Apologue Podcast

In the ever-evolving landscape of rock music, where authenticity often takes a backseat to fleeting trends, Elephants and Stars emerge as a beacon of genuine artistry. Hailing from Canada's Golden Horseshoe region, with roots deeply embedded in both Hamilton and Toronto, this quartet crafts music not out of obligation, but from an intrinsic need to express, connect, and resonate.​ The Genesis of Elephants and Stars At the heart of Elephants and Stars lies the enduring partnership between singer-guitarist Manfred Sittmann and bassist Mike MacMillan. Their musical journey began in the early 2000s with the formation of Soap Opera, a band that quickly garnered attention and secured a deal with Bullseye Records, leading to the release of two albums: Poised and Welcome to the Tangiers. Not content to rest on their laurels, the duo ventured into new sonic territories with The First Time. Their 2004 debut, It's On, produced by the esteemed Warne Livesey (known for his work with Midnight Oil and Matthew Good), was a faster, heavier evolution of their previous pop-punk sound. The album's acclaim was underscored when it clinched the Best Punk Record at the 2005 Toronto Independent Music Awards, with singles like "Goodbye Harlowe" and "New Day Dawning" receiving widespread radio play and television licensing.​

A Sound That Resonates Elephants and Stars are not just another band in the crowded rock scene. Their music is a testament to maturity, experience, and a profound understanding of the genre's roots. Eschewing the typical grind of endless touring for minimal returns, they focus on delivering performances that matter—sharing stages with luminaries like Television's Richard Lloyd, Against Me!'s Laura Jane Grace, and indie legends Lowest of the Low. Such collaborations not only elevate their profile but also place them in front of audiences that appreciate depth, nuance, and authenticity in music.

'Under The Earth And Above Heaven' February 2025 marked a significant milestone for Elephants and Stars with the release of their album, Under The Earth And Above Heaven. Produced by the legendary Ian Blurton, the album is a masterclass in blending high-energy rock with heartfelt lyricism and anthemic melodies. The lead singles, "The Ceiling" and "Strangers on a Train," have already captivated listeners, showcasing the band's knack for big hooks and guitar-driven energy. Blurton's production amplifies the band's dynamic range, resulting in what many critics hail as their most powerful release to date.​

The album's title carries a unique backstory. After sharing a stage with Richard Lloyd of Television, Sittmann was inspired by Lloyd's autobiography. "We got the title from the Richard Lloyd (Television) autobiography after we played a show with him last year," Sittmann recalls. "When I told him we were thinking of using the title, he thought it was a great name—and that was pretty much that." ​

Critical Acclaim and Audience Reception The release of Under The Earth And Above Heaven has been met with widespread acclaim. Cashbox Canada highlighted the album's fusion of high-energy rock and heartfelt lyricism, noting that it marks an exciting evolution for the band. Similarly, Dropout Entertainment praised the album as a bold new chapter, emphasizing its anthemic melodies and raw, heartfelt lyricism. ​

A Commitment to Authenticity What sets Elephants and Stars apart is their unwavering commitment to authenticity. They eschew the trappings of the modern music industry, choosing instead to focus on crafting songs that resonate on a deeper level. Their approach is evident in their recording process, opting for old-school studios and seasoned producers like Ian Blurton to capture the raw essence of their sound. This dedication ensures that each track is not just heard but felt, leaving an indelible mark on the listener

Looking Ahead With Under The Earth And Above Heaven now available on all major streaming platforms, Elephants and Stars invite listeners to embark on a sonic journey that traverses the highs and lows of the human experience. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to their music, this album promises to be the soundtrack to your next adventure.​

In a world where music often feels disposable, Elephants and Stars stand as a testament to the enduring power of genuine, heartfelt rock 'n' roll. Their journey, marked by evolution, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to their craft, serves as an inspiration to both fans and fellow musicians alike.

Derek Downham is an award-winning songwriter/producer. A formidable multi-instrumentalist, Derek has recorded and played live/toured with many of Canada's finest bands and artists.

He has performed/recorded/written with (in no particular order): The Beauties, Gordon Downie, Don Felder (of The Eagles), Broken Social Scene, Andy Kim, James Burton, Albert Lee, July Talk, Alex Lifeson, Serena Ryder, Sarah Slean, Nels Cline, Redd Volkert, Cindy Cashdollar, Junior Brown, Kellie Loder, Jim Cuddy, Whitehorse, Sam Roberts, Lights, Paul Pigat, Amos Garrett, Brent Mason, Julian Taylor, Jeffery Straker, Freeman Dre, Hayden Neale, Sloan, Jason Collett, Kim Stockwood, Jully Black, Jeen O'Brien, Amy Millan, Colin Cripps, Ron Sexsmith, Justin Rutledge, Rik Emmett, Jeff Healey, Emm Gryner, Damhnait Doyle, Holy F*ck, Beans, Elliott Brood and many more.

