy of finding your way home, and the quiet magic of taking life one step at a time. Produced by McGraff's husband and longtime musical partner Tommy Parham, with keyboards and mixing by Kevin Fisher in California, the song arrives as the perfect companion to McGraff's new middle-grade children's book 'In Your Dreams, Jake,' the second instalment in her beloved Jake the Road Dawg series, which launches this fall.

Alan Gerber, Founding Member of Rhinoceros, Releases New Single "Put Back My Heart" From New Album 'The Well'

Mon Jun 08, 2026

Alan Gerber, the Chicago-born, Val-David, Quebec-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of late-1960s Elektra Records supergroup Rhinoceros, releases his irresistible new single "Put Back My Heart" today, the opening track from his deeply personal new album 'The Well,' out now. A swaggering, blues-drenched soul romp co-written with his son Eli Gerber and produced by the two of them together, "Put Back My Heart" announces the album with exactly the kind of high-energy, good-humoured, emotionally honest songwriting that has made Alan Gerber one of the most beloved live performers in Canada and beyond for more than five decades.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_tBzQtiCAU

Ron Pastore Releases New Single "Robot Hands" From His Neo-Psych Album 'Turtle Rock'

Fri Jun 05 2026
Ron Pastore

Ron Pastore, the New York-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and sonic architect behind one of independent music's most quietly thrilling catalogues, releases his new single "Robot Hands" today, the lead track from his latest album 'Turtle Rock,' out now on all major streaming platforms. Built from analog synths, live drums, layered improvisation, and the kind of head-nodding, forward-leaning groove that has defined Pastore's sound across five albums in five years, "Robot Hands" is an immediate and fully realised entry point into a musical world that rewards the curious listener enormously.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWk908TG0PA