All photos by Neil Van.
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Announce Four UK Dates on 2023 International Tour
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band have announced four UK dates on their 2023 international tour, which kicks off in the United States on February 1 in Tampa, Florida. After an April 14 homecoming in Newark, New Jersey, the tour heads to Europe from April 28th in Barcelona, Spain through July 25th in Monza, Italy. The newly announced dates mark Springsteen and The E Street Band’s first UK shows since June 5th, 2016 at Wembley Stadium.
Tickets for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band go on sale 9am local time on Thursday 21 July 2022.
The UK dates are:
May 30, 2023 – Edinburgh – BT Murrayfield Stadium
June 16, 2023 – Birmingham – Villa Park
July 6, 2023 – London – BST Hyde Park
July 8, 2023 – London – BST Hyde Park
European dates for the 2023 international tour were announced in May and over 1.2 million tickets have already been purchased across the continent, with many cities adding second or third stadium shows due to popular demand. At the conclusion of their European run, Springsteen and The E Street Band will begin a second to-be-announced North American tour leg in August.
Springsteen and The E Street Band’s most recent studio album, 2020’s ‘Letter To You’ (Columbia Records), marked their first time recording live together in decades and debuted at #1 in eleven countries. Their most recent tour, The River Tour in 2016-2017, was named 2016’s top global tour by both Billboard and Pollstar.
Beth Orton Unveils New Single “Forever Young” From Forthcoming ‘Weather Alive’ Out September 23
English singer/songwriter Beth Orton shares “Forever Young” today, a new preview from her first LP in six years and Partisan Records debut Weather Alive, out September 23rd. “Forever Young” is an engrossing, nearly six-minute cornerstone of Weather Alive with vocals ringing through an old synth played by ambient artist Dustin O’Halloran (A Winged Victory for the Sullen), backing vocals from the “sublimely odd” (NY Magazine) Grey McMurray and double bass by Orton’s frequent collaborator, Ali Friend of the London instrumental outfit Red Snapper.
Weather Alive has already established itself as one of the most anticipated releases of Orton’s celebrated career, with the title track (released in May) earning widespread praise in from The New York Times, NME, and Pitchfork who called it “a slow-burning tour de force” in a Best New Track review. Rolling Stone added that the song is “the perfect ethereal glue,” and Stereogum stated simply “if the title track is anything to go by, holy shit are we in for something”.
Watch the “Forever Young” video directed by Stephen Ellcock and Jonathan Reid-Edwards below:
“Beth originally had the idea of looking at women as mystics and witchcraft as a form of spiritual connection rather than evil,” says Dir. Ellcock. “Running with this, we wanted to make something that took you on a journey both cosmic and macrocosmic, from outer to inner space and back again. A kaleidoscope of archetypal imagery and shifting perspectives seen through a miraculous scrying glass, it subverts stereotypes whilst celebrating the power of intuition and the persistence of hope and magic in a treacherous universe.”
Fully at the helm of her own work, Orton chose collaborators for Weather Alive including drummer Tom Skinner (Sons Of Kemet, The Smile) and bassist Tom Herbert with whom she trusted to add nuanced emotional color to the music.
“It’s true that I’ve spent a lifetime handing elements of my work over to men in a room before I’m ready and having them reinterpret my perception, add chords to make something else happen and sometimes in the process take the music to a place I had no intention of going, it’s subtle the ways that could happen but to be able to hold my own intention throughout has been a powerful experience.”
“I wanted to be one of those women who are all sorted and put together some day but at 40, I kept getting messier and things just kept going wrong,” Orton continues. “This record explores all of that. I’m talking about my experiences possibly in a more personal way then I ever have but the important part will be how this music makes other people feel. It’s not a finished masterpiece, it is a collaboration with time, of someone struggling to make sense. And in that struggle, something beautiful got made.”
Recently, Orton rang in the the 25th-anniversary of her Mercury Prize-nominated 1996 folktronica album Trailer Park on the road at arenas with Alanis Morissette in EU and the UK. This Fall, she will play a handful of UK and EU festivals before a headline UK tour through October including a KOKO Camden show on October 9th.
