KEN YATES SHARES HEARTRENDING NEW SINGLE “PERENNIALS”

THE NEW SONG FOLLOWS RECENT SINGLES “CATACLYSMIC END” AND “MY LOVE FOR YOU IS A STRAIGHT LINE”

FEBRUARY AND MARCH TOUR DATES WITH KATHLEEN EDWARDS CONTINUE THIS WEEK

WATCH / SHARE “PERENNIALS” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “PERENNIALS” HERE

Photo Credit : Noah Altshuler // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

In January, Ken Yates shared two new singles, “Cataclysmic End” and “My Love For You Is A Straight Line”, his first new music since his highly acclaimed 2022 LP, Cerulean. Today, he shares “Perennials”, “a song for [his] late mother who passed in 2021,” says Yates. “I wanted so desperately to write this song for my last album Cerulean, but for some reason it was just never right. I think I had to live the past three years in order to finally write it. Some songs force you to live a bit more life before you can write them.”

A standout, stripped-back track, "Perennials" is a rare kind of song: so honest and specific, you can't help but hear your own stories of grief within it. Yates writes movingly of his mother, speaking directly to her at times, as he reflects on her legacy and the ways he is learning to live life without her by his side, but with a presence still keenly felt. As Yates writes in the song, "When you become a memory you can never lose a fight / Empty out your closet but keep all the clothes you like / Salt still in the wound / Still I always think of you / Every time the perennials bloom."

WATCH / SHARE “PERENNIALS” LYRIC VIDEO HERE
BUY / STREAM “PERENNIALS” HERE

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MORE ABOUT KEN YATES
Over the last decade, Ken Yates has solidified himself as a prolific musician, combining heartfelt lyricism, genuine authenticity and hypnotic guitar licks. After studying at the Berklee College of Music, Yates released The Backseat EP in 2011, followed by his full-length debut Twenty-Three in 2013. He won the Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award in 2014 for his song "The One That Got Away" and released his second album, Huntsville, in 2016, produced by Jim Bryson. By 2017, Yates was making waves in folk with his poignant songwriting, winning the awards for Canadian Folk Music Award for both Songwriter of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

In 2022 Yates released his most realized set of songs yet with his acclaimed fourth full length album Cerulean. Channeling pain into beauty, the Jim Bryson produced album is a breathtaking triumph of the human spirit. The cool-hued Cerulean captured the artist’s intimate reckoning as he grieved his dying mother, giving listeners a vivid window into the rollercoaster of intense thoughts and emotions that accompany such a personal, yet universal experience resulting in a transcendent record that surges with tightly held energy and intimate moments. 

LISTEN / SHARE “CATACLYSMIC END” HERE
LISTEN / SHARE “MY LOVE FOR YOU IS A STRAIGHT LINE” HERE

TOUR DATES WITH KATHLEEN EDWARDS
Feb 27 - Austin, TX - 04 Center
Mar 1 - San Antonio, TX - Tobin Center

PRAISE FOR CERULEAN

"It’s another lyrical vessel of yearning and emotional reckoning matched up with strummed acoustic guitar, further setting the scene for what Cerulean has in store." - FLOOD

"Cerulean is more astral than backroads, a soundscape that gives Yates room to ruminate, approaching the concert hall atmospherics of The War on Drugs, Andy Shauf, and Big Thief." - The Creek 100.9

“Yates has now asserted himself as one of Canada’s most unique folk artists with a true knack for effective songwriting.” - Canadian Beats

"An enchanting song of acceptance and resolve, Ken Yates’ “The Big One” is a soothing and stirring apocalyptic lullaby that finds refuge in the face of life’s fragility." - Atwood Magazine

"Ken has earned a strong reputation as a bona-fide composer who combines his emotionally charged storytelling with some incredible and unforgettable melodies.” - Great Dark Wonder

KEN YATES ONLINE
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BRADEN LAM SHARES “HURRICANE SEASON” FROM UPCOMING LP

BRADEN LAM’S DEBUT LP, THE CLOUDMAKER’S CRY, OUT APRIL 11, 2025

WATCH / SHARE “HURRICANE SEASON” HERE
BUY / STREAM “HURRICANE SEASON” HERE

PRE-SAVE / ORDER THE CLOUDMAKER’S CRY HERE

“Welcoming Vancouver-based singer Michaela Slinger onto the track for an old-fashioned duet, the two sing about heartbreak and reconciliation while pushing through the toughest of times and coming out strong on the other end.The two soft-spoken vocalists prove to be a great match for each other, blending their tones together as they tentatively venture requests to start taking the slow steps to fully opening back up emotionally.” RANGE on “Wide Open”

“Wide Open" has a classic country feel reinforced by haunting pedal steel and the harmony singing of Vancouver’s Michaela Slinger, who co-wrote the tune with Lam in Nashville. Lyrically it digs deep, probing a challenging time in a relationship and the warm and poignant vocals of Lam deliver the message skillfully.” Billboard on “Wide Open”

"Braden Lam's inviting voice rings out over gentle guitar and vibraphone on ‘Beautiful Neighbourhoods’, a timeless single that vibrates with warmth and longing." - CBC MUSIC

