CIMA is heading back to Nashville this September for the 2023 edition of AMERICANAFEST held from September 19-23. We’ll be partnering with Alberta Music, Manitoba Music, MusicOntario and SaskMusic to present a showcasing & business mission for Canadian companies and their artists. We’re excited to finally announce the 8 incredible acts that will be performing at Canada House this year!
Join them on Friday, September 22 from 11:00AM-5:00PM for a full afternoon of Canada House showcases at InDo (632 Fogg St). The day will kick off with a networking reception from 11:00AM-11:30AM and will lead straight into the showcases. Attendees will also be treated to free food & drinks. The event is open to conference delegates as well as the general public.
Canadian companies representing the showcasing artists will also get the opportunity to participate in a business in partnership with Sounds Australia, British Underground and AMERICANAFEST. Canadian companies who will be in Nashville in September and who are interested in taking part in the business events can contact Jenia Schukov (jenia@cimamusic.ca) for more information.
Today, Oscar, Golden Globe and multiple GRAMMY Award winning Billie Eilish released “What Was I Made For?” [From The Motion Picture Barbie], taken from the highly anticipated feature-length film, Barbie, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Think I forgot / How to be happy / Something I’m not / But something I can be / Something I wait for / Something I’m made for / Something I’m made for.”
“What Was I Made For?” [From The Motion Picture Barbie] was composed especially for Barbie by Billie Eilish alongside her brother FINNEAS who produced the track at his home-studio in Los Angeles. The intimate and heart-rending track exists as the sonic background for pivotal scenes through-out the film, while beautifully and poignantly highlighting the film’s important message and sentiment. The track also comes with an official music video, directed by Eilish. The video made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, MTVU, MTV Biggest Pop and on the Paramount Times Square billboards. On making the song and music video, Eilish shared to her fans “to be real with you this all seemed to happen in a time when i really needed it. i’m so so thankful for that.”
“What Was I Made For?” [From The Motion Picture “Barbie”] will also be released as part of BARBIE THE ALBUM, the groundbreaking and star-studded musical companion to Barbie. The soundtrack was executive produced by Academy®, Golden Globe and 7X Grammy® Award winning artist and producer Mark Ronson and Barbie writer/director/executive producer Greta Gerwig. BARBIE THE ALBUM is now available for pre-order HERE and arrives in stores and at all online retailers on Friday, July 21 in conjunction with the theatrical release of the feature film. For more information, visit barbiethealbum.com
With the release of her sophomore album Happier Than Ever’ debuting at #1 in the Billboard 200 in the U.S. and in 19 countries across the globe, the 21-year-old Los Angeles native remains one of the biggest stars to emerge in the 21st century. Since the release of her debut single “ocean eyes” in 2015, Eilish continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout, her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release in 2019 and was the most streamed album of that year. Both albums were critically acclaimed worldwide and were written, produced and recorded entirely by Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS. Billie Eilish has made history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards, receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album, and is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, ‘No Time To Die,’ which won an Academy Award for Best Song that year.
To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken. Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, an NB/GG Pictures Production, a Mattel Production, Barbie. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters only nationwide on July 21, 2023 and internationally beginning July 19, 2023. Directed by Greta Gerwig, Barbie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film is written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, based on “Barbie” by Mattel, and produced by David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner. The executive producers are Gerwig, Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams. The film’s music supervisor is George Drakoulias, with music by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt.
SiriusXM announced today its coverage for The 151st Open when golf’s original championship is contested July 20-23 at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England.
SiriusXM will offer listeners 45 hours of live on-course coverage as the world’s best compete for the Claret Jug. Live Championship play-by-play will air Thursday through Sunday on SiriusXM’s “The Open Radio” channel, which will be available to subscribers in their cars (channel 92) and on the SXM App (siriusxm.us/TheOpenRadio). Championship broadcasts will begin on SiriusXM on Thursday and Friday at 2:00 am ET, and on Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 am ET, and will continue through the conclusion of each day’s play.
Listeners will hear The Open Radio produced by The R&A. The Open Radio team will feature Marcus Buckland, Sue Thearle, Ron Jones, Matt Adams, Sophie Walker, Raymond Burns, Alison Walker, Paul Eales, Harry Ewing and SiriusXM’s Maureen Madill and Carl Paulson as analysts and commentators in the booth and out on the course.
