Pique

Marker Starling (Chris A. Cummings, formerly Mantler) has been performing in Toronto and elsewhere since 1999. Along the way, he released nine albums on such labels as Tomlab (Germany), Blocks Recording Club (Canada), and 7e.p. (Japan), as well as having a longtime association with UK-based Tin Angel Records. A chance encounter just prior to Covid's first wave resulted in Yet You Go On, a recorded duet with singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dorothea Paas. The duet and other recordings (included on the recent album Diamond Violence) were followed by live performances in 2021-23 in which Paas became a full-time singer and guitarist in the Marker Starling band, which also includes longtime band members Jay Anderson (drums), Matt McLaren (bass) and Andrew Scott (guitar and keyboards) and brand new member Ed Squires (percussion).

Bandcamp

Fun with Forms.

For over a decade, Dorothea Paas has honed her unique, prismatic style of folk songcraft, and has lent her talents as a guitarist and vocalist to artists like Jennifer Castle, U.S. Girls, Fucked Up and Badge Epoque Ensemble. Her debut album, Anything Can’t Happen (2021), was nominated for Polaris and FACTOR songwriting prizes and described by Exclaim as “Joni Mitchell fronting Shellac at a coffee shop”. Paas is now working on a second album while continuing to engage wholeheartedly in Toronto’s independent music community.

For a long time, it was Mukazi and her guitar in their own little world… but after receiving such an enthusiastic welcome from the Ottawa music scene at local events, she’s never been as ready to finally let others in! Now, everyone is welcome to Mukazi’s universe, and if you enjoy acoustic, indie tunes centred around heartfelt story-telling, you might even want to stay a while.

After almost dying at birth in a violent incident, Jodie Jodie Roger (not Canadian) took that personally and brings you a metal, electronic, death grips but not really, misery core vibe. With a blend of dark bass and internalised homophobia, this solo act portrays a poetic retelling of unfortunate events.