Contact Derek:Website: https://www.derekdownham.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekdownham/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derekdownham

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Edmonton’s pop-punk powerhouse Real Sickies are set to release their fifth full-length album, Under a Plastic Bag, on March 14, 2025, via Stomp Records. The album’s first advance single, “Triage,” is out now, offering an electrifying glimpse into the band’s knack for blending raw punk energy with sharp, melodic hooks. Known for their relentless touring and infectious anthems, Real Sickies have cemented their status as a standout act in the global punk scene, with even Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day calling them his favorite Canadian punk band.

“Triage” embodies the chaos and resilience central to the band and their new album. Inspired by a harrowing car accident Ben Disaster and his family survived after returning from a European tour, the track reflects a surreal mix of panic and perseverance. After their car flipped on black ice, Ben and his wife emerged unharmed, finding their dogs casually on the highway. “As much as we wanted to go home, we went ice fishing as the shock wore off,” Ben recalls. This experience fueled the song, which took shape under producer Joshua Wells. “Josh really helped bring it to life. It wasn’t complete until we let it out in the studio—it’s chaos, but real. It asks, ‘What do you fix first?’” The accompanying video, directed by Jesse Nash, adds frenetic creativity with miniature models handcrafted by Ben, including a matchstick airplane and a glitter-covered Titanic. “It was so much fun,” Ben says. “Alvin and Snobs—our two stars—were tough but nailed it. The process also made me reflect on the album’s environmental themes. We documented it all to avoid repeating it. The video is a deep dive into the psyche, asking again, ‘What do you fix first?’”

This new album also marks a shift in the band’s sonic landscape, embracing new wave, power pop, and indie influences. The band recorded with renowned producer Josh Wells (Autogramm, Black Mountain), who is known for using classic gear and recording equipment to capture the true essence of these genres. Wells’ stamp is all over the album, shaping its sound with his meticulous approach to creating authentic new wave textures and power pop hooks. Discussing the first single, Wells said, “This song reminds me, at first, of being on adderall. Random thoughts, itchy eyes, the urge to rock really fast. But then, the song settles into a sick, focused motorik jam. Here we get some alien percussion floating down from another universe to join in and rocket ahead. For a moment, the human jam fuses with the aliens, but then the relationship deteriorates, the humans get mad and break out, the whole thing ending with a total meltdown.”

D I S C O V E RBandcamp: https://realsickies.bandcamp.com/Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/realsickies/Youtube:https://youtube.com/stomprecordscanadaLabel: https://stomprecords.com/bands/real-sickies/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/@therealsickies/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/69zOtixHikb7pSLZGKYYRN?si=GZODBBr-TIaaF7n5d33HFA

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Checkout my YouTube Channel with long form interviews from the Subversives | the History of Lowest of the Low. A weekly release on Tuesdays .https://www.youtube.com/@simonhead666

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This is Gerry Plant!!

"Stephen Stohn is one of the architects of the current Canadian star system. He is also its most committed champion, so proud of the creative class we have here in Canada, and yet so humble about his own contribution to our vibrant creative community. From k.d. lang to Drake, from 'Black Velvet' to Degrassi, he's telling the stories  —  as a mentor, as a visionary, and, above all, as a dedicated fan who recognises the value of Canadian talent and who has built a career out of making sure that that talent is recognised around the world."

 —  Elaine Lui, founder, LaineyGossip.com

By Nick KrewenSpecial to the Star

He’s the chancellor of Trent University, an Order of Canada member, a former top entertainment attorney to the stars and has served as executive producer for most of the run of the “Degrassi” TV franchise.

And at 76, Stephen Stohn just added a new accomplishment to his impressive résumé: recording artist.

As GTA Rhythm Section, Stohn, who acted as producer, arranger and conductor, and several musicians — including Matthew Jardine, singing son of charter Beach Boys member Al Jardine — will release a six-song EP called “The Orange Sessions” next month that includes “Opus 42 — Ode to Summer,” a nine-minute track that came to Stohn in fragments while he slept (and was released Dec. 1).

Website: https://stephenstohn.ca/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1D3D14r6869nlKp917qXdJ?si=adtj7xU7Q_-kiMqUsKpBIQ

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Lazy Days is a high energy pop-rock trio consisting of Emma Plant, Craig McDorman and Del Cowsill. Working together since the winter of 2023, they have quickly garnered the eyes and ears of musicians and fans alike. With catchy hooks, Barbie-esque harmonies and a whole bunch of attitude, they deliver a uniquely familiar approach to the genre which is on full display in their fun and carefree shows.

LAZY DAYS SOCIALS:THREADSINSTAGRAMSPOTIFY

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Chicago psych-rock band Spun Out have just released their second LP Dream Noise, out October 25th via Shuga Records, and shared the lead single/video “Paranoia.” Consisting of former NE-HI members Michael Wells (guitar, vocals) and James Weir (keys), plus the addition of Sean Page (synths), Joshua Wells (drums, recording, mixing), and Chris Sutter (bass), Spun Out create melancholic psych-pop bliss full of lush mesmerizing grooves, with a keen ear for studio experimentation. Lead single “Paranoia” furthers that. Inspired by a time when Wells was taken out by a rip tide in the Pacific, the song is about the feeling of trying to remain calm physically despite not being able to control what’s around you.

