All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or X.
Photo Gallery: Hootie and the Blowfish with Collective Soul and Edwin McCain at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
SOCAN Foundation announces 2024 TD Indigenous Songwriter Award Winner
SOCAN Foundation is delighted to announce Mamarudegyal MTHC (Diana Hellson) as the recipient of this year’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award. Hellson (she/her/they/them) is an Afro-Indigenous musician from Siksiká Nation on Treaty No. 7 Territory (Alberta).
“My journey as a Song Keeper has led me to incredible places across Turtle Island, and sacred places within myself,” says Diana Hellson. “It’s truly a privilege to have the ability to express myself and all of life’s mayhem and beauty in the form of song; it is an especially high privilege to achieve a milestone like this in my career. I am so grateful to my team, my supporters, my loved ones, Napi, and Creator. Sookapi.”
The SOCAN Foundation’s TD Indigenous Songwriter Award recognizes and celebrates the artistic merit demonstrated by Indigenous songwriters of any musical genre. Hellson will receive a cash prize of $10,000 in addition to career development opportunities and a spot in SOCAN Foundation and Amazon Music’s Indigenous Song Camp in Toronto.
Honourable mention prizes of $1,000 are also being made to Falynn Baptiste [nêhiyaw/Cree, Red Pheasant Cree Nation], Sebastian Gaskin [Cree, Tataskweyak Cree Nation], Juurini [Inuk], Phyllis Sinclair [Cree, York Factory First Nation], and Joel Wood [Cree]. The winners may use the funds to support their career development in various areas including recording new music, videography, and business management.
“Empowering Indigenous voices is an essential part of reconciliation,” says Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation. “The Indigenous Songwriter Award is designed to celebrate the craft of songwriting while elevating the experiences and perspectives of Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Indigenous songwriters enrich us all and we’re proud to be a part of that. We’re thankful for the ongoing support from TD for this celebration of Indigenous songwriters in Canada.”
This special Award is made possible with the support of TD Bank Group. This year’s
jury consisted of previous winner Leonard Sumner, as well as Charlotte Qamaniq and Sister Ray.
There’s An Appian For That: To Cinzia And The Perfect Nines, All Roads Lead To “Rome”
Cinzia Moniaci didn’t need Judy Garland to teach her there’s no place like home. Check out “Rome”—the latest single from her band, Cinzia and the Perfect Nines—on which the Italian-born L.A. transplant imparts the thrill of waking up to find herself in “the city alive,” with the “beauty all around” signaling she has landed in Paradise itself. And when the irresistible chorus hits, her nativist joy explodes into the kind of full-on boosterism that could land her a job with the tourism board:
Rome
Opening my mind
Coloring my soul
With its beauty never-ending
Always trending
Wakes me up inside
Makes me feel alive
And I can’t believe I get to call her home
As if her stance needed reinforcing, Moniaci even slips in a few lines sung in her mother tongue during the song’s outro vamp. Meanwhile, there’s a separately recorded version of the song, “Roma,” that’s performed entirely in Italian. But since a picture is worth the proverbial thousand words, the Perfect Nines have also shot a companion music video that’s a mouth-watering travelogue of Roman sights and locations. One watch, and you’ll want to book your flight immediately … as soon as you’re done listening, that is.
The whole package is a transcontinental slam dunk for Moniaci, guitarist Rico Quevedo (with whom she partnered up in their previous band, Bionica) and guest lead guitarist Ermanno Fabbri. The vibe they’ve all captured on “Rome” is an infectious hybrid of radio-rock anthemry and hip-swaying Mediterranean flair—and in its way, that sound is the perfect encapsulation of the band’s own story. Moniaci relocated to Southern California from Italy in the late ‘90s, and in the ensuing years, she and Quevedo have maintained a strong live presence in both environments, with shows at Saint Rocke and Sangria in Hermosa Beach, the Hotel Café in Hollywood, Zelo’s World in Monaco and Kogin in Turino, Italy.
