We Speak Indie Artist

Mar Lamar Delivers Phenomenal Debut Single “Someone to Blame”

Published

1 year ago

July 28, 2025

Music4U

Mar Lamar’s first solo single “Someone to Blame” is what happens when emotional growth meets a killer hook. It’s introspective but not heavy, honest but never self-pitying. Instead, it lands in that sweet spot where vulnerability gets dressed up in clever lyrics and a melody that practically skips. This is Mar Lamar’s reintroduction after years with Highland Kites, and she’s arrived with a fresh voice and nothing to prove.

The track opens like it’s letting you in on a secret. Soft keys, layered textures, and a vocal delivery that feels warm and conversational pull you in right away. Then the songwriting takes center stage. “I close every chapter with ‘it is what it is,’” she sings, quietly poking at her own coping mechanisms. The song deals with the emotional aftermath of being the “fixer” in a relationship, but rather than wallowing, Mar flips the script. There’s a dry wit woven through every verse that gives the track a self-aware glow. It’s not bitter, just brutally clear.

Behind the breezy feel of the song is a story of persistence. After taking time off to become a mother, Mar dove back into music with long daily drives to the studio and a determination to reclaim her creative spark. That energy is baked into “Someone to Blame.” It’s a small anthem for anyone who’s ever been exhausted by their own empathy and decided to put themselves first for once. It’s catchy, it’s clever, and it leaves you curious to hear what comes next from this new chapter. Mar Lamar might be done explaining herself, but she’s just getting started sharing what she’s learned.

We Speak Indie Artist

Plain Mister Smith Pieces Together a World of Sound on Bric-À-Brac Attack

Published

2 weeks ago

August 18, 2026

Joni Jones

Plain Mister Smith returns with Bric-À-Brac Attack, a beautifully offbeat collection of indie-folk, pop and atmospheric songwriting. Released via Amelia Records, the album finds the Vancouver and London-based multi-hyphenate turning fragments of memory, relationships and everyday absurdity into something quietly cinematic.

At its centre is “Grindavik”, a shimmering, reflective track inspired by the Icelandic town shaped by recent volcanic activity. Bright acoustic guitars and steady drums carry a constantly shifting chord progression, mirroring the song’s central metaphor of a relationship under pressure and the hope that its fissures can eventually heal. Featuring Jordan Klassen and Kitt, the track captures the emotional tension that runs throughout the album.

Elsewhere, Bric-À-Brac Attack moves effortlessly between playful guitar-driven moments, lush arrangements and more introspective passages. “Miss Sunshine” brings infectious energy, while collaborations with Findlay Brown, Leeroy Stagger, Krystle Dos Santos and Tyson Mostenbocher add colour to an already eclectic record.

Former guitarist of Canadian darkwave band Moev and a cellist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Plain Mister Smith brings an unusually broad musical perspective to his songwriting. Yet Bric-a-Brac attack never feels overly calculated. Instead, it has the charm of something discovered rather than constructed.

Warm, strange, melodic and emotionally searching, Bric-À-Brac Attack is a record that rewards getting lost in its details. Plain Mister Smith may remain deliberately mysterious, but the music itself speaks with remarkable clarity.