Famously, April showers bring May flowers — but they also bring great new Canadian music! This month's New Faves run the gamut from synthesized folk lullabies and caustic psych-rock to tender emo missives and bright-eyed rap, pulling from every colour in the paintbox. Featuring acts from both sides of the country (and a couple of places in between), April's crew of upcoming artists show once again just how saturated with talent Canada truly is. Catch these New Faves now before they hit the big time — there's no doubt you'll be hearing much more from them in the future.
Keep reading to meet Exclaim!'s latest New Faves, and head over to our Spotify playlist to hear them alongside our previous homegrown favourites.
Days on Parade
Hamilton, ON
For fans of: Nice Biscuit, Monowhales, Annabelle Chairlegs
Saddle up, because garage/psych rockers Days on Parade are coming in hotter than a smoking gun from wild, wild, Western Ontario. Founded in late 2022, the band pack their debut single "Bad Cowboy" with enough dagger-sharp riffs and propulsive drumrolls to pump you up for a showdown — yet this cowboy is only "bad" in the sense that he lacks the rebellion required to be an outlaw. Kick up your spur-studded heels, because they're set to release another playful and punchy single this spring in support of an upcoming Canadian tour.
Isabel Glasgow
Good Bandits
Winnipeg, MB
For fans of: Viagra Boys, the Ramones, the Vaccines
Equal parts queasy Viagra Boys lurch and striving '80s new wave, the debut single from Winnipeg's Good Bandits folds and twists decades of punk canon into a wild-eyed blast of forward momentum. "Hair of the Dog" features a low-riding motorik rhythm, an instantly hummable old-school pop chorus and even some Stooges-esque saxophone skronk — somehow, it all works. The brainchild of Winnipeg's Mitchell James and Donavan Ostapowich, Good Bandits are planning to unleash a debut album sometime later this year. If "Hair of the Dog" is any indication, it'll be worth waiting for.
Kaelen Bell
Tyler Jafelice
London, ON
For fans of: Julien Baker, American Football
On newly released single "Window," Tyler Jafelice's meticulous finger-picked guitar and tender, exposed vocals create a twinkling reverie as Jafelice expresses intense gratitude with finding unwavering strength in loving relationships. As heard on his 2020 debut EP Safely, Jafelice's music strikes an enriching balance between hushed confessional songwriting and flourishing mathy-emo guitar riffs, drawing patience with a vivid brush. Jafelice's courageous approach to vulnerability and his knack for subtle, intricate melodies will be magnetizing for those with delicate tendencies.
Chris Gee
Jerelle
Kitchener, ON
For fans of: Armani White, 6lack, RUSS
Jerelle's music career didn't spring from a search for money, fame or recognition. It was inherited from his mother's passion for music and developed with a desire to express his innermost thoughts. His newest album, It's All for the Growth, folds guitars, pianos and warmly rendered beats and intertwines them with Jerelle's telling of his emotional journey through his career, past and present loves, and his future dreams. It's a grandiose statement from a young artist on the rise.
Papa Minnow
Ky
Montreal, QC
For fans of: Lungbutter, BIG|BRAVE, Laurie Anderson
On the upcoming Power Is the Pharmacy (arriving May 12), Lungbutter vocalist Ky Brooks offers poetic ruminations that challenge the rules of our private, civic, elemental and fantastical worlds. Probing what they represent for the imagination — personal or collective — the album includes Ky's "most direct" response to the loss of Lungbutter drummer and Constellation Records flagbearer Joni Sadler, who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 2021. First glimpse "Dragons" sets the scene with collective concern, assembling a quintet of guests for a cathartic artpunk tempest.
Tom Beedham
Mandaworld
Toronto, ON
For fans of: Grimes, Robyn, Sky Ferreira
For Amanda Hicks, Mandaworld is as much a state of mind as it is a musical project. Dedicated in part to "the girl who was afraid to hear her voice," her debut album For Emotional Use Only leans on the self-exploration skills the Toronto artist learned as a psychotherapist. Working with her musical and life partner Matty Tavares, formerly of BADBADNOTGOOD, it tracks her evolution from "the girl who had trouble being loud" to one who's making sleek dance-pop with plenty to say.
Ian Gormely
maxime.
Montreal, QC
For fans of: Mount Kimbie, King Krule
The music on maxime's upcoming EP mile end (kiss ur friends) — arriving April 14 — falls into a dusky, unclassifiable realm, one animated by long shadows and flashes of glittering light. Folding elements of post-punk and bedroom pop with hip-hop cadences and layers upon layers of itchy texture, the Montreal artist's songs are pop music built from junkyard scraps. Written, mixed and engineered by maxime., mile end is a sister release to March's cherry stems EP — together, they provide the clearest window into maxime.'s artistry yet.
Kaelen Bell
Porteau
Vancouver, BC
For fans of: Half Waif, Beach House, Mazzy Star
The Vancouver-based duo of Victoria Williams and Craig Stevenson recently released their first single since their 2019 debut album Water's Gate. The new track, "Chasing Celadon," is a lush and ethereal arrangement punctuated with lyrics that are both forlorn and defiant. The song is a commemorative statement about the connection Williams had with her late grandmother. Of her grandmother, Williams says, "As years passed, familial trauma buried the bond we had. 'Chasing Celadon' is an exploration of this relationship and a declaration of my love for her."
