Alec Watson of Technology Connections answers a question I bet more than a few people even in the music industry can’t answer – how vinyl records hold sound and how a stylus can create two separate channels for stereophonic sound.
USPS Releases Art of the Skateboard Stamps
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its latest Forever stamps celebrating the Art of the Skateboard during a first-day-of-issue event held today at the Desert West Skate Park.
The dedication ceremony kicked off PHXAM 2023, an annual amateur skateboarding competition that attracts participants from around the globe. The event marked the official release of the stamps, which feature artistic skateboard decks with bold, vibrant designs that capture skateboarding’s excitement, diversity, and rebellious attitude.
“As an American institution older than our country itself, the Postal Service is always looking for ways to highlight and honor the stories and histories that are unique to the United States,” said William Zollars, a member of the USPS Board of Governors, who served as the dedicating official. “We are honored to do that again through these ‘Art of the Skateboard’ Forever stamps.”
Joining Zollars for the ceremony were stamp artists Crystal Worl, Di’Orr Greenwood, and Federico “MasPaz” Frum; Yassamin Ansari, Phoenix vice mayor; Cynthia Aguilar, director of Phoenix Parks and Recreation; and Trent Martin, CEO of Cowtown Skateboards.
Skateboarding now attracts a greater cross-section of people than ever before and recently debuted as a new Olympic sport at the 2020 Summer games in Tokyo.
The skateboarding community embodies youthful exuberance and independence; and its culture permeates everything from music and fashion to festivals and competitions. Its artwork reflects this reality, incorporating raw, creative designs which highlight the diversity of this culture and our country.
The Art of the Skateboard stamps feature four unique designs created by skateboarders-turned-artists Worl, Greenwood, MasPaz and William James Taylor Junior, also known as Core222.
Worl’s deck has a blue and indigo salmon design expressing her Tlingit/Athabascan heritage.
“The salmon formline represents abundance to the Indigenous people of the northern Northwest Coast and I’m proud that this uniquely Alaskan symbol will be immortalized on mailpieces across the country,” she said.
Greenwood’s design represents her Navajo culture, a turquoise-inlaid skateboard that displays eagle feathers and the colors of the rising or setting sun.
When creating her deck, Greenwood said she “wanted to capture the passion and perseverance of my people.”
“It is my sincere hope that through these amazing Forever stamps I can inspire youth worldwide to strive for and achieve greatness. Ahéhee’ (thank you) for this incredible opportunity, USPS,” she said.
Washington, DC based muralist MasPaz, Spanish for “more peace,” created a design featuring the mystical jaguar of the amazon in his unique bold lined style.
“Art helps me reconnect to the stories and land of my Colombian ancestors. The jaguar symbolizes the rainforest, guidance, and healing. Let her powerful call awaken all to live in peace and care for our home, Mother Earth.” he said. “I am incredibly grateful to the Postal Service for this opportunity to share the message of the jaguar across the country and worldwide.”
A striking red and orange graphic abstraction by self-taught Norfolk, VA artist Taylor energizes the final skateboard.
“These stamps are a celebration of the diverse and vibrant imagery, camaraderie, and athleticism of skateboarding,” said Core222, who was not able to be at the ceremony. “It was an immense honor and blessing to be a part of this project.”
Skateboard decoration has been particularly vibrant since the 1970s when inventive skaters rode in emptied backyard swimming pools.
Advanced skaters began experimenting with gravity-defying aerial maneuvers and eventually achieved the “vert” — shooting vertically up the pool’s side and cresting over the top edge. When skateboard magazines published photographs of these radical new moves, the skaters were catapulted to idol status and the in-your-face board graphics on the decks’ undersides became part of the allure.
Today, skaters and artists, one and the same, want boards that reflect their unique style and use a variety of techniques to achieve their desired look. Whether vulgar or highbrow, the artwork often employs ancient iconography and modern forms like graffiti art, absurd cartoons, and riffs on pop culture. Whatever the style, eye-catching deck art is ever evolving and an integral aspect of skateboarding cool.
“It’s satisfying to see the diversity of America represented by these artists,” said Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, who designed the stamps using photographs of skateboards held aloft by a young person, displaying the underside of the maple deck, where the artwork, wheels, and trucks all appear. The color saturation of each human model is muted to draw the eye to the skateboard itself. Stylish lines radiate from each skateboard in colors coordinated to the artwork.
The Art of the Skateboard stamps will be released in panes of 20, with 18 million copies in production. As Forever stamps, they will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price.
