Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen (Round Two) with Fionn

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Fionn Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

If you are a fan of The Veronicas or The Beaches and have Lola Young and The Last Dinner Party on your playlist, Fionn just might be your next obsession. Since we first introduced you to the Vancouver alt-rock duo (or, as they put it, “your new fave femme-rage girlband”), twin sisters Alanna and Brianne Finn-Morris have kept fans fed with a string of high-energy singles: a song for the girlies who experience sufficient amounts of wrath on the daily (“BLOW”), one for situationships (“Bad at Being Casual”) and another for walking red flags (“Snake Behavior”), and their latest embodying quarter-life crisis core (“Banshee”).

Catching up with Fionn at the first-ever Departure Festival in Toronto, the twin sisters dished on ‘departing’ from their past releases ahead of their upcoming album, writing the battle cry song of their dreams, and crafting their perfect pre-show routine.

Twin sisters performing on a stage with guitars in hand.
Fionn performing at Rivoli in Toronto during Departure Festival 2025. (Photo credit: Angela McLean/Love at First Listen)

As we chat here at Departure Festival, how does it feel to be bringing your new music and fan favourites to first-time and repeat audiences?

Alanna: Any time we get to play in Ontario, it’s so fun, it’s so different, and the audiences have a great buzz to them.

Brianne: Especially during a festival time like this, people are really excited to see different musicians coming in from out of town, so it’s exciting all around.

Our Love at First Listen community met you when we chatted in 2023 following the release of your third album, ‘I Might Start Smoking.’ Fill us in on what you’ve been up to!

Brianne: We’ve been on tour a couple times since then, but most recently we opened for JJ Wilde across Canada, which was a super cool opportunity. We have also been working towards a new album that we think is coming out in the fall.

For your latest singles, how would you say they are a ‘departure’ from your past releases, and how will that sonic evolution keep unveiling itself?

Alanna: I personally went through a bad breakup before writing this record, so I feel like there’s a bit more anger and angst in the next one. We’re rocking it up a bit more.

Brianne: It’s a little bit more ragey, but I also think that there are a lot of similarities to the old records as well so it’s not too far off our path. We’re really proud of it and we’re really excited to put it out.

Your newest single, “Banshee,” is a femme-rock battle cry. What inspired it, and what have been some of your personal F the Patriarchy / battle cry / empowerment songs?

Brianne: I had always wanted to write a song called “Banshee” and then write a melody that sounds like a banshee’s cry. It sort of came to me with my fear of aging that I feel like is really put on women’s shoulders in society, which I kind of came to the conclusion is at the end of the day a fear of death, a fear of lack of control… So, it kind of has themes of all that. And the banshee is like the symbol of death, like that anxiety that’s screaming on your shoulders and that’s making you freeze or just feel really anxious about the future.

Alanna: I’m still trying to come to terms with my own mortality (laughs), but maybe if we sing the song enough, I’ll realize I’m not immortal!

Brianne: I love “Troy” by Sinead O’Connor. … I don’t know if it’s specifically about the patriarchy, but it’s definitely a battle cry sort of song for me.

Alanna: For me, recently I’ve gotten into Amyl and The Sniffers and I can’t think of a specific song that would be my battle cry, but I think [with] that whole new record, anytime I’m feeling angsty about the patriarchy, I’ll throw [it] on and it usually does the trick.

Do you have any pre-show rituals or anything you make sure to keep in your day-of-show routine?

Alanna: I wish we had a cool one. I don’t know.

Brianne: I just try and stay as chill as possible because I think I can get a bit in my head sometimes about all the logistics of everything. … Usually we forget to write our setlist down, so we’re backstage scribbling. Some people show up to the show with a printed out lovely setlist. Ours is usually hand scribbled 10 minutes before.

Alanna: Who has a printer these days? That’s what I’m wondering. [Also,] maybe just coffee, but I feel like … that’s a life thing! If I don’t have a coffee, if I don’t have a good meal before performing, I think that that’s a big thing for me. I hate going on stage hungry.

Do you have a go-to post-show snack?

Alanna: Probably something really bad for me honestly… because usually it’s late when we finish but I do want a snack. So, probably chicken nuggets.

Given that you’re twin sisters writing and recording music and touring together, what’s one thing you’ve learned about each other that you don’t think you would’ve realized pursuing another career path?