The group’s self-titled debut album dropped in 2009, yielding tracks like Don’t You Worry and Life Goes On, and they’re currently hard at work on their second. If that seems like a long wait, it’s honestly amazing they’ve been able to find the time at all. Moniaci has a thriving business as a fashion designer, having founded the company Moni Moni, which specializes in luxury handbags and accessories. She’s also worked as a fashion correspondent for top publications like GQ and InStyle. (Is it any wonder all three musicians look great in the “Rome” video?) And that’s not counting her stints providing music for TV shows from Dawson’s Creek to Charmed to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or her parallel recording career as a solo artist: Her rendition of Jules Shear’s “If She Knew What She Wants,” made famous by The Bangles, was a hit in the U.K.
So no, it’s no big surprise that the country that gave us the Renaissance would produce a true Renaissance woman. Cinzia and the Perfect Nines are more than a mere vehicle for a restless fashion designer’s artistic curiosity; nor are they just a wryly named bunch of modern rockers with a personal yen for the Eternal City. They’re like Rome itself: timeless, zesty, and perpetually engaging in a way that’ll keep you coming back for more. Have your passport ready.
Toronto Artist Elisa Rose Highlights Autism with ‘You’re My Everything’ & Sept. 12 Benefit Concert
There have been great strides in autism awareness in recent years. But more still needs to be done to ensure there’s support for those on the spectrum as well as their family and friends. For Toronto classical crossover singer Elisa Rose, autism has impacted her family as her son has the condition. Now Rose has taken inspiration from her beloved child with her latest single “You’re My Everything,” a sweet, affecting track that could bring a smile and a tear to one’s eye simultaneously.
Soprano vocalist Rose will perform alongside Songsbury and Elvis tribute artist Bruno Nesci at a benefit concert for Surrey Place on Sept. 12 at The Venetian Banquet Hall in Concord, Ontario; Tickets are $85 and include an open bar and l’antipasto bar. Tickets available here.
The singer says the song’s seed was planted when she covered the song “I Won’t Let You Down” in 2019 for an American Autism organization. “I wanted to celebrate autism awareness here in Canada with a special song,” Rose says. “I composed ‘You’re My Everything’ with singer/songwriter Matt Zaddy dedicated to my son who is on the autism spectrum.”
“You’re My Everything” strikes a deep chord on each listen as Rose’s clear and almost ethereal delivery glides over the gentle, almost magical, cinematic arrangement. The song, produced by Charles Di Raimondo, addresses all the hopes and dreams Rose has for her son alongside the worries and challenges that could await him. In the end, Rose’s performance is spectacular and honest, recalling a singer like the angelic Sarah Brightman working with David Foster.
I love to hear you sing so strong you talk about the things you love
Making me so very proud you’re my everything
Through all the hardships we rose above with open arms and lots of love
Proud to be your mama you’re my everything
Rose says she had a tough time initially finding an appropriate title for the song but eventually it came to the surface. “I remember not having a title for the song, but as Matt and I were working on it, we kept stumbling on ‘you’re my everything’ that I had repeated,” she says. “So, we agreed that would be the title. When working on the song’s final mix before recording it in the studio, Matt and I were nearly in tears at how beautiful the lyrics were.”
Rose, a soprano vocalist who has released classical, pop and crossover music for two decades, will sing at a benefit concert Sept. 12 at The Venetian Banquet Hall in Concord, Ontario. Part of the ticket sale proceeds go to Surrey Place, a Toronto non-profit organization which helps people of all ages with developmental disabilities, special needs and autism. Rose will perform on a bill with Songsbury and Elvis tribute artist Bruno Nesci. Tickets, $85, include an open bar and l’antipasto bar. The concert, which begins at 7 p.m., will be hosted by Giuseppe the MC.
Rose says “You’re My Everything” deals with the roller coaster of emotions families coping with autism have. “Living with autism and being an autism parent is different and unique,” she says. “With a lot of support and love they can, to quote my song, ‘fly and spread their wings, conquer the world, and take in all the beautiful things.'” In short, Elisa Rose has put everything into this moving, honest and emotional single.