“We’re very excited to deliver our listeners another extensive week of programming for the historic Open Championship,” said Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s President and Chief Content Officer. “Our coverage will feature live shot by shot commentary from voices who are excellent at capturing and conveying the character and excitement of Open Championship golf, as well as daily programming that will deliver all the latest news from the event and interviews with the competitors in the field. No matter where you are listening from across North America, you’ll feel like you are on the grounds at Royal Liverpool.”
Immediately after each round, The Open Postgame will give listeners a recap of the day’s play and a look ahead at the next day’s action. Will Haskett will host the show after the Thursday and Friday rounds. Gary Williams will host Saturday and Sunday. Major champions Hale Irwin, Dave Stockton, Scott Simpson and John Cook, who finished as runner up in the 1992 Open Championship, will also contribute to the post-round discussion.
In the days before and after The Open Championship, and every week throughout the year, SiriusXM’s weekday golf programming lineup features live shows starting at 7:00 am ET that offer news, analysis, expert instruction and more.
SiriusXM’s original programming during Open Championship Week will include The Rocco Hour (Tuesday at 6:00 pm ET), hosted by Rocco Mediate, who competed in nine Open Championships, including a top-20 finish in 1996, as well as ANNIKA (Tuesday at 7:00 pm ET) hosted by legendary 10-time major championship winner Annika Sorenstam.
Listeners can also tune in to two Open Championship specials on SiriusXM.
Backstory: This one-hour special gives listeners an in-depth look at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, which will be hosting its 13th Open Championship, from the storied history of the course and its significance in both professional and amateur golf, to the course layout today and the new par-3 17th hole. Fans will hear the story of five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson, and two-time Open Champion Padraig Harrington and his longtime caddy Ronan Flood give us a first-person perspective on their dramatic playoff victory at Carnoustie in 2007. Backstory debuts on Friday, July 14 at 3:00 pm ET with multiple re-airs to follow.
The Open Show: Listeners will hear conversations with Rory McIlroy, who won the last Open Championship played at Royal Liverpool in 2014, as well as 2003 Open Champion Ben Curtis on the 20th anniversary of his victory at Royal St. George’s. The special will also share the history of the famed Claret Jug, one of golf’s oldest and most coveted trophies, and recap one of the great final round duels in Open Championship history, when Henrik Stenson outpaced Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in 2016. The Open Show debuts on Wednesday, July 19 at 8:00 pm ET.
Kathleen Hanna’s rallying cry to feminists echoed far and wide through the punk scene of the 90s and beyond. Her band, Bikini Kill, embodies this iconic time, and today her personal yet feminist lyrics on anthems like “Rebel Girl” and “Double Dare Ya” are more powerful than ever. But where did this transformative voice come from?
In Rebel Girl, Hanna’s raw and insightful new memoir, she takes us from her tumultuous childhood home to her formative college years in Olympia, Washington, and on to her first years on tour, fighting hard for gigs and for her band. As Hanna makes clear, being in a “girl band,” especially a punk girl band, in those years was not a simple or safe prospect. Male violence and antagonism threatened at every turn, and surviving as a singer who was a lightening rod for controversy took limitless amounts of determination.
But the relationships she developed during those years buoyed her—including with her bandmates, Tobi Vail, Kathi Wilcox, and Johanna Fateman; her friendships with Kurt Cobain and Ian MacKaye; and her introduction to Joan Jett— were all a testament to how the punk world could nurture and care for its own. Hanna opens up about falling in love with Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys and her debilitating battle with Lyme disease, and she brings us behind the scenes of her musical growth in her bands, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She also writes candidly about the Riot Grrrl movement, documenting with love its grassroots origins but critiquing its later exclusivity.
In an uncut voice all her own, Hanna reveals the hardest times along with the most joyful—and how it continues to fuel her revolutionary art and music.
TORONTO – After successful runs in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manila and most recently London, renowned global Asian music celebration 1MX Music Festival will make its North American debut on Sunday, September 10, taking over the iconic Budweiser Stage in Toronto. The traveling showcase brings together the best in Asian food and music. International sensations UMI, Ben&Ben, thuy, Guapdad 4000, BGYO and Justin Park will all take the stage for the Toronto stop, along with JUNO-nominated headliner Dabin, and fellow Canadian DJs, DJ Jayemkayem, DJ Tilt and DJ Hedspin.