BETH ORTON TOUR DATES
23 JUL 2022 / UK / Suffolk / Latitude Festival
19 AUG 2022 / UK / Devon / Beautiful Days Festival
21 AUG 2022 / IE / Bangor County Down / Open House Festival
7 OCT 2022 / UK / Birmingham / Academy 2
8 OCT 2022 / UK / Brighton / St. Bartholomew’s Church
9 OCT 2022 / UK / London / KOKO
10 OCT 2022 / UK / Norwich / Arts Centre
12 OCT 2022 / UK / Bristol / St. George’s
13 OCT 2022 / UK / Glasgow / Classic Grand
15 OCT 2022 / UK / Manchester / RCMN Concert Hall
16 OCT 2022 / UK / Leeds / Brudenell Social Club
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Announce First 2023 United States Tour Dates
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band will kick off their 2023 international tour with 31 performances across the United States; spanning from February 1 in Tampa, Florida through an April 14 homecoming in Newark, New Jersey before heading to Europe. The shows will mark Springsteen and The E Street Band’s first tour dates since February 2017, and their first in North America since September 2016.
European dates for the 2023 international tour were announced in May and over 1.2 million tickets have already been purchased across the continent, with many cities adding second or third stadium shows due to popular demand. At the conclusion of their European run, which is scheduled for April through July 2023, Springsteen and The E Street Band will begin a second to-be-announced North American tour leg in August. Tour dates in the UK will also take place next year, with cities and shows to be announced very soon.
Tickets for the 2023 U.S. arena shows will go on sale over the course of the next two weeks, with the first onsale beginning Wednesday July 20 at 10am local time.
The tour will be using Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan platform for tickets sold via Ticketmaster. Fans can register for Ticketmaster Verified Fan starting now through Sunday, July 17 for the chance to buy tickets. All registrants who are verified will be equally eligible to receive a unique access code for the Verified Fan Onsale. Registering does not guarantee you will receive a code, or have the ability to purchase tickets.
Springsteen and The E Street Band’s most recent studio album, 2020’s ‘Ltter To You’ (Columbia Records), marked their first time recording live together in decades and debuted at #1 in eleven countries. Their most recent tour, The River Tour in 2016-2017, was named 2016’s top global tour by both Billboard and Pollstar.
TOUR DATES
FEB 1 — Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM ET)
FEB 3 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM ET)
FEB 5 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM ET)
FEB 7 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM ET)
FEB 10 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM CT)
FEB 14 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM CT)
FEB 16 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM CT)
FEB 18 — Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM CT)
FEB 21 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM CT)
FEB 25 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM PT)
FEB 27 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM PT)
MAR 2 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM MT)
MAR 5 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center (On-Sale: Thu, July 21 at 10AM CT)
MAR 7 — Milwaukee, WI @ Fiserv Forum (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM CT)
MAR 9 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM ET)
MAR 12 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM ET)
MAR 14 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM ET)
MAR 16 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center (On-Sale: Tue, July 26 at 10AM ET)
MAR 18 — State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center (On-Sale: Tue, July 26 at 10AM ET)
MAR 20 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden (On-Sale: Wed, July 20 at 10AM ET)
MAR 23 — Buffalo, NY @ KeyBank Center (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM ET)
MAR 25 — Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum (On-Sale: Fri, July 22 at 10AM ET)
MAR 27 — Washington D.C. @ Capital One Arena (On-Sale: Tue, July 26 at 10AM ET)
MAR 29 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM ET)
APR 1 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden (On-Sale: Fri, July 29 at 10AM ET)
APR 3 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 29 at 10AM ET)
APR 5 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse* (On-Sale: Wed, July 27 at 10AM ET)
APR 7 — Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Arena (On-Sale: Tue, July 26 at 10AM ET)
APR 9 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena (On-Sale: Fri, July 29 at 10AM ET)
APR 11 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena (On-Sale: Fri, July 29 at 10AM ET)
APR 14 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center (On-Sale: Fri, July 29 at 10AM ET)
Cat Power Announces Special Royal Albert Hall Show For November, Covering Bob Dylan’s Legendary 1966 Show In Full
Today, Cat Power – the singer/songwriter/producer Chan Marshall – announces details of a very special London show. On November 5th, Marshall will play the iconic Royal Albert Hall with a set recreating Bob Dylan’s legendary 1966 show at the same venue in full.