Seeing Is Believing: Blues Rocker Scott Albert Johnson Holds Tomorrow Up To The Light On “Invisible”
You can treat the future as a daunting mystery to shrink from, or as a challenge to run toward with arms outstretched. Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Scott Albert Johnson opts for the latter on his current single, “Invisible,” a moving exhortation to jettison one’s fear of the unknown and bravely shoulder on through uncertain times, and now on over 60 radio stations across North America.
In a compelling, worldly voice that pinpoints his hopefulness as anything but youthful naïveté, Johnson lets us know he’s standing on the cusp of … well, something … and has made up his mind to find out what’s on the other side.
[I’m] staring at the invisible
I’m going to find a way to see
I’m looking straight ahead into the eyes
Of who I’m going to be
“With ‘Invisible’, I wanted to create a song that captured the nervous sense of foreboding that seems to be enveloping all of us right now,” Johnson says. “Between the rise of AI and similarly advanced technologies, climate change, and a seemingly intractable sense of ‘us against them’ in our own backyard, it’s easy to feel hopeless. In spite of the heavy subject, however, the song is ultimately about optimism emerging from darkness.”
Taken purely as music, the track is sweet vindication of the St. Louis-born, Jackson, MS-raised Johnson’s diverse background and tastes. Its sonic palate confirms his trajectory as a Dylanesque, socially and spiritually conscious balladeer, but also nods to a host of other influences that includes Peter Gabriel, Radiohead, U2, the Police, Daniel Lanois, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Miles Davis and Bruce Hornsby.
Plus, the recording itself is a tour de force for Johnson: He played all the instruments except the drums (which were performed by his longtime collaborator, Kenny Graeber) and sang every vocal line save a backing part by his son, Charlie Johnson. There are also some highly satisfying blasts from the elder Johnson on his trademark instrument, the harmonica—his proficiency at which has made him the toast of music connoisseurs far and wide.
“Scott Albert Johnson manhandles his harmonica with a master’s flair,” Goldmine has raved. “He is a triple-threat artist who can sing, write and blow his emotions clear on out of his harmonica like nobody’s business.”
The musical and lyrical pull of “Invisible” takes on an added dimension in its haunting music video, which shows Johnson in both his full, corporeal form and as a stylized, sketch-like animation. The loose and highly symbolic narrative finds the artist standing at the edge of an ocean, initially hesitant to enter but ultimately immersing himself in the water, baptized and ready for whatever lies ahead.
The entire project was borne of the pandemic, a pressurized situation that inspired Johnson to hone his skills at playing various instruments and learn how to record himself properly at home. The result pushes him even farther into the uncharted territory he began to explore on his previous single, “Float,” which ended up getting airplay on more than 75 stations throughout the U.S. and being named “Pick of the Week” by Ann Delisi at WDET in Detroit. “Invisible” shows all the signs of connecting on an even deeper level, as it likewise mines the emotional unease we’ve all felt over the last few years. To Johnson, both songs are equally cathartic from a personal standpoint, since they were worked up at a time when he was facing a serious health scare.
“A few times, it looked like it could be life-threatening,” he reveals. “Fortunately, that has turned out not to be the case. But it’s been life-changing in terms of just getting through the day, although things have improved since I wrote these songs.”
Then again, pretty much Johnson’s entire life has been a case study in taking leaps of faith. He’s lived not only in St. Louis and Jackson, but in Canada, Washington, D.C., and Boston as well. And he’s done everything from study at Harvard to work in the Office of Management and Budget in D.C. to provide full-time counseling to students at his old high school. Although his musical career didn’t truly begin in earnest until he finally decided to master the harmonica in his late 20s, the payoff has been rich indeed: He’s been featured as a guest artist with the Boston Pops, won a performing-arts fellowship from the Mississippi Arts Commission and been named one of the “Hot 100” harp players worldwide by The Harmonica Company in the U.K.
So who better to preach the virtues of taking a chance and staring the world’s potentially confounding future square in the eye?
“I kind of say, ‘Bring it on,’” Johnson says. “I’m not making light of it; I think there may be some dark times ahead. But I am sort of a short-range pessimist and a long-range optimist. I think we’ll make it, eventually.”
