Page 1581 – That Eric Alper

Moncton’s Alt.Rockers Before The Dinosaurs Have the “Cure For A Heartache”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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)”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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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”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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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.”

Country Artist Travis Dolter Glances Back Fondly While Looking Ahead in Jangly “Senior Year”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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Country Artist Travis Dolter Glances Back Fondly While Looking Ahead in Jangly “Senior Year”

Whenever we’re about to close one life chapter for the next, there’s guaranteed to be a flood of memories and emotions, and graduating from school is certainly no exception. Award-winning Canadian country crooner Travis Dolter captures the heady yet scary experience of leaving college for the real world in his new single, “Senior Year.”

Smooth and poppy with just the right amount of jangle, “Senior Year” gives us a list of all the fun, memorable activities a college student might have engaged in over the course of four years – ‘Tuesday night drinking and wing Wednesdays,’ watching Friends marathons, ‘playing late-night pool in a Midterm craze,’ and taking a girl out on a first date, ‘falling in love, jumping in too fast’.

All of these are based on the Camrose, AB-based artist’s real memories from his time at Augustana University. “When I wrote ‘Senior Year,’ it was the night before I started the final semester of my degree,” he said. “At the time, I didn’t know for sure what I wanted to do with my life or what I would have the marks for, and my feelings came pouring out as I wrote this song straight from the heart.”

He remembers fondly the half-price discount on wings at his favorite pizza place in Camrose, Tuesday-night beer pong tournaments, and when his girlfriend introduced him to the show Friends, which offered a greater lesson – and some much-needed hope. “As I watched the amazing series, it became clear to me that it was ok to not know what life has in store for you,” he said. “If you have that great support group in your life, it all turns out in the end.”

“Senior Year” is like all the songs that appear on Dolter’s double EP, Every Song and A Story, in that it tells a real-life story. One of Dolter’s main influences is Kenny Chesney, particularly Chesney’s song “Don’t Blink,” which deals with life going by so fast. “Luckily, I realized how fast my university degree was going by and took that time to create more memories with friends and slow myself down,” he said.

Singer-songwriter Travis Dolter is known for his energy, positivity, witty sense of humor, and creative storytelling abilities. Raised on the family farm southeast of Edmonton, Alberta, Travis developed confidence and charisma on stage from a young age, starting in the family band at age six, and then fronting his own band by 15. Although his interest in music began early, it was the emotions that were inspired from attending a live performance of The Buddy Holly Story when he was 13 that motivated Travis to follow his passion. Heavily influenced by country music and old-school rock ‘n’ roll, Travis’s self-penned originals have a unique country sound.

An accomplished artist and entertainer, Travis was selected as the September 840 CFCW Homegrown Country Music Alberta Spotlight Artist of the Month. His fall release “Somewhere” continues to be heard on 840 CFCW as well as several other stations. 2021 saw him earn a second ballot nomination for Male Horizon Artist of the Year through Country Music Alberta, building on the previous list of achievements — including first place in the 2019 North American Country Music International Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year Awards, in Pigeon Forge, TN, first place in the Country 106.5 Star Search, and placing in the Top 3 in the 2018 Global Country Star Search.

AC/DC’s “Thunderstuck” As Played On The Guzheng

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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AC/DC’s “Thunderstuck” As Played On The Guzheng

Moyun performs with great skill AC/DC’s Thunderstruck where the Guzheng instrument is her weapon of choice, never once losing its power of the original.

Oasis Re-Releasing ‘Be Here Now’ For 25th Anniversary

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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Oasis Re-Releasing ‘Be Here Now’ For 25th Anniversary

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Oasis’ Be Here Now, the group’s third album will be re-released in a variety of formats on August 19 as a silver-coloured double heavyweight LP, plus a double picture disc and cassette, all with remastered audio.

This limited edition album format which celebrates the silver anniversary of Oasis’ historic third album ‘Be Here Now’, originally released on 21st August 1997. Originally mastered by Mike Marsh at The Exchange; the album was then remastered in 2016 by Ian Cooper at Metropolis Studios.

‘Be Here Now’ was produced by Owen Morris and Noel Gallagher and recorded at Abbey Road, Ridge Farm, Air, Master Rock and Orinoco Studios between November 1996 and April 1997.

As well as ‘D’You Know What I Mean?’, the band’s 3rd No. 1 single, the album features the ambitious 9-minute ‘All Around The World’ plus evergreen classic ‘Stand By Me’. The epic elements of ‘Be Here Now’ are contrasted by the heartfelt introspection of ‘Don’t Go Away’ and the surreal psychedelia of ‘Magic Pie’.

