BLAIR LEE | @blairalee
With Blair Lee’s light touch, even the heaviest subjects can float. The artist’s poetic lyrics make complex and contradictory emotions sound obvious. She uses songs as containers to explore existential concepts like loneliness, ageing and mortality. While many of Lee’s melodies are nostalgic, reminiscent of the 1990s, the imagery in her lyrics — of alleyways, full moons and strangers taking photographs — are distinctly modern. Despite the dawdling pace, the movement in Lee’s imagery can leave listeners someplace they didn’t expect to be. A door closes, the earth turns, and she keeps moving. Her new EP, LIMBO, is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
An artist friend shared this song on their Instagram live the other night that I really love… It’s called “Obvious” by After.
Best summer festival to play?
I’ve never played a festival! Or been to a festival… I am the wrong person to ask
Favourite summer tour destination?
It would be fun to go all over Europe
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Probably on a patch of grass, wherever i can find it
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Hazy State IPA by Collective Arts… all year round
Evvvie | @evvvie.m
Evvvie is a music photographer-turned-musician whose music touches on growing up, relationships, and the emotional turmoil that comes with dating in your twenties. Evvvie’s latest release, “Make You Mine,” was the result of a collaboration with longtime friend Luna Li.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan
Best summer festival to play or attend?
Lollapalooza
Favourite summer tour destination?
Vancouver in the summer is always a blast!
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Laying in a park or walking on Woodbine Beach
What is your most crushable summer drink?
I’m currently obsessed with the Mango Grapefruit Seltzers from Farmboy
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug?
I’m playing Big Gay Night at the end of August! And my most recent single is “Make You Mine,” which was produced by Luna Li.
Paitra | @itspaitra
Inspired by the diverse genres that have shaped her, Paitra seamlessly weaves together elements of rock, folk, and alternative, infusing them with a subtle pop twist. In 2017, her passion for music carried her out of her cosy hometown of Timmins, Ontario to the bustling streets of Toronto. Since then, she has become an integral part of the city’s dynamic music scene, gracing historic venues with her electrifying performances and collaborating with a number of gifted artists. Paitra’s vocal style is often described as a fusion of Stevie Nicks’ ethereal charm, Miley Cyrus’ raw energy, Sheryl Crow’s soulful depth, and the twang of her hometown heroine, Shania Twain.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Soak Up the Sun” by Sheryl Crow
Best festival to play or attend?
Austin City Limits because it always feels like summer in Austin and the lineup is always incredible so to play it would be a dream.
Favourite summer tour destination?
Vancouver, because those mountains are amazing.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Sitting in Trinity Bellwoods with a bunch of friends and a cooler full of of cold beverages.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Poppi (I’m obsessed)
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug?
I’m playing on June 29 at the Heatley in Vancouver and July 1 in Abbotsford, BC for Canada Day! Come dance in the mountains with me!
NORA | @strangetobloom
NORA is outfitted by Brixton Apparel
Braeden is a 24-year-old artist from Toronto. The creative force behind NORA, he blends punk rock, post-punk, shoegaze, post-rock, soft grunge, and surf rock into a unique sound that is all his own. Discovering his passion for music and skateboarding at 10 years old, Braeden channelled his energy into his creative pursuits, using them as a positive outlet for self-expression, inspired by his hardworking mother and sister. His debut EP, Strange to Bloom, garnered nearly 500k streams. His new single, “Natural Disaster,” just dropped with visuals from hermanos.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Get in my Car” by BRONCHO is my jam right now. It just has the simplicity and up beat energy that fuels me on a nice morning or rainy evening.
Best festival to play or attend?
My dream summer festival to play at would be Glastonbury. The line ups are always insane, and going overseas to play to thousands of people is definitely the goal.
Favourite summer tour destination?
That would have to be somewhere with snow. When the weather is good in the summer, why would I want to go somewhere even hotter?
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
You’ll either find me strolling in High Park or at 416 snackbar or Houndstooth having some drinks and good food with friends.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
A gin soda babbyyy. Or any beer tbh.
SHIV AND THE CARVERS | @shivalryyy
Shiv and the Carvers are a roller-skate punk outfit who have been slowly, but surely, making their presence known around the Toronto punk scene. Led by the lovable and explosive energy of vocalist/rhythm guitarist, Shiv Scott, the band’s boisterous live performances are filled with raw moments of pure sonic smut, sweat, and leopard print. With lyrics about sex, body empowerment, and shaking the current political system upside down, Shiv and the Carvers is sure to unlock your inner reprobate. Their Physical Capital EP is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Bounce with This” by Klokwise. Nu-metal summer 2k24 babyyy!.
Best summer festival to play or attend?