“We are excited to bring the first ever 1MX Music Festival in North America to the city of Toronto on September 10 at the Budweiser Stage,” said Jun del Rosario, Managing Director, ABS-CBN International – North and Latin America. “We want to host this family-friendly event as a way of bringing the community together for a day filled with world-class entertainment from Asian music artists mixed with other international performers. We eagerly look forward to this special celebration of music and culture.”
1MX features a tightly curated line-up of established and emerging Asian artists excelling in their genres and on track to becoming some of the next biggest acts in the world:
• Dabin is a JUNO-nominated music producer from Toronto that has made a lasting impact on the electronic music scene. Known for his signature blend of acoustic and electronic elements, Dabin captivates audiences with his dynamic live shows.
• UMI is a trailblazer in the R&B and neo-soul space, having captured audiences with her honest lyrics and healing sonics. The 23-year-old Seattle native embodies girl power, leading an all-female band and promoting uplifting personal connection in her music.
• Ben&Ben is a renowned Filipino folk-pop band that has been recognized as Spotify’s Most Streamed Artist in the Philippines. Their captivating music fuses electronic and acoustic instruments with poignant and truthful storytelling to create a truly mesmerizing musical experience.
• thuy is a rising independent recording artist and songwriter with over 150 million global streams to-date. The LA-based artist has made waves in the modern R&B scene with her angelic vocals and skillful songwriting that gives audiences music they can relate to.
• Guapdad 4000 is a Grammy-nominated artist hailing from West Oakland with an unstoppable momentum. His unique blend of charisma, lyricism and creativity, along with his electrifying live performances, have solidified his position as a rising star.
• BGYO have emerged as trailblazing forces in the Philippine music scene, rising to the top of the P-POP genre. Gelo, Akira, JL and Nate have uplifted their exceptional talent and Filipino pride to win over audiences globally and garner a collection of awards and recognition.
• Justin Park is a Korean-American R&B sensation that has seized hearts with his soulful voice. The LA-based artist has achieved critical acclaim and international attention from his addictive music and shoutouts from BTS’s Jungkook along with top publications.
• DJ Tilt is a genre-bending music connoisseur that continues to elevate the music scene with his unparalleled talent. From Toronto to New York, his infectious energy and versatile mixes have made him a favourite among private clients and prestigious brands and events, including the Google Inaugural Ball for President Barack Obama to name just one
• DJ Jayemkayem has solidified her reputation as one of Canada’s top open format selectors with the ability to energize diverse crowds. The Calgary-born and Toronto-based DJ has travelled the world and performed her undeniable talent alongside artists such as Majid Jordan and Skepta.
• DJ Hedspin is a Toronto-born artist and DJ that has proven himself as a true standout in the game. He is the World Champion of the Red Bull Thre3Style Competition and is renowned for his exceptional technical skills and energetically liberating live shows.
A truly immersive experience for all the senses, 1MX Toronto will also spotlight authentic Asian eats in partnership with food vendors from the GTA. Stay tuned for lineup and menu details later on this summer.
When Elektra Records’ founder Jac Holzman signed Carly Simon to his label in 1970, it was the beginning of an extraordinary friendship. Their story unfolds in a new collection of songs chosen and sequenced by Holzman. He follows the arc of Simon’s meteoric rise with a mix of hits and deep cuts selected from the singer-songwriter’s first three albums.
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: THE CARLY SIMON AND JAC HOLZMAN STORY will be released on September 15 on CD and 2 LPs. In addition, the music will be available from digital and streaming platforms. Simon’s rendition of John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” from the collection is available today digitally.
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS includes 20 songs remastered for the collection. Most are taken from the Grammy winner’s first three albums—Carly Simon (1971), Anticipation (1971), and No Secrets (1972). They’re joined by an outtake of Simon covering John Prine’s “Angel From Montgomery” and the previously unreleased demo for “Alone.”
The new set touches on some of Simon’s biggest songs with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a Top 10 hit in 1970, and “Anticipation,” a #13 hit from 1971, whose refrain serves as the title to the new collection. Also included is the #1 smash “You’re So Vain,” which, in 1973, topped the singles chart for three weeks in the U.S., where it was certified gold. Years later, in 2004, the song was inducted into the GrammyÒ Hall of Fame. However, for most of the collection, Holzman focuses on deep tracks like “The Love’s Still Growing,” “Our First Day Together,” and “Embrace Me, You Child.”
