Packed to the brim with positive vibes and infectious melody, Edmonton’s family performer Beppie is poised to make a strong run for a JUNO Award and Grammy this year with her newest album – Nice To Meet You, featuring songs like “Great Day.”
JUNO and WCMA Nominee Beppie is no stranger to a good time. Funneling all of her positive energy and worldly inspirations into a catchy and unforgettable album feels like a small feat for this genre-bending family-friendly musician.
Driven by the passion that comes with motherhood, Beppie delivers kind-hearted productions that paint fantastical worlds welcome to all for exploration. Children’s entertainers Team T&J call Beppie’s newest release “a creative journey with quirky, clever lyrics, that paint the most colorful images in your mind of the stories she tells.”
While storytelling is a driving force behind the Beppie movement, there is particularly satisfying attention to detail when it comes to the production side of things. Hailed across the board for her mixes, “Great Day” is another addition to a musically flawless catalog of upbeat and family-friendly music.
Kerry Gogan of GoKerryGo Productions calls Beppie’s newest release “a HELL OF A RECORD,” adding “the musicality is 100%, SONGS are appealing to every generation – and the mix is sonically perfect.”
“Great Day” is the lead-off track for Beppie’s newest album, Nice To Meet You – a 10-song compilation introducing youth to a refreshing array of musical genres. Featuring jazz, pop, rock, and indie genres, there is plenty of family-friendly fun tightly packed into Beppie’s explosive new album.
Media specialists Believe Agency share their thoughts on Beppie’s newest album, saying;
“WOW! Nice to meet YOU! How FUN are you! WISH we had more like you. Beautiful voice and great lyrics make me sing with you as I visualize yesteryear that we ALL journey through. What Mom or Dad wouldn’t want this played way up as they drive to and fro?”
Beppie is the elaborate brainchild of one Stephanie Nhan, an Edmonton resident looking to push the boundaries of children’s music. She hit the children’s music scene in 2017 with her debut album, There’s a Song Inside Me. Since then, she has released four more full-length albums receiving two WCMA nominations and a JUNO nomination. Her multi-genre music is refreshingly modern, fun, and innovative. She pushes the boundaries of children’s music to appeal to audiences of all ages with radio-quality production, humor, and unique listening experiences.
A music educator by trade, Stephanie provides programming and performances for schools, festivals, and libraries. She is a new member of the 2022 Recording Academy Class and has recently signed on with Platoon (Apple Music) to release her latest album, Nice to Meet You. The inspiration for her music comes from her three young children who sing and compose with her at home every day.
“Great Day” as well as Nice To Meet You are available now.
From the remote, far northern reaches of Nunavut to the glistening towers of metropolitan Montréal, there is a world of difference in environment, culture, and language. However, music is one very powerful way to make a universally identifiable and relatable connection between those worlds. Award-winning, chart-topping Inuk songwriter, throat-singer and educator Angela Amarualik has put her personal experiences of navigating both of these worlds into her touching brand new single, “Stranger Of My Kind”, available now, and her upcoming second album Uvannik ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ.
Incorporating both Inuktitut and English lyrics, Inuit melodies and pop instrumentation and production, “Stranger Of My Kind” is, in and of itself, a beautiful blend of worlds threaded together by Amarualik’s sweet, emotive vocals. Inspired by early 2000’s pop and some of the artists Amarualik listened to while growing up, like Beatrice Deer and Hillary Duff, the song reflects on her experience of leaving her childhood home of Igloolik, Nunavut, moving near the big city of Montréal and missing home.
“It paints the picture of being stuck between two worlds and figuring out where you belong,” notes Amarualik.
If I can go back to those I remember, I would be with them, if I could go back. Leave my worries behind, or is this my life?
