Guelph, Ontario singer-songwriter Trina Chakrabarti has released “Take A Stance,” a stripped-down protest song that abandons the mythological framing of her 2024 debut EP “Underworld” in favor of direct lyrics. Chakrabarti says she wrote the track after growing frustrated watching colleagues in her work as a registered music therapist focus on professional language rather than the human toll of world events, and after observing public reaction to escalating conflict involving Iran.

The song’s outro lists regions including Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Hawaiʻi, Kashmir, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Haiti, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar and Ukraine, which Chakrabarti says deserve greater global attention, closing each mention with the phrase “free them all.” She traces the song’s recurring line, “none of us are free till all of us are free,” to Black activists including Maya Angelou, Malcolm X and Opal Lee. According to the announcement, a portion of proceeds from the single will go to a friend’s family in Palestine.

“Take A Stance” was produced, mixed and mastered by Ruthie Santiago, with Chakrabarti credited for lyrics, melody, vocals and ukulele. It follows her debut EP “Underworld,” made with producer Wonder Truly. Chakrabarti says her next single, “Something Like Hope,” will introduce her next full-length project.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Eric Alper, thatericalper.com.

Carly Pearce is the latest guest on Anthony Mason’s long-form interview series Alchemy, discussing her upcoming album Honest Woman and how career success affected her sense of self-worth. In the conversation, Pearce says chart performance, award nominations and social media metrics had become her primary measure of self-worth, and that making the new record was part of a process of reconnecting with who she was before fame.

The album marks a return to the traditional country and bluegrass sound of Pearce’s early years, made with collaborators Dan Tyminski and Molly Tuttle. Pearce says it is the first album she has made without creative compromise, citing the track “Church Girl,” which addresses faith, sex and drug use, as an example of a more direct point of view in her songwriting.

The interview, recorded shortly after Dolly Parton’s death, also covers Parton’s influence on Pearce, who performed at Dollywood as a teenager, as well as memories of her late collaborator busbee and the role her mother played in helping her separate her identity from her career. The episode is available now on YouTube as part of the Alchemy series, which has previously featured artists including Paul Simon, Hozier and Brandon Flowers.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by The Press House.

SOFI TUKKER and Gibson have announced a design collaboration that will roll out eight one-of-one custom Flying V guitars over the course of the duo’s U.S. Animal Talk Tour, which opens September 10 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Sophie Hawley-Weld, who has played the Flying V model throughout her career with the group, worked with Gibson on the designs and plans to unveil the guitars individually at tour stops, performing live with each as it debuts.

After the tour, a selection of the guitars will be auctioned, with proceeds benefiting Gibson Gives, the instrument maker’s philanthropic arm, which supports music education and access initiatives. Further details on individual guitar designs and the auction are expected to be released throughout the tour, according to the announcement.

The collaboration coincides with a run of U.S. and Mexico dates for the two-time Grammy-nominated duo, including stops at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, The Anthem in Washington, D.C., and shows in Guadalajara and Mexico City through October 31.

Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by Libby Coffey, primeprgroup.com.

The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour took in $345 million across its 2026 Europe and UK run, with more than 2.3 million fans attending shows in 11 countries. The leg wrapped with two nights at Estádio do Restelo in Lisbon on September 6.

The figures underscore the continued strength of stadium-level touring in Europe, adding to the tour’s standing as one of the more commercially significant global outings in recent years.

Read the full story at Music Business Worldwide.