Alanna: We spend an obscene amount of time together, so maybe we’ve gotten to know each other better than most twins.

Brianne: I’ve learned that Alanna really hates doing her hair. She complains about it every single time.

Alanna: It’s too annoying. I don’t like having the arm over my head too long. I’m a baby.

If you were putting together your own future festival showcase, with Fionn headlining, who are some fellow artists that you’ve loved at first listen that you’d invite to share the stage?

Alanna: Ooh… I would say Molly Anelle. She’s a Vancouver artist.

Brianne: Madisyn Gifford. She’s also a fellow 604 artist. Vox Rea, too. They’re from Vancouver and also on our label, but they’re sisters as well and they’re amazing. I could keep going on… Tegan and Sara. I love them.

Coming up this summer, you’ve already announced shows in British Columbia and at Riverfest Elora. Where can people find you online to request a show near them, and is there anything you can add about projects in the pipeline?

Brianne: Follow us on Instagram @fionnband. That’s where we put all of our info. We’re just very excited to put out some new music and hopefully we’ll be touring in your city soon because we’d love to see you!

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Chevy Beaulieu

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Chevy Beaulieu Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

With the release of his 604 Records label debut (home to Canadian mainstays like Marianas Trench and Carly Rae Jepsen), breakout Indigenous artist Chevy Beaulieu poses a lighthearted but equally aspirational question: “Where’s the fun in life without a little adventure?” For Chevy, life, and his artistic evolution, have been exactly that. Based in Airdrie, AB, he comes to the Canadian country scene with deep musical roots from his father—a three-time Canadian fiddle champion—and their family band. But as he tells Love at First Listen, he took his time (close to 15 years, in fact) cutting his teeth, broadening his influences, and refining his craft. The result: “If We Want To,” a high-energy, feel-good, country festival-ready anthem about embracing spontaneity and living life to its fullest.

To celebrate the single’s success, we caught up with Chevy to talk about achieving bucket list dreams, “aha!” moments, and becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable.

You recently returned from all the JUNO celebrations out in Vancouver. How was it getting to perform at the JUNO Block Party and mingle with the Canadian music community?

It was my first JUNOs weekend and it was wild. I knew all the other artists that were on the block party; they are all labelmates. So, for that day, it was nice to perform and show people what I can do, and not a lot of them have seen me play live. It was also nice to play some of my newer songs that are not out yet.

“If We Want To” is receiving major fan love, it’s the trending track at Stingray New Country, and it’s on top of all the Breakthrough Country playlists—not to mention it cracked top 40 at Canadian country radio. What has been the best part of all this great reception to the song?

It’s nice to see. I put a lot of hard work into this. The music is rewarding on its own—like it makes me feel happy—but just to get a little bit of recognition, I don’t care what anybody says, it’s a really good feeling. I was really stoked when I first broke top 50. When I was in Vancouver [for the JUNOs], someone from my team was like, “You’re about to check something off your bucket list.” Now [I’ve] broke top 40, which is pretty wild to think about because there [are] so many great artists in this country, and I’m just really grateful.

And it’s still going up and up! We’re expecting top 30, top 20… it’s fantastic. With “If We Want To” being your label debut, how did you decide that this song was the right one to kick off a new era in your musical journey?

We had a handful of my songs that I was already recording, and then I had a handful of songs that were pitched to me, and this was one of the pitches. Not very many artists admit that [their music] was written by somebody else, but I like to give recognition to the songwriters because a good song is not good without good songwriters. Big shout out to my producer, Bart McKay. He’s helped me out a lot with finding my sound.

You’ve said this song is different from what you’ve released before, but still “you.” Can you elaborate on that? What about this song when you were pitched it resonated with you?

I like the whole premise of the story—you can do whatever you want, we can do whatever we want, if we want to. … [I]f it doesn’t work out, you can always go home. That’s what my parents always told me; my dad said, “I bought this house so my kids will always have a place to be, and if you want to go off and do your own thing, you can always come home.” I’m very grateful for my immediate family. They are my biggest supporters and I miss them every day, but I can’t quit now—not until I get bigger. It’s kind of a pipe dream, but I would really like to retire my mom one day.

How would you describe your sound?

