Viewers of CTV’s THE LAUNCH aren’t getting any sleep tonight, as Calgary-based alternative/blues/psychedelic rock trio The Static Shift – comprised of Mitchell Brady (guitar/lead vocals), Keone Friesen (Bass/harmonica/ background vocals), and Isaiah Stonehouse (drums/background vocals) – were chosen from among the episode’s featured artists to record the new original single “Wide Awake.” The series’ third single was released to radio stations across the country immediately following tonight’s broadcast, and is also now available to buy and stream everywhere, including iHeartRadio, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. Listen to it below.
With a “Summer of Love” look and sound resonant of a bygone rock’n’roll era, the charismatic trio of teenaged old souls wowed the mentors with their fresh, stadium rock sound flawlessly combining the backbeat of Isaiah’s pulsating drums, Keone’s grooving bass lines, and Mitchell’s shredding guitar and explosive frontman vocals. Applauded for their simultaneously “loose and tight” sound by rock icon and founding member of legendary rock band Mötley Crüe – Nikki Sixx, mentors Dann Huff (the producer behind more than 50 #1 hit records), record mogul Scott Borchetta, and Sixx chose to launch The Static Shift’s music career with their rock version of “Wide Awake,” written by Nathan Barlowe & Bonnie Baker.
The series’ chosen artists and songs to date – Logan Staats “The Lucky Ones” and Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easy”, both hit #1 on iTunes following the broadcast of episodes in which the aspiring artists were featured.
“We’re good at being authentic…we want to be exactly who we are when we’re playing music,” said The Static Shift. “There is a rock revival coming and we are really excited to be a part of it. It’s such an honour to be recognized by rock royalty like Nikki Sixx, killer guitarist and producer Dann Huff, and of course Scott Borchetta. We are beyond proud to put our stamp on ‘Wide Awake’ and hope music fans give what we are doing as artists a chance!”
“The Static Shift completely blew my mind,” said Scott Borchetta. “I am always on the hunt for uniquely talented artists and musicians that have a special chemistry and that’s exactly what they have. This is a band that has a world stage and they’re uniquely positioned at the dawn of a new Rock Revolution.”
Following an intense audition process before the celebrity mentors, aspiring – and coincidentally both Calgarian – artists The Static Shift and Amy Bishop emerged as the two breakthrough artists chosen to perform and make the original song “Wide Awake” their own.
After a nerve-wracking 48 hours in studio rehearsals, recordings, and working closely with the episode’s celebrity mentors, the final artists took the stage in front of a live studio audience to perform their unique interpretations of “Wide Awake”.
Two, uniquely tailored renditions of the song resulted in dazzling performances by both aspiring artists, but following intense deliberations, The Static Shift were ultimately chosen for the opportunity of a lifetime – to have their raw, alt-rock version of the song “Wide Awake” launched across Canada and to the world via THE LAUNCH’s expansive slate of top music partners.
Following the song launch, Bell Media is poised to throw the full weight of its marketing, promotional, and publicity support behind The Static Shift’s “Wide Awake” across its national footprint of broadcast and digital entertainment properties.