"Crafts an expansive but intimate sonic world for us to lose ourselves in" - Earmilk

"Calling to mind the happiest takes by Ben Howard or Tim Baker" - The Coast Halifax

Ferociously bowed fiddle lurks underneath anxious climate fears in the urgent, driving “Hurricane Season”, the fourth and final single from Braden Lam's debut LP The Cloudmaker's Cry, due April 11, 2025. The new track follows album singles “Beautiful Neighbourhoods”, which climbed to #7 on the CBC Music Top 20, “Highway Jesus”, and “Wide Open”, a duet with Vancouver’s Michaela Slinger. The celebrated Nova Scotia songwriter has also been recently named as one of 8 semi-finalists in SiriusXM’s 2025 ‘Top of the Country’.

Showcasing new depths to his roots-Americana sound and a knack for expressing observations universally, Lam takes his lived experience through a natural disaster and closely examines the human nature of desire and envy in “Hurricane Season”.

“This song was born during Hurricane Fiona, an intense post-tropical cyclone that hit the East coast of Canada in September of 2022. I was on tour in Europe and following closely with the news and social media buzz back home. First the toilet paper and chip aisles get cleared out at the grocery stores, then school and work gets cancelled, then the power goes out and everyone’s collective anxieties feed into each other online until the last phones die and the internet quietly waits for the storm to pass.”

“I’ve experienced my share of hurricane seasons in the past decade of living in Halifax, they’re no joke, and being away from my loved ones during this one gave me a new perspective to explore comparisons between the hurricane and the internal struggles we all face. The song begins by recognizing how connected we all are to each other, to the universe, to nature and all of its mood swings. No one at birth is marked safe from dealing with their mental health, or addiction, or a search for meaning, and at the same time no one is ever alone through these storms of life.”

In another collaboration with director Griffin O’Toole, the pair continue to build on a world of nostalgia and surrealism viewers have come to expect from previous music videos such as “Wide Open” that features a larger-than-life cowboy hat riding on a pickup truck. Not an easy act to follow, yet “Hurricane Season” plays perfectly into this primary vision, bringing us from Atlantic Canada to the most unlikely of places - the middle of the Arizona desert.

 “I’m running from a hurricane that has destroyed my home in the beginning, but no matter where I go, destruction still follows in my path. I slowly realize that this is my own doing, the storm I am trying to outrun is inside of me, and in order to heal and find what I’m longing for, I have to go back and face it.”

“If we took better care of ourselves and our environment, maybe the world would be less angry at us all the time”

WATCH / SHARE “HURRICANE SEASON” HERE
BUY / STREAM “HURRICANE SEASON” HERE

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MORE ABOUT THE CLOUDMAKER’S CRY
The Cloudmaker’s Cry is Lam’s debut full-length album, and he means album in the classic sense: 10 considered and thoughtful folk songs, meticulously arranged and painstakingly sequenced, meant to be played on a turntable in a single sitting, whiskey optional. Though barely 27, he has lived the life of a much older man—with years of touring, entrepreneurship, and marriage already accounted for—and this collection of songs reflects lessons learned earlier than most, about time and love and the world.

WATCH / SHARE “BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOURHOODS” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBOURHOODS” HERE

WATCH / SHARE “WIDE OPEN” FT. MICHAELA SLINGER HERE
BUY / STREAM “WIDE OPEN” FT. MICHAELA SLINGER HERE

It was produced in Toronto by Eli Browning, a new approach for Lam, who made his previous three EPs with a host of producers across Atlantic Canada. The pair’s touchstones as they worked through a city springtime in a converted church studio were George Harrison, Neil Young, and other sounds from the 1960s and 70s: music that is lyric-forward and performed with folk instrumentation in analogue tones, resulting in a timeless singer-songwriter record.

This vibe carries through the entire package, from the tintype photographs of Lam to the images wrought in 35mm in the liner notes, to his charming video collaborations with Griffin O’Toole that combine nostalgia, surrealism, and camp into a distinct style of film. Each particular piece fits perfectly into the primary vision, creating something grand in its authenticity and comforting in its warmth.

Braden Lam is also preparing to hit the road in the US ahead of the album’s release. All dates are listed below and can be found HERE.

WATCH / SHARE “HIGHWAY JESUS” (MUSIC VIDEO) HERE
BUY / STREAM “HIGHWAY JESUS” HERE

Photo Credit : Paul Atwood // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Album Art // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

THE CLOUDMAKER’S CRY TRACKLIST
01 The Hold
02 In The Narrows
03 Hurricane Season
04 Cowboy Boots ft. Lassie Fai
05 HighwayJesus
06 Beautiful Neighbourhoods
07 Wide Open ft. Michaela Slinger
08 Bigger Flame
09 Obsolete
10 Sore

BRADEN LAM PERFORMANCE DATES
February 28, Portland ME, Geno's Rock Club
March 02, Portsmouth NH, The Press Room
March 04, Cambridge MA, Cantab Underground
March 05, New York NY, Pianos Upstairs | New Colossus Festival
March 06, New York NY, Sour Mouse | New Colossus Festival