News of the stamps is being shared with the hashtag #ArtoftheSkateboardStamps.
Customers may purchase these new stamps and other philatelic products at Post Office locations nationwide, through The Postal Store website at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826, or by mail through USA Philatelic.
Jackson Browne Announces 2023 Summer Tour
Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne announces a 2023 summer tour with dates running from June through early August, performing songs spanning the length of his career.
See full list of tour dates below.
Jackson Browne SUMMER TOUR:
JUNE
June 3 – Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
June 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Benedum Center for the Performing Arts
June 6 – Akron, OH @ Akron Civic Theatre
June 7 – Toledo, OH @ Stranahan Theater
June 9 – Springfield, IL @ UIS Performing Arts Center
June 10 – Louisville, KY @ The Louisville Palace Theatre
June 12 – Springfield, MO @ MSU – Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts
June 13 – Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
June 15 – Madison, WI @ The Orpheum Theater
June 16 – Evansville, IN @ Victory Theatre
June 18 – Nashville, TN @ Grand Ole Opry
June 19 – Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center
JULY
July 14 – El Paso, TX @ Abraham Chavez Theatre
July 15 – Midland, TX @ Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center
July 18 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
July 19 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie
July 21 – Sugar Land, TX @ Smart Financial Centre
July 22 – New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre
July 25 – Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre
July 26 – Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
July 28 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jacksonville Center for the Perf. Arts | Moran Theater
July 29 – Orlando, FL @ Walt Disney Theater
AUGUST
August 1 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Perf. Arts
August 2 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
Janelle Monáe Is Expanding Her ‘Fem The Future’ Non-Profit Organization
Janelle Monáe teams up with Warner Music Group/ Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) to expand the programs of her non-profit, Fem the Future, whose mission is to build a fem-forward future by creating opportunities for under-resourced girls and non-binary youth of color in music, the arts, and education. The $150,000 grant will serve as a pilot for longer-term collaboration between the two organizations.
“In partnership with the Social Justice Fund, we’re giving girls the chance to own their power – and change the world,” says Janelle Monáe. “The SJF grant will support Fem the Future as it develops programming for girls and non-binary youth and shines light on their talent – helping them build confidence, expand educational opportunities and make informed decisions about their bodies, their lives and their futures. A beautiful future begins with uplifting the next generation of artists, activists and freedom fighters.”
“It is a joy to partner with Janelle Monáe and Fem the Future in their groundbreaking work,” says Lorelei Williams, Executive Director, WMG/BFF SJF. “As a cultural icon and catalyst, Janelle embodies liberation in her music and across all of her creative platforms, including Fem the Future. With the fall of Roe v. Wade and the rise of anti-LGBTQI+ bills, the fight for gender justice is more crucial than ever. Our bodies and our freedom are at stake. This grant will enable Fem the Future to scale up its programming; elevate the power and brilliance of Black girls and non-binary youth; and ensure greater access to life-changing opportunities.”
“On behalf of Fem the Future, we are beyond thrilled to partner with the WMG/BFF SJF,” says Christina Shareef, Fem the Future Board Chair. “This partnership represents a powerful opportunity to increase access and opportunities for women and girls of color in music, entertainment and the creative arts. By giving them the tools to succeed academically and professionally – and amplifying their voices and perspectives – we can spark lasting change in their lives. I am confident that together, we can make a real difference and I am excited for all the incredible things we will achieve.”
Fem the Future provides young women and girls with the resources and support they need to overcome the challenges associated with growing up in under-resourced communities of color. It expands the world of opportunities by supporting and creating after-school and summer enrichment activities that increase exposure and access to a variety of careers. In an effort to impact as many women and girls as possible, Fem the Future also resources organizations providing access to arts, music and leadership development-centric pedagogies.
The Warner Music Group/Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund advances racial justice at the intersection of culture and systems change. The Fund invests in organizations around the globe that build more just and equitable communities and create real change in the lives of historically underserved and marginalized people, principally Black populations. Its investments focus on education, arts and culture, and criminal justice reform, with the belief that work in these areas will aid in dismantling structural racism and advancing equity and justice for all people. Since the Fund’s launch in June 2020, the organization has committed over $25M to organizations on the frontlines of change. Gender justice is a key throughline across all SJF grant pillars and over 80 percent of SJF grantee partners are led by women of color in the U.S. and internationally.
