How do you continue writing music when the world is on fire? That’s the subtle subject matter of Mat Hughes newest single, “Coleslaw Summer”, an upbeat, bluesy piano pop song full of existential dread, all based on a joke from last year’s searing summer. “It was an inside joke about coleslaw. I hate coleslaw,” says […]
Brendyn Creamer, Local Journalism Initiative
Brendyn is a reporter for The Coast covering news, arts and entertainment throughout Halifax.
Posted inArts + Music
Experience the politics of art at the Halifax Mayworks Festival
Halifax’s biggest labour and arts festival is back for another year. The Mayworks Festival is both a celebration and a protest. It’s many artistic works present a mosaic of diverse and complex working-class issues, inspired by the May Day for which the festival gets its name. “Art is inherently political,” says assistant festival director Jake […]
Posted inArts + Music
Mat Elliott talks burnout on debut LP ‘Video Games’, out April 29
Getting lost in distractions. Feeling the pressure to keep trudging on, even though you’ve been worked to the bone for too long. Doing anything you can to cope with the stress, the burnout. Award-winning art-pop artist Mat Elliott debuts his first full-length record, Video Games, on April 29. Like his debut EP South Endings from […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Providing support through unique fashion: The story behind Outsider Insight
Like many of us, Gavin Quinn is no stranger to mental health struggles. When he had faced those problems head-on, he recognized the importance of support, whether it be from friends, family, or organizations that specialize in mental health in all of its intricacies. Impassioned, Quinn began Outsider Insight, a mental health-focused art collective that […]
Posted inArts + Music
June Body gets heavy on cryptically titled ‘7678’ EP
June Body has a new EP on the way, and lead singer/guitarist Connor James says it’s some of the heaviest music the alt-rockers have put out so far. Off the back of their 2024 full-length album Last Everythings, James and his bandmates, bassist Alexander Callaghan and drummer Matthew Schofield, decided to take a different approach […]
Posted inArts + Music
Great music for a great cause: Food for the Ears Festival taking place June 12-13
Ethan Chitty started Food for the Ears in 2023 while he was in high school. It would be an evening concert, hosted in Truro, supporting his local food bank: the Colchester Food Network. In 2026, Food for the Ears has grown significantly. It’s now held in Halifax, with all-star artists from across the province coming […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
What you need to know about The Coast’s Halifax Burger Bash 2026 presented with Garrison Brewing
For 13 years, The Coast’s Burger Bash presented with Garrison Brewing has been raising money for Feed Nova Scotia through partnerships with great restaurants across the city, donating a portion of their proceeds from their beautiful burger creations to the non-profit. This year is only a little different, in that Burger Bash 2026 is bigger […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
An Instagram account implied a Mi’kmaw artist was at a protest he didn’t attend. The account is likely a Polymarket-affiliated AI poster
A social media outlet implied Mi’kmaw hip-hop artist Tevin Nicholas, who goes by the stage name T3KILLAH, was present at a protest in Potlotek First Nation where police vehicles were later vandalized. There’s just one problem: Nicholas was reportedly hundreds of kilometres away from the Potlotek protest, attending another outside Sipekne’katik First Nation, on Highway […]
Posted inArts + Music
This Italian game dev is not just inspired by Nova Scotia—it’s the setting of his next project
Edoardo Vitali, an Italian game designer, spent a year in Nova Scotia in the 2010s. Inspired by what he saw, Vitali is developing an atmospheric mystery video game called Benton Cove, set in a fictional town within the Annapolis Valley. Having lived in Dartmouth, Vitali had the chance to experience much of the province’s finest […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Where’s Houston? Premier criticized for legislature, budget bill vote absence
The Nova Scotia NDP are criticizing Premier Tim Houston for his continual absence from the legislature. Last month, the controversial provincial budget bill passed without Houston’s attendance. During that time, he was in Texas for an oil and gas conference. Now, with the legislature continuing its spring session, Houston has once again taken off to […]
Posted inNews
Where you can recycle your old electronics for Earth Day
With Earth Day coming up on April 22, the Electronics Recycling Association has partnered with the Discovery Centre in Halifax and the Alderney Landing Community Cultural Centre in Dartmouth to collect and recycle unwanted, unused, or gently used electronics. In press releases sent out on Monday, the organization announced it would be present at the […]
Posted inNews
Everything happening in Halifax over Easter Weekend
Easter Weekend is upon us. For some, it’s a time of religious significance. For others, it’s a nice break after the end-of-fiscal-year hijinks. Thankfully, Halifax isn’t short on events to participate in over the weekend. Egg hunts, block parties, community dinners and more are all planned to go ahead, and we’ll be listing all the […]