Today not only marks the beginning of Sagittarius season but also artist Lili-Ann De Francesco’s birthday. It is only fitting that the artist re-introduces herself today with the release of, “The Great Escape,” via Maison Barclay Canada, Universal Music Canada’s Quebec focused label imprint. The poignant cover of Patrick Watson’s song marks De Francesco’s debut with the record label and serves as the perfect re-introduction to the Montreal-based singer-songwriter, encapsulating her heartfelt artistry and emotional depth.
About the release De Francesco commented, “The song “The Great Escape” really inspired me from an early age, it got me through some tough times. I wanted to share it with a new generation in hopes that it could serve as a comfort to them, like it did for me. Patrick Watson’s original version of the song is fifteen years old and it’s still as poignant and beautiful as ever.”
In the captivating performance visuals also shared today, De Francesco is bathed in blue and green light as she plays the piano – an instrument she’s been playing since she was just five years old. Throughout the performance she’s stripped back and true, two qualities central to her purpose. “I want to do what I like, and I want the people who work with me to support my decisions and support my choices,” she says. “I want to be true in my music, as well — I want to talk about real stuff.”
Coming into her own in the Instagram-turned-TikTok world, De Francesco is not someone who takes her goals as an artist lightly. Most important among them? Choosing herself, as well as staying grounded and relatable. “I want to show to the people that I can be vulnerable, but also I can be fun — it’s not really ‘artist’ and ‘person.’ It’s one.”
Stay tuned for more from the artist as she prepares to release brand new material in the new year.
MODO-LIVE is proud to announce a 14 city Canadian tour with punk icon Laura Jane Grace.
Best known as the founder, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!. Since coming out as transgender in a 2012, she has become an outspoken advocate for transgender awareness.
Joining Laura will be Lande Hekt (Muncie Girls) and Winnipeg’s power duo, Mobina Galore. Laura’s live show will showcase songs from her newest solo EP “At war with the silverfish” along with her deep catalog of punk rock anthems and meaningful songs.
“These are songs of late-night madness and loneliness, orphan songs that came wandering in looking to feed like insects,” Laura Jane Grace says of her new EP. Grace conveys the distinctive pluck that has defined her work with Against Me! and The Devouring Mothers, but with the intimate energy of home recording with an acoustic guitar. The album is not a clarion call, but a tender invitation. It is a necessary capsule of a woman’s artistic pulse; love, longing and loneliness told in affecting turns of phrase.
Come join Laura Jane Grace and see why she is one of today’s most important songwriters and performers.
Tickets go on-sale Friday Nov 26 1pm(ET)/12pm(CT)/11am(MT)/10am(PT).
March 05 | Montreal | Le National
March 06 | Ottawa | Bronson Centre
March 08 | Oshawa | Stage 44
March 09 | Toronto | Opera House
March 11 | Waterloo | Maxwell’s
March 12 | Hamilton | Bridgeworks
March 13 | London | London Music Hall
March 14 | Sudbury | Place Des Arts
March 14 | Winnipeg | Park Theatre
March 18 | Saskatoon | Coors Event Centre
March 19 | Calgary | Commonwealth
March 20 | Edmonton | Starlite Room
March 22 | Vancouver | Rickshaw
March 23 | Victoria | McPherson Playhouse
In this episode of AirGigs Insights, they’ve compiled 10 essential songwriting tips from Bob Dylan taken from interviews and quotes given over the last 50+ years. Dylan’s personal style has always been a bit enigmatic, so with some of these you may need to look a little deeper to get to the root of them for yourself.
“Forget the noun, do the verb.” Recorded March 2018 at the Gray Area Grand Theatre in San Francisco as part of Bond, a new conference that examines how independent artists and creators make a living through the internet, the great writer Austin Kleon gives a talk that would become his book Keep Going.
Ira Glass from This American Life talking about story telling and how to bridge the space between your taste and how well you can achieve what you want through your own art.
Sonic Reducers. 1 topic. 2 music nerds. 5 minutes. We tally up this year’s Grammy nominations, talk about who lucked out and who got snubbed, and debate which artists will be big winners when the trophies are handed out on Jan. 31.
Freestanding bathtubs are an element of luxury, a 100% must-have of a fashionable interior 2021-2022. Thanks to inspiring pictures from the top interior design magazines, homeowners have a new dream — to buy freestanding bath from Aquatica, and highlight the uniqueness of their home interior.
