Saskatchewan artists blind commentary, Merv xx Gotti, Slow Down Molasses, and ZOCHI will be attending to perform official showcases at the the 30th NXNE Music Festival, happening from June 11-15, 2025.
NXNE notes on their website that "Toronto has one of the greatest live music scenes in the world and NXNE works with the city’s remarkable music venues to showcase top emerging Canadian and international acts throughout Festival Week ... discovery is at the core of NXNE."
Congratulations to the Saskatchewan artists performing!
Artist Showcase Dates:
- blind commentary: Friday, June 13 at Supermarket at 9 p.m.
- Merv xx Gotti: Thursday, June 12 at Painted Lade at 9 p.m.
- Slow Down Molasses: Friday, June 13 @ Handlebar at 8 p.m.
- ZOCHI: Friday, June 13 at Painted Lady at 8:30 p.m.
About the Artists:
blind commentary: blind commentary is an up-and-coming shoe-gaze and alternative-rock band based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The band's main sound of shoe-gaze is prominent, enveloping listeners in layers of dreamy fuzzy tones and reverb-filled guitars, evident in their EP 'eyes open and staring'.
Merv xx Gotti: Merv xx Gotti is the award-winning Canadian multi-genre singer-songwriter, best known for his indie dream-pop project, “Guitar Songs”.
His debut solo release, “Guitar Songs EP”, released in March 2024 ahead of his 5-show debut at SXSW (Austin, TX). Since its release, the EP has amassed over 300,000 streams and charted on Earshot’s Top 30 campus radio charts for eight consecutive weeks.
Slow Down Molasses: Confronting bristling anxious energy with highly-pronounced pop edges, Slow Down Molasses of Saskatoon, Sask. Canada has never been shy about traversing shifting sonic territories. In their latest iteration, the four-piece plunge deep into delay trails and feedback decay with a sound steeped in existential dread and simmering guitar rock post-punk sunshine.
ZOCHI: Coined by Media as "Canada's Queen of Afrobeat's" ZOCHI released her Debut EP Afrikaanman Fairytale on May 17, 2024. Her EP went #1 on Campus radio charts and was featured on Notable Playlists on Spotify like "Bob Marley One Love Movie Soundtrack" and "Pop 2024" etc. She went on to perform at Ontario's Black Music Conference where she got to open up for Canada's Queen of R&B Jully Black and Hip Hop legend, Solitair.
ZOCHI also attended Breakout West 2024 in Saskatoon as a delegate with SaskMusic and as one of the board members. Her EP release party was held at The Cure in Regina, Saskatchewan, and was hosted by Trifecta Sound CO. She performed at Creative Saskatchewan's 10 Year Anniversary in November 2024.
How were the artists selected?
All artists programmed for NXNE were selected by the organizers through their own selection process.
For more information on NXNE 2025, visit their website.
