RGM presents The Maple Leaf Roundup #14
It’s always a thrill to discover new tunes from our brothers and sisters in Canada and, as the Maple Leaf Roundup turns two years old, I feel particularly warm and fuzzy to think of the sixty or seventy artists we’ve met along the road so far. If you’re only just joining us on the journey, the good news is that the nation’s musical gifts never seem to stop giving, so climb on board and allow us to introduce your newest (and soon to be bestest) Canadian friends.
Peter Katz photo credit Justin Broadbent
We begin with Toronto’s super-slick singer-songwriter Peter Katz, who has recently released a fine trio of singles from his upcoming album The City of our Lives, which is due in September. His latest tune ‘Like We Used To Be’ could be described as Coldplay time-travelled to 1985, with its overtly retro synths pepping the melancholic vocal. The strength of the song - and that of the equally excellent ‘Paper Thin’ and ‘Book Of Truths’ - proves that you don’t need to compromise songwriting integrity in order to have mass appeal. Katz, whose acoustic cover of Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ has now clocked up over 13 million views, clearly has a finger firmly on the pulse of pop and we think he could just be on the brink of superstardom.
Going from dizzy heights to fizzy lows, we find ourselves asking: Anyone fancy a cool one? The Prairie States have had - we kid you not - a beer named after their latest song, ‘Low Life’, the latest instalment in the Edmonton-based quintet’s line in effervescent stadium-country-rock. The band made waves (and picked up awards) with their 2018 debut Lost In The Right Direction and have since grown an enviable reputation on the live circuit. If the infectious buzz of ‘Low Life’ hits the spot with you then be sure to sample their other recent songs ‘Ashes to Fire’ and ‘Every Little Town’ which, on a warm day, also go down particularly smoothly.
If you need something stronger, darker and, frankly, more sinister then Very Very will be certain to chill you to the back corners of your own freezer (having dismembered you first, of course). ‘Daydreams’ and ‘Badlands’ are taken from the otherwise nameless (and therefore even more mysterious) female songwriter’s self-produced debut EP. Imagine the music Aimee Mann and Lana Del Rey might make if they were trapped in a destructive relationship with one another and you’ll be getting close to the vibe. Both songs, unflinching in their directness and ever-so-slightly unhinged in their musicality, are accompanied by cinematically beautiful videos. Beyond that, we wish we could tell you more about Very Very …but it’s probably for the best that we can’t.
Taking us even further from our comfort zone is Vancouver-based three-piece Ludic, whose jazz-fusion-inspired pop isn’t the usual RGM territory. We do, however, like to think we can recognise prodigious musical talent even if it’s dressed up in a big old funky hat. Current single ‘Love Me Like’ has groove, sass and a guitar part of which Nile Rodgers would be rightly proud; and the impossibly young-looking band have chops beyond their years, as is evidenced by their overdub-less cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘I Wish’, wherein special mention must be made of Ayla Tesler-Mabe’s guitar skills.
Michael Bernard Fitzgerald photo credit Brock Mitchell
Did we mention it’s nearly our birthday? Well, we finish in Calgary with Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, who we first came across when we were barely born (in Maple Leaf #2 - remember? - in 2018). He’s back with the stunning single ‘Our River’, the crystal clear waters of which beckon invitingly, with simple dreams of leaving the big smoke and starting afresh, closer to nature. This sparkling gem of a track is taken from his forthcoming LP Love Valley which is set for an October release. ‘Our River’ is such a hope-filled and beguiling song - helped along by simple drums, rolling acoustic guitar and MBF’s beautifully close, intimate vocal - that I almost started packing my bags.
And there you have it, dear readers: five more nuggets of prime Canadiana to satisfy your hungry ears. If your listening apparatus still craves more Canada then be sure to call in at the reviews section for an in-depth look at Ken Yates’ latest LP and stop off at our latest Baker’s Dozen to get to know Torontonian duo Harrow Fair. Wherever you end up next, here’s hoping we’ll see you again soon, resting easy in the shade of the Maple Leaf canopy.
The Maple Leaf is a Rich Barnard production for Red Guitar Music
And we’re back! “From whence?” I hear you cry, in your florid way. Back from Canada, of course. We swam all the way, on our backs, our music-loving arms filled with a freshly picked bunch of hot new songs, gifted to us from our creative compadres ‘cross the waves. Imagine that. And we did it all for you.