‘Be Here Now’ stands as a unique album in the Oasis catalogue with its unrepentant excess and supersize swagger. 25 years on, it enjoys legendary status as the sound of a generation-defining band at their absolute peak.

Go here to see all the formats avaialble.

Grateful Dead’s “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83” Gets An Official Release

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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Grateful Dead’s “In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden ’81, ’82, ’83” Gets An Official Release

Madison Square Garden, the world-famous New York City arena, was a home away from home for the Grateful Dead, a reliable sanctuary where the band would ultimately play 52 shows, a record at the time. The venue’s fine acoustics combined with the fans’ unbridled energy consistently brought out the best in the Dead. At the band’s 2015 induction ceremony into Madison Square Garden’s Walk Of Fame, Bobby Weir said “This place was both horrifying and titillating with an audience that was discerning but ravenous. We had to rise to the occasion every time.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ’81, ’82, ’83 is a new, 17-CD boxed set that celebrates the band’s rich history at “the world’s most famous arena,” introducing six previously unreleased shows recorded at MSG between 1981 and 1983. The collection is available now for pre-order and will be released on September 23. Production of the set is limited to 12,500 individually numbered copies and available exclusively from Dead.net. Full audio will also be available in its entirety as a digital download exclusively at Dead.net in Apple Lossless and FLAC.

The boxed set includes six unreleased concerts recorded at Madison Square Garden on: March 9 and 10, 1981; September 20 and 21, 1982; and October 11 and 12, 1983. IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN features newly restored and speed-corrected audio by Plangent Processes, was mastered by Jeffrey Norman and produced for release by Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux.

On the same day, the March 9, 1981 show from the boxed set will be released separately at all regular retail outlets. MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK, NY (3/9/81) will be available as a 3-CD set and digitally.

A previously unreleased performance of “Feel Like A Stranger” from the March 9, 1981 MSG show is available today on all digital download and streaming services.

“As Jerry Garcia famously said, Madison Square Garden was ‘juiced.’ It had an energy unlike any other venue the Grateful Dead played, particularly of this size, owing to the symbiotic relationship between the Dead, the Dead Heads, and New York City itself, says Grateful Dead legacy manager and archivist David Lemieux. “The Dead didn’t play the Garden until 1979, almost the midpoint of their performing career. but once they got rolling, they made it a home away from home, playing 10 shows in the next 15 years. These performances from 1981, 1982, and 1983 are six of the best the Dead played at the Garden, any of which could have been released on their own. We’re thrilled, though, to allow these six complementary shows to be housed together, each one its own story, its own event, but all contributing to the story that is the entirety of the Dead’s 52 show run at Madison Square Garden.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN (aptly named after the line in “St. Stephen,” which the band played live for the first time in four years at the October 11, 1983 MSG show) offers a front-row seat to the Dead in the early 1980s, an overlooked and underestimated era of rebirth for the band. At the time of the recordings, the group consisted of singers-guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bobby Weir, bassist Phil Lesh, drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, and, on keyboards and vocals, Brent Mydland.

Mydland’s vocal power and colorful keyboard palette energized the band, invigorating older material like “The Wheel,” “Truckin’” and “Eyes of The World.” He also gave the band more musical flexibility, which encouraged them to dust off rarely aired treasures like “Dupree’s Diamond Blues” and “Crazy Fingers.”

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN touches on the three-year period after 1980’s Go To Heaven was released, a time when the Dead were constantly on the road, playing more than 200 dates. While they were in no rush to return to the studio during this time, they continued to write new music. In 1982 and ’83, the band performed most of the songs that would appear on 1987’s In The Dark, a Top 10 double-platinum album that stands as the group’s biggest commercial success. The new collection includes performances of four songs from that album – “Touch Of Grey,” “Hell In A Bucket,” “Throwing Stones,” and “West L.A. Fadeaway” – plus the B-side, “My Brother Esau.”

The set comes in a custom box featuring new artwork by Dave Van Patten celebrating the band’s eclectic fanbase, with a cavalcade of illustrated Dead Heads. The collection also includes detailed liner notes by award-winning music journalist David Fricke, who explores the band’s connection to the Big Apple. He writes: “Welcome to the unique, enduring phenomenon of the Grateful Dead in New York City, a mutual devotion, forged in concert, that ran for nearly as long as the band itself—from June 1, 1967, a free show in Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side (ahead of the band’s official, local bow at the Cafe Au Go Go), to the Dead’s last Garden run, six nights in October 1994…te Dead’s affinity for New York City…was instant and arguably their most profound with any city aside from San Francisco.”