We’re stoked for the Punk in Drublic NOFX touring festival. Gonna watch our buds in Bad Waitress rip up the stage!
What is your most crushable summer drink?
A Mountain Dew slushie with some Jameson thrown in there.
When is your next show?
Fagfest Toronto Alt Pride at Handlebar in Toronto on June 22. We’re also opening up for the Lambrini Girls July 24 at the Garrison (TO). It’s gonna be a ripper!!
**Answers provided by Shiv Scott
NERiMA | @nerimaofficial
Staying true to punk rock roots and a love for the modern alternative scene, Oshawa band NERiMA explores a wide range of genres in their sentimental music. With influence from rock bands like Green Day and Paramore to breakthrough artists like Twenty One Pilots, this new and growing band showcases upbeat instrumentation with fun vocals, mellow songs with softly-sung, hard-hitting lyrics, and much more in between. Their Kiss Your Shadows EP is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
There’s so many we love, but we’re gonna have to go with “DVP” by PUP.
Best summer festival to play or attend?
All Your Friends festival just started up in Ontario and we’re going this August. It’s gonna rock!
Favourite summer tour destination?
The last two years we played Montreal, and it’s always been gorgeous.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Definitely on a beach somewhere. Probably swimming, even if the water’s freezing.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
A frozen strawberry margarita.
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug
We’ve got lots of fun stuff coming up this summer! We’re playing a festival in New York for the charity Kids Rock For Kids, and Toronto’s very own NXNE.
Ryan Gullen (The Sheepdogs) | @thesheepdogs
Hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Sheepdogs are a hardworking, hard-living, straight-up rock ‘n’ roll band. The strength of the Sheepdogs is full throttle appeals to your senses. Without pretension, it’s urgent, rhythmic, clear, fun; it’s a break from slick production and gazing at your navel and proclaims the joy, jubilation, of drums, bass, horns, and electric guitar. The Sheepdogs make tunes that make you nod your head. The artistry, however, beneath the stadium riffs—the harmonies, the multiple guitar parts, the groove behind a rhythm section that hangs out together when they’re not on the clock—is battle-honed and spit-shined between vans, garages, thousands of soundchecks and, yes, headlining shows. Their album OUTTA SIGHT is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Mais Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66. I spin a lot of Exotica and Brazilian. Cal Tjader, Xavier Cugat, Herb Alpert, Sergio Mendes etc.
Best Summer festival to play.
Bonnaroo is a destination festival that sorta feels like you go into a different universe for a weekend. Where you go and exist for the weekend and you can kinda leave your regular life behind you and let your freak flag fly and really be whoever you want.
Favourite summer tour destination?
Every summer we play Kee to Bala which is an old dance hall on the lake in Muskoka. We’ve played annually there for more than 10 years now and it’s a bit of a tradition. It’s hot and sweaty and then you can go jump in the lake right after your set.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Probably at a Jays game. And if they’re not playing, I’m biking to hang on the island or probably in m.y backyard with friend’s bbqing
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Miller High Life in the bottle because it gets colder and is more refreshing.
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug
Busy summer and the rest of the year – we’re all over Canada this summer so can’t really pick just one. Then we’re headed to the US and Europe for the rest of the year.
WILD BLACK | @wildblackmusic
Born and raised in Saskatoon, SK, first-generation Ethiopian Canadian, Elsa Gebremichael is a musician, songwriter, producer, performer and director with a dynamic musical history. Playing with moods while blending / bending genres and vibes, Wild Black’s music brings a unique and refreshing sound to the Canadian scene as she effortlessly combines influences of disco, 80s/90s dance, pop, and rock into her genre-fluid alternative / indie dream pop sound. Her dynamic presence and captivating stage show combines live instrumentation with electronic elements to create an upbeat and infectious soundscape, luring your body straight to the dance floor. Her single “I Miss The High” is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
One of my fave Toronto artists, J3M, just released a hot new track called “GYST” featuring James Baley and it’s a total banger!! Gets me dancing every time.
Best summer festival to play or attend?
Ness Creek Music Festival will always have a special place in my heart because it lands on my birthday every year and it’s the first festival I ever played / attended with my first band that started in high school. That year my mom, and her adorable Ethiopian accent, came on stage and sang “happy birzday” (IYKYK) in front of the whole crowd and is a memory I’ll never forget.
Favourite summer tour destination?
Driving down the West Coast. I’ve done it twice with my old band, We Were Lovers, from Vancouver to San Diego and have so many fond memories. Can’t wait to do it with Wild Black!