I call myself and my music Heinz 57, so like 57 varieties. I’m a little Scottish, a little French, a little Cree, a little Chippewa, and my last name is huge. It’s all the way from the east to the west, and I have a lot of stories, lots of family and history. But going back to the music part, my music is a mixture of everything; almost every sub-genre of country besides rap. I take lots from rock and roll, Honky Tonk music, and outlaw. I grew up on Merle Haggard and Keith Whitley, and I listened to a lot of bands like Default when Dallas Smith was still doing his rock band and Nickelback. Now, I’ve been listening to a lot of Dwight Yoakam, Koe Wetzel, and pop artists as well. It’s just all over the place. So, I have one or two poppier songs on this record that I’m working on, rock and roll tunes, outlaw tunes, Honky Tonk tunes, and I can go on and on about it.

Given all the music in your life, did you always know you wanted to be a musician or did it take some time to lock in?

It took a while. I started picking up guitar when I was younger, played bass on my dad’s first record when I was 12 or 13, and then didn’t do anything with it. Around 15 years old, I got my first guitar, a Heart Attack Mini G series, which was the most indestructible guitar I’ve ever seen. I dropped that thing like crazy, and around then I started writing poetry and learning covers. I was about 18 years old in the summer of 2012 when I got to open for Shane Yellowbird, and that was kind of my “aha!” moment. It was really sad when he left this earth, but he showed us that we can compete, we can play, and we can put music out at the same level as everybody else. There are not very many role models for young Indigenous boys that had the same impact as that guy, and it showed they gave a lot of kids hope, and I was one of them. Shane got on stage after me and I told him, and I told myself, “I can do that.” Ever since then, I’ve been pushing towards it.

You talk about how an artist like that can impact your life. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received that you could pass along to the next generation of country artists?

Don’t give up. You may sound like crap now, which I did in the early years. … I was listening to some of my old videos I put out. My voice was weak, I was out of key, but you eventually find your sound. It took me until about 2016 to first start finding my voice. And even then, I’m still finding my voice. I love country music; I’m a country artist. I grew up on this stuff, but … [m]aybe down the road I want to do a rock record, maybe down the road I want to do a pop record or go sing the hook on some rap song. I don’t know. Who knows? … You don’t have to put a label on most music anymore.

You mentioned that you’re working on an upcoming project, so what can you tease for the year ahead? Are we looking at an EP, an album…?

I have 12 songs on the go. Like I said, just like myself, [there’s] a little bit for everyone, and different subgenres of music, but somehow it all fits together. I was really happy with that because, honestly, nobody’s harder on yourself than yourself. I was worried that it wasn’t going to meld, and then I was listening to it and it moves, it’s cohesive, and I was pleasantly surprised. I have a new song coming out here in the next couple months and a music video to follow for it that I shot last time I was in Van. That’s about as much as I can talk about. But I have 12 songs on the go—lots of party tunes, lots of two-stepping songs, and a couple of crying songs.

We’re heading into the summer concert season, and the first time we heard “If We Want To,” we thought, “Get us into the field at a festival immediately!” Do you have any performances coming up that you can highlight?

I have a couple acoustic shows. I do a few parties during [Calgary] Stampede, but I’m just focusing on the single right now and getting all my interviews done—all the stuff that I was very uncomfortable with before, but I’m slowly getting better at.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen with Riley Taylor

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Riley Taylor Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Whether headlining a show or touring with the likes of Kip Moore, Sacha, and Owen Riegling, Riley Taylor and his band approach every performance with the same attitude: be loud, proud, and always jam. With a 30-track debut album released earlier this month (April 18) fusing multiple influences and narratives, that’s an easy—and extremely fun—task. ‘Story to Tell,’ out now on Honky Tonk Record Co, is primed to fill every country playlist with its blend of bar songs, country storytelling, and celebrations of life, love, and everything in between. Soon, you will catch Riley on his Small Town Hometowns acoustic tour across Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario or opening for Cooper Alan. Don’t see your city? More dates are already in the works (details on that below!).

Just before hitting the stage at his packed album release show at Rivoli in Toronto, Riley dished on making his album as relatable as possible, calming down to the sounds of Matchbox Twenty, and returning to play his favourite festivals.

With 30 tracks and an hour and 44-minute runtime, there are certainly multiple stories to be told on ‘Story to Tell.’ Can you describe the process of pulling these 30 tracks and stories together?