Dylan’s 1966 Royal Albert Hall concert was the culmination of one of the most consequential tours in the history of rock & roll—when he electrified his songs, and by doing so enraged his devoted audience. Recorded and released at first as a bootleg LP, the event actually occurred at Manchester Free Trade Hall, but was mistakenly attributed to Royal Albert Hall.
Cat Power will bring those songs to Royal Albert Hall on November 5th, performing them in the same order as Dylan himself: the first half of the show being an acoustic set before been joined by her electric band for the second half.
Cat Power is well known for her ability to “burrow right into the marrow of a song” (Mojo), and this November gig will be a showcase of that skill as she honours one of her biggest heroes.
Marshall says of the event: “When I finally got the opportunity to play The RAH, it was a no brainer. I just wanted to sing Dylan songs. And as much as any, this collection of his songs, to me, belong there.”
Marshall has previously covered Dylan several times on record, such as in 2007 for Todd Haynes’s film I’m Not There. Listen to her rendition of “Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again” here.
Tickets are on sale here from Friday 15th July at 10am, and presale access begins Wednesday 13th July at 10 am GMT.
The gig will follow Cat Power’s recent acclaimed album Covers. Produced entirely by Marshall, the music was highlighted everywhere from The New Yorker (“in reinterpreting classics, she has furthered her stature as one”), to NYLON (“hits like a freight train”), Pitchfork, Vulture, FADER, Rolling Stone and more. Covers completes a trilogy of sorts, following beloved past collections Jukebox (2008) and The Covers Record (2000), and showcases Marshall’s extraordinary chronicling of the ever-evolving great American songbook — featuring her own personal rendition of Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You,” Frank Ocean’s “Bad Religion,” Dead Man’s Bones’ “Pa Pa Power,” plus an updated rendition of the Cat Power song “Hate” from The Greatest (2006), retitled “Unhate” for the album. Marshall also recently shared her cover of The Rolling Stones’ “You Got The Silver”.
While she frequently delights and surprises with the songs she chooes to cover, it’s Marshall’s total commitment to the performance – imbuing the songs with a creative singularity that rivals her original work – that make Cat Power covers so special. Says Pitchfork, Marshall can “rearrange a song simply by squinting at it.”
TOUR DATES
July 16, 2022 – The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
July 18, 2022 – Ace of Spades in Sacramento, CA
July 20, 2022 – The Showbox in Seattle, WA
July 21, 2022 – Vogue Theater in Vancouver, BC
July 22, 2022 – Roseland Theater in Portland, OR
July 25, 2022 – Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO
July 27, 2022 – Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK
July 28, 2022 – Granada Theatre in Dallas, TX
July 29, 2022 – Emo’s in Austin, TX
July 30, 2022 – House of Blues in Houston, TX
August 1, 2022 – Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, TN
August 2, 2022 – Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, KY
August 3, 2022 – Thalia Hall in Chicago, IL
September 9, 2022 – Lobero Theater in Santa Barbara, CA
September 10, 2022 – Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, CA
September 12, 2022 – Palace Theatre in San Francisco, CA
September 13, 2022 – Gundlach Bundschu Winery in Sonoma, CA
September 14, 2022 – Center for the Arts in Grass Valley, CA
September 15, 2022 – Rifflandia 2022 in Victoria, CA
September 19, 2022 – St Augustine Amphitheatre, Florida – w/Jack White
September 20, 2022 – James L. Knight Center, Miami, Florida – w/Jack White
September 21, 2022 – Hard Rock Live, Orlando, Florida – w/Jack White
October 9, 2022 – Pepsi Center, Mexico City, MX – w/Jack White
Margo Price Teams With Mavis Staples & Adia Victoria On New Single Benefiting Reproductive Justice: “Fight To Make It”
Today, Margo Price joins forces with Mavis Staples and Adia Victoria on “Fight To Make It,” a rousing affirmation of perseverance and solidarity for those whose human rights continue to be taken. All proceeds from Bandcamp sales of the new single will benefit NOISE FOR NOW, a national initiative that enables artists and entertainers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of Reproductive Justice, including abortion access.
