Around this time last year, I traded a sequined, blue bra and two tall cans for a chronically-out-of-tune, basically-a-toy, pink guitar on Bunz Trading Zone. I learned a handful of chords and started writing music.

Over the course of a year, I barfed out melodies and lyrics for over 30 song concepts. The majority of them were pretty cringey. But I promised myself that whatever came out, I wouldn’t judge it. Instead, I would free it. I sent the least cringey songs to a small circle of friends via rough voice memos for gentle feedback and validation.

Earlier this year I met Julia Wittmann: a budding, brilliant, bright-eyed mixer and producer with access to Ryerson University’s recording studio. We pulled together a motley crew of old friends, new friends, cousins and friends of cousins and recorded three songs that were easy enough to capture in a day. The result is this EP. It’s a total experiment. A labour of love. Pretty damn magical, if I do say so myself. Honestly, something I didn't think was possible.

My biggest thank you goes to Julia: for her patience, positivity, commitment, mixing, producing, mastering, acoustic guitar, keys, percussion and probably a bunch of other things I'm not even aware of or understand. You literal rock star, you!!!

Thanks also to Ievy Stamatov, for introducing me to Julia and for always challenging me to reach new creative heights (ilu bb <3). Luke Barclay, for electric guitar, slide on "The Moon", great ideas, chill vibes and even some toy xylophone. Cheyenne Buck, for her forever-friendship and ethereal, 50% angel / 50% devil voice my own voice loves the most. My cousin Nathan Garland, for some super solid bass work and his pal Stu Elliott, for slinky slide on “Security”. And our highly honoured, special celebrity guests: Laura Barrett for game-changing, ante-upping keyboarding and Mark Westberg for some "NOW WE'RE TALKING!!" electric guitar soloing on “The Moon".

And thanks to my sweet surrogate sister Claire Foran: who took this photo on my apartment terrace, overlooking Toronto's Chinatown. Under the glow of April's full moon.

Overall, I’d say it’s a pretty accurate representation of where I’m at in this moment. In all my beautifully imperfect, still-figuring-it-out glory.

So without further ado, *gulp*, I present The Moon EP: a capture of the stories we could be telling, the relationships we know and don’t know and the cycles of lightness and darkness we’re brave enough to show.

- Sarah VDB