The band’s offcial podcast, the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast, will also be deep diving into the MSG shows and is currently collecting stories from concertgoers at stories.dead.net.

IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ’81, ’82, ’83
17-CD Track Listing

Madison Square Garden (3/9/81)
“Feel Like A Stranger”
“Althea”
“C.C. Rider”
“Ramble On Rose”>
“El Paso”
“Deep Elem Blues”
“Beat It On Down The Line”
“Bird Song”
“New Minglewood Blues”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”>
“Samson And Delilah”
“Ship Of Fools”
“Estimated Prophet”>
“Uncle John’s Band”>
Drums>
Space>
“The Other One”>
“Stella Blue”>
“Good Lovin’”
“U.S. Blues”

Madison Square Garden (3/10/81)
“Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo”>
“Franklin’s Tower”>
“Me And My Uncle”
“It Must Have Been The Roses”>
“Little Red Rooster”
“Don’t Ease Me In”
“Lazy Lightning”>
“Supplication”
“Brown-Eyed Women”>
“Looks Like Rain”>
“Deal”
“Scarlet Begonias”>
“Fire On The Mountain”>
“Lost Sailor”>
“Saint Of Circumstance”>
Jam>
Drums
Space>
“The Wheel”>
“China Doll”>
“Truckin’”>
“Sugar Magnolia”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”>
“Brokedown Palace”

Madison Square Garden (9/20/82)
“Shakedown Street”>
“New Minglewood Blues”
“Candyman”>
“El Paso”
“Dupree’s Diamond Blues”
“It’s All Over Now”
“Never Trust A Woman”
“Row Jimmy”
“Throwing Stones”>
“Keep Your Day Job”
“Scarlet Begonias”>
“Fire On The Mountain”
“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)”
“Terrapin Station”>
Drums>
Space>
Spanish Jam>
“Truckin’”>
“The Other One”>
“Stella Blue”>
“Sugar Magnolia”
“Touch Of Grey”

Madison Square Garden (9/21/82)
“Playing In The Band”>
“Crazy Fingers”>
“Me And My Uncle”>
“Big River”
“West L.A. Fadeaway”
“Beat It On Down The Line”
“Loser”
“Looks Like Rain”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”
“Touch Of Grey”>
“Samson And Delilah”
“High Time”
“Estimated Prophet”>
“He’s Gone”>
Drums>
Space>
“Throwing Stones”>
“Not Fade Away”>
“Black Peter”>
“Good Lovin’”
“U.S. Blues”

Madison Square Garden (10/11/83)
“Wang Dang Doodle”>
“Jack Straw”
“Loser”
“Me And My Uncle”>
“Mexicali Blues”
“Bird Song”
“Hell In A Bucket”>
“Keep Your Day Job”
“China Cat Sunflower”>
“I Know You Rider”
“I Need A Miracle”>
“Bertha”>
Jam>
“China Doll”>
Drums>
Space>
“St. Stephen”>
“Throwing Stones”>
“Touch Of Grey”
“Johnny B. Goode”

Madison Square Garden (10/12/83)
“Cold Rain And Snow”
“New Minglewood Blues”
“Ramble On Rose”
“My Brother Esau”
“It Must Have Been The Roses”
“Cassidy”>
“Cumberland Blues”
“Looks Like Rain”>
“Might As Well”
“Help On The Way”>
“Slipknot!”
“Franklin’s Tower”
“Man Smart (Woman Smarter)”
“He’s Gone”>
Drums>
Space>
“Truckin’”>
“Black Peter”>
“Not Fade Away”
“Revolution”

Eminem Announces ‘Curtain Call 2’

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 13, 2022

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Rap legend Eminem announces his second greatest hits collection, Curtain Call 2, set to be released on August 5th. The news comes on the heels of the just released “From the D 2 the LBC,” an epic new single featuring fellow icon Snoop Dogg. The song – and it’s accompanying James Larese-directed video — made its global premiere on June 23 at Ape Fest, the Bored Ape NFT event at NFT.NYC.

The song is the lead single from Curtain Call 2, a hits collection comprised of the inimitable Detroit MC’s creative output since the 2005 release of Curtain Call: The Hits. Curtain Call 2 will include music from all Eminem projects from Relapse forward, including side-projects, guest appearances, film soundtrack songs, and of course selections from his solo albums.