Especially with it being a debut album, [I] kind of have my whole life to choose from as far as what we want to focus on [with life] moments [and] certain things. I think we chose pretty well a lot of things that would encompass what has made me who I am today. And I think as far as what I would be curious to know from the fans’ perspective is, which one of these songs relate[s] to your story? I think we wanted to make a lot of it as relatable as possible.

With this album release show being your first big headlining performance and celebration of the project, are there any tracks you’re especially excited to share with fans live?

The first one that always comes to mind is “Fucked Up.” My grandmother wasn’t very happy with that title, but that one really stands out to me because I’m proud of it as a songwriter. It comes from a dark place, but there is a sense of optimism about it. And I think it translates well because I also think everybody’s felt at least some of what’s in there at one point or another. Outside of that, I adore “Off the Liquor.” It’s just a big, loud, fun energy song. I also like a lot of the old, more traditional sounding stuff that we recorded too. That was all done in an old school way with live recordings off the floor and it was a cool process.

Boots and Hearts Music Festival plays a big part in your story, with you winning their Emerging Artist Showcase in 2021. How did it propel you to go all in on music, ultimately bringing us here today?

Yeah, that was a really crazy, validating point where I wasn’t sure I could do this or if it was worth pursuing because I didn’t feel good enough. So, it meant a lot to me, and it was very eye-opening in the fact that these people know [the industry] and they thought there was something there. So, I’m still trying to find “it,” and I kind of hope I never do. I hope I’m always kind of chasing whatever that is.

When you talk about sources of validation like that, what is one of the best pieces of advice that you’ve received along your musical journey that you can pass along to the next gen of artists?

Just keep your head up and be kind. It doesn’t cost anything, and in this business, there are not a lot of things that don’t cost anything. And ironically, that tends to lead to more opportunities than not. Some people will throw you a bone just based on the fact they like you. So, I think that’s really important, along with just caring about the craft of it—putting your time into your songs and making sure that you know your stuff. And try to have fun along the way.

An artist, Riley Taylor, stands centre stage singing into the microphone on stage at Rivoli in Toronto.
Riley Taylor performing on stage at his ‘Story to Tell’ album release party held at Rivoli in Toronto on April 22, 2025: “I never thought I’d have an album—let alone a release party.” (Photo credit: Angela McLean/Love at First Listen)

You first released one of the tracks on ‘Story to Tell,’ “Good Things,” as part of the Boots and Hearts contest, but have since reimagined it with more drawl and personality. What inspired you to revisit and revamp it?

I’m glad you asked that. I don’t want to be misunderstood—I didn’t redo it because I hated the original. I still love the original, and it will always be special to me. I just always wondered [how it would sound] if we had a different style of production that was more twangy and rootsy. The first time we tackled it, the song had more of a pop production. I’ll always love the original, but the way we redid it made it easier to deliver live as well. It almost sounds like it’s live in the recording. That’s what I wanted to re-imagine, while keeping it true to the original.

On the album, you also cover three songs: The Rolling Stones’ “Dead Flowers,” Matchbox Twenty’s “3AM,” and Live’s “Lightning Crashes.” What about each of those songs resonates with you and led to them needing to be part of this project?

All three of those songs were just clear [studio] cuts. We played around with a few, but “3AM” was probably the one that’s nearest and dearest to me. Growing up in Alberta, my mom had this Matchbox Twenty CD, and I was a colicky baby. So, I don’t remember, but allegedly whenever “3AM” would come on, no matter if I was in a fit or if I was being bad or a little brat, I’d go right to sleep. When I got older and I started playing [music], I was looking at easy three-chord songs to play on guitar and that one came up, and I knew all the words. I was pumped up because it was the first one that I could play and sing at the same time, so I was like, “Mom, you’ve got to check this out!” She was blown away because I didn’t know that story about when I was a baby.

The other two, to be honest with you, are songs that I just love inexplicably. Something about them is so cool, and they just make me feel a certain way. So, when we were looking at songs that would be cool to cover, they stood out. They’re also songs that I think are undervalued nowadays. It’s a fun way to recirculate them.

With this series being about the music we love at first listen, who are some of your Canadian country peers whose songs you’ve loved at first listen?