ᐃᓅᓯᕋ ᐅᑎᕈᓐᓇᕈᓂ, ᓱᖅᑯᐃᒋᔭᒃᑲ ᐅᐸᒃᓯᒪᓚᐅᑲᒡᓗᒋ ᐅᑎᕈᓐᓇᕈᒪ. ᕿᒪᒡᓗᒋ ᑕᐃᒪ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑎᒃᑲ ᐅᕝᕙᓗᑭᐊᖅ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓅᓯᕆᕙᕋ?
“Stranger Of My Kind” is one of a number of songs on the 2019 Indigenous Music Award winner’s Uvannik ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ that explores leaving home to discover one’s identity, loneliness, uncertainty about the future, and ultimately, hope for what lies ahead. Helmed by international hit-making producer and songwriter Chris Birkett (Sinéad O’Connor, Buffy Sainte-Marie), Amarualik’s sophomore release is poised to build on the success of her 2018 self-titled debut, which saw her reach the top of the Indigenous Music Countdown and brought her a Best Inuit, Indigenous Language, or Francophone Album honour and three other Indigenous Music Awards nominations including Best New Artist.
With production originally delayed by the start of our global pandemic, Amarualik’s new album ended up coming together very collaboratively, largely during an artist retreat and workshop hosted by her label, the Inuit artist focused Hitmakerz, in Ottawa in 2021. Amarualik was one of six artists invited to attend the songwriting and production workshop led by label head Thor Simonsen, along with Joey Nowyuk, Jacob Okatisak, Brenda Montana, Aocelyn, and Shauna Seeteenak. This was where she connected and worked with her producer, Birkett, and collaborated with Ottawa-based artists such as Ash Ravens, whom Amarualik wrote “She” with, a moving tribute to her mother.
In a duet collaboration for “Uvannik” ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ with Amarualik, professional throat-singer and fellow Hitmakerz artist, Qattuu, is featured on the track “Sanngijuq”. The song was inspired by a children’s book Qattuu read to her young daughter about confidence and fearlessness. It tells the story of closing one’s eyes and imagining the Northern lights to overcome your fears, being brave, bold, and strong.
Executive Produced by Thor Simonsen and set for release on October 22, Uvannik ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ is also supported by Canada Council for the Arts and the Government of Nunavut. The support and mentorship that Amarualik has received throughout her blossoming career has served to make the rising star committed to helping fellow Inuit artists develop. Since releasing and touring behind her 2018 debut, Amarualik has also taught musical workshops to Inuit youth, initially through the mentorship of the acclaimed Inuk artist Kelly Fraser, who tragically died by suicide in 2019.
Amarualik pays tribute to her late mentor and close friend with two tracks on her new album. First is a cover of Dani and Lizzy’s “Dancing in the Sky”. Amarualik said she felt connected to this song because of Fraser’s deep love for music. “I hope she is dancing in the sky today,” she says. The title track, “Uvannik”, is an original that Amarualik wrote in dedication to Fraser as well.
While growing up in a community with many social problems, Amarualik worked hard to overcome extreme shyness, stay positive, improve her circumstances, and eventually lead by example. Through her own deep love for music and Inuit culture, and the help of Fraser and other mentors like Thor Simonsen and the Hitmakerz team, Amarualik has become a brave, strong, and independent artist with much to share with the world.
Uvannik ᐅᕙᓐᓂᒃ and “Stranger Of My Kind” is available now.
Hunter Lott’s album, “I Stand My Ground, “released on October 22nd, is all about relating to his fans.
Growing up in Mississippi and now based in Tennessee, where Country music roots run deep, Hunter Lott’s music from this album has already won him consideration in the first round of Votes for the 2023 Grammys with his songs “Honky Tonk Special” & “I Stand My Ground” (Country Solo performance).
Challenging experiences are a source of new material for songwriters and the whole process can be powerfully therapeutic. That’s what fuels Hunter’s songwriting. The loss of his grandfather sent Hunter and his family into a quiet, mournful space where they weren’t doing much living. The death created a painful loss to the family circle, but that end was a beginning for Lott on this path, he learned to play his electric guitar and his mother says his music helped lift her out of a dark space.
