10 Best Canadian Songs of the Month: October 2020

At this point, it’s industry folklore that some of the most iconic albums of our time were created in isolation. Justin Vernon wrote and recorded Bon Iver’s debut album For Emma, Forever Ago at his father’s remote hunting cabin in Wisconsin while battling mono, a liver infection, and depression. J Dilla created and recorded the beats for Donuts between dialysis and treatment for lupus and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura a.k.a. TTP, the rare blood disorder that contributed to his untimely death. In fact, 29 out of the record’s 31 tracks were recorded while he was in the hospital. 

With that said, while collaboration is a key element to creation, isolation can be a catalyst for creativity and originality. Seven months into quarantine, much of the music that is being released now was created during lockdown and is the result of isolation. Here are some of this month’s highlights from Canadian artists.