Written by Price and Jeremy Ivey, “Fight To Make It” blends modern-day grit with vintage, girl group harmonies, singing out in defiance of gender, race and class divides. On the song and the current state of the country, Margo Price says, “Every day I see more of our rights stripped away in America. The right to reproductive health in this country has become a luxury for the wealthy. The United States has a higher maternal death rate than any other developed country. Black women in particular experience maternal mortality at a rate two to three times higher than white women. Tennessee now has stricter abortion laws than the Taliban. This should not be a political issue, or a religious issue, this is a human rights issue.
When we stand together and sing together we are stronger. Massive thanks to my friend Adia Victoria for joining me and our mutual hero, the legendary Mavis Staples for adding the wisdom and strength of her voice. Her art and activism have long inspired me and I’m grateful for her contribution to the song.”
“Fight To Make It” is Margo Price’s latest partnership with NOISE FOR NOW, following recent fundraising efforts around a cover of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” released this spring.
NOISE FOR NOW is a national initiative that enables artists and entertainers to connect with and financially support grassroots organizations that work in the field of Reproductive Justice, including abortion access. NOISE FOR NOW is the link between touring musicians, progressive promoters, athletes, artists and local reproductive rights organizations in cities across the country. By organizing benefit events and campaigns, NOISE FOR NOW provides opportunities for artists and entertainers to use their talents to raise money and send a clear message that Reproductive Rights are human rights.
Blondie Discover “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer,” Original Demo for Autoamerican’s Classic “Go Through It”
oday, with the release of “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer,” Blondie find the previously forgotten, original demo for the song that became the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ classic, country-inflected “Go Through It.” Initially tracked in 1980 and possibly written for Alan Rudolph’s Roadie, a film that marked the band’s collective foray onto the big screen, the recording offers the latest look into the breadth of rediscovered history and multi-genre, musical treasure that is mapped out on the forthcoming box set, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982.
Out August 26th via UMe and The Numero Group, following six years of work and two decades that the material spent silently sitting in Chris Stein’s Woodstock barn, Against The Odds 1974-1982 is Blondie’s debut, definitive archive. Featuring 124 tracks and 36 previously unissued recordings – which range from the band’s first-ever basement studio session to dozens of alternate versions, outtakes and demos like “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer” – the historic collection tells a near-complete story of how frontwoman/songwriter Debbie Harry, guitarist/conceptual mastermind Chris Stein, powerhouse drummer Clem Burke, keyboardist Jimmy Destri, bassist Gary Valentine, guitarist Frank Infante and bassist Nigel Harrison evolved out of pop and punk to become a vital strand of American music’s DNA.
While “Go Through It” famously closed out Side A of Blondie’s 1980 album, Autoamerican, “I Love You Honey, Give Me a Beer” appears on one of Against The Odds’ several bonus records of rarities, this one named after Autoamerican’s intended title: Coca-Cola. Traveling from their New York City home and the Chelsea Sound Studios where they first laid down the “Go Through It” demo, Blondie made Autoamerican at Los Angeles’ United/Western Recording with producer Mike Chapman. The concept for the album centered on themes of American pop culture and Americana, and Chris Stein’s original idea was to adorn the cover with a Coca-Cola logo and nothing else, the ultimate expression of US innovation, pleasure, and capitalism. Though the brand was not interested in Blondie’s idea back then, the art for the bonus LP included on Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 honors the band’s vision.