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
At the beach / in the water (on Toronto Island) or at a park (probably Bickford) hanging out alone or with pals on a blanket with music and snacks. Maybe I’m there RIGHT NOW.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
I love a Spicy Margarita, but I’ve been raw dogging life for eight months now so currently it’s mocktails for me. I’m digging the Collective Arts Moscow Mule 0%, a virgin extra spicy caesar, or ginger beer.
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug?
Pride Toronto on June 27 at Rogers South Stage (Church and Dundas).
Scarlett Rose | @scarlett.rose___
Scarlett Rose is a musician and visual creative who has been producing and playing live extensively throughout North America and Europe for the past decade, at times in Cindy Lee or backing up friends like Tess Parks and Bria Salmena of Orville Peck. She has opened the stage for Deerhunter, Martin Rev of Suicide, The Fuzz, Kim Gordon’s Body/Head, Wire, Clinic, Anika, toured with Built To Spill, Metz, Preoccupations and many others. These shows have included festivals such as Drill Festival in Leeds, SXSW, NXNE, Sled Island, Halifax Explosion, Treefort fest and Vancouver Psych Fest. Her music has also been featured in various national and international cinema.
What is your certified summer jam?
Lately I’ve been loving this Charli XCX leak on YouTube called “Make You Mine.”
Best summer festival to play?
One of my faves was a festival in Leeds put on by Wire called Drill. Opening for Clinic meant a lot to me.
Favourite summer tour destination?
Sounds cliche, but I have very warm memories of the countryside in Italy. Maybe it’s the nature of growing up in a city, but waking up somewhere where time doesn’t seem to exist is a rare and special feeling.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Making an espresso martini in front of my air conditioner or in the sun drinking an iced coffee at Pamenar.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Juiced watermelon, cucumber, lime. I add Jalapeno, mint, ginger or mezcal depending on the mood.
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates?
No shows for now. I’m focused on finding a home for my debut record, which I’m excited for everyone to hear.
Quarterback – (Quinn Bates) | @quarterback_bby
Quarterback aka Quinn Bates is a Jamaican-Irish singer-songwriter/producer/performer based in Toronto. Having played many festivals since 2016 throughout Canada, including sharing stages with notable artists such as Daniel Caesar, Rebecca Black, Empress Of, Haley Blais, Beverly Glenn Copeland, and Baby Tate. Quarterback took the pandemic by storm to learn how to self produce, leaving him not only a trained performer but also a studio mogul. Influenced by R&B, house, dance, and hyperpop, his music features feminine, angelic vocals mixed with gritty distortion. If you like excitement, sex, gender-f***, body positivity, queerness, innovative creatives, and heartfelt lyrics, then you will love Quarterback.
What is your certified summer jam?
“OKAY” by JT has been on loop! A song for the baddies
Best summer festival to play?
Sappy Fest in Sackville, NB! Everyone is so nice and the energy reminds me of when I lived in Victoria, BC but with an East Coast prairie girl aesthetic and accent.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
I’m about to give the most gay answer.. but either at Hanlan’s Point Beach or on a patio with an Aperol Spritz.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Again I need to mention an Aperol Spritz, and if I’m not drinking then my classic daily creatine water and/or kombucha.
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates?
I’m opening for Babymorocco in July in Toronto and Montreal. And then I’ve got a West and East Coast tour mid July until mid August. My debut album, Hypersexual Heartbreak, is dropping July 19.
SOFTCULT | @softcultband
Softcult is siblings Mercedes (guitar/vocals) and Phoenix (drums/vocals/production) Arn-Horn. Citing Bikini Kill as a major influence, the band takes the ethos of the riot grrrl movement and mixes it with shoegaze, grunge and dreampop influences. Squarely feminist, the music addresses endemic issues of abuse, assault, harassment, misogyny, and social and gender norms as well as mental health. Their EP Heaven is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
“My Own Summer” – Deftones
Best summer festival to play?
2000 Trees in Gloucester, UK
Favourite summer tour destination?
So many to choose from but I love Melbourne, AUS
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
The patio at Java House.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
I love a nice sangria, personally. Or a frozen margarita with a jalapeño muddled in it.
Any notable summer dates?
We’ve got a USA tour with a stop in Vancouver, BC on July 5 at the Pearl.
**Answers provided by Mercedes Arn-Horn
KATIE CRUEL | @katie_cruel_official
Introducing Katie Cruel (aka Kate Boothman), the mesmerizing singer-songwriter with a voice that transports you to ethereal realms. To add another layer of brilliance to her already remarkable sound, Katie Cruel joined forces with the acclaimed producer Mark Howard. Known for his work with legendary artists such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Lucinda Williams. After taking five years to settle back into the Northumberland Hills from where she came, Katie emerges with Ms.Cruel – and this new music sees her embrace sweeping strings, heavy bass, twangy guitars, organ swells and thunderous drums. Lost Vagus is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
Anything from Serge Gainsbourg’s Les Anneés Psychédéliques 1966-1971
Favourite summer tour destination?