In addition to the standard release, there will be a limited edition box set and a limited quantity of autographed vinyl available on Eminem.com – sign up for first access to these offerings here. (shop.eminem.com)

The Eminem/Snoop Dogg collaboration follows the June 16th release of “The King and I,” a CeeLo Green-assisted song Eminem contributed to the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic, which is also included on Curtain Call 2.

Along with the two recently released songs above, there will be one additional previously unreleased track on the collection, to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Watch the official video for “From the D 2 the LBC” below.

Known for his acerbic wit, rapid flows, and endlessly personal songwriting, Eminem’s presence continues to loom large over both hip-hop and pop culture itself. Since releasing his debut album, The Slim Shady LP in 1999, he’s gone on to become the best-selling rap artist in history, having recently been certified with six diamond awards from the RIAA, and is now the most certified artist for gold and platinum singles in history.

Over the course of his career, Eminem has sold over 130 million albums and 389 million singles worldwide. He was Nielsen SoundScan’s top-selling artist of the 2000s with 32.2 million albums sold in that decade in the U.S. alone. In addition, Eminem was also named Billboard’s Artist of the Decade for the same period, 2000 through 2009. Eminem has won 15 GRAMMY® Awards and an Academy Award®. His 2010 album, “Recovery,” was the first album in the U.S. to be certified platinum digitally. In March of 2021 his greatest hits album, “Curtain Call: The Hits,” became the first hip-hop album to spend a full decade on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart. His most recent album, “Music To Be Murdered By” was released January 17th, 2020 and was his ninth straight studio album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, selling over 279,000 units. “Music To Be Murdered By – Side B” is an expanded version of the album which was released in December 2020. Its release brought the album back to No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200, breaking a 50-year record for biggest chart leap.

Indigenous Artist Hayley Wallis Takes A Cathartic Journey Through Heartbreak In “Think Of You”

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 12, 2022

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Indigenous Artist Hayley Wallis Takes A Cathartic Journey Through Heartbreak In “Think Of You”

Young love can be difficult to navigate, especially when it ends… Canadian singer/songwriter Hayley Wallis captures this raw vulnerability and longing ache in the aftermath of a breakup in her new single, “Think Of You.”

With an emphasis on the craft of storytelling, “Think Of You” taps into Wallis’ own experiences intertwined with those of friends to create a heartfelt, soulful, and melodic journey through trying to let go of someone you once loved. From lyrics like “I wish you stayed” to “I have so many, many questions,” the song’s aim is, ultimately, to get over the hurt.

Co-written with producer David Hodges, the two aimed to pen an emotional heartbreak story that was universal and relatable. “My personal experience with this song was losing someone you aren’t ready to let go of after building a ‘codependency,’ which a lot of people experience with young love,” Wallis says. “In the moment, it feels as though you’re never going to let them go and it feels like your heart will hurt forever and you’d do anything to win them back. I wanted this song to capture those feelings in the moment.”

Storytelling is deeply rooted in Wallis’ culture and bloodline, and she wanted to call on its healing properties to not only tend to her own wounds but to help others. “Storytelling is ceremony, it’s special and it’s powerful,” she explains. “We are taught that words are powerful, so you want to make sure that every lyric you’re writing down has good intention. With that being said, I really want to make every song and lyric in this upcoming EP count and hold meaning.”

Now based in Vancouver, Hayley Wallis began her musical journey at a young age singing for her family and community in a small, isolated island known as Klemtu, located in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia. Being part of the Kitasoo/Xais’xais Nation has ultimately shaped who Hayley is today and helped carve a path for where she is bravely steering her journey with her second single and her debut EP. Passionate about leaving a strong legacy, she sings for herself, her children, and her people, and hopes to set an example that will empower the young generation of her community to pursue their dreams.

Singer-Songwriter Henry Lees Releases “Walking With Fear” in Support of Anxiety Canada

Music

Eric Alper

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Jul 12, 2022

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Singer-Songwriter Henry Lees Releases “Walking With Fear” in Support of Anxiety Canada

Time is the ultimate healer, but music is one of the strongest medicines that can help along the way. Often, all it takes is a song that your mind, heart, and soul connect with to bring relief to whatever may be troublesome. That’s the prescription award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Henry Lees aims to fill with his very personal but widely relatable new single, “Walking With Fear” — available now.

An empowering folk-rock anthem built on a bed of beautiful acoustic and electric guitar interplay and a driving, heartbeat rhythm, “Walking with Fear” isn’t about being scared stiff. It’s about feeling those uncomfortable, fearful and anxious emotions and still finding the resolve to stay your course.