First-Ever Full-Length Feature Documentary On Devo Is Coming This Year
BMG, Fremantle Documentaries, and Warner Music Entertainment (WME) are proud to announce their first collaborative feature film DEVO. The upcoming full-length documentary will also be the first-ever fully authorized film on the New Wave/Rock group. Bertelsmann companies BMG and Fremantle Documentaries, and WME are executive producers and financiers of the film, with all rights available worldwide.
Produced by VICE Studios and Library Films in association with Mutato Entertainment, DEVO is directed by Chris Smith (“Sr.”, American Movie, Fyre, Tiger King, 100 Foot Wave) and produced by Anita Greenspan and Chris Holmes for Mutato Entertainment. Executive producers are William Kennedy, Stuart Souter, and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG, Mandy Chang (Mystify: Michael Hutchence, Writing With Fire, The Fourth Estate, Welcome to Chechnya) for Fremantle Documentaries, and at Warner Music Group, Charlie Cohen for WME and Mark Pinkus for Rhino Entertainment.
Currently in production, DEVO chronicles the story of the band Devo, from their formation in the aftermath of the Kent State massacre, through their years as politically driven outsiders, into their surprising turn to the top of the charts with their breakout hit, “Whip It.”
Forming in 1973, Devo banded together initially as performance artists, disillusioned and radicalized by the shooting at Kent State where they were students. Their artistry was a commentary on corruption in the United States, the perceived “dumbing down” of an entire generation by mass media, and the commodification of a poisoned society.
With a mixture of archival footage, interviews from other characters in their orbit and a range of storytelling techniques the film’s inventive narrative will parallel the revolutionary creativity the band is known for. Ultimately, DEVO explores Devo’s evolution from hippie artistes to art-rockers with a message, to their unexpected mainstream success as a hit rock band and the pioneers of the MTV age.
Director Chris Smith comments, “DEVO was a huge influence on me. Their approach to music, film, video and art was something I had never seen before and was one of the truly formative artistic influences that showed me there were entirely new ways to look at things.”
BMG’s recent films include the highest grossing documentary film of 2022, Moonage Daydream (HBO Max); DIO: Dreamers Never Die (Showtime), and two upcoming feature length documentaries including one on award-winning singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now (Netflix); and Sundance selection Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), distributed by Utopia and helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Anton Corbijn.
Fremantle Documentaries is behind premium feature documentaries Mrs. America (Fremantle, Anonymous Content, Spinning Nancy), Kim’s Video (Fremantle, Carnivalesque Films) which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in January and fashion series Kingdom of Dreams from Misfits Entertainment, the team behind McQueen.
Warner Music Entertainment’s latest projects include Love, Lizzo (HBO Max), American Masters: Roberta Flack (PBS), and Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers (YouTube Originals).
3 Doors Down Announces Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour With Special Guest Candlebox
This summer, 3 Doors Down celebrates its sophomore album, Away From The Sun, by hitting amphitheaters in major markets across the US for the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour, produced by Live Nation. The band will be playing all of the songs from the album throughout the performances, plus all of their biggest hits. Artist Presale and VIP Packages are available beginning March 21 at 10am local time. The general onsale for the tour begins Friday, March 24 at 10am local time and will be available HERE.
This summer, 3 Doors Down celebrates its sophomore album, Away From The Sun, by hitting amphitheaters in major markets across the US for the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour, produced by Live Nation. The band will be playing all of the songs from the album throughout the performances, plus all of their biggest hits. Artist Presale and VIP Packages are available beginning March 21 at 10am local time. The general onsale for the tour begins Friday, March 24 at 10am local time.
Away From The Sun features “Here Without You,” which reached No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified 6x platinum in the US. The lead single, “When I’m Gone,” peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent seventeen weeks on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, becoming one of the longest-running number-one singles.
Special guest Candlebox will be supporting 3 Doors Down on the Away From The Sun Anniversary Tour for what is slated to be the band’s last US tour to promote the 30th anniversary of the band and their final farewell studio album being released later this year by Round Hill Records.
Candlebox will also perform at 3 Doors Down’s 18th Annual “The Better Life Foundation Concert” this fall. The event will take place at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, NC, on October 21. To date, The Better Life Foundation has donated over $3 Million to veterans, children, women, and humanitarian relief efforts domestically and around the globe.
“Away From The Sun has always been a personal favorite of mine because of how much it resonated with our country’s service members,” shares 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold. “We are so blessed to be able to celebrate these significant milestones because we were very young making these albums, and we still have so much more life to give our fans.” Arnold continues, “The show we are planning will be next level this year. It’s going to be incredible to have Candlebox on tour with us. I’ve been a fan of theirs since I was a teenager..”