Hunter’s main goal is for people to be able to relate to his lyrics; and hopefully, generate a message that it’s better to co-exist, peacefully.
“We live in a time where tensions can sometimes run high because so many people are very passionate about where they stand and what they believe in. I’ve had to stand my ground a time or two,” says Hunter. “I think the world is big enough for everyone to peacefully express how they feel without being chastised about it. Since moving to Tennessee a year ago and playing at some of the most iconic bars on Broadway, I’ve really been challenged on my beliefs. Before I had my own band members, most of the house band musicians didn’t understand how I could show up, perform, and then just go home, but that’s exactly what I did, and still do. I wrote this song one evening, 5 months after moving to Tennessee,” says Hunter.
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter
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2022 has seen Paul McCartney celebrate yet another series of landmarks. Just one week after his 80th birthday, Paul headlined the 2022 Glastonbury Festival, playing an unforgettable set that inspired deafening singalongs from the largest crowd the mainstage had ever seen. Hailed as the best gig ever by critics and fans alike, it was a fitting celebration of an extraordinary career. Today, the revelry continues as Paul announces the release of The 7” Singles Box, featuring 80 x 7” Paul McCartney singles – including such global chart smashing tracks as “My Love,” “Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” “Silly Love Songs,” “Coming Up,” “Ebony and Ivory,” “Say Say Say,” “No More Lonely Nights,” “Wonderful Christmastime” and many more. The box set includes 163 tracks totaling over 10 hours of music and will also be released digitally. Preorder The 7” Singles Box HERE.
Recognized by Guinness World Records as “the most successful songwriter of all time,” Paul’s 7” Singles Box is a remarkable testament to this accolade, featuring songs that have sound-tracked our lives and that are loved and sung around the world today.
The format of the 7” single had a profound impact and influence on Paul both as a songwriter and as a music fan. Paul recalls in his foreword that comes with this set how he still enjoys the thrill of flicking through crates in record shops looking for new discoveries and how much respect he and The Beatles had for the B-side.
Available from December 2nd, The 7” Singles Box is the ultimate package for any McCartney fan. From 1971’s “Another Day” to a 7” version of 2022’s Record Store Day Song of the Year, “Women and Wives” (taken from 2020’s chart-topping McCartney III) – the 80 singles included represent half a century of Paul’s life showcasing his prolific creativity and relentless innovation. An absolute treasure trove of music, the box set features recreations of 65 singles – complete with their original B-sides (using restored artwork from 11 different countries) as well as 15 singles never before released on 7”. These 15 singles are made up from tracks previously released on 12”, picture discs, CD singles & promos, digital downloads, music videos, two previously unheard demos, and a previously unheard 7” single edit.
The box set is beautifully presented in a special wooden art crate, designed and built in Derbyshire, UK, and is packed with incredible content, including a 148-page book that features a personal foreword by Paul, an essay by music journalist Rob Sheffield and extensive chart information, liner notes, and single artwork. Each box includes a randomly selected exclusive test pressing of one of the singles.
