Today is the first time we’re writing about Toronto five-piece Decoration Day and we’re finding that the warm, meditative indie-folk is exactly what we were craving. Their brand new single ‘Lanark County’ follows “a kind of surreal dream logic”, as told by guitarist and songwriter Justin Orak. As he continues, “The imagery comes out of this just-below-the-surface hostility I would feel when visiting idyllic small town Ontario; somehow, it ended up sounding almost biblical. Shortly after writing this song, I ended up moving to Lanark County, and started to understand where that hostile feeling comes from. There's a different kind of spiritual energy here, and even though I'm not a particularly religious person, I still feel it in the day-to-day routine and the way that time passes.” Extending this theme of spirituality, there’s a prayer-like quality to ‘Lanark County’, not one that you could align to any particular established religion, but rather quiet inner musings on your life and the world that surrounds it. This lyrical epilogue is quantified by a lush musical backdrop provided by clarinetist Naomi McCarroll-Butler, violinist Andrew Chung, and guest musicians Liam Cole on percussion and Ben Heard on upright bass. ‘Lanark County’ also comes with the announcement of Decoration Day’s debut album, Makeshift Future, set for release on September 18th. - Hannah Thacker   [Photo credit: Brianna Roye]