New Age Artist Huguette Lavigne Returns With Latest Soothing Instrumental “Spinners (La Toupie)”
Depending on your view, life can resemble a box of chocolates or a bowl of cherries. But life can also sometimes resemble a spinning top. Sometimes it’s smooth and balanced. Other times it’s remaining upright despite the occasional wobble and seemingly out of one’s control. Regardless, it does end at some point. For Ottawa-based New Age artist Huguette Lavigne, such complexities of humanity are found in her contemplative new single “Spinners (La Toupie).” It’s a song Lavigne approached with no preconceived notion.
“This piece, ‘Spinners (La Toupie),’ began without a vision or theme,” Lavigne says. “Initially, I approached it with a sense of exploration, letting the process guide me. As I worked, the image of a spinning top gradually came to mind—starting with vigorous motion, whirling with energy, only to halt abruptly in the end. This visual became a metaphor for the human condition.”
“Spinners (La Toupie)” is a gorgeous, reflective piano instrumental that starts as a soothing, almost hypnotic melody with its various ebbs and flows. Dramatic without being over-the-top, the song exemplifies the course of one’s life, rising at times in intensity before delicately concluding after 155 precious, cherished seconds.
“Reflecting on the perpetual motion present in our lives and the universe, I found the underlying theme for this piece,” Lavigne says. “The spinning, as reflected in many of our activities, became a symbol of our journey through life. This contemplation on movement and stillness, activity and cessation, shaped the essence of ‘Spinners (La Toupie).'”
Lavigne, whose music veers through genres such as new age, contemporary classical and modern jazz, released a video for “Spinners (La Toupie)” in July featuring images of objects (and people) in motion. Such imagery includes a spinning top, amusement rides, celestial bodies, girls holding hands while spinning, and ballerinas.”
“Like the spinning top, we go through our lives with a certain rhythm, propelled by the forces around us,” Lavigne says. “Our planet spins on its axis, orbiting the sun, creating a cosmic dance that mirrors our daily routines. We engage in love, work, creation, and play, each action adding to the momentum of our existence. Yet, despite this dynamic activity, there comes a moment when everything ceases. Much like the spinner, our hearts eventually come to an unexpected and sudden stop.”
Lavigne, who along with her siblings would use their creativity to construct “imaginary worlds with astonishing detail” as children in their parents’ “unfinished basement” as she wrote in a 2022 article entitled “Bliss, Ecstasy, and Pure Joy of Making Stuff.” Her creative work includes more than 50 original piano compositions, some of which have complemented stunning visuals for a multi-sensory experience.
“Spinners (La Toupie)” follows previous 2023 singles “As It Goes” and “Pixie Dust.” In 2022 Lavigne released Jazzed Up Dreams, an album Lavigne said “began with five jazz pieces with riffs and melodies that developed out of improvisation.” Describing her sound at the time as “eclectic,” her music has been featured in Canadian Beats Media, Tinnitist and Record World International among others. Previous albums also include 2021’s Yin and Yang and Free and Easy and 2020’s Five O’Clock Somewhere. These four albums were all recorded at Ottawa’s Raven Street Studios.
Now with her calming, pensive “Spinners (La Toupie)” look for Huguette Lavigne to continue to push the creative envelope for engaging, eclectic and excellent compositions. It’s a song that you should definitely put in your musical rotation.
The Kings Still Reign: Canadian Rock Legends Defy ‘One-Hit Wonder’ Label as ‘Nowhere to Go But Gone’ Climbs U.S. Charts
Forty-four years ago, they declared The Kings Are Here. Now Canada’s cherished rock legends are specifying exactly where “here” is: on the charts and rising.