This numbered limited-edition collection of 80 x 7” singles personally supervised by Paul McCartney contains:
● Recreations of 65 singles/promos using restored original artwork from 11 different countries
● 15 singles never-before-released on 7” including:
Singles previously released on 12”, picture discs, CD singles/promos, digital downloads, and music videos
2 x previously unheard demos
1 x previously unheard 7” single edit
1 x EP
● 1 exclusive test pressing randomly selected from the manufacturing process
● 148-page book containing foreword from Paul, essay by Rob Sheffield, recording notes, release dates, and chart information on each of the singles – each single included is shown on the attached insert, which will be packed into each box
● Remastered and cut at Abbey Road Studios, London
All housed in a two-piece, four-walled FSC-approved Redwood pine and Birch Ply wooden art crate manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Paul McCartney The 7” Singles Box Track Listing:
1970, Sweden
1A: Another Day
1B: Oh Woman, Oh Why
1971, US Mono
Promotional Release
2A: Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey [Mono]
2B: Too Many People [Mono]
1971, UK
3A: The Back Seat of My Car
3B: Heart of the Country
Previously unreleased on 7”
4A: Love Is Strange [Single Edit]
4B: I Am Your Singer
1972, UK
5A: Give Ireland Back to the Irish
5B: Give Ireland Back to the Irish [Version]
1972, UK
6A: Mary Had a Little Lamb
6B: Little Woman Love
1972, Belgium
7A: Hi, Hi, Hi
7AA: C Moon
1973, Israel
8A: My Love
8B: The Mess [Live at The Hague]
1973, Sweden
9A: Live and Let Die
9B: I Lie Around
1973, Spain
10A: Helen Wheels
10B: Country Dreamer
1974, Germany
11A: Jet
11B: Let Me Roll It
1974, Germany
12A: Band on the Run
12B: Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
1974, The Netherlands
13A: Mrs. Vandebilt
13B: Bluebird
1974, Belgium
14A: Junior’s Farm
14B: Sally G
1975, Australia
15A: Listen to What the Man Said
15B: Love in Song
1975, Germany
16A: Letting Go
16B: You Gave Me the Answer
1975, Belgium
17A: Venus and Mars / Rock Show
17B: Magneto and Titanium Man
1976, France
18A: Silly Love Songs
18B: Cook of the House
1976, Germany
19A: Let ‘Em In
19B: Beware My Love
1977, Japan
20A: Maybe I’m Amazed (Live)
20B: Soily (Live)
1977, UK
21A: Mull of Kintyre
21AA: Girls’ School1978,Germany
22A: With a Little Luck (DJ Edit)
22B: Backwards Traveller/Cuff Link
1978, UK
23A: I’ve Had Enough
23B: Deliver Your Children
1978, The Netherlands
24A: London Town
24B: I’m Carrying
1978, France
25A: Goodnight Tonight
25B: Daytime Nightime Suffering
1979, UK
26A: Old Siam, Sir
26B: Spin It On
1979, UK
27A: Getting Closer
27AA: Baby’s Request
1979, Japan
28A: Arrow Through Me
28B: Old Siam, Sir
1979, UK
29A: Wonderful Christmastime
29B: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae
1980, UK
30A: Coming Up
30B: Coming Up (Live at Glasgow) 30BB: Lunch Box/Odd Sox
1980, UK
31A: Waterfalls
31B: Check My Machine
Previously unreleased on 7”
32A: Temporary Secretary
32B: Secret Friend
[7” Single Edit]
1982, UK
33A: Ebony and Ivory
33B: Rainclouds
1982, UK
34A: Take It Away
34B: I’ll Give You a Ring
1982, UK
35A: Tug of War
35B: Get It
1983, UK
36A: Say Say Say
36B: Ode to a Koala Bear
1983, UK
37A: Pipes of Peace
37B: So Bad
1984, UK
38A: No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
38B: No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)
1984, UK
39A: We All Stand Together
39B: We All Stand Together (Humming Version)
1985, US
40A: Spies Like Us
40B: My Carnival
1986, US
41A: Press [Video Edit]
41B: It’s Not True