“Lyrically, I was trying to convey how dreams overlap into real life and vice versa,” explains Wells.  “I got taken out by a rip tide in the Pacific a few years back and that feeling of trying to remain calm physically while not being in control of your surroundings definitely informed the psychology of the tune, as well as the twists and turns of the production style.” The video was directed by Tim Nagle, and shows Wells watching grainy VHS footage that gets increasingly unsettling, creating an atmosphere that lives up to the track’s title.

Dream Noise is an intentionally more honed and curated collection of songs than Spun Out’s debut, Touch the Sound (2020, Shuga). It takes the band’s collaborative spirit and sense of maximalist experimentation established in their debut and vacuum seals these ideas into tightly arranged, hooky pop gems. Sonically, the production style of the record remains refreshing, surprising and unto themselves compared to other indie music contemporaries. Lyrically, Spun Out finds new depth of emotion in directness, spruced up by memorable double entendres and turns of phrase. The hooks are smart and poetic, but never boring. Dream Noise emphasizes the performance and character of the band as live performers more than the exploratory studio templates of the debut, bringing a new element of warmth and naturalness to their sound.

SPUN OUT ONLINE

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Vancouver, BC — Chronic Fatigue, Vancouver’s emerging powerhouse in the punk scene, announces the self-release of their second EP, Surrender To Serenity, dropping on November 15th, 2024. Known for their high-octane performances and raw punk ethos, Chronic Fatigue takes a bold sonic leap with this self-produced release, blending their punk roots with influences from post-punk, metal, and experimental hip-hop to create a uniquely immersive sound.

This EP was completely self-produced and sees the band expanding from its straight-forward punk rock origins, expanding their sound to include the sounds of post punk, metal, and most importantly, hip hop. The process of writing and recording these four songs was much more collaborative than in the past, and leaning into vocalist Sam Patterson’s affinity for and love of experimental hip hop - most notable JPEGMAFIA, Danny Brown and Death Grips - gives the EP an energetic, vibrant sound that feels fresh while still maintaining adhering to the band’s central sonic identity. 

For the four members of Chronic Fatigue - Patterson, guitarist Sean Wilson, bassist Dylan Bondy and drummer Quinn Letendre - the live experience is everything. The band has quickly made a name for themselves, built an ever-growing fanbase and garnered a strong reputation in their local Vancouver music scene as one of the city’s most exciting new live acts thanks to their explosive, high energy, and interactive live shows. With Surrender To Serenity, the band strove to capture the intensity, energy, and pure fun of their live shows, while simultaneously pushing their songwriting chops forward. The result is a blistering four tracks filled with hard hitting punk grooves, intricate and confident vocal delivery of lyrics that range from optimistic to introspective to straight up silly, and a sharp blend of hip hop and punk that packs a punch and demands to be witnessed in person. 

For these new tracks, the band also looked outside their musical influences, citing skate culture as a major influence on their songwriting. 

“None of us are big time skaters, but our videographer and photographer Liam Tait grew up and started getting into photography and videography in that space. He’s had a huge influence on us. He showed me a ton of old skate videos, and I fell in love with the music and the vibes right away. There’s a very distinct parallel between punk rock and skating. Obviously pop punk, hardcore and punk have been intertwined with skate videos and games for a long time, but it goes beyond that. Both are tight-knit communities of often rejected outcasts, who are usually misunderstood and pushed aside as a nuisance, when all we wanna do is hang out together, have fun and make a bit of noise!” 

Photo Credit: Mungo Dulmage

   D I S C O V E R

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChronicFatigueBandTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chronic.fatigue.bandInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/chronic.fatigue.band/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/6L5nh6JnemjTKRxLDbYNTg?si=MkbWzqSYT7qkaR-N2b2ZVQ

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Photo credit: Liam Tait

Recorded in May and July 2024 at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver, "Graystone" was produced by Brian Minato and the band, with mixing by Dave Ogilivie and mastering by Ronan Chris Murphy at Veneto West. Since their formation in 2012, SLIPons have established themselves as a powerful, guitar-driven band from Vancouver, BC, blending influences from the Exile on Main St. era of the Stones and the Afghan Whigs. With a history marked by acclaim, their last album, "Heavy Machinery," garnered significant attention, spending seven weeks on College Radio across North America and receiving support from impressive broadcasters like KXLU (Los Angeles, CA), WFMU (Jersey City, NJ), WUTK (Knoxville, TN), and WXAV (Chicago, IL), along with coverage from numerous outlets including Global News, True Skateboarding, and Exclaim. As anticipation builds for "Graystone," SLIPons continue to solidify their place in the power-pop and alt-rock landscape. The band plans to complete more recordings and videos in the months ahead and announce North American tour dates for 2024 and 2025.

D I S C O V E R

TikTok: tiktok/@sliponsvancouverTwitter: https://twitter.com/sliponsbandBandcamp: https://slip-ons.bandcamp.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/slip.ons.band/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sliponsvancouver/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0GB7L9xhFn0Lb5Jh8BVk5A?si=LaP_sSuaTc625B9E7cN1SA

This episode is brought to you byGo to BETTERHELP.com/apologue for confidential online counselling.use the code word Apologue for a 7 day free trial

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