Canadian indie artist Joe Lapinski unveils his bold and deeply personal new album, New Day, a genre-blurring exploration of identity, community, trauma, and healing. At the heart of the album is its theatrical and liberating focus track, “Set Free,” a passionate plea to break cycles of addiction and self-sabotage in the name of love.

Produced in close collaboration with longtime creative partner Dave Clark (Rheostatics, Gord Downie‘s Country of Miracles), New Day is Lapinski‘s most sonically adventurous and emotionally resonant release to date. Across its tracks, Lapinski channels life-altering transitions – opening a studio, becoming a father – into songs that wrestle with what it means to surrender to growth.

“Set Free” stands as a powerful centerpiece, blending indie rock punch with glam-era theatricality, calling to mind early Bowie and Bahamas in its fearless emotional range. It plays like a duet between two people desperate to connect, but haunted by inner baggage – a raw, slow-burn anthem made for anyone who’s ever felt like their past keeps them from the love they want.

What can you share with readers about your new project?

My new album “New Day” was recently released on June 27th, and boy am I excited about it.  It is co-produced with long-time collaborator and brother-from-another-mother Dave Clark, who you may know from bands such as Gord Downie’s Country of Miracles, Rheostatics, The Dinner Is Ruined, to name a few.  He plays the drums on this album as well.  He very much delivers this goods on this one.

This record has been a long time coming.  I’ve had my hands full the last 10 years running my recording studio WOW! Recording Studio, working behind the scenes with a pile of pretty great artists.  I’ve also become a dad since my last release, which is a pretty big one as well.  All of this has led to a lot of inspiration … no shortage of ideas for songs.  I owe a lot to my family and the music community I’m part of.  Constant inspiration.  It has been such a cathartic experience finally releasing my own album after such a long wait.  It feels good to have new ears on it too.

This record features some pretty phenomenal musicians too.  We’ve got Dave Clark on the drums (mentioned above).  Ian de Souza played most of the bass on this record (Juno winning, from Sisters Euclid).  Karen Ng kills it on sax, who you may know from The Weather Station.  We’ve got some of Canada’s finest singers as well, who all come from the band Minuscule: Laurel Minnes, Jillian Rene Smith, Tara Stanclik, and Catherine Leniarsky.  Other folks include keyboardist Jason Kenemy, bassist Tim Vesely (Rheostatics), violinists Danielle Marconi and Raha Javanfar, keyboardist Chris Pruden (Zinnia), saxophonist Bruce MacKinnon, and upright bassist Rob McBride.

How does this release compare with your other projects you had in the past?

With “New Day” I wanted to go to new “spaces”.  Creativity, personally, technically, musically, sonically.  I knew lyrically I wanted to open up more, and peel away a few more “layers of the onion”, as it were.  I know that that’s always good for me personally to do, but can also reach more of my listeners on a new level.  

I also wanted to push myself creative and musically on this one.  For the first time I composed string arrangements for 2 songs, “To Be Yours” and “Light”.  Both songs are heavy duty tunes for me, on a personal level.  So lifting them up high with strings seemed to be very fitting.

Dave Clark also pushed me to tighten up my songs.  I had written quite a few songs that could be deemed as “epic”.  He challenged me to cut the fat, to edit them down to what they deserve to be.  This can be challenging creatively, and also tough on the ego.  But it led to some pretty great moments where we both felt that these songs were ready to be recorded in a finished state.

Also sonically, this record put a lot of great new/old studio equipment to use.  Being a producer and audio engineer, I’m always striving to “find that sound”… and I feel I am closer to it with “New Day”.

What about this single makes you most proud?

“Set Free” was the first song I wrote for “New Day”.   I feel really great about it.  I love that it is kinda like a duet, like “Paradise From The Dashboard Lights” (Meatloaf).  A story about 2 parallel souls, looking for love, while being completely consumed by distractions in their lives.  Their paths cross, but they aren’t ready to let go of their pasts, and give in to love.  They desperately want to be “set free” from their traumas, so their hearts can be made available for love.

Stylistically, originally I was actually inspired by Bahamas, and some of their grooves that contained so much air between the chord hits.  Then as the words took shape, as well as the instrumentation, it took on a new life.  Something a little more punchy and slightly aggressive.  I was thinking a lot about David Bowie and his early 70s guitarist Mick Ronson.  I love how Bowie never sings the same melody twice in a song, so I strived for that in my vocal arrangement.  And I love Ronson’s melodic edgy guitar riffs, so we decided to do our own version of that.  My co-producer Dave Clark and I shaped the vibe from day 1 of recording.  Our bass player, Ian de Souza really put the bow on instrumentation, completely gluing it all together.  The icing on the cake is sharing the vocal duties with the amazing Laurel Minnes (Minuscule).  She delivers such a passionate performance… it really lifts the song up to heights I could never have dreamed of.

Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?

I know from day 1 of writing and recording these songs, I wanted to offer 10 songs that were quite different from each other in style, showing an array of influences on mine.  I guess I see them as paintings, created with different colours and styles, telling stories that relate to my own life and my community.  

What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?

Making music feels really good to me.  It is a form of meditation that helps me feel balanced and whole.  I also love how it brings me together with other artists and musicians, collaborating on creating a “sound” that is unique to a specific moment.  I also love that my music is a vehicle to drive stories and thoughts I have.  

What motivates me to keep going is that I know making music is part of what makes me feel happy and complete.  Without it, I end up getting pretty bummed out.  That’s no good.  Music feeds something in me that nothing else can.

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.

I’d love to collaborate on a song with the band Minuscule.  I’m pretty lucky to already work with them as a producer and musician, but I’d love to co-write a song or two with Laurel Minnes, the leader of the group.  Laurel and the band are a powerful force.  A mini all woman choir, who dominates the room when they perform.  It is quite an experience to see them.  I’d love to bring my musical ideas to that band.  I mean, who WOULDN’T want a 10 member choir singing your music?

Minuscule Music

What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?

I’ve been loving the band This Is Lorelei, and their most recent album “Box For Buddy, Box For Star”.  There is something so honest about these songs, and I love the drive and creativity put into them.  Some of the arrangements are so out of the box, yet very familiar.  They remind me of Jim Guthrie meets The Magnetic Fields.

As far as all-time favourite bands and artists go, that’s a big list.  Some of the most influential artists for me are Brian Eno, Rheostatics, David Bowie, Wilco, Dirty Projectors, Pavement, Sonic Youth, Frank Zappa, Jim O’Rourke, Tortoise, Stereolab, The Who, Pink Floyd, Dr. John, NRBQ, Professor Longhair, Townes Van Zandt, Daniel Lanois, Beck, John Coltrane, Alice Coltrane, Emmylou Harris, Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell …. The list goes on and on!

Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?

You can find me on all the socials through my website joelapinski.ca. I’m most active on Instagram (@joelapinski), but I try to post on them all when I have a chance!

I really appreciate your time. Is there anything you’d like to share before we sign off?

Thanks for having me! I had a blast.