1986, Art reformatted from US 12” promotional vinyl
42A: Pretty Little Head (Remix)
42B: Write Away
1986, US
43A: Stranglehold
43B: Angry (Remix)
1986, UK
44A: Only Love Remains
44B: Tough on a Tightrope
1987, UK
45A: Once Upon a Long Ago
45B: Back on My Feet
1989, US
46A: My Brave Face
46B: Flying to My Home
1989, UK
47A: This One
47B: The First Stone
1989, Australia
48A: Figure of Eight [7” Bob Clearmountain Mix]
48B: Où Est le Soleil
1989, UK
49A: Party Party
49B: Artwork etching
1990, UK
50A: Put It There
50B: Mama’s Little Girl
1990, Europe
51A: The Long and Winding Road
51B: C Moon
1990, UK
52A: Birthday
52B: Good Day Sunshine
1990, UK
53A: All My Trials
53B: C Moon
Previously unreleased on 7”
54A: The World You’re Coming Into
54AA: Tres Conejos
54B: Save the Child
54BB: The Drinking Song (Let’s Find Ourselves a Little Hostelry
1992, Europe
55A: Hope of Deliverance
55B: Long Leather Coat
1993, Germany
56A: C’Mon People
56B: I Can’t Imagine
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
57A: Young Boy
57B: Looking for You
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
58A: The World Tonight
58B: Used to Be Bad
1997, Reformatted from 7” picture disc
59A: Beautiful Night
59B: Love Come Tumbling Down
1999, UK
60A: No Other Baby
60B: Brown Eyed Handsome Man
60BB: Fabulous
2001, Europe
61A: From a Lover to a Friend
61B: Riding into Jaipur
2004, Europe
62A: Tropic Island Hum
62B: We All Stand Together
2005, Europe
63A: Fine Line
63B: Growing Up Falling Down
New Order are delighted to announce the release of the definitive edition of their 1985 studio album Low-Life. The collection includes an LP (180g), x2CDs, x2DVDs, a book and features unreleased rare material across the different formats and new sleeve designs.
CD 2 contains previously unreleased mixes and alternative versions, including Love Vigilantes and Sub-Culture instrumentals, Sooner Than You Think Full Length Unedited.
The two DVDs include an unreleased performance from The Manhattan Club, Belgium and rarely seen footage from Rotterdam Arena (Netherlands), International Centre (Toronto, Canada) and a BBC filmed Whistle Test at The Hacienda, 1985.
The 180g vinyl LP will be wrapped in its original ‘heavyweight tracing paper’, designed by Peter Saville. In addition, the CD will also be wrapped in the same way for the first time ever
Also included in the set is a beautifully presented hardback book featuring rare photos and a new interview with all band members.
In addition to the boxset, New Order are also releasing the 12” singles including a limited edition version of The Perfect Kiss pressed on Crystal Clear vinyl in a ‘mirror sleeve’. Sub-Culture’s plain black (no label) sleeve has also been updated with a new design, incorporating the original concept.
Peter Saville says of The Perfect Kiss “The mirror finish for The Perfect Kiss sleeve was the idea at the time (1985) that unfortunately was not realised. I have wanted to see it ever since. The original concept was intended to evoke the reflective glamour of a lipstick (re Perfect Kiss) in a minimal / pop art style. The Perfect Kiss in this form will be transformative and a must-have for fans and collectors alike”.
Peter Saville says of Sub-Culture “LABEL ONLY was specified in 1985 due to time pressure around the original release and as a consequence, a sleeve design for the re-release has no actual precedent. However, exploring the principle ‘the solution is in the problem’ has led to the subliminal evocation of a sleeve that is still LABEL ONLY”.
Low-Life was recorded in 1984 at Jam and Britannia Row Studios and produced by New Order.
