Magi Merlin drops surprise EP A Weird Little Dog ahead of her North American tour supporting Nubya Garcia

Magi Merlin leans deeper than ever into her artistic integrity on A Weird Little Dog, the long-awaited follow-up to 2022’s Gone Girl. This surprise 4-track EP arrives just in time for the Montreal-based artist’s North American tour in support of contemporary jazz musician Nubya Garcia. A Weird Little Dog is available now on cassette and all music services.

Born from a mixed perspective of anger, anxiety and hope towards the current social, political and environmental state of the world, A Weird Little Dog sees Magi delving into her eclectic set of influences to craft an uncompromisingly unique sound she likes to call broken R&B. Glitch pop, neo-soul, indietronica, hip hop and alternative R&B collide with various strains of late-90’s electronic music to form the psychedelic template from which these new songs were born. The EP also marks Magi Merlin’s debut as a producer, working alongside her long-time collaborator Funkywhat.

A Weird Little Dog is a delivery of where I am and who I am artistically at this moment in time, says Magi. It feels like a new start, an exercise in having faith in the listener and trusting them to be able to take time and even see themselves in this work. One could say sharing music that is not commercially viable in the traditional sense is a risk, but I would argue that now more than ever people need authenticity. I feel like I am a weird little dog. One of many on this earth but unique in my own way. We are all weird little dogs at the end of the day.

This unexpected release is accompanied by a music video for see!igetit, the sole single from the EP. see!igetit is about us not getting our priorities straight as a society, explains Magi. We blame each other for the issues caused by a flawed system and the people who benefit from it. It's easy to lose sight of the importance of community, but I will always make a deep effort to remember where I come from. We are all of the earth and if you suffer, the earth suffers and so do I. The video was directed by Walid Jabri and Magi Merlin.

To be able to embody oneself fully is a lifelong journey; for Magi, it starts with making music that she feels completely tied to. I hope that my music can urge people to do what they want and need even if they are afraid. Fighting back fear is not the point. Being brave all while feeling afraid is.

Back in 2022, Magi Merlin unveiled Gone Girl, a striking EP that draws on influences from '90s house, drum-and-bass, Motown and acid-flecked hip-hop. It was widely celebrated upon its release and attracted the attention of Complex, Bandcamp Daily, CBC Music and Nylon, to name a few. Since then, Magi Merlin performed at several festivals (Osheaga, Montreal Jazz Fest, FEQ, Tacoma Pride, etc.), supported Noga Erez on her European tour, as well as Omar Apollo in Mexico City, and played a captivating show at the Fairmount Theatre as part of POP Montreal.

Magi Merlin is currently opening for Nubya Garcia on her North American tour, and will perform in major cities such as New York, Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver and Los Angeles throughout April. See the list below for all tour dates. 

About Magi Merlin

Magi Merlin (pronounced MADGE-eye) grew up in Saint-Lazare, Canada. A place that may sound unfamiliar to you, but it is a lot closer to home than you realize. A suburb like all others. The epitome of normalcy. Unless, of course, you replace white with black; straight with queer, then normalcy is challenged. This, amongst other subjects – such as the impact of capitalism on art, nepotism, and the relationship one has to taking pleasure in belonging to those things while rejecting them all — is what fuels Magi Merlin's creative universe.

It would not be entirely accurate to refer to her as only a singer or a songwriter. Music is indeed at the core of her artistry, but her world expands beyond the medium. It is one that is equally visual as it is auditory, one that is continuously shaped through collaborations with producers such as Funkywhat, designers, photographers, video directors and even film directors: Magi Merlin recently made her acting debut with a role in the movie Mile End Kicks from writer-director Chandler Levack (I Like Movies), alongside lead Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria), Devon Bostick (Oppenheimer), Stanley Simons (The Iron Claw) and Juliette Gariépy (Red Rooms). With A Weird Little Dog and Bip / 9volt, a stand-alone double single released in November 2024, Magi Merlin provides a glimpse of what's to come in the next year or so.

Follow Magi Merlin : Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Bandcamp

Tour dates

* Opening for Nubya Garcia