Love at first listen for me… there are so many, but “Do It Anyway” by Jade Eagleson, “Home Less” by Owen Riegling, and “Pillow Talkin’” by Tyler Joe Miller.


Riley’s newest single “Hometowns” is quickly rising on the country radio charts with airplay across Canada and major looks on streaming services.

As the summer concert and festival season fast approaches, do you have any live shows or festival performances that you can tease?

We were just looking into getting the festival season booked up. This May, I’m going to be doing an acoustic tour across Alberta. We’re calling it the Small Town Hometowns tour and it’s going to be more of a stripped back, almost singer-songwritery atmosphere where I’ll get the chance to explain how each song came to be. The goal is to get introduced to those fans and say, “If you like this, maybe I’ll be back with a big band.” There’s one festival back home that I’m doing—FundyFest in Sussex, New Brunswick—and that’s always been one of my favourite places to play. It’s always been the most responsive crowd. Then, I’m heading back to Cavendish Beach Music Festival in Prince Edward Island for the kickoff party the night before the festival starts. There are a couple others that we’re in the middle of booking right now. My message is if you like what’s going on, you like the sound, and you want me to come to your town, reach out. We’re always looking to see where the fans are and gauge where we should go to next.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, Music Monday

Love at First Listen with Alex Runions

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Alex Runions Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Canadian singer-songwriter Alex Runions isn’t just entering a new era of music with his latest album. On ‘Above the Clouds and On the Ground,’ the Saskatoon-based artist complements a refreshed folk-pop rock sound with a wide range of new influences gleaned from life outside the industry—from sobriety to marriage and fatherhood. The result: personal triumph, along with a rekindled love for making music. Personally and sonically, this is Alex Runions 2.0. As Alex shares with us, “All that personal growth and self-reflection and change really gave me the opportunity to look back, write a little bit more, write a little deeper, and it was a form of healing for me writing this album as well.”

In this edition of Love at First Listen, Alex shares more about the stories behind the songs, finding balance somewhere between the clouds and the ground, and why this might be his last album ever.

As we celebrate the one-month anniversary of your new album ‘Above the Clouds and On the Ground,’ what have been some of the most surreal moments since release day?

It’s been great feedback. Overall, it’s a bit of a different album from my previous pop country music. This is just a little bit more eclectic, a little more Americana. The idea was to really move people, make people feel those emotions good or bad, and I’m excited that it’s getting that type of response. Some of the best things with it are releasing my first music video in close to 10 years and just getting the music out to the world. It’s also been 10 years since my last album, so I think being really proud of my new work and releasing it exactly the way I hoped has been special and surreal.

Do you think that extended break between albums gave you a chance to fully live life and sprinkle those experiences into your music?

Absolutely, 100%. Some of these songs are 10 years old or more and are so special, but I’ve had so much personal growth, especially in the last five years. I got married. I became a father. This month, it’ll be five years sober. You know, life is sure great, and there was a lot of dismal and dark times leading up to there, but that’s a lot of times where the inspiration comes from.

How did you land on the album title and what does it mean to you today?

The idea popped in my head of being up in the clouds, being in love, and being optimistic, but knowing there are also those harsh realities of the real world that we all have to live in and be a part of. That’s the darker things in life, with drinking and tough relationships. Those are the kind of things that keep you grounded, and the self-reflection part, that’s all being grounded. This album is the dichotomy between the two, and kind of living in both worlds.

You touched on it there, but there’s beauty to being above the clouds sometimes and on the ground at others. Where do you find your happy medium?

I’m a big guy on routine. I love mornings. I love simple things. I look forward to my morning coffee the night before and love working out, being active, and spending time with my daughter, family, and friends. That’s really a big thing for me—to really give myself some time and be with people I love at the same time.

Your music touches on these personal milestones, but it has also inspired a lot of professional milestones, including a top 50 Canadian radio hit and multiple Canadian Country Music Week showcases. Do any of those milestones particularly stick out to you?

One of my biggest milestones was the CCMA Songwriters’ Series Showcase in London, Ontario in 2016. It was something I aspired to get to, and I was able to live in the moment and really enjoy it for what it is. It felt like I was accepted as well. That’s one thing along the way that I think I really longed for—just some acceptance. And to be accepted into a songwriters’ community like that was a great honour for me. Another milestone would be the year that I won the Saskatchewan Country Music Association Fan’s Choice Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. The year leading up to it was my second album, and I put so much work into booking shows and playing shows and the album itself, so that was probably the most I worked through those years. Just to get the recognition, it was a long time coming, and I’m still so grateful for that.