TRACKLISTING AND FORMATS
12” Singles
● Sub-Culture (with updated sleeve)
● Shellshock
● The Perfect Kiss
● The Perfect Kiss D2C exclusive (Crystal Clear vinyl & Mirror Sleeve)
LP 180g Vinyl
Side one
1. Love Vigilantes
2. The Perfect Kiss
3. This Time of Night
4. Sunrise
Side two
1. Elegia
2. Sooner Than You Think
3. Sub-Culture
4. Face Up
CD1
1. Love Vigilantes
2. The Perfect Kiss
3. This Time Of Night
4. Sunrise
5. Elegia
6. Sooner Than You Think
7. Sub-Culture
8. Face Up
CD2: Extras
1. Love Vigilantes – TV Pitch Instrumental Edit (mono)
2. The Perfect Kiss – Writing Session Recording
3. Untitled no. 1 – Writing Session Recording
4. Sunrise – Instrumental Rough Mix **
5. Elegia – Full Length Version *
6. Sooner Than You Think – Album Session Unedited Version
7. Sub-Culture – Album Session Early Instrumental Version
8. Face Up – Writing Session Recording
9. Let’s Go – Album Session Instrumental
10. Untitled no. 2 – Writing Session Recording
11. Sunrise – Writing Session Recording
12. Love Vigilantes – Writing Session Recording
13. Sooner Than You Think – Writing Session Recording
14. Skullcrusher – Demo
All tracks previously unreleased except * and ** (previously unreleased on CD and Digital)
DVD1
Live in Tokyo
The Koseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan 1985
1. Confusion
2. Love Vigilantes
3. We All Stand
4. As It Is When It Was
5. Sub-Culture
6. Face Up
7. Sunrise
8. This Time Of Night
9. Blue Monday
Live in Rotterdam
The Rotterdam Arena, Netherlands 1985
10. As It Is When It Was
11. Everything’s Gone Green*
12. Sub-Culture*
13. Ceremony*
14. Let’s Go*
15. This Time Of Night*
16. The Village
17. The Perfect Kiss*
18. Age Of Consent*
19. Sunrise
20. Temptation*
21. Face Up*
Live in Manchester
Whistle Test, The Hacienda 1985
22. As It Is When It Was
23. Sunrise
24. Face Up – Restored version using available footage from The Hacienda Dec ‘85 and July ‘85.
DVD2
Live in Leuven
The Manhattan Club, Leuven, Belgium 1985
1. Let’s Go*
2. The Perfect Kiss*
3. Age Of Consent*
4. State Of The Nation*
5. As It Is When It Was*
6. The Village*
7. Sub-Culture
8. Atmosphere*
9. Blue Monday*
Bonus Tracks
10. Thieves Like Us*
11. Temptation*
12. Confusion – Restored version from damaged tape with mixing desk audio.*
Live in Toronto
Filmed by Paul Boyd
The International Centre, Toronto, Canada 1985
13. Elegia*
14. Sub-Culture*
15. The Village*
16. Sunrise*
17. We All Stand
18. As It Is When It Was*
19. Love Vigilantes*
20. 586*
21. Age Of Consent
22. Temptation
23. Ceremony*
24. The Perfect Kiss*
The Perfect Film
Rehearsal Room, Cheetham Hill, Manchester 1985
25. The Perfect Kiss
*unreleased
The Five And Ten and Wayling James are the winners of the annual Amy Louie / Grossman’s Music Scholarship, which returned to Toronto’s legendary Grossman’s Tavern after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Created in memory of the late Amy Louie — a member of the family that has owned Grossman’s Tavern since 1975 — the ALGMS is an artist development bursary that provides two musicians or bands from the Greater Toronto Area $2000 and $1000 to help with career development.
Winner of the $2000 was The Five And Tens, an instrumentals band built around the Vidal brothers, Ray (guitar), Anthony (keyboards) and Nick (drums), alongside Sean Jackson (bass). The $1000 runner-up prize was awarded to Wayling James, a group comprised of Tim Wayling (vocals, guitar), Darrell James (vocals, bass), Chris Bender (drums), Rob Pelletier (guitar) and Larry Gould (guitar).
Performers at the Sept. 27 event were The Swingin Blackjacks, Caution Jam, Frankie Foo, The Happy Pals, Action Sound Band, Quail, Hedifine & Roderman, Camp Combo, Mike Nagoda & The Spectrum Blues Band and both scholarship recipients.
The fundraiser segment of the event raised $1005.
Artists submitted applications to participate. The successful candidates were chosen a panel of judges that included members of the Louie family, music industry professionals, and individuals with long-standing connections to Grossman’s Tavern.
Previous recipients of the scholarship include The Big Butter and Egg Men, Mike Nagoda, The Swingin’ Blackjacks, Dan McKinnon, Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes, Chloe Watkinson & Park Eddy, Jerome Godboo, and The Responsables.
