Recognized for her vibrant, creative flair, Canadian Alternative Pop sensation Elena Erin crafts a striking fusion of Alternative, Electronic, and Dance influences, underscored by her emotionally resonant storytelling. Her breakout single, “Build A Ship,” soared to #2 on the CBC Top 20, propelling her onto the international stage and inviting over four million streams across her repertoire. Elena Erin’s music has been on SiriusXM, across Canadian radio, and on blogs and podcasts around the globe. Likened to trailblazers such as Billie Eilish, Halsey, Gwen Stefani, and Cyndi Lauper, Elena Erin masterfully intertwines her sharp, introspective lyrics with intricately designed melodies.
Elena talked about her song What are you doing here?Download the lyrics to follow along.
Colm Gavin has always been hugely inspired by the great American Songbook – particularly: Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael and their brilliant love ballads.
Lyrically, Colm wanted this to be playful and honest. “While I’m someone of simple means, goes wild for the finer things, a Paris balcony with a view, I’m more an early bird lunch for two.”
Colm shared the process behind his song It’s starting to feel like love. Download the lyrics to follow along.
Blending folk-rock and rhythm & blues, there’s something for every music fan to love about singer/songwriter Matt Zaddy. A storyteller at heart, Matt’s music speaks to the soul, with tales of life, love, hardship, and redemption. Having shared the stage with artists including K’Naan, Tom Cochrane, Jim Cuddy, The Trews, Cowboy Junkies, 5440 and Sam Roberts, Matt Zaddy’s intention is to connect with as many listeners as possible, regardless of any genre restrictions.
Matt’s music certainly possesses everything to achieve that goal in a big way, and to place Matt Zaddy squarely in the conversation about Canada’s most promising singer/songwriters.
Matt released his latest single ‘Far Too Long’ on Nov. 20, 2024. It has been added to over 900 Spotify Playlists since then. The Official video was released Jan. 21, 2025, garnering over 21,000 views.
Matt shared the process behind his song Far Too Long. Download the lyrics to follow along.
The importance of being present and letting one’s subconscious guide the songwriting process.
The balance between structure/composition and maintaining rawness/abstraction in songwriting.
Vital’s exploration of different genres and collaborations as part of her creative process.
The influence of social media and shorter content on songwriting, with Vital intentionally writing a shorter, more concise song like “Molly”.
The use of repetitive lyrics and hooks to emphasize a point, as seen in “Molly”.
“I kind of let myself go in that specific moment. And then later on I get to the editing process where I write down everything that was written, see what’s kind of catchy enough, what kind of has potential, and then I try to build a little rhyme scheme from certain parts if there’s something that works.”
Jazz trained, Indie Pop singer-songwriter with a distinctive sound that reflects her eclectic influences. Known for her high-energy performances and genuine connection with her audience, Vitalia takes musical and lyrical inspiration from a diverse group of artists, citing ABBA, Paramore, Dua Lipa, Okean Elzy, and Florence and the Machine as influences on her spectrum of sound. Her music has been featured in widely known Canadian publications including Canadian Beats and Montreal Rocks, and Cashbox Canada. Her single “Land of Black”, written in tribute to Ukrainians fighting in the current Russia-Ukraine war, was spun on radio stations across the country, sparking a music-driven conversation about the war. Her genre-defiant music is filled with engaging, hard-to-forget Pop melodies, often exploring themes of vulnerability, resilience, and romance.
Fudging the language sometimes to make a better melody
Sometime just changing the chords for your bridge is enough
Writing a Christmas song that sounds like it could only be a Christmas song
Thanks to Nicco, Paul, and Greg, and all of our previous listeners and guests for their awesome songs and submiting to our challenge! We also reflected on all the listener and guest songs we received. And Gremlins.
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