Show date: Jun. 24, 2025
Natalie Reis is an independent folk singer/songwriter whose music is caught between bittersweet narratives and soaring melodies. Following her debut EP ‘Bones on Fire’ in 2020, Natalie has released six singles that have evolved her storytelling-lyricism and solidified her sound as a distinctive emerging artist. In the past year, she has had the opportunity to showcase her originals all across Ontario. In her latest release, “Elgin Street”, Natalie pairs poetic melancholy with an upbeat chorus that captures the joys and pains of growing up and moving on.
Natalie shared her song Elgin Street. Download the lyrics to follow along.
We talked about:
Show date: Jun. 19, 2025
In this special episode, Phil and Neel talked about cadences, or the different ways to bring resolution to your chord progressions.
We talked about:
- The Nashville numbering system and why it’s important to understand and use when talking about cadences
- Modally interchanging chords – e.g. flipping minor and major chords in your chord palette
- Cadences are often two-chord sequences, but can also be about more than two chords
- How cadences are points of resolution in your song
- Perfect or authentic cadences (V-I)
- How semi-tone relationships within chords are essential to the sound and feeling of cadences
- The Plagal Cadence (IV-I or bVII-I)
- Interrupted or Deceptive Cadences (V –)
- The Phrygian Cadence (V6 – I)
- The Super Mario Cadence (bVI – bVII – I)
- Andalusian Cadence (i-VII-VI-V in a loop)
Show date: Jun. 01, 2025
Toronto-based guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and koto player Jessica Stuart (aka JESSA) has made a music career writing and performing harmonically adventurous, and devastatingly honest indie-jazz-rock tunes around the world. Stuart is also a rare professional female guitarist, with dozens of side-player credits ranging from Mirvish Productions’ SIX to Classic Albums Live to Idioteque, and loves to put her chops in the spotlight when playing her unique, musically playful original songs as the Jessica Stuart Trio.
When not on festival stages, you’ll find Jessica producing albums for other artists in studio, on international and local airwaves, with a Japanese Top 40 single, 5 songs in the Canadian Songwriting Competition finals and as the subject and composer of CBC’s most viewed documentary of all time, Finding Fukueh, with over 15 million views.
Jessica shared her song Price of my Love. Download the lyrics to follow along.
We talked about:
- Our songwriting challenge for 2025 to write a song in an odd time signature
- Did John Lennon INTENTIONALLY Sabotage The Beatles With His Bass Playing?
- The difference between a refrain and a chorus
- How when listeners hear explicit imagery in your songs, their brains light up in the same way as they do with their own memories
- How you can write songs faster when you have more songwriting experience
- How early ideas might not make it into your song (and that’s OK), but they can be used as starting points for other songs
- Collaborating with your former self as a songwriting challenge
Show date: May. 29, 2025
Dexter Sloan has built his sound around a blissful blend of intimacy and introspection, celebrating the deep connections between nature and humanity. Imbued with fables and folktales, he delivers truth like a puppet show, often playing characters to protect his privacy. A device Sloan has no doubt carried with him from his time as a Drag performer. Aside from his solo work he is a founding member and Banjo player for The Ratskin Family Band, the world’s first drag country band.
Dexter shared the process behind his song My Home is With the Grass. Download the lyrics to follow along.
We talked about:
- Our songwriting challenge for 2025 to write a song in an odd time signature.
- How arts in drag culture is multi-disciplinary and grows organically
- Writing a super catchy chorus in a bluegrass style
- Using simple chords to enable a group of (bluegrass) people to jam together easily
- How Dexter overcame his writer’s block by simply going for a walk and writing about his surroundings
- How writing “bad” songs can be very freeing
- Make sure your notes and voice memos are being backed up
- How songs for the The Ratskin Family Band differ from Dexter’s solo work, and the scope of country music
Show date: May. 25, 2025
“This song is intended to remind us that the love we have for each other is stronger than our pride. Love takes work. If we can overcome our egos, we can remember why love is the most powerful gift we can experience.” – Brent Jackson, Sunshine Makers
Brent shared his song Rock With Me. Download the lyrics to follow along.
We talked about:
- Our songwriting challenge for 2025 to write a song in an odd time signature.
- Writing gibberish lyrics when developing your melodies
- How Brent sang all the horn arrangements for his band as voice memos on his phone
- In favour of the album format in today’s music climate
- Releasing your music on vinyl and getting the word out
- Creating your own label and showcasing other bands in your genre
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