In addition to five albums worth of outtakes and rarities that were mixed and resurrected by Tom Camuso and Steve Rosenthal, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982delivers all of Blondie’s first six studio albums, which have been remastered from the original analog tapes and cut at Abbey Road Studios. The set also comes with extensive liner notes by Erin Osmon, track by track commentary from all seven of the original band members, essays by producers Mike Chapman, Richard Gottehrer and Ken Shipley, a 120-page illustrated discography, and hundreds of period photographs. The expansive box set is available on four formats, a Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition (10xLP, 1×7″, 1×10″ in Red, White, and Black vinyl formats), plus Deluxe 4LP, Deluxe 8CD and 3CD editions.
See the unboxing of the Super Deluxe Collectors’ Edition, and hear Blondie’s recently excavated, previously unreleased take on The Doors’ “Moonlight Drive”
Nearly 50 years and more than 40 million record sales into the legendary New Yorkers’ career, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 is a collective moment to celebrate their legacy and be immersed into their timeless, trailblazing and perennially timely worlds of music, art, fashion and more.
Moncton’s Alt.Rockers Before The Dinosaurs Have the “Cure For A Heartache”
You could call it a breakthrough for a universal woe, or simply the latest single from Before The Dinosaurs. But either way you slice it, the indie rock four-piece from Moncton are celebrating “Cure For A Heartache.”
“Cure For A Heartache” is a twinge of pain, served neat over a tumbler of acceptance.
“The song was written in the summer of 2021 when (band member) Jordan Best was going through a break-up with his ex-girlfriend, and his former band — simultaneously,” Jordan shares. “While the song was originally written and inspired by my indescribable love for his partner at the time, I found playing and writing the song eased the pain, and realized the cure for a heartache is not just someone you love, but anything you love that brings you joy.”
For Jordan Best (vocals/guitar), Ryan Mazerolle (lead guitar), Chris Bishop (bass), and Christian Arseneault (drums), “Cure For A Heartache” is a Nashville feel, with “a unique twist” as it deviates ever so slightly from BtD’s over-arching soundscape.
Pushing sonic boundaries sets the band up for an exciting vitality and eclecticism in their music, and this song lands no differently as it cascades through a yarn-spinning country ballad, lending a knowing nod to Drive By Truckers, and an amiable handshake with Wilco.
Produced, mixed, and recorded by Don Levandier (The Motorleague), and mastered by Harry Hess (Arkells, Billy Talent, Barenaked Ladies), it’s a sashay in a tango of love and love lost; a flannel-clad prose on sadness and accepting fate.
And — following their previous single, “Set Yourself Free,” which already has a staggering 33,000+ streams on YouTube alone — “Cure For A Heartache” arrives ahead of the band’s forthcoming full-length, set to arrive this Fall 2022.
What happened Before the Dinosaurs? It’s half-myth, half-legend, and all steeped in musical truths. The group came together in September 2021, and as musicians and songwriters, they wasted no time in writing, recording, and releasing music. Now, armed with a summer single that sizzles sonically as it resonates on a human level, Before the Dinosaurs is well-positioned to remain Moncton’s best universally loved bands.
All while they deliver the “Cure For A Heartache” — which was, in this very case, the music itself.
Folk-Pop Artist Francesca Panetta Walks the Fine, Blurred Line Between Excitement and Fear of New Love in “So Few Words (love letter)”
Loving someone intensely is both exhilarating and scary as hell and, when you throw in a tendency towards anxiety and depression, the stakes can feel even higher. Which is what “So Few Words (love letter),” the new single — available now — by Toronto-based indie folk-pop artist Francesca Panetta is all about: that smudgy blurred line between fear and excitement.
Written consciously outside of the usual verse-chorus-verse pop structure, “So Few Words” is a shimmery, cascading happy-melancholy journey through the feelings of tumultuous early infatuation. “The way you look at me/ When your eyes say you want me/ Could nearly give me a heart attack,” Panetta sings.
