When I heard We Were Shark were playing CMW I couldn’t help but feel a little excited. The last time I saw these guys I was only eighteen and just getting into the local music scene. This Ottawa based five-piece are one of the only bands still playing a style of pop punk that I grew up on.

Last night marked the beginning of Canadian Music Week and seeing as catching every artist can be a bit of a daunting task I decided to take the first day slow and only check out one show, granted it was the insanely energetic and chaotic FIDLAR, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

With a frantic, headbanging, hard partying sound, Acid Priest has already made an impact on the local Toronto music scene. The four-piece band hailing from Stouffville, Ontario has been around for less than a year and already they’ve accomplished feats that bands take years to do. Their first LP, Outta Control, was released in mid January, in March they toured southern Ontario with Ottawa locals Old Rules, and now on May 7th they’re playing alongside Monster Truck for Canadian Music Week.

BBC Radio 1 is home to many diverse musicians. From time to time, it allows experimental artists to place a temporary residence as the host of the radio show. Four artists in particular have become largely involved in the British music scene and have each defined themselves through their innovative styles.

With SXSW and Coachella behind us, it’s time to turn our attention north. Canadian Music Week is a nine day festival showcasing both local and international talent. The fest has graduated from bitter March to balmy May, inviting the less cold resistant music fans. With an overwhelming number of artists, this year is sure to be bigger and better than anything before.

On April 4th, 2015, I made my way to Ottawa’s well established jail-turned-hotel. Located across from the Rideau Centre, the Ottawa Jail Hostel’s haunting shadows lurked over the city streets. I walked around to the back of the building, through an eerily quiet parking lot, and to a dead end. Confused, I spotted a man outside one of the back entrances.