The demo debuts here for “Alone,” a song that would appear later on Carly Simon. This early recording was part of the five-song demo Simon made in 1970 with a band fronted by session ace David Bromberg. She sent the tape to three record labels that year, Columbia, Atlantic, and Elektra. Holzman—who first saw Simon perform in Greenwich Village with her sister in the late ’60s—invited Simon to lunch, where they forged the lasting friendship celebrated in this collection.
In the booklet accompanying the set, music historian Ted Olson details Simon and Holzman’s short (three albums in three years) but successful partnership. It’s illustrated with rare photos from the period, and the commentary by Olson includes fresh insights from new interviews conducted with Simon and Holzman expressly for this set.
Simon says working wit Holzman was one of the peaks of her career, “There was never more care given to me. Never more respect, and I can surely say that I would never have become a performer had it not been for that first call from Jac after listening to my first little demo cassette.”
Holzman adds, “Carly ad I created a lifelong friendship born from our ’70s music collaboration. I think the good and positive effect we had on each other resulted in records that were gifts for Carly fans and music lovers the world over.”
THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS: THE CARLY SIMON AND JAC HOLZMAN STORY
2-LP Track Listing
LP One: Side One
1. “Anticipation”
2. “It Was So Easy”
3. “Alone” – Demo *
4. “The Best Thing”
5. “Dan, My Fling”
Side Two
1. “I’ve Got to Have You”
2. “The Love’s Still Growing”
3. “Summer’s Coming Around Again”
4. “Our First Day Together”
5. “Embrace Me, You Child”
LP Two: Side One
1. “Legend In Your Own Time”
2. “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”
3. “The Carter Family”
4. “Angel From Montgomery”
5. “Julie Through The Glass”
Side Two
1. “His Friends Are More Than Fond of Robin”
2. “Reunions”
3. “The Right Thing to Do”
4. “We Have No Secrets”
5. “You’re So Vain”
* previously unreleased
No stranger to success, and the challenges of mental health and wellness that come with being in the spotlight, Lisa Hartt was recently asked to perform in Rinkaby, Sweden for the Lilla By Festivalen, a small boutique festival nestled in a family friendly setting. As well, Lisa will appear on a panel as an Ambassador for the Drive Foundation Canada to discuss mental wellness in the music industry.
Lisa is of Viking heritage, her father Jan Eisenhardt was Danish, a sports pioneer and superstar. He was a tireless advocate for health having run the Brolebet “Bridge run” in 2000 from Denmark to Sweden on the newly completed bridge at 94 years of age. Posthumously inducted to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, Major Eisenhardt is also a member of the Order of Canada, one of Canada’s most prestigious Awards given to Canadians of Excellence.
Watch the promo reel below
“I have always been proud of being half Dane and have wanted to return to Scandinavia to sing and share my joy at being a Viking. I have some relatives still living in Denmark and Sweden and I would love to get to know them better. Sadly, I never learned to speak the language, as my Mother was an “English only kind of girl, however, it is never too late. I am so looking forward to singing in the land of my forebears.”
Lisa Hartt has worked with, recorded with and toured with some of the world’s most legendary artists, including Anne Murray, Ken Tobias, Gino Vannelli, April Wine, Rayburn Blake of Mashmakhan, The Lisa Hartt Band, Phil Ramone, David Foster, Maurice White and Natalie Cole, and recently resurfaced performances with Ted Gärdestad.
Television was always a big part of Lisa’s career and participating in the 1979 show “Lyssna Till Musiken” or “Listen to the Music” with Ted Gärdestad and herself as co-hosts, was a never to be forgotten journey. A close friendship developed on the set in both Sweden and Canada that had the young singers sharing stories and their personal lives at length in the time between takes on the sets. While they talked about their lives, Lisa spoke about her brother Chris, who was suffering from a mental breakdown, been diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, and was being treated in an institution in Montreal, Quebec. Ted shared his fears and dreams with Lisa about his time with Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and his own journey to the edge of darkness. He always said that writing was “a kind of therapy” for him and that is why he was so prolific. As with Lisa’s brother, neither Ted nor Chris were ever able to come to terms with their brain chemistry challenges, and both died far too young. Ted Gärdestad passed away in 1997 at the tender age of 42, Christopher Eisenhardt died in 2015 was 63 years of age.
While going through her files, Lisa found footage of both herself and Ted, and showed it to the Swedish/Canadian booking team and the folks at Lilla By Festivalen, never realizing she had in her possession cherished footage and heritage of a Swedish icon. As the story developed Lennart Ostlund, Ted’s Engineer and close friend at Polar Studios, Stockholm back in the day, was shown the footage, and the serendipitous journey began from there.