As one of the longest-running live music venues and a stalwart within Toronto’s vibrant and dynamic music scene, Grossman’s has long been considered an incubator for an impressive roster of local artists who got their start inside the Tavern, including the late Jeff Healey, the Downchild Blues Band, Rough Trade, and more.
Bara Jonson and Free, simply put, are pioneers in the music world, introducing the world to their unique brand of music – Crockpop. Fusing country, rock, and pop music, this dynamic duo delivers a listening experience unlike any other in their newest single “The Sky Is The Limit.”
Teasing the release of their newest album, BjF – New Era, Bara Jonson, and Free have been hard at work touring and promoting. Performing one-offs during the live shows combined with a unique blend of bluegrass and pop synths gives this breakthrough duo of musicians the perfect ingredients to have a successful launch – and a highly anticipated one at that.
“The Sky Is The Limit” is a well-executed fusion of everything this band is passionate about, featuring uplifting messages of “making it or faking it” while “shaking off people who get in our way.” Jonson and Free passionately refer to themselves as “hardheaded fools who invite you to board their Crockpop train where “The Sky Is The Limit.”
Jonson and Free speak on their newest song’s message: “Never let anyone else put you down or deter you from what you want to achieve. Believe that anything is possible – that The Sky Is The Limit.”
“The Sky Is The Limit” has been a well-received single drowning in praise and admiration. This powerful Crockpop anthem prepares audiences for the duo’s up-and-coming album release, BjF – New Era. Bred through mystery and improvisation, the 14-track vinyl includes an interwoven story from a distant future – possibly even a parallel universe.
Jonson and Free describe how they feel about the album saying, “The show we announced the album release at was interrupted occasionally with fragments of pictures or video snippets. We couldn’t really tell where it came from. As we showed off our album again… it had changed right before our eyes!”
Songs from this album reflect the dynamic duo’s views on climate change, the decline of democracy, separations, and the endlessness of possibilities for change so long as you believe. You know – “The Sky Is The Limit.”
Jonson and Free are breakthrough musicians with unparalleled chemistry. The duo has recently been nominated as “Best Emerging Artist – International” at Indie Week Showcase Festival in Toronto as well as selected as INES#Talent for 2020/21.
The duo recently was picked up by Canadian management company Entertainment Music Group for distribution through the Americas as well as MusicHelp for distribution through Sweden and Europe. While this has bolstered the group’s level of seniority, Jonson and Free are no strangers to Swedish music festivals and showcases. Their live performances have taken them to venues throughout Denmark, Holland, Germany, UK, France, and Canada.
2021 saw the debut of Jonson and Free’s own music festival, Lilla By Festivalen which has already grown into a hybrid festival – walking the line between a music festival and a showcase.
Most recently, the group opened with Cirque Arte Diem at Byggnad’s 2022 Congress in Stockholm, spreading the duo’s message while giving them a global platform to reach hundreds of thousands of listeners. It is this dedication to music and positivity that sets this duo far above the rest and will drive them to lengths unseen – the sky is the limit for this Jonson and Free.
Right out of Ottawa, Canada, comes an ethereal-sounding pop delight, otherwise known as Lady Charles. Lady Charles radiates exuberance and shiny tones throughout their explorative and vivid discography.
Ethereal-sounding lyrics emanate from Lady Charles’ flirtations into the meshings of bright electropop and subtle rock genres. Following their latest single off their album Manic Pixie Dream World, ‘Godx’, a synthy, electronic pop delve into the relationship between gender and religion, Noella (Can’t Get Enough of You) is a deeper look into what the pandemic meant for loving relationships. On the surface, Noella explores a romantic relationship, one shared between those in the spotlight. Lady Charles and their partner, Stef, concocted fictional personas for the subjects of this track. Noella personifies a glorified version of Stef as a Youtuber who shapes their persona around the “parody of the eccentric artist archetype.”