This week, The Kings’ ridiculously compelling “Nowhere to Go But Gone” climbs to #42 on the Mediabase CHR Activator list—a nigh-on-miraculous showing for a Canadian classic-rock band on US radio. It’s a designation that shows the tune continues to spread like wildfire, receiving airplay in markets from Utah to Florida to Cape Cod. If this keeps up, the group might have to issue an official clarification that the title of their documentary, Anatomy of a One-Hit Wonder, was meant with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Because really, The Kings never went away. Yes, they’re still best known for their breakout double A-sided single, “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide,” which peaked at #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980 and ultimately spent 23 weeks on that chart—not to mention earning the band a gold single award, a JUNO nomination and induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. The success of the insanely catchy numbers also eventually drove their debut album, the aforementioned The Kings Are Here, to platinum-level sales in Canada. But in the ensuing decades, they’ve put out an absolute wealth of stellar material, on albums like Amazon Beach, RSVP, Unstoppable, Party Live in ’85, The Lost Tapes of a Seventies Bar Band and Because of You. Unstoppable alone yielded a cornucopia of Canadian hits, including the title track, “Lesson To Learn,” “Shoulda Been Me,” “Parting Of The Ways,” and the killer ballad “If We Don’t Belong Together.”
“Nowhere to Go But Gone” proves that their mettle as hitmakers remains undiminished. It’s an appropriately driving little ditty in which lead singer/bassist David Diamond namechecks all the places he’s about to hit on a much-needed jaunt behind the wheel:
Gonna head out on the highway
The highway is my friend
Gonna head out west
Where the highway ends
Then I’ll stop in Vancouver
Turn south towards LA
Twelve hundred miles of surfers
Waiting for a wave
There is no trip like a road trip
Nowhere to go, nowhere to go
Nowhere to go but gone
But what gradually comes into focus is that he’s actually singing about taking a breather from a relationship, to get a better perspective on why it’s one worth keeping. This is a song not of freedom and the endless open road, but of renewal and the journey home.
Oh, but when I return
The bridges I burned
Have been reassembled
Good to take a breather
Good to get some air
Good to be reminded
Of what it’s like out there
As recorded, the entire performance is a tour de force of moxie by Diamond, guitarist/co-composer Mister Zero, keyboardist Sonny Keyes (all three of them cofounders of the group) and drummer Todd Reynolds (who’s been firmly entrenched in the lineup since 2007). The track was co-produced by the band and recording engineer Chris Snow (a veteran of sessions with the likes of Barenaked Ladies, Big Wreck and Arkells) and mixed by Garth Richardson (who has produced Rage Against the Machine and engineered records by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nickelback and numerous other heavy hitters).
The song comes from The Kings’ most recent album, 2023’s The Longest Story Ever Told, which kept the faith with the group’s hardcore following while earning widespread critical acclaim. “Call it a comeback if you will, but regardless, it’s clear The Kings still rule,” raved American Songwriter.
With more than 2,000 live shows under their belt, these boys are perpetually in demand as a concert act throughout the Western hemisphere. The latest jewel in their crown was an August gig at the Kitchener Blues Festival Canada, and come November 8, they’ll be “gettin’ gone” all the way down to Planet Hollywood Cancun for the five-day The Sands festival, where they’ll appear alongside fellow ’80s survivors Rick Springfield, Bret Michaels, The Fixx, Level 42, Lou Gramm and Ace Frehley.
And believe it or not, they’re even bigger virtually: The official video for “This Beat Goes On/Switchin’ to Glide” has surpassed 6 million views on YouTube. In a further test of the hit’s enduring appeal, Chicago DJ Bob Stroud included it in his audience poll of the greatest one-two punches in music history—songs no listener or programmer would ever dare separate. The Kings landed at #1 on that list, above ubiquitous musical conjoined twins like “Living Loving Maid/Heartbreaker” by Led Zeppelin and even “We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions by Queen.
Now, with “Nowhere to Go But Gone,” The Kings are back to prove there’s plenty more gas in their tank. More than four decades later, we’re all still “holding hands as David Diamond sings” (as they once sang on their haunting “Love Store”). To say this beat goes on is an understatement: Once the world switches to glide, apparently, it just never switches back.
Singer-Songwriter John Dawson Finds Himself Right At Home With Uplifting “Where You Belong”
Newmarket-based folk roots performer John Dawson puts his heart on his sleeve with his latest single “Where You Belong” from his Outlier album. The tune, produced and mixed by Adam Brunner, speaks to the universality of times a relationship might be in peril. But, by sticking things out together, it’ll be water under the bridge or in the rear-view mirror as time marches forward.
