Ontario artist Justin Maki unveils his sophomore album Technicolor Dreams alongside its lead focus track “Hey,” arriving together as the culmination of one of the most ambitious creative processes of his career. Adventurous, bold, and deeply rewarding, the album finds Justin pushing himself further than ever before, writing and co-writing 100 songs before selecting only the strongest material to make the final cut.
Inspired by a podcast interview with Andy Grammer, who famously writes hundreds of songs before beginning an album, Justin adopted the same philosophy. What followed was an 18-month creative marathon that challenged him to trust both quantity and quality in equal measure.
Recorded alongside acclaimed production duo VAŪLTS (David Mohacsi and Maïa Davies), the album became an exercise in embracing change and letting go of pre-conceived ideas. After living with rough demos for nearly a year, Justin found himself challenged to rethink arrangements, rewrite sections, and allow the songs to evolve beyond their original forms.
While Technicolor Dreams doesn’t follow a singular narrative thread, its collection of songs reflects a period of artistic growth and creative confidence. Rather than building around a central concept, Justin selected tracks based purely on their quality, resulting in an album that explores a wide range of experiences, emotions, and perspectives while remaining united by strong songwriting and adventurous musicianship.
Leading the project is “Hey,” a fun, hopeful, and irresistibly catchy pop single that perfectly captures the album’s spirit of possibility. Built around an infectious groove, bright synth textures, and a memorable singalong chorus, the song follows a protagonist dreaming of escape from routine and imagining a more fulfilling life beyond the daily grind.
“I think I was speaking to my past life,” Justin reflects. “Clocking in and clocking out and wishing I had more freedom and a beautiful life partner to share it with.”
The track’s playful energy is balanced by thoughtful production choices. Sidechain compression gives the synths a breathing, pulsing quality, while the unexpected inclusion of a banjitar introduces an unconventional texture that helps the song stand apart from traditional synth-pop fare.
Together, Technicolor Dreams and “Hey” embody Justin’s guiding creative philosophy: simplicity with underlying complexity. The songs are designed to be immediately enjoyable while rewarding deeper listening, offering catchy melodies, thoughtful arrangements, and subtle musical details that reveal themselves over time.
Justin Maki is a musician, artist, and creative entrepreneur based in Toronto, Ontario. Named the FCLMA’s 2021 Pop Artist of the Year and 2022 Contemporary Singer-Songwriter of the Year, Maki blends R&B, soul, funk, and jazz into an accessible pop framework.
Having performed over 2,000 shows across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Europe, Maki has shared stages with The Sheepdogs, Measha Brueggergosman, Neon Dreams, Olivia Lunny, and Matt Rife. His collaborators include acclaimed producers Matthew Johnston (Shad, Chad Price), Mark Howard (Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, U2, Neil Young), and David Mohacsi and Maïa Davies (Tragically Hip, Three Days Grace, Monster Truck).
With Technicolor Dreams, Justin Maki delivers his most fully realized project yet. It’s a bold, adventurous collection that celebrates growth, creative freedom, and the value of trusting the process.
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