3 Doors Down will also star in Season IV of television’s most successful nationally syndicated music-driven series, THE SONG, on March 25. THE SONG takes a quintessential look at the indelible legacies of celebrated recording artists and the music that made them famous. THE SONG airs on major network affiliates in 150 markets across the country. Click HERE for more information.
AWAY FROM THE SUN ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES
06.14 Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
06.16 Indianapolis, IN TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
06.17 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06.21 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
06.23** Dubuque, IA Q Casino
06.24** Prior Lake, MN Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
06.28 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
06.30 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
07.01 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
07.05** Traverse City, MI Cherry Festival
07.07** Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center
07.08** Grantville, PA Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
07.13** Wheatland, CA Hard Rock Live Sacramento
07.15** Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Fair
07.16** Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
07.18 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre
07.20 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre
07.21** Fort Hall, ID Shoshone-Bannock Casino
07.23** Great Falls, MT Voyagers Stadium
07.25 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
07.27 Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
07.28 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater
08.04 Corbin, KY The Corbin Arena
08.05 Tuscaloosa, AL Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
08.09 Rogers, AR Walmart AMP
08.11 Southaven, MS BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
08.12** Sedalia, MO Missouri State Fair
08.16 Orange Beach, AL The Wharf Amphitheater
08.18 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater
08.19 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
08.23 New Orleans, LA Champions Square
08.25 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
08.26 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheater
08.30 Simpsonville, SC CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
09.01 Charleston, SC Credit One Stadium
09.02 Charlotte, NC Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
09.06 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre
09.08 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
09.09 Brandon, MS Brandon Amphitheater
09.13 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place
09.15 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
at the FL State Fairgrounds
09.16 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheater
09.20 Austin, TX Moody Amphitheater
09.22 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
09.23 Sugar Land, TX Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
10.21** Cherokee, NC Harrah’s Cherokee
The Maple Blues Band Releases “Savona Shuffle” Single And Video From Their Let’s Go Album
The Maple Blues Band is back, and groovier than ever as they get set to drop another bluesy classic with their newest single, “Savona Shuffle” with the music video produced directed by 30-year Canadian Blues legend and recent Maple Blues Drummer of the Year winner, Jim Casson featuring all band members making cameo appearances.
Led by musical director and bassist, Gary Kendall, and joined by an all-star cast of proud Canadian musicians – Savona Shuffle is featured on their newly released debut album, “Let’s Go,” a 10-track instrumental record that will be sure to get listeners tapping their feet and nodding their heads throughout the album’s playlist.
Kendall describes the band’s celebration of their newly released record by saying: “The 10 tracks on our Cordova Bay Records release, Let’s Go are a group effort. The song writing credits are spread over 24 years and include past and present band members.” He then pays homage to his nine other band members who helped create the album. “The men and women I chose to surround myself within The Maple Blues Band are part of the enormous southern Ontario pool of Blues talent. Each one of them is a star and when I’m in their presence they take me to a very comfortable and extremely high level of musicianship.”
Savona Shuffle is a lively instrumental piece that embodies the musical core of The Maple Blues Band. The track begins with a driving drumbeat by 30-year Canadian Blues legend and recent Maple Blues winner, Jim Casson, and a funky bass line that immediately sets a groovy tone for the rest of the song. You can then hear lead guitarist and Maple Blues Guitarist of The Year Award winner Teddy Leonard, deliver a catchy riff to the upbeat tone of the piece.
Each instrument takes a turn to shine throughout the track, with the tenor sax, harmonica, trombone and organ, combining lively solos that add a unique creative element to the song.
The 8-time Maple Blues Award winner for Bassist of the Year and band leader, Gary Kendall, dives further into the journey of making Savona Shuffle and how it took on a new life after going back to the project years later. “Al Lerman and former band member Chris Whiteley became my co-writers for the song. At the time Al lived on Savona Ave. in the Etobicoke neighbourhood of Toronto. We pulled Savona Shuffle together there and named it after the street that house was on and it debuted at the 2007 Maple Blues Awards.”
At that time and in Kendall’s own words, he said that the song never caught fire and it fell into the back shelf of their music library and was only used again on just one occasion.
Kendall concludes with the origins of the re-birth of Savona Shuffle by saying: “In 2021 while preparing our set of instrumentals for The Calgary Blues Festival, I went back to it and realized that with a new arrangement, it could be a better song. I took my idea to Pat Carey, our tenor saxophonist and horn section arranger, gave him my thoughts for a rework and that was all it took.”