I’m walking with fear, side by side
Out in the open
No place to hide
Sit on my shoulder, scream in my ear
But, I ain’t running
I’m walking with fear

“‘Walking with Fear’ pays tribute to the courage it takes to put one foot in front of the other when fear and anxiety are working overtime to paralyze you,” Lees shares. “It’s about being at a place of peace and strength that so many who live with high anxiety struggle to find.”

It’s a situation the Vancouver-born, Toronto-based artist is intimately familiar with after living with debilitating anxiety for most of his life and being diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder just over a decade ago. A combination of therapies including cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness training has helped him live peacefully and successfully with GAD.

“I finally had a name and an explanation for the fear and apprehension that had dogged me almost daily since childhood and had manifested in troubling mental and physical issues,” explained Lees in a recent interview with Anxiety Canada. “I used to call it Chicken Little Syndrome: ‘The sky is falling! The sky is falling!’ But I’ve learned to cope with my GAD now.”

‘I’ve grown to know you so well, just like the bravest part of myself.’

In deciding to tell his own story in song, Lees knew that he wanted it to be both personally cathartic and potentially helpful for others.

“I discovered June 10 is Action Anxiety Day in Canada and knew it would be the perfect release date for ‘Walking with Fear’. The song and the day are both all about taking action to cope with fear and anxiety.”

Lees reached out to Anxiety Canada about the single release plans for Action Anxiety Day and to offer “Walking With Fear” in any way they may find helpful. They responded by partnering with him to interview him about his story and the song for an article currently featured on AnxietyCanada.com; Lees has also launched a personal challenge fundraiser for the organization, and donated 100% of the song’s proceeds from June 10th – 15th in further support towards Anxiety Canada’s cause.

“I am thrilled Anxiety Canada is honoured that I’m releasing this song in conjunction with Action Anxiety Day and that they wanted to share my story. I really hope it helps amplify their mission to provide accessible, science-based anxiety relief,” shares Lees. “I also appreciate Anxiety Canada’s #ACTonAnxiety approach of Awareness/Advocacy (sharing stories); Colours (wearing blue and orange); and Treatment (raising funds for evidence-based resources and treatment).”

The last two-plus years of a global pandemic have seriously tested everyone’s mettle, especially those who live with anxiety disorders.

Lees and his “Walking With Fear” co-writer and producer, multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and 2022 CFMA nominee David Leask, also knew it was a good time to record and release their song about facing fears, but how?

They teamed up with multi-JUNO-winning musician/producer Steve Dawson (Birds of Chicago, Matt Andersen), as well as acclaimed drummer Gary Craig (Jann Arden, Bruce Cockburn) and bassist Jeremy Holmes (Colin James, Jill Barber) to record remotely in three different cities. Leask, Lees, and Craig recorded guitars, keyboards, vocals, and drums separately in Toronto. Holmes recorded bass in Vancouver and co-producer Dawson recorded guitar tracks and mixed the song at his Nashville studio, The Henhouse. Additional mixing and mastering were done by David Vanderploeg at Naturally Digital in Brampton, Ontario.

“It was truly an international, intercity effort to be very proud of by a group of stellar talents,” recalls Lees. “I was completely floored by how extremely well everything came together and how simpatico it all sounds.”

A singer, songwriter, and percussionist since his teens, Henry Lees’ love of writing, recording, and performing everything from radio jingles to musical theatre has taken him on to the airwaves and on to stages across Canada — including singing on two cross-Canada Huron Carole benefit tours with singer-songwriter, actor, philanthropist and Order of Canada recipient Tom Jackson.

In 2018, Lees co-wrote three songs on the Maple Blues Awards nominated Recording of the Year “Monarch” by Canadian blues artist Chris Antonik. In 2021, Lees was honoured with a Top Ten Finalist Award from the International Acoustic Music Awards and a Second Place Award from the Indie International Songwriting Awards for his song “Nothing Left to Lose”, co-written with rising Vancouver songwriter/producer Sean Thomas.

These recent successes have buoyed Lees with plans to release two more digital singles in 2022 with an EP on the way in early 2023. In the meantime, the focus is on sharing the powerful, supportive message of “Walking With Fear”.

“I hope ‘Walking With Fear’ is relatable for others struggling with anxiety and inspires them to feel hopeful and remember that it is absolutely possible to live peacefully with anxiety,” says Lees.

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