Dawson, who describes “Where You Belong” as a “scrappy little love song,” offers a lovely piece of music and lyrical prose by believing the proverbial glass is half full, not half empty. With gorgeous harmonies, sweet piano accents in the background and the solid rhythm duo of bassist Manny DeGrandis and drummer/percussionist Anthony D’Angela, “Where You Belong” exemplifies the quality and depth Dawson brings to each song with an economical use of words that brings to mind lyrical craftsmen like Ron Sexsmith, Lyle Lovett and Nick Lowe.
Tell me I’m wrong,
But if we just wallk away,
We’ll be giving in to all they have said.
You decide,
But I believe,
That by my side,
Is where you belong.
“Where You Belong” is the latest single from Dawson who released “Things That I Meant To Say” in July, 2024. In an August, 2024 interview with Newmarket Today, Dawson said the songs emerged from a handful of touchstone events in his life including the death of a parent, getting married and the birth of a child. “Much of the music was coming just working through a lot of emotions myself,” he told the outlet. “Just sort of reporting what I’m seeing in my life through the music I create.”
Dawson says there’s also an appreciation for his craft now that he has become a bit more removed from his teenage years and twenties. “The joy to be able to know that my hands can do these things,” he told the outlet. “It changes as you get a bit older. You don’t go out to be a rock star. You do it because of the genuine love of the art form.”
Dawson is no stranger to music, having worked in a myriad of parts of the industry from performing to education. A graduate of Humber College, Dawson cites Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Paul Simon and the late George Harrison as some of his music and lyrical influences. He also earned degrees in Music and Education from York University. And if that wasn’t enough, besides being chosen for various commissions and publishing projects the last two decades, he also co-hosts Ringside Heat, a weekly professional wrestling radio show.
Now with his new single “Where You Belong,” look for John Dawson to keep crafting fully formed gems that tug at your heartstrings as he wrestles with timeless, thoughtful aspects of the human condition.
HOT MUD Grapples With The Music Industry On Chipper, Vivacious Single “Nobody Listens To The Radio”
Decades ago, the music industry was on solid footing with various international labels, emerging independent labels highlighting alternative acts and record stores in major cities and small towns across North America and beyond. Now, the industry has fragmented. With advanced technology any conceivable artist or song from any era is at your fingertips.
But is it for the better? Well, Ottawa indie pop rocker artist Hot Mud (also known as Muddy Matthew Watters) addresses the issue with his latest smart single, the acerbic, pointed, and satirical single “Nobody Listens To The Radio” from the artist’s Pink Cloud Pop album.
“Although the satirical message paints a grim picture for music makers, the song itself proves that the art is still very much alive, and as creative, and exciting as ever,” Hot Mud writes of “Nobody Listens To The Radio.” A music video was also made for the song and released in late August showing Hot Mud performing as images of old, pre-digital radio dials are shown throughout. An old-school twin-cassette boom box is also used by Hot Mud in the video.
Soaked in a highbrow back beat and with just enough electronic atmosphere hovering over the song, “Nobody Listens To The Radio” soars before upping the ante in the beefy, infectious chorus. Hot Mud describes the “verse/chorus/verse” formula in most pop singles while citing algorithms and Artificial Intelligence as the bane of creativity. Think of some blend of Primitive Radio Gods, a tamer but more thoughtful Andrew WK and Elvis Costello’s sneering “Radio, Radio” and the industrious “Nobody Listens To The Radio” shines.
From the stream of consciousness
To the streaming services
To present its worthiness
To the rhythm of the mighty algorithm
Verse chorus verse
Music is a curse
The art has lost its worth
Music lost its worth
“Nobody Listens To The Radio” was written and performed almost entirely by Hot Mud (Watters) with backing vocals provided by Laura Snedden. The song is the followup to “Welcome To Humankind” and includes quotes culled from Hot Mud’s own dealings with fellow musicians from a radio program he currently produces entitled Canada’s Cool Culture hosted on Ottawa radio station CKCU 93.1 FM.