Watch the promo reel here: https://youtu.be/MTZ8FWBNH5M
“I have always cherished the time I spent in Sweden with Ted and the team and the close talks we had about our love lives, our spiritual leanings and our songwriting. I truly loved Ted as a brother, and to discover how his story is so important in the Swedish musical lexicon makes me so happy that I archived this footage and it has found its way into light once more to show his artistry and global reach. I am so glad to be celebrating this wonderful man and returning to my roots.”
Now Lisa Hartt, Lennart Ostlund and Janne Schaffer (another legendary guitarist in his own right) have made plans to perform and reunite at Lilla By Festivalen, August 25-26, 2023 in Rinkaby, Sweden.
In Sweden, Ted Gärdestad is an icon. A national treasure. His songs are sung at weddings, funerals, and parties. Some stanzas have become classic words used on Swedish coins, “Sun, Wind, and Water”. My Brother Ted – A Feature Movie Documentary is about to be released, is a touching declaration of love from a loving, big brother to a little brother. Parts of the film team, Anna Widerberg and Frederik Ydhag will participate in the Lilla By Festival to talk about the project to have the opportunity to meet and interview Canadian Lisa Hartt.
It is particularly serendipitous that two of the film’s participants, Janne Schaffer and Lennart Östlund, legends in their own right, also take part at Lilla By Festivalen.
Footage and videos of both Lisa Hartt and Ted Gärdestad, will be featured on the main stage, with his songs and Lisa’s being performed. Further details coming soon.
Lisa Hartt is also set to release her new EP August, 2023 called Arrival. The first single, “Don’t Tell Me How I Feel”, a song written and dedicated to her brother Christopher, was released in October 2023.
Ottawa-based Americana artist Francine Honey pays tribute to the charm of old-fashioned barbers while showing love to fathers everywhere in her heartwarming new single “Come Sit In My Chair.”
A personal anecdote on the profound connection found in getting your hair done, “Come Sit In My Chair” is a gentle reminder to appreciate the little moments in life.
Drawing inspiration from her family’s local salon in the small town of Tweed, Ontario, Francine Honey shares the intimate story of her father, a beloved barber in the community. Claude’s Hair Salon was a gathering place where locals would sit in his chair, share their stories, and receive a rejuvenating haircut that breathed new life into their spirits.
Produced and recorded live-off-the-floor in Nashville, “Come Sit In My Chair” brings together an extraordinary ensemble of musicians. Grammy-nominated Neilson Hubbard expertly produced and mixed the track while lending his exceptional drumming skills. The stellar lineup includes renowned musicians Pat Buchanan and Juan Solorzano on guitars, Dean Marold on bass, and Barry Walsh on piano. Dylan Alldredge engineered the recording at Skinny Elephant Recording Studios, and Jim Demain meticulously handled the mastering at YES Master Studios.
This musical endeavour is inspired by the dedication, commitment, unwavering moral code and work ethic exhibited by those in the hairdressing profession, like Honey’s father, Claude. Through his work, he became a confidant to many and helped shape the small town of Tweed, not uncommon with local barbers in many towns worldwide, furthering the song’s universal appeal.
Vibrant energy and family pride shine through with “Come Sit In My Chair,” particularly when Honey describes the enthusiastic work environment and beaming positivity radiating from Claude’s Hair Salon whenever a happy customer came into the salon.
“The hair fell down,
and He danced around the Chair as he crafted a style
The Swish of the scissors, the Buzz of the clippers,
‘fore you knew it, a brand new profile.”
Along with the new single, a music video for “Come Sit In My Chair” is set to be released on June 30th featuring Claude the Barber himself in Tweed, Ontario, where it all started. Scenes from Honey’s childhood are recreated, including a shot from when Honey was a little girl standing on a stool to cut Claude’s hair!
