In the brief period of time since Port Cities unleashed their award-winning incendiary debut—a wildly self-assured collection of sparkling, rootsy pop that showcases the Nova Scotia trio’s devotion to songwriting—the band’s been hard at work bringing it to the masses. They’ve continued to explore and evolve their ambitious pop sound, melding diverse musical backgrounds to create an alchemy that’s part art, part songwriting science, and all magic: the nimble dynamism of Breagh MacKinnon’s smoky, jazz-indebted delivery, Dylan Guthro’s simmering and soulful R&B swagger, and Carleton Stone’s razor-sharp, romantic rock ‘n’ roll.   It’s a chemistry that’s been perfected during the 100+ dates they’ve toured in the past year in Canada, the UK and Germany that is reflected in their newest release, Montreal.

Hailing from just outside Toronto, Ariana Gillis began taking singing lessons at the age of six, but she was hardly thrilled. So, her father encouraged her to write her own material and learn to play the guitar. An award-winning songwriter himself, he gave her invaluable insight into the process.

However, music’s importance didn’t really become apparent until her final year of high school, when she came down with double pneumonia. She missed three months of school, and couldn’t sing properly for about a year. “Within that span of time, I realized I needed music. I craved it.”

With renewed focus, Gillis made an immediate impact on the Niagara music scene, winning Songwriter of the Year at the 2009 Niagara Music Awards, followed by Female Vocalist and Album of the Year in 2010. She networked at music conferences, which led to a quick, two-song performance for Dave Marsh in a stairwell in Memphis, following the release of her second album, Forget Me Not. Marsh then played Gillis on his Sirius XM radio show, which caught the attention of Elton John’s songwriting partner.

Canada’s Ariana Gillis was creating excitement from the earliest stages of her career. But after sustaining a serious concussion in 2015, Ariana believed that she would never be able to write and perform music again.  Well, she’s proving herself wrong, as after an extended period of recovery she’s back with new music currently being recorded with multi- GRAMMY® Award-winning producer, Joel Moss and CFMA Producer of the Year, David Gillis.

Ariel Strasser is a singer, songwriter and pianist originally from the Twin Cities, Minnesota. A graduate of the Boston Conservatory’s musical theater program with an emphasis in songwriting, she frequently tours the country delivering soulful pop tunes reminiscent of Carole King, Sara Bareilles and Norah Jones.

She comes from a family of musicians, so it is no surprise to see her pursuing music as well. Recorded at The Vault recording studio in Hoboken, NJ with producer Dan McLoughlin of The Push Stars, her debut album “Crooked Line” released to five star reviews in 2013. “Crooked Line” features Nate Tucker on drums and percussion, Max Judelson on upright bass, Adrianne Pope on violin and Chris Trapper, also of The Push Stars, on vocals. Ari’s newest release, “Motivation” features beloved New England locals Ken Budka, Steve Clements and Paul Ortolano and is produced by Nick Zampiello of New Alliance East.

From America’s historic city of Boston, Jodi Heights is hooking listeners with her supple, Broadway tinged voice and rockin’ piano chops. Fans describe her as “Fiona Apple meets Regina Spektor” and her songs as “poetically crafted and authentic.”

In the sea of singer-songwriters, Jodi stands out with her classically honed technique and her brilliant lyrics that plumb the depths of everyday life, ranging from cheeky to heartbreaking. Jodi sings life unexpected.

Jodi’s debut album, One Year Wiser, showcases her prowess as a songwriter and musician. Produced at Plaid Dog Recording with engineer Mike Davidson, the album features some of Boston’s most versatile local artists. One Year Wiser was mixed by the Grammy winning engineer Erich Talaba (Sara Bareilles – What’s Inside: Songs from Waitress, Kaleidoscope Heart) and was mastered by six-time Grammy winning engineer Adam Ayan (Sarah McLachlan – Wonderland, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Mirrorball, Laws of Illusion).

Jodi performs in the Greater Boston area at venues such as Hard Rock Cafe, The Middle East, Atwood’s Tavern, The Burren, and The Center for the Arts in Natick. She ultimately plans to tour and to collaborate with musicians and visual artists in her music videos and live shows.