Hot Mud began as the alter ego for Watters but the alter ego began engulfing his life, leading him to battle demons and eventually end up in rehab. After a year of recovery, the artist took a horde of recording equipment, cameras and musical instruments into a small room at a “second-stage sober living” facility. Learning recording techniques by trial and error, Hot Mud eventually recorded songs that formed the debut album Rehab Rock. Following that album release Hot Mud issued an EP entitled Electric Gutter Club in May, 2024.
Now with the shimmering, fun and attention-grabbing “Nobody Listens To The Radio” look for Hot Mud to keep ensuring that rock n’ roll won’t be saying goodbye for the foreseeable future.
RnB/Jazz/Pop Singer Gracie Ella Finds Peace and Comfort in New Single “Skin”
Canadian singer-songwriter Gracie Ella conveys a beautiful combination of soulful vocals, vulnerable songwriting, and a wide array of diverse influences in her music. Through her art, the Oakville, ON native wants more than anything to comfort listeners. On her latest single, “Skin,” Ella shares how confident she has become with herself and how she doesn’t desire anything but her own independence and invincibility.
When I’m uncomfortable
I remember where I’ve been and
When I fall
I know where I fit in
I’m invincible
I’m wearing all my sins
And I wanna let you know that
I’m comfortable in my own Skin
With producing and writing contributions from Jesse Singer and Chris Soper, Ella was able to write what she calls one of the most genuine songs she’s ever written.
“We sent it off to several music executives, but it never received a huge reaction,” she says. “That did not discourage me, however, from bringing the song into the world. Years went by and I went through many life changes and much hardship in my personal life. I had planned to release a few other songs, but I knew that the day I released “Skin” would be an especially healing time in my life.”
Every single mistake that I have made
Has made me into the woman I am today
And everybody who hurt me that’s okay
I’ve got a thousand scars and I am grateful, grateful
After losing her beloved pet cat Mosey, Ella knew she had to finally record “Skin” in order to bring herself out of her sadness and grief. In April 2024 she called up her friend and producer/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Derek Downham to help her with the single.
“We finished the song in 3 sessions,” Ella says. “The vocal take was one take, with no autotune. Although there is nothing wrong with using autotune, it can very easily be overused. Derek was and is incredibly supportive towards me emotionally and musically. He knew that the song deserved to be recorded with real instrumentation and focused on capturing a real performance, while adding sounds that enhanced that performance.”
As relatable and down-to-earth lyrics coincide with soft acoustic guitars and Ella’s signature soul, “Skin” is as pleasing to the ear as it is comforting and peaceful to the mind.
Throughout her musical journey, Gracie Ella has established herself as a highly successful songwriter, vocal arranger, and multi-instrumentalist. After studying in a prestigious jazz vocal program at university, the Toronto-based creative left after two years to pursue her music career. Over the past five years, Ella has worked with numerous renowned figures within the music industry including James Fauntleroy (Beyonce, Rihanna, Drake, Bruno), T-Minus (Drake, Bieber, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd), Jenna Andrews (Drake, Dua Lipa, Little Mix), Jamie Hartman (Calvin Harris, Rag’n’Bone Man, Kygo), Swagg R’Celious (H.E.R., Kehlani, Zhavia Ward), Stuart Crichton (Selena Gomez, Backstreet Boys, Kesha), Mike DZL (Future, Meek Mill, Miguel, Kehlani, Jazmine Sullivan), Amy Allen (Halsey, Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes) and Oak Felder (Kehlani, Brandy, Demi Lovato, Nicki Minaj), among many others.
Since 2020, Ella has released several singles and music videos for her songs “Sleep on Me (Eyes Closed),” “Lady,” “Butterflies,” and “Beat Me To It.” She has also become an incredibly successful and talented guitar player and keyboardist, having been recently featured on R&B singer Jojo’s latest album Trying Not To Think About It on the song “B.I.D.” Ella’s latest single “Skin” is out now.