SULTANS OF STRING Broadcast Cannes World Film Festival Winning Doc ‘The Refuge Project’ at Canadian Folk Music Awards
Global Ambassadors of Musical Diversity, SULTANS OF STRING, will shine a light on the Plight of Refugees with its Cannes World Film Festival winning Documentary, Sultans of String: The Refuge Project – Visual Album, at the 18th Annual CANADIAN FOLK MUSIC AWARDS on Sat April 1, 2023 @ 3pmPT.
Leading with four nominations for their “Sanctuary” album (Contemporary, Global Roots, Pushing the Boundaries, and Producer of the Year), this Billboard charting band’s film features music and interviews from “Sanctuary” as well as sister album “Refuge”, both served up under lockdown.
This 1.5 hour screening will be followed by a fun Q&A with bandleader and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient Chris McKhool and co-producer John “Beetle” Bailey, hosted by Michael Tymchuk.
Mixed in full Dolby Atmos, this ambitious, diverse, inclusive, and passionately political film puts this world music supergroup face-to-face with a VIP roster of global ‘ambassadors,’ some of whom are recent immigrants and refugees to Canada and the U.S., as well as essential Indigenous voices. All are masters of global music that communicate with each other through the universal language of music.
Addressing the struggles of life on Mother Earth has always inspired this band. In Sultans of String: The Refuge Project – Visual Album, they bring their unique brand of musical synergy and collaboration to bear on discussion and songs that speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced peoples—their stories, their songs, their persistence and their humanity.
Joined by an international cast, this three-time JUNO nominated band immerses themselves in the plight of the international refugee, and the humanitarian response that should greet everyone in search of a home.
McKhool (whose paternal, Makhoul, grandfather was from Lebanon) explains, “The larger Refuge Project is centred around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to Canada and the United States. We are bringing in special guests that are newcomers to this land, as well as global talents that have been ambassadors for peace. We wish to celebrate the successes of those who make the journey here and bring their extraordinary talents with them, in this case, music. Each one of us has a remarkable story to tell, and we are excited to share the beauty of these collaborations with you.”
The Refuge Project features stellar performances by Ahmed Moneka and Imad Al Taha, refugees from Iraq, Syrian refugee Leen Hamo, Donné Roberts from Madagascar with partner Yukiko Tsutsui from Japan, Algeria’s Fethi Nadjem, Colombian refugee Juan Carlos Medrano, Iran’s Padideh Ahrarnejad, Romani Nyckelharpa player Saskia Tomkins, tabla player Ravi Naimpally from India,sitar player Anwar Khurshid from Pakistan, string ensemble Gundem Yayli Grubu from Istanbul, and many, many more, including an orchestral version of “The Power of the Land” featuring Indigenous performers Duke Redbird and Twin Flames.
“The true inspiration behind these albums and film is the incredible artists we get to collaborate with,” says McKhool. “We learn so much from these diverse voices, and each one of them is so personally inspiring. As Ahmed Moneka, an artist and refugee from Iraq says, ‘Love is the main reason for a great future,” and we are so privileged to be able to collaborate with so many incredible voices on this project.”
The film is receiving industry recognition on the Film Festival circuit including the Cannes World Film Festival, Vancouver Independent Film Festival, Best Istanbul Film Festival, Paris Movie Festival, Montreal Independent, Hamburg Indie, Boston Independent, and Folk in Film Festivals.
Montreal Folk Artist Silka Weil Releases New Single “Unsatisfied”
Montreal-based folk-pop artist Silka Weil combines unapologetic sexiness with raw vulnerability on her jangly, electric-infused new single “Unsatisfied” – available now – telling a complex story of evolving emotions.
Weil’s voice captures the perfect amount of Stevie Nicks huskiness, and “Unsatisfied” doesn’t recount a narrative so much as it captures a heady cocktail of emotions in the aftermath of a story. It’s driving and soaring, with a slinky, gritty, slightly psychedelic sensibility. Lyrically, there’s shame and anger, but also jolts of naked desire:
Sometimes I feel unreachable
But if you break me I might fall
Sometimes I’m good yes I can walk
Sometimes I just need to crawl
So push me up against the wall
In the corresponding video, Weil runs playfully through a snowy wood, leaning suggestively against the trees, and you can see her laugh a little when she sings the line “And screw me good/’Cause it’s not nice.” Eventually, she’s caught by a man whose face we never see – his arms wrapped around her lovingly. The final provocative shot is a closeup of a tree’s branches, the snow shaking off of them rhythmically.