Francis Baptiste
Listen to tracks from these and other New Faves on our Spotify playlist:
Keep reading to meet Exclaim!'s latest New Faves, and head over to our Spotify playlist to hear them alongside our previous homegrown favourites.
Days on Parade
Hamilton, ON
For fans of: Nice Biscuit, Monowhales, Annabelle Chairlegs
Saddle up, because garage/psych rockers Days on Parade are coming in hotter than a smoking gun from wild, wild, Western Ontario. Founded in late 2022, the band pack their debut single "Bad Cowboy" with enough dagger-sharp riffs and propulsive drumrolls to pump you up for a showdown — yet this cowboy is only "bad" in the sense that he lacks the rebellion required to be an outlaw. Kick up your spur-studded heels, because they're set to release another playful and punchy single this spring in support of an upcoming Canadian tour.
Isabel Glasgow
Good Bandits
Winnipeg, MB
For fans of: Viagra Boys, the Ramones, the Vaccines
Equal parts queasy Viagra Boys lurch and striving '80s new wave, the debut single from Winnipeg's Good Bandits folds and twists decades of punk canon into a wild-eyed blast of forward momentum. "Hair of the Dog" features a low-riding motorik rhythm, an instantly hummable old-school pop chorus and even some Stooges-esque saxophone skronk — somehow, it all works. The brainchild of Winnipeg's Mitchell James and Donavan Ostapowich, Good Bandits are planning to unleash a debut album sometime later this year. If "Hair of the Dog" is any indication, it'll be worth waiting for.
Kaelen Bell
Tyler Jafelice
London, ON
For fans of: Julien Baker, American Football
On newly released single "Window," Tyler Jafelice's meticulous finger-picked guitar and tender, exposed vocals create a twinkling reverie as Jafelice expresses intense gratitude with finding unwavering strength in loving relationships. As heard on his 2020 debut EP Safely, Jafelice's music strikes an enriching balance between hushed confessional songwriting and flourishing mathy-emo guitar riffs, drawing patience with a vivid brush. Jafelice's courageous approach to vulnerability and his knack for subtle, intricate melodies will be magnetizing for those with delicate tendencies.
Chris Gee
Jerelle
Kitchener, ON
For fans of: Armani White, 6lack, RUSS
Jerelle's music career didn't spring from a search for money, fame or recognition. It was inherited from his mother's passion for music and developed with a desire to express his innermost thoughts. His newest album, It's All for the Growth, folds guitars, pianos and warmly rendered beats and intertwines them with Jerelle's telling of his emotional journey through his career, past and present loves, and his future dreams. It's a grandiose statement from a young artist on the rise.
Papa Minnow
Ky
Montreal, QC
For fans of: Lungbutter, BIG|BRAVE, Laurie Anderson
On the upcoming Power Is the Pharmacy (arriving May 12), Lungbutter vocalist Ky Brooks offers poetic ruminations that challenge the rules of our private, civic, elemental and fantastical worlds. Probing what they represent for the imagination — personal or collective — the album includes Ky's "most direct" response to the loss of Lungbutter drummer and Constellation Records flagbearer Joni Sadler, who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm in 2021. First glimpse "Dragons" sets the scene with collective concern, assembling a quintet of guests for a cathartic artpunk tempest.
Tom Beedham
Mandaworld
Toronto, ON
For fans of: Grimes, Robyn, Sky Ferreira
For Amanda Hicks, Mandaworld is as much a state of mind as it is a musical project. Dedicated in part to "the girl who was afraid to hear her voice," her debut album For Emotional Use Only leans on the self-exploration skills the Toronto artist learned as a psychotherapist. Working with her musical and life partner Matty Tavares, formerly of BADBADNOTGOOD, it tracks her evolution from "the girl who had trouble being loud" to one who's making sleek dance-pop with plenty to say.
Ian Gormely
maxime.
Montreal, QC
For fans of: Mount Kimbie, King Krule
The music on maxime's upcoming EP mile end (kiss ur friends) — arriving April 14 — falls into a dusky, unclassifiable realm, one animated by long shadows and flashes of glittering light. Folding elements of post-punk and bedroom pop with hip-hop cadences and layers upon layers of itchy texture, the Montreal artist's songs are pop music built from junkyard scraps. Written, mixed and engineered by maxime., mile end is a sister release to March's cherry stems EP — together, they provide the clearest window into maxime.'s artistry yet.
Kaelen Bell
Porteau
Vancouver, BC
For fans of: Half Waif, Beach House, Mazzy Star
The Vancouver-based duo of Victoria Williams and Craig Stevenson recently released their first single since their 2019 debut album Water's Gate. The new track, "Chasing Celadon," is a lush and ethereal arrangement punctuated with lyrics that are both forlorn and defiant. The song is a commemorative statement about the connection Williams had with her late grandmother. Of her grandmother, Williams says, "As years passed, familial trauma buried the bond we had. 'Chasing Celadon' is an exploration of this relationship and a declaration of my love for her."
Francis Baptiste
Listen to tracks from these and other New Faves on our Spotify playlist: