City Feature
April 11, 2026
There’s a certain unpredictability to Montreal right now — a sense that no single sound is leading the conversation. Instead, it’s a city moving in fragments: art-pop, underground R&B, psych rock, experimental rap — all evolving at once.
Here are five artists pushing that forward.
There’s a tension in Fernie’s music that never fully resolves — and that’s what keeps you in it. His version of alt-R&B leans into atmosphere over structure, building songs that feel suspended rather than driven. Minimal drums, blurred synths, and melodies that don’t quite land where you expect them to. It’s introspective without drifting, restrained without feeling empty — the kind of sound that reveals itself slowly, then stays with you.
For fans of Kelela’s breathier cuts and The Weeknd’s Dawn FM haze.
With N NAO, it’s harder to define the entry point — which is exactly the appeal. Her music moves through warped synth-pop and art-driven electronics, blending French and English in a way that feels instinctive rather than calculated. There’s a looseness to the songwriting, but underneath it is careful construction. Songs bend, stretch, and reassemble themselves mid-listen. It’s not immediate, but it’s intentional.
For fans of Arca’s warped edges and Charlotte Gainsbourg’s bilingual drift.
Population II operate in a completely different lane — one that feels almost disconnected from everything else happening around them. Their take on psychedelic rock is loud, unpolished, and built for the stage. Long, jam-heavy arrangements, blown-out guitars, and a refusal to compress their sound into something easily digestible. In a city known for experimentation, they still manage to feel like outliers.
For fans of Oh Sees’ live-wire chaos and Can’s motorik grind.
There’s a clarity to Magie’s music that stands out immediately. Her songwriting leans melodic, but the production carries just enough edge to keep it from slipping into predictability. It’s polished without feeling generic — pop that understands restraint. The kind of artist who can move between indie and mainstream spaces without losing identity.
For fans of Jessie Ware’s sleek hooks and Alison Goldfrapp’s cool restraint.
Backxwash pushes everything in the opposite direction — louder, heavier, and intentionally confrontational. Her music pulls from industrial, metal, and hip-hop, creating something that feels less like a genre and more like an emotional release. It’s chaotic at times, but never unfocused. There’s purpose behind the intensity, which is what makes it land.
For fans of Death Grips’ fury and Danny Brown’s unhinged pivots.
Montreal doesn’t really move in waves the way other cities do. It builds scenes within scenes — artists working in parallel rather than in sync.
That’s what makes it worth paying attention to.
Hear it in real time on Northern Dial — a live stream of Canadian music that doesn’t sit still. Listen now at northerndial.ca.