What’s next on your professional milestone bucket list?

Just to keep playing, to keep writing more. I was kind of scared that I never would after this album was done, but I’ve already started coming up with ideas and follow-up songs and reaching out to songwriters and getting back into it. It’s a little different having a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter at home; it’s a little tougher to rehearse, and even sometimes having the mental energy, [but] I wouldn’t change it for the world.

On that note, in your Instagram post announcing the release of this album, you mentioned this might be your last full-length release. Is that still where your head’s at, or are you coming around to more new music?

I think it would be a matter of singles; maybe a three-song EP here and there. We’ll see, depending on if there’s enough songs that I’m writing in that time. But I think looking at it realistically, right now, it feels like it might be the last one.

We’ll be tuned in to your socials to see what’s planned! With this now being three albums under your belt, what three songs from your full discography best represent your sound and story right now?

I can pick one off each album and say it’s the genesis of it. My first album, I’d say “Rollercoaster.” It was a love song I wrote that was very well responded to. That got me into songwriters’ circles and into writing in Nashville. It got me linked up with the producer that I did this album with, but we did it 10 years later. The second album, I’d have to say “South of the City,” only because that was the signature track. It was a slow one where people weren’t really into it and then all of a sudden they were, and so it sort of solidified things. I had a few singles along the way that did well, but then if I’m looking at this latest album, I’d have to say “Missing Piece” is my favourite song—maybe one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written.

Great picks. As people read this interview and listen to the album, what thoughts, feelings, and emotions do you hope they’re left with? Should there be a few tears shed and some hope inspired?

I hope people see that I’m genuine in the music [and] that inspires them to go and listen to it. I encourage people to listen to the album front to back, only because then they can understand what I’ve been through, and hopefully as they’re listening to it, it touches them in a way that, when it comes to the sad songs, it gives them permission to have an ugly cry, be sad, [and] connect with those emotions. I will say, predominantly, the songs on the album are kind of sad, and one is about my dog passing away. But for me, it was a big part of my life … and I know other people are going through it as well. I’m hoping people connect with these songs in whatever way they need to.

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Interviews, Love at First Listen, Music, New Music Friday

Love at First Listen with Gavin McLeod

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Gavin McLeod Interview Love at First Listen 2025

We all have those artists and songs we hear that strike the right chord and make us fall in love at first listen. They’re the reason we refresh social media pages, tour schedules, and Spotify profiles — because we can’t miss a single release. This is Love at First Listen — a series introducing you to the emerging, and established, artists with new music guaranteed to upgrade your playlist.

Blending classic and modern rock à la The Strokes, Inhaler, and Sam Fender with the blues music he grew up playing, emerging Canadian artist Gavin McLeod is one to watch. With an EP and several infectious live performances under his belt, Gavin has found his musical footing with ‘The Constant Astonishment,’ his debut album released last month and written over four years, including several pandemic-era writing stints with his bandmates. Songs like “Marigold” (which almost didn’t make the final tracklist!) and lead single “Things We Used To Do” shine with their folk-leaning, intimate-sounding production, but are perhaps most memorable for being pure, timeless head bobbers that will find a home on any playlist.

In this edition of Love at First Listen, scroll through Gavin’s thoughts on maintaining a healthy balance with social media, finding support in the music industry, and the behind-the-scenes scoop on auditioning for America’s Got Talent.

You released your debut album, ‘The Constant Astonishment,’ on Valentine’s Day. Let’s start there: when and how did you come to fall in love with music and songwriting? Who were some of the first artists that you loved at first listen?

I was around seven or eight when my dad put me on a drum kit. He always played drums growing up, so it was a natural thing. There was also just a lot of music in the house. My grandfather introduced me to Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, and all that early ‘70s stuff on vinyl and then some ‘90s alternative grunge, and that is still the basis of what I listen to. I started playing guitar, singing, and met my guitar player when we were 11. We loved playing blues music early on, and then shifted to playing at bars covering Jimmy Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. We’ve had some lineup changes throughout the years but the two of us have been playing in a band since then, so it’s just been non-stop.