The song came about in 2021 as Panetta, struggling with the anxiety of a new love, got lost in a chord progression on her guitar. “I often use songwriting as a form of self-reflection,” she said. “As someone who suffers a lot with my mental health, new experiences can be difficult. Depression, anxiety, and ADHD often cloud my judgment – especially when it comes to romantic attachments. I wrote this song during a new romantic experience, so you can imagine the emotional jungle that consumed my mind.”
Still, the lack of conventional structure to the song ended up helping organize, and give order, to Panetta’s emotions. “To be honest, a lot of my songs have a tendency to fall into this category,” she said. “I tried to break out of it at first, for the sake of ‘fitting in,’ however I soon realized that sometimes too much structure can take away from all that a songwriter is trying to convey. So now, when I sit down to write a song, I try my best to let the process flow as naturally and authentically as possible.”
Each song that Francesca Panetta writes is laced with unapologetic authenticity. Leveraging self-reflection in her songwriting, the Toronto-born musician translates her own personal experiences into compelling lyrics that everyone can find comfort in. On her debut EP, When the Sunshine Rains, Francesca aligned nostalgic moments with sweet melodies and passion. After almost a year of self-promoting her EP, Francesca is now releasing her new single. While taking a slightly more modern musical approach, her folk/Americana roots remain evident.
Kindie-Rocker RUSSELL SPROUT Inspires Canadian Kids to Get Up & Active with “The Health Hustle”
Kids across the country are moving and grooving with award-winning Canadian children’s music artist Russell Sprout and his new get-up-and-active anthem, “The Health Hustle” — available now.
Following in his continuous wholehearted high-five to community and kindness, the Toronto-based kid’s music man offers a fun and encouraging approach to harnessing children’s endless energy into exercise and activity.
Produced by GRAMMY Award-winning nominee and JUNO Award-winner Ken Whiteley (Raffi, Fred Penner), the song is the latest to land from the artist’s newest LP, Together. The sprightly 10-song album imparts Sprout’s core values of caring, consideration, and good ol’ frolicsome fun to kids, and kids-at-heart.
“The message is so important, especially right now, and especially after the last few years we’ve come through as a community,” Russell, who’s also a rad dad of three, shares. “Kids are naturally full of beans, and this song does nothing but encourage them and the ones they love to get up to move and groove together in a fun, celebratory way!”
Russell Sprout’s ongoing mission and mantra to keep lyrics in line with his primary audience of youngsters is a quintessential representation of the artist — and Canadian kids are connecting. “‘The Health Hustle’ is a song that has really been a hit with the Toronto area schools I work with,” Russell reveals. “Kids love to hear it, and they especially like the actions that go along with it.”
As such, the new video complete with movements will help reach even more kids beyond Ontario’s largest city; the lyrics and professionally notated sheet music are also available as part of the album’s fully-illustrated 12-page booklet, or on his website as a free download.
Sprout is as entertaining in his music as he is in his on-stage persona… Donning an oversized cap and a bee adorning his blue suit jacket, his wide sunglasses and funky sneakers show before his music tells that he is silly and funny — and capable of reveling with his audience through song and rapport.
In addition to winning Best Children’s Song from Folk Music Ontario for “Troubadour” off his debut self-titled kid’s tune collection, Russell Sprout, the multi-talented Toronto-based artist sows additional kid’s music cred in spades. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist with more than 20 years of seasoned teaching and live performance experience, the man behind the music Russell Leon is a faculty member at University of Toronto’s Jackman Institute of Child Study (OISE) and Humberside Montessori School.
His most recent release, Together, weaves the sounds of folk, Klezmer, beatboxing, pop, rock, and more together with ardent emotional intelligence, reinforcement of values, and rollicking fun — all in an accessible and youth-friendly way.
“I knew the underlying theme of the record was going to be about kindness, as well as mental and physical health — and that the events in the lyrics would all have a positive outcome,” Sprout recalls of creating the sophomore release. “Even if a cat was chasing a mouse, or there was a barn fire, or if you are in a bad mood, everything was going to work out.”
Now, that’s meant quite literally with the workout that comes with “The Health Hustle.”