Lost Vagus is my first record and we released it in September of 2023 so Katie Cruel hasn’t seen a summer yet, but I look forward to finding out!
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
I live in Parkdale and it’s super close to the lake. I like to walk down there. High Park too…. Mostly I just go to The Skyline though.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
These days I’m a peach pear LaCroix girl. I used to be grapefruit.
When is your next show?
I’m opening for Wilco at Massey Hall on July 2. So there’s that! Gulp
Michael Wallace (Preoccupations) | @pre_occupations
Preoccupations‘ beautifully rough version of post-punk is equally life-affirming and well-versed in existential dread. The band’s debut album mixed post-punk, psych-pop, shoegaze, noise, and electronics in fearless ways that nevertheless maintained a very human pulse. This connection to their humanity remained on all of their albums, though Preoccupations’ music became subtler and more open-ended. Vocalist/bassist Matt Flegel and guitarist Scott Munro, a pair of musicians from Calgary, AB, formed Preoccupations in 2012. Flegel was a member of the celebrated Calgary indie rock band Women while Munro had formerly played guitar with Lab Coast. Their latest album Arrangements is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Star Guitar” by Chemical Brothers!
Best summer festival to play?
My fav summer festival is Beaches Brew. It’s located just outside the tiny beach town of Ravenna, Italy. The stage is literally 30 ft from the Adriatic!
Favourite summer tour destination?
Spain or Italy! Either one I would be happy to forget to book a return flight home from.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
Happy hour at Bar Neon with a 24 of oysters, Toronto Island, or at my studio practising under the A/C!
What is your most crushable summer drink?
I’m really into mint, as it’s super easy to grow, always refreshing, very nourishing, fantastic hot or cold, and goes well with pretty much every booze. Just add some lemon and honey and you’re good to go!
When is your next show? Or any notable summer dates you want us to plug?
I have no shows to plug! Taking the summer off to rebuild a 1972 Airstream Sovereign! The new Preoccs record is in the mix phase and I’m just prepping to drop a solo album.
SAM JR. | @samjvnior
What’s all this, then? Fuzzed out guitars with psychedelic laced wah wahs and bongos?? And flutes? Rock oozing buzzed out hippie rock ? Evil nihilist ooze-rock slacker fuzz? There’s a lot of play within that framework of Sam Jr’s new self titled debut so we’ll leave it to you to decide for yourself what Sam Jr. is all about when the appropriate moment comes. You have indeed seen Sam Goldberg before. And you’ve seen him pretty much everywhere, that’s where, if you’ve kept even a casual eye on the Canadian pop landscape for the past 25 years or so. His album Inner Shadow is available now.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Come On” by Acetone. it’s a languid smooth jam that crashes down like an ocean wave. turn it up.
Best summer festival to play?
Pickathon Festival outside of Portland Oregon. Deep in the woods. The promoters greet you with a bowl, a cup, and utensils that you’re responsible for throughout the duration of the festival. No plastics allowed. The stage is made out of vines and there are hammocks in the trees.
Favourite summer tour destination?
I love touring the USA. Cities are close. Short drives. People are friendly, and there is a beautiful landscape.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
I love being up near Georgian Bay in the summer with my family. The water is crystal clear.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
Margarita, no more than two please.
Sophia Eleftheria | @sophiaeleftheria
Sophia Eleftheria delivers a buttery neo soul sound with pop R&B influences. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada she grew up around an array of different cultures, arts, and dancing. She developed her sound over the last four years after graduating from Canada’s National Ballet School and shifting her focus to writing and recording music. Her new single, “Out of Love” is a pop r&b dance anthem that’s a manifestation of divine love. She’ll make you shake ya ass but also cry in your room.
What is your certified summer jam?
“Baddies” by SadBoi — My Toronto baddie summer anthem. I love an unserious hot girl banger.
Best summer festival you’ve performed at?
Culture Con in Kelowna. I love performing outside and having a view of the beautiful mountains.
Favourite summer tour destination?
British Columbia. I’m a Toronto girl but lowkey wish i was on the west coast, somewhere by the ocean and mountains.
Where can we find you in Toronto on a hot summer day?
On a hot summer day I’m definitely in my backyard in the sun or at a park with my dog Sloane. Both include a drink in my hand.
What is your most crushable summer drink?
I love a margarita from Infinity to Infinity. Probably because I’ve worked in a tequila bar for three years.
When is your next show? Any notable summer dates?
This summer I’m releasing a new song called “sex! drugs! live tv!” So stay tuned and get ready to dance!