What inspired the album name, aside from your career being a fast-growing success and probably a constant astonishment in and of itself?

The title track came from looking outward and seeing how people are so addicted to their phones nowadays and constantly needing stimulation or anything to keep them occupied and me kind of feeling disenfranchised with all that stuff. I liked the name; it fit in with a bunch of themes that I was writing about at the time, and it rolled off the tongue, so it just became the record name.

As an artist today, that’s an interesting position to find yourself in with so much growth happening on TikTok and YouTube, and then having this feeling of it all being a little too much.

Yeah, it’s scary. I feel like most artists go through this, but you could be really hot on it one day and be like, this is great. The next day, you might feel real down on it. You have to find a way to work with it and be creative. It’s not easy, but back in the day there was nothing like this to be able to self-publish or do anything yourself. So, there’s probably more positives than negatives, but it can be a lot when most of your day is working off of screens. It becomes much less about the music.

Your album release was supported by FACTOR Canada. As an emerging Canadian artist, what does it mean to you to have their financial backing, and what advice would you give to future cohorts of breakthrough Canadian talent?

For people doing this moving forward, there’s a lot of support out there, but it doesn’t mean much unless you’ve got your foundation and your plan and you know what you want to do. That said, the support being there really does help. The fact that you can get this kind of support from FACTOR, and that the government supports that, is crucial because it’s obviously a very hard industry to breakthrough in. I don’t think there would have been a chance that we would have been able to record the way that we did if we didn’t have them. We were able to go in and do a live off the floor thing at this beautiful studio for a couple weeks, and it was all because of FACTOR. So, definitely a lot of love there.

Although your America’s Got Talent audition didn’t air, what experience and exposure did that time bring you?

It was a couple years in the making where they had reached out on Instagram and asked if I wanted to do the show. What you see on TV — the audition in front of 2,000 people — they’ve curated those people to get to that point, even though they make it seem like that’s the first audition. I was able to go and perform in front of the judges and a big audience down in Pasadena, and I met some cool people from Brazil, Poland, and all over the world. The scale of the show is crazy, so I’m glad I got the experience and the opportunity. I’ve never felt that weird and nervous for anything I’ve done.

You’ve played some of Toronto’s favourite venues, including Horseshoe Tavern, Rivoli, Drake Underground, and Velvet Underground. Do you have any other venues on your wish list?

I’ve always [said] if there’s any way we could play at Massey Hall, that would be insane. That would be number one bucket list. But I don’t know if that’s going to happen.

We need to have positive energy here. You’ve played TD Music Hall, which is in the building.

Yeah, that’s in the building. We’re almost there. [We] got to go in the elevators and stuff. I was like, this is close enough. (Editor’s note: For now!)

Singer Gavin McLeod photographed performing live on stage in Toronto. (Photo courtesy of Gavin McLeod)
Singer Gavin McLeod photographed on stage in Toronto. (Photo courtesy of Gavin McLeod)

Spill the tea: which of these venues has the best green room?

The El Mocambo green room is amazing since the renovation. They’ve done some something really nice there, although I also like a crusty, sh!tty looking green room as well. But yeah, it feels like a five-star hotel. It’s very nice.

Speaking of Velvet Underground, that’s where we were introduced — when you opened for Winnetka Bowling League earlier this month. For those who aren’t familiar with the behind-the-scenes intricacies, where are you and what are you doing when you get that invite?

We were meeting with one of our guys from Dine Alone [Records] and he had an email come through. He was like, “Do you guys want this gig?” There’s a song that they came out with a couple months ago called “This Is Life,” and my guitar player Patrick and I [have] played that song a million times. It’s with Medium Build and Dawes, and we love those guys. Sometimes you open for someone, you don’t really know their music, and you get to know it. But we were big fans of their stuff beforehand, so it was quite cool.

Now that ‘The Constant Astonishment’ is out, I’m sure you’re still riding that high and living in the moment, but can you tease where you’re hoping to take this music next?

Everything we’re writing and recording right now is very UK indie rock inspired. We’re hoping to start putting new stuff out in the next couple months — some singles, maybe leading up to an EP. We don’t really have a concrete plan yet, but there’s a lot of new stuff in the tank, and we want to get it out there. We’ve got some festivals and shows in the summer and a couple other slots coming up. Everything will be shared on Instagram.

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