BRADEN LAM ONLINE
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PIERRE KWENDERS RELEASES NEW EP, SHARES VIDEO FOR “WE LIKE”

PIERRE KWENDERS’ TEARS ON THE DANCEFLOOR EP OUT TODAY ON MOONSHINE

WATCH / SHARE “WE LIKE” FT. POTÉ (MUSIC VIDEO)

BUY / STREAM TEARS ON THE DANCEFLOOR HERE

“Kinshasa-born, Canadian-based artist Pierre Kwenders has made a career of fusing Congolese rumba with R&B and a medley of pop and dance styles from both sides of the equator and prime meridian” The Fader

“The singer, whose beats call upon both Congolese sounds and electro-pop” The New Yorker

“It’s a fluid, immersive work, vast but cohesive, elusive of genre, border, or trend. And it makes a case for the potential for anyone — and possibly everyone — to embody a more open, enlightened way to live.” Rolling Stone

"In turbulent times like this, Kwenders reminds us that we mustn't succumb to the darkness. … an important act of joyful resistance” CBC Music on “We Like” (feat Poté)

“An infectious house groove.” — Brooklyn Vegan on “We Like” (feat. Poté)

Photo Credit : Saffron Da'van // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Pierre Kwenders, the Congolese-born, Montreal-based musician, songwriter, and DJ releases his new EP, Tears On The Dancefloor via Moonshine, and unveils the video for its lead single, “We Like”, featuring St. Lucia-born, Paris-based electronic artist Poté. Directed by Stephen Trivieri with cinematography by Bryan Beltránd, the “We Like” video captures a vivacious scene in Barrio Pablo Escobar in Medellín, Colombia. In keeping with the song’s rallying cry for unity, connection, and celebration, the video features dancers Anny Atehortúa, Kathe Villa P, Santiago Murillo Lopez dancing in the streets and restaurants throughout the neighborhood.

WATCH / SHARE “WE LIKE” FT. POTÉ (MUSIC VIDEO)

On Tears On The Dancefloor, Kwenders’ first new project since his widely praised Polaris Music Prize-winning album José Louis And The Paradox Of Love, Kwenders delivers a heartfelt ode to the club, intimately exploring themes of love, vulnerability, and self-discovery. The tracks across the EP are a reflection of the personal and collective experiences we all share as we navigate love, joy, fear, and growth, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the emotions that arise when we connect with others and with ourselves, creating a space where emotional depth and freedom collide. 

With mixing and mastering by Pascal Shefteshy (Moonshine, Kroy, Vanyfox, Sébastien Tellier), Tears On The Dancefloor features collaborations with heavyweights of the Afro-electronic music scene, including Gafacci, Poté, Vanyfox, NegoO, and Dogzout. “I’m honored to have collaborated with some of my favorite DJs and producers who have graced countless dance floors,” Kwenders says. “Additionally, the incredible vocals of Pierre Lapointe, Lady Donli, Mopao Mumu, and Pony bring life and depth to this project. Together, we embark on a journey through the dance floor, exploring our innermost selves and emotions until we ultimately reach a place of freedom.” 

LISTEN / SHARE “EVERYDAY" (FT. LADY DONLI, GAFACCI) HERE

Born José Louis Modabi in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kwenders borrows his stage name from his late grandfather, a widely respected businessman and community figure. Following his mother’s footsteps, Kwenders immigrated from Congo to Montreal in 2001. His debut album, Le Dernier Empereur Bantou, was released in 2014, followed by MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time in 2017. Both albums garnered acclaim and earned Kwenders nominations for the coveted Polaris Music Prize. In 2022, Kwenders returned with José Louis and the Paradox of Love, a culmination of the personal growth and musical dexterity he’d honed over the years, converging his strong songwriting capabilities with the bravado he possesses as a DJ. The album was met with widespread praise from the likes of The New York Times, New Yorker, NPR’s All Things Considered, Rolling Stone, The FADER, MOJO, The Guardian, Bandcamp, and beyond.

BUY / STREAM TEARS ON THE DANCEFLOOR HERE

TOUR DATES
Sat. Mar. 1 – Montreal, QC  @ MTELUS
Fri. Apr. 11 – Amsterdam, NL *
Sat. Apr. 12 – Brussels, BE @ Les Halles de Schaerbeek
Fri. Apr. 18 – London, UK *
Fri. Apr. 25 – Athens, GR *
Fri. May 2 – Lisbon, PT *
Sat. May 3 – Barcelona, ES *
Sun. June 8– Réunion, FR @ Sakifo Musik Festival
* secret location shows

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TEARS ON THE DANCEFLOOR TRACKLIST
01 Everyday ft. Donli, Gafacci
02 Clair de Lune ft. Pierre Lapointe, NegoO
03 It’s Pony! ft. Pony
04 Tears on the Dancefloor ft. Dogzout
05 Merci, Beaucoup!
06 Ambriance (Ndombolo) ft. NegoO
07 We Like ft. Poté
08 Endless Night ft. Mopao Mumu, Vanyfox

PIERRE KWENDERS ONLINE
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