RGM presents The Maple Leaf Roundup #28
My dear, dear, neglected reader. It’s been an entire year since I last brought you news of the finest Canadian sounds around; a lapse for which I can offer no worthy excuse. There will no doubt have been truckloads of tunes that have passed us by as a result, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about the musicians of Canada, it is that their riches flow ever in abundance. Just for you, I’ve scooped a few prize catches from 2023’s already quickening stream. These are songs I believe deserve to be held awhile in the light; to be marvelled at; to not go unsung into that digital ocean. So, boil the kettle, read on and get ready to make some new Canadian acquaintances.
We begin with the irresistibly hushed and husky voice of Noah Derksen who comes to us from Winnepeg, Manitoba. An American citizen raised in the Canadian prairies, Derksen has released a clutch of singles in recent months from his third record, Sanctity of Silence, which is out on March 9th (and if those few short days feel like too long, I can recommend a dive into the singer-songwriter’s equally wondrous back catalogue). The song from the current crop that delivers the most devastating punch to the old cardiovascular system has to be the passionately built ‘Love Is Such a Hard Thing’. Have a listen below and just keep that defibrillator close.
The American connection with our next act seems to be in name only. Texas King are mercifully not a regional Elvis tribute act, but rather a muscular rock trio out of London, Ontario who have recently inked a deal with the Cadence Music Group. Current single ‘Whatever You Break’ is a distillation of the band’s boundless yet controlled energy. The hard-to-resist charms of frontman Jordan MacDonald’s vocal weave us through the rock-and-hardplaces of human relationships in what can only be described as a stadium-ready footstomper. The band are due to go on the road in Canada this spring but obviously need to pedal further afield, and pronto, yes?
And, while the valves in the amplifier are still nice and warm, we turn next to the funky - but no less chunky – sounds of The Lad Classic, whose current single ‘Feelin’ High’ is sure to leave no booty in the room unshaken. Based in Toronto, the band have enlisted the talents of producer David Schiffman (who has worked with RHCP and Audioslave among others) on their forthcoming debut EP. I’m afraid I can tell you precious little else about them at this stage but in ‘Feelin’ High’, the three-piece have created a groovemonster of hedonism and euphoria that is finely balanced with nuance and great musicianship. Which is, frankly, just how I like it.
That’s quite enough raucousness, so for something rather more unplugged, I invite you to tilt your ears in the direction of The Pairs. The London, Ontario-based quartet consist of three (count ‘em) highly accomplished vocalists and just the one drummer. The band’s newest release ‘Superhuman’ is not simply a warm bath of acoustic, close-part-harmony loveliness (though it is that) it’s also an inventive and musically quirksome take on human fallibility. The Pairs will release their next LP, When Will We Find Our Way?, in October but let’s hope we hear more singles well before then.
Photo by Tatum Maclean
If the pandemic has done anything for us, it’s undeniably increased our appreciation for nature and even the tiniest of green spaces. Brandon Wolfe Scott’s current single ‘Our Back Garden’ is a love letter to his own little patch of Eden in Vancouver, and the song has a dreamy, George Harrison-takes-tea-with-Tom Petty sort of a vibe. The single follows the equally charming ‘In Stride’ and Brandon’s upcoming EP, Slow Transmission, is set for release on March 23rd on Dine Alone Records.
PROMO PHOTOS BY JEN SQUIRES
Finally, I bring you the happy tidings that Toronto’s Justin Rutledge has completed album number ten (recorded and produced entirely at home) and is gearing up for its May 2023 release. The LP’s first single, ‘Easy’, has all the instantly recognisable hallmarks of the celebrated and seasoned singer-songwriter: the simplest and purest of melodies, handled in the most delicate and careful way. That Rutledge crafts these nuggets of perfection without ever sounding like he’s repeating himself is, I think, a modern wonder. Did I mention I might already be a fan? Oh come on, join me.
And with that, dear reader, I must be away. Thank you for joining me once again for the Maple Leaf Roundup. I hope you found something new to like, love or at least have a little dance to.
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.