In 2018, Francine embarked on a collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard in Nashville, TN. She recorded her 4th full-length album, “to be continued…,” live off the floor in just six days and found the sound that she had been hearing in her head for her music. That combined with a 5-minute life-changing vocal lesson with Beth Neilson Chapman in 2015, Francine finally had a project she was proud of, so she released this internationally. The album garnered critical acclaim worldwide, with her song “Stay” reaching the top 10 finalist position in the 2018 International Songwriting Competition in the Americana and Blues categories. among thousands of entries globally. The song “Snowflakes on my Eyelashes” reached millions of people and to this day continues to help people through loss with the music video and CBC Country radio airplay for the song “Open Road”
As a bilingual artist, Francine Honey has released several French singles, including “Chez mon oncle Lucien” and “Floçons de neiges sur mes cils,” which received regular airplay on various radio stations. Her French version of the song “I Soldier On,” titled “Je vis sans limites,” continues to be sought out for Remembrance Day ceremonies in schools.
Honey released the album “Take Me to the North Pole” in 2019, featuring two original songs and re-imagined Christmas classics infused with a Country-Americana southern swagger. Rolling Stone Magazine recognized the album as one of the Top 40 Christmas Albums of the Year.
Throughout her career, Francine has consistently released new music and connected with her fans through live performances. When the pandemic hit in 2020, she embraced the virtual world, hosting a weekly livestream series called “Honey In Your Coffee.” Her single “I Carry On,” dedicated to essential workers, reached over 1.8 million people and received recognition in songwriting competitions worldwide. This was followed by many single releases and the album “I Carry On” in 2021. “I Carry On” has also received critical acclaim with the songs and videos reaching millions of people around the world, 2 #1s, 1 in Canada and 1 in London England. Many songwriting award placements including the Blues and Roots Radio songwriting contest, the International Songwriting Competition and the UK Songwriting Competition.
Along with a growing list of accolades, Honey was most recently awarded the 2023 Songwriter of the Year Award by the Austin Songwriter Group International with ten song placements, winning in the Blues, Folk/Americana, Love Songs and Inspirational categories.
Honey is finding success on her own terms and is inspiring others to do the same, helping others reach for their dreams and healing themselves along the way. “I just want to keep going, writing and producing remarkable songs. I am a songwriter and storyteller. I know I’ll do this for the rest of my life. This is my legacy, one song at a time,” says Honey.
Aleksi Campagne, Montreal’s bilingual indie-folk fiddle-singer, is ready to captivate and comfort listeners with his debut single “Won’t Be Scared,” available in English and French on June 10th, with the full-length album, For The Giving released on July 13, 2023.
The lead single “Won’t Be Scared” from his highly anticipated debut album, For The Giving, was selected was selected as a finalist at Kerrville Folk Festival’s prestigious songwriting competition, where Aleksi was the only Canadian to compete. The song explores the courage required when leaving home and venturing to new places for the first time, echoing Campagne’s personal journey as an artist. Campagne began performing alongside his mother, Canadian folk icon Connie Kaldor, at the age of five, and at nineteen moved to Paris to study under jazz violin legend Didier Lockwood. By twenty-five, Campagne’s musical odyssey has led him to grace the stages of Canada’s renowned folk festivals, including the Mariposa Folk Festival, the Regina Folk Festival, Canmore Folk festival, and the Northern Lights Festival, among others.
Given the emphasis on the violin in his music, it may surprise audiences that, “I sometimes wished that I had studied a harmonic instrument, like the guitar or piano, instead of the violin when I was younger because it would have made singing and playing–my two passions–much easier,” says Campagne regarding the difficult skill of fiddle-singing, “But having grown up at folk festivals, I got to see legends like April Verch or André Brunet sing while accompanying themselves on the fiddle, so I knew it was possible. It’s really thanks to their example that I now also fiddle-sing–but in my own indie-folk way.”
“Won’t Be Scared” is structured to be as comforting to the listener as possible, evident in its heartfelt lyrics, rich acoustic guitar, and the powerful unison of voices at the song’s peak. The choir of voices singing together at the halfway mark is made up of members of Aleksi’s musical family, reinforcing the importance of togetherness and community during difficult times. As a nod to his bilingual roots, Campagne is proud to release the single in both English and French.
For The Giving was made possible through grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and FACTOR, enabling Campagne to record the album in his childhood home during the COVID pandemic. Despite the challenges posed by the health restrictions, Campagne collaborated with his band remotely, creating intricate arrangements and incorporating elements such as vocal harmonies, strings, and a whistle solo. The final recording process took place with the producer and the band living together in Aleksi’s childhood home for a month, ensuring a safe and cohesive production.
Hey, do you like this song created by Dustin Ballard of There I Ruined It entirely of 4 Non Blondes, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, The Ramones, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown and others singing “Hey”?