“‘Unsatisfied’ is an unapologetic track about giving into what we want, consequences be damned,” Weil explains. “It provides a refreshingly honest take on female desire unburdened by social norms. It’s a fun and flirty track that defies the stale narrative that women can’t have as much of a libido as men have.”
The song captures Weil’s real emotions from a situation that felt complex, and the song changed from when it was first written to when it was recorded.
“Initially, I was exorcizing shame and anger. I was ashamed of myself for letting myself be mistreated and then crawling right back to the same situation,” she divulges. “But over time, I have leaned into something more playful and rebellious. I wasn’t a victim – I had agency and I made choices. Even though the lyrics haven’t changed, I’ve managed to access another aspect of life in the song. Less shame and more reveling in the pleasure of the moment. Shame and pleasure do, on occasion, shadow one another.”
Weil purposely left the song, and the video, ambiguous so as to allow the listener to the fill in the narrative gaps. “I explore the playful parts of the song more in the music video where I laugh and dance in a snowstorm,” she says. “While running from something or someone. Who or what? That is left to the imagination.”
Still, the song is meant to foster connection, to get listeners to tap into their own vulnerability, and their own desire. “When I first started to play this song in bars, I felt exposed,” Weil recalls. “So if you listen to the song and it feels like I’m letting you in on a secret, it’s because I am. I think this is why it ended up being the song people would connect with the most. It moved them. It’s always the one I get approached about after a set.”
Silka Weil is a Montreal-based singer-songwriter who has been active as a musician for several years. Weil’s debut single “Capsized,” her first commercial release, was well-received by critics and listeners alike and received international radio play. Her second single, “Unsatisfied,” is the precursor to an EP that will be released this Spring.
Weil layers silky vocal arrangements full of poetry and emotion with atmospheric instrumentals for an ethereal musical experience. Her folksy pop-rock sound draws inspiration from vintage pop and contemporary artists, with a particular affection for ’90s female powerhouses like Alanis Morissette, PJ Harvey, and Dido.
Toronto Singer-Songwriter Lisa Humber Releases “The Space Between”
Sometimes great things happen when you least expect it.
Singer-songwriter Lisa Humber knows this, as inspiration for her latest single, “The Space Between”, came about just as she and her collaborators were beginning to wind down the recording sessions for her debut EP of the same name.
The song’s lyrics reflect in some ways on her musical journey. The words that came to her speak to the struggle between one’s aspirations and one’s reality, capturing the pressure felt in making all of those tiny decisions that shape and shift who we become.
Humber sings of being at a crossroads: “I’ve been searching all the time/For this fragile heart of mine/To fill in the space between/Your aloofness and my dreams.”
Co-writer, guitarist and producer Justin Abedin crafted an uptempo accompaniment on acoustic guitar and a beat that captures the frenzied feeling of falling “between the cracks”, in the “space between her hell and back.”
It’s the perfect centerpiece to her debut record.
Originally from Sudbury, Humber has worked behind the scenes in the theatre world for 20 years as a stage manager on most of the commercial musicals that have played in Toronto.
It was the sudden, unexpected pandemic cancellation of everything in the arts in 2020 that prompted Humber to finally climb out from behind the scenes and pursue her love of music, working towards releasing the album she’s always envisioned.
“When it felt like everything else had been taken away,” says Lisa, “music and the stories I wanted to share through my own creations was the only thing that made sense.”
She and Abedin, whom she met while working backstage on the musical Come From Away, assembled a group of skilled musicians – Richard Evans and Scott Galloway on piano and keyboards, bassist Drew Birston, Kevin Fox on cello, and Lyle Molzan and Davide Di Renzo on drums – and hit Toronto’s Toast + Jam Studios to lay down tracks.
The result is a collection of eight moving and personal songs, all written by Humber and Abedin, that run the gamut from indie pop to adult alternative. They include the hopeful melancholy of “Not Worth Losing”, the doomed relationship of “Lucky 13”, and the frustration of watching someone pretend to be someone else in “Skin”.
Together, the collection highlights life in the space between the good, the bad and the messy.
Though it was the last song written by Lisa and Justin, “The Space Between” deftly ties it all together, documenting as it does Humber’s discovery of the blue sky behind the dark clouds. It just had to end up being the title song of the EP.
“I really hope ‘The Space Between’ inspires others to move towards the blue skies version of their lives,” Lisa adds.
“The Space Between” single and EP is out now on all streaming services.