RGM presents The Maple Leaf Roundup #22
Spring is springing and the birds are singing. As, indeed, are the singers and songwriters of Canada. In this, the latest edition of the Maple Leaf, we take you on a short walk across this blossoming landscape, and invite you to enjoy some of the bright new shoots that have been emerging along the way.
Let’s begin in Vancouver with the chunky guitars and vintage new wave keys of ‘Robot Heart’ by The Long War. An irresistible foot-tapper, the song reminds us to seek out humanity in the machinery of everyday routines and is the third tune from the band’s upcoming second album, Under A Heavy Sky. There’s musical maturity and an infectious energy to the quintet, who’ve clearly developed their sound since issuing their debut in 2018. Previous singles ‘Endless Summer’ and ‘Once In A Lifetime’ are also worthy of a spin or twelve.
We head to Montreal next, and specifically to ‘Nowhere Town’, which is the title of Lauryn Macfarlane’s new single. It’s a lament on smalltown life that will no doubt resonate far and wide; Macfarlane’s yearning, rootsy vocal is unexpectedly set against chattering drums and a blanket of washy synths. The track follows the more languid ‘Friendly’ from late last year and Sam Woywitka’s production on both songs ensures that Macfarlane defies singer-songwriter conventions. We can’t wait to hear what she’s got for us next.
JProcktor Photography
In Edmonton, Alberta, we find Electric Religious, the brainchild of singer-songwriter and guitarist Brandon Baker. His latest release ‘Catherine’ is inspired by the Mohawk Ketari Tekawitha, the first indigenous person to be canonised as a saint by the Catholic Church. Baker, a Métis who himself was raised under Catholicism, uses the song to investigate identity and the state of being neither one thing nor another. The combination of the song’s widescreen guitars and Baker’s arresting vocal has got us all excited about Electric Religious’ upcoming album, Tragic Lover, which is set for release later in the year.
PHOTO: Travis Latam
It’s over to Windsor, Ontario now, where we find Madeline Doornaert, a young singer-songwriter with a decidedly old-school approach. Doornaert’s astonishingly accomplished debut record, Muddy Waters, pays homage to the finest soul-baring singer-songwriters of the 70s – think Janis Ian, think Carole King – while retaining her own singular voice. Doornaert is part of the Soul City Music Co-op, alongside Brendan Scott Friel (see ML#20) among others and this record, produced to pinpoint perfection by Dane Roberts, is one smoky folk-pop masterpiece you must not miss.
Credit: Shimon Photography
We finish back where we started, in Vancouver, with the delightfully dreamy pop of ‘Wasted’, the latest single from Colour Tongues. The track is taken from the quartet’s debut album ‘Midnight Island’, which began life in late 2019 - remember? - in the before times. Alongside producer Matty D, the band cleared the hurdles of the pandemic – as well as a fair few of their own – with impressive determination in order to complete the record. Special mention must be made here of Graeme Meekison’s inventive, weaving guitar lines, which nod to Mark Knopfler, Johnny Marr and The Beach Boys all at once - a triple hit of just fine by us.
And here, dear reader, is where our paths must diverge, until next time. Thank you for joining us on this little Canadian springtime stroll. Take care now…
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.