Lady Charles admitted the original iteration of the single included calls of real names of some YouTubers who Stef and they enjoyed watching. After the controversy, cancellations, and negative media connotations, Lady Charles scrapped the references and landed on “a wannabe YouTuber, singing a love song to this artist who he barely understands.”
During the production and writing of Noella, Lady Charles mentioned their rising popularity in Latin America, and their visit to Frida Kahlo’s house reverberated through the construction of the song. “She is the reason I don’t pluck my eyebrows. This is how the line ‘You’re Frida, but I’m no Diego’ came to be – both as a nod to a country that has supported me and an artist that has inspired me.”
The tune opens with a catchy piano and electric guitar lick before dissolving into warm lyrics shrouded in infatuation. The vocals fluctuate throughout the song from higher-pitched glows to deeper, almost spoken-word phrases like “Have you had enough of me? And you’re not regretting cuffing me?” These dialogue licks serve to evaluate the relationship of the singer with the alleged love interest, but also with Lady Charles’ connection to their musical talent.
“On a different level, the song speaks to my own relationship with art, Lady Charles explained. “I feel at home wearing crazy outfits and glamorous makeup because that’s authentic to me, even though I’ve had people tell me I should just keep it simple. I am drawn to artists who get labeled as pretentious or try hard because I admire their commitment to pushing the boundaries of art itself, even if they don’t really succeed. In a way, Noella is my love letter to art itself.”
Rock five-piece Blu Bones are digging up nostalgia on their latest emotive single, “Summertime In Europe” – out now on the traditional platforms, but also on the SING! Market.
The song is equal parts rock anthem, scored with pounding percussion, electric riffs and soaring vocals as it is a longing, journal entry to yesterday’s memories – turning the key, and unlocking them from the past.
The track “was inspired by an experience lead singer Gord Prior had with his girlfriend Lana while on vacation a couple of years ago,” the band explains, adding: “They shared an unforgettable psychedelic experience one evening that is subtly referenced in the song.”
Blu Bones – comprised of Gord Prior (lead singer); Boris Novosel (guitars) ; Barry Donaghy (bass guitar); Steve Thomas (drums) and Ray Coburn (keyboards) – reunited after 25 years apart, dropping their comeback single “She’s Got A Way With Love” in February, 2021. Wasting no time as performers and songwriting comrades, “Summertime In Europe” falls neatly in line with the group’s charismatic hard rock sound. It chisels away at familiarity, while taking exciting chances through the lyrics and Prior’s exceptional vocals. The song was written by masters of their craft.
“It’s a bit of real life, a bit of fantasy, and some psychedelia all rolled into one!” says Novosel, with Prior explaining: “It’s a song of hope and about moving forward, out of pain and into bliss. Falling in love. Starting a new journey. Something all of us can relate to.”
Recorded and engineered by Siegfried Meier, with mix by Matty Green at Studio 55, Los Angeles (Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Weezer). The track was produced by Gord Prior, Boris Novosel, Siegfried Meier and Matty Green, and its subsequent video was shot by legendary director, Frank Gryner (Alice Cooper, Def Leppard).
The music video plans to land ahead of the Canadian Thanksgiving (October 9th, 2022), with Gryner’s artistic vision at the helm. “It’s a brilliant song. Gord’s vocal performance is so dynamic and uninhibited. You don’t often hear that sort of thing in indie music, unfortunately,” Gryner says, adding that having 100% reign over the video was a “dream come true, artistically”. “I think Gord is at a place in his career and life where he values relationships and artistry over ego,” Gryner explains. “It’s a hard thing to not micro-manage a project to death when you care so much about it, but ironically, when you choose the right people to help you and let those people do their thing freely, then the end outcome ends up being so much better.”
Take a summertime journey through Europe with rock warriors, Blu Bones. It’ll leave you asking for directions to the rest of their discography. And on a road trip through how rock and roll was first created – authentically loud, and insanely good.
