On the first Clever Hopes album, singer-songwriter Andrew Shaver walked listeners through a tumultuous break-up and how he navigated that period of his life. Shaver’s sophomore release, New Kind of Familiar, sees the Dartmouth-based folk rocker delving further into his own life and how far he’s come since 2022’s Artefact. He has a wife, a […]
Brendyn Creamer
Brendyn is a reporter for The Coast covering news, arts and entertainment throughout Halifax.
Posted inNews + Opinion
North End Bikeway Corridor may not be enough for experienced cyclists
Steve MacKay has been cycling in the city for the last 15 years. As construction on the North End Bikeway Corridor continues—the city’s project to create a safe route for cyclists from the north end to downtown—MacKay has chosen to remain on his route through Agricola Street. “There’s not enough there to bring me […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
HRM’s anti-slumlord bylaw—what is it and how does it work?
HRM’s executive committee voted in favour of a staff report detailing a communications strategy to let people in the city—especially young people—know about bylaw M-200 and other housing related guidelines. Well, what is bylaw M-200? It is, essentially, anti-slumlord legislation. Also known as Respecting Standards for Residential Occupancies, the bylaw sets minimum standards for […]
Posted inArts + Music
Joel Plaskett stripping back his sound on his upcoming album, ‘One Real Reveal’
Halifax’s own Joel Plaskett is remaining tight-lipped about his newly announced album One Real Reveal, dropping on Sept. 13. However, what we do know so far is that it will be Plaskett’s most open, vulnerable, and stripped-back album to date. To top it off, it’s all been recorded on a four-track cassette machine using […]
Posted inArts + Music
Ian Janes blends genres with a soul-pop focus on new album ‘WeakNights’
After a music career spanning over two decades, Ian Janes is still finding new ways to craft a sound of his own. The next step in this evolution is Janes’ seventh studio album, WeakNights, where he blends his love of soul-pop with a vivid array of instrumentation—’80s style synths, Motown basslines, and even a […]
Posted inArts + Music
Singer-songwriter Laura Rae touches on isolation, stagnation in new single, “Lightspeed”
Laura Rae had a lot to balance during the pandemic lockdowns. Her father’s emphysema left her without a bubble outside of her household. Most of her family remained miles away in Ontario. Since then, the bilingual singer-songwriter has etched her feelings on a newly released track that’s both emotionally complex and subtly technical. Titled “Lightspeed”, […]
Posted inArts + Music
Mat Elliott delivers soothing soundscapes and sincere heartbreak in ‘South Endings’ EP
Lush psychedelic soundscapes. Funky melodies. Lyrics describing heartbreak and healing. Mat Elliott’s newest EP has it all. The Truro native has found inspiration across the musical spectrum for his debut record, from Tom Mirsch to Still Woozy. And yet, South Endings is truly all his own as the singer-songwriter reminiscences of a past relationship […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
Halifax Harbour Grudges rollin’ out for their first internationally ranked home bout
The Halifax Harbour Grudges roller derby team will be taking the track by storm this weekend in a ranked match—the first on their home turf. The Grudges, associated with the Anchor City Rollers in Halifax, are an A-level roller derby team competing internationally against 139 teams in the North American Northeast division of the […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
This Haligonian is asking the city to right its historic wrongs
Treno Morton grew up in Uniacke Square. He has witnessed the gentrification and displacement in Halifax’s North End communities. He has heard stories from his elders about the destruction of Africville by the city. Now, he’s asking the city to divest a section of the Cogswell district so African Nova Scotian roots can be […]
Posted inArts + Music
Mexican novelist sets romance in Halifax—with major connections to the city’s history
Looking for a time-travelling romance set in Halifax during the ‘90s? Mexico-based author Rocío Castillo has you covered. Castillo’s latest book, Forward Rewind, follows a woman named Elaine Connors in the year 2021. After renting an office in Halifax, she discovers a secret door allowing her to travel to the past—1991, to be specific—where she […]
Posted inArts + Music
Tourist uses video game relic to capture Halifax in pixelated perfection
A Winnipeg-based artist has captured Halifax in a whole new light—all thanks to a toy from 1998. David Bosc, also known as pegcitypixels on Instagram, recently uploaded several photos onto social media of his most recent trip to Halifax, including shots of the nearby Peggy’s Cove lighthouse, the Halifax Citadel, and even a view of […]