After all, this plumbing adds luxury and chic to any interior, becomes a stylish highlight of the entire space design. A right choice of a freestanding bathtub should be deliberate, with knowledge of all its advantages and characteristics, and take into account many important factors.
Freestanding Bathtubs and their Features
The attractiveness of the freestanding baths presented on Aquatica’s website https://www.aquaticausa.com/ is easy to explain. It transforms the bathroom interior into a luxurious spa area. The bathtub, which is located separately from the wall, captivates with several advantages:
Spectacular design. Freestanding bathtubs look very unusual. They will fit harmoniously in Classic style, Minimalist, Modern, or even Baroque style. It is a bright central element of the room that sets the mood in it. Aquatica takes care of its customers and offers a wide range of designs, sizes, and shapes of bathtubs:
Oval;
Rectangular;
Round;
Rounded Triangle;
Unique (egg-shaped, Japanese style, etc.).
“Invisibility” of utility systems. Siphons, inlet, and outlet pipes; with such bathtubs, the entire “wrong side” of sanitary ware is hidden.
Installation versatility. If you buy Aquatica’s freestanding bath, you get a flexible room layout. You can choose a freestanding bathtub for installation both against walls or windows, or even right in the center.
High-quality materials. You can choose an original bath made from the finest quality, award-winning materials. A diverse selection of world-class European materials, including solid surfaces (AquateX™, LegnoX, and NeroX™), wood, etc., will allow you to select the option that suits your expectations and requirements.
Aquatica sets trends, develops unique technical solutions, patented technologies, and materials. The original designer products presented on Aquaticausa.com are sophisticated bathroom fixtures that evoke dreams of relaxation and romantic home spa evenings.
SiriusXM and ABBA announce ABBA Radio, which will exclusively debut via satellite on channel 54 and the SXM App, on November 5.
The limited-run channel celebrates the release of the Swedish quartet’s first new studio album in 40 years, Voyage, also out November 5 via Capitol Records. ABBA Radio keeps the excitement going as a destination for listeners to have the full ABBA experience. With music from Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Björn Ulvaeus, that has sold millions of records across the globe and garnered massive pop-culture notoriety from the Broadway stage, TV and film, the channel will take listeners on a full musical journey.
ABBA Radio will feature classic favorites from the group’s early career through their new songs from today. Björn and Benny will share insights on the new album, song by song, give a glimpse into their upcoming live stage show, and share memories of the band’s early years and their work before ABBA. Additionally, listeners can expect to hear solo work from members of the group and cover versions of their most well-known hits.
ABBA Radio will be available, beginning tomorrow, via satellite on channel 54 through November 14, and on the SXM App through December 4.
“It’s been a while since we made music together. Almost 40 years, actually. We took a break in the spring of 1982 and now we’ve decided it’s time to end it. They say it’s foolhardy to wait more than 40 years between albums, so we’ve recorded a follow-up to “The Visitors”. To tell the truth, the main inspiration to record again comes from our involvement in creating the strangest and most spectacular concert you could ever dream of. We’re going to be able to sit back in an audience and watch our digital selves perform our songs on a stage in a custom-built arena in London next spring. Weird and wonderful! To all of you who patiently have followed us in some way or another these past decades: Thank you for waiting -it’s time for a new journey to begin,” says Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid of Abba
SiriusXM’s ABBA Radio is available to subscribers in their car and on their phone and connected devices at home with the SXM App. Streaming access is included for most subscribers. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.
Kaya Usher, the wife of The Tragically Hip’s lead singer Gord Downie, has released her debut album, All This Is, produced by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene and Nyles Spencer. Mastered by Grammy award-winner Emily Lazar, the 10-track project also features Andrea Nann on back-up vocals and two of Usher and Gord Downie’s children, Lou and Willo. Bringing to life the couple’s dream of one day forming a family band, All This Is will self-released and distributed by Arts & Crafts Productions, the label behind Downie’s solo career.
“This is a very personal album for me, not only because I get to jam out with my kids, but also because music has helped me to rise up and transcend what was holding me back,” says Kaya Usher. “Everyone can connect to music. My hope is that this album helps others reach new heights too.”
All This Is represents a reset. It is Usher’s story, told for the first time through a series of songs. Haunting melodies and soul-searching lyrics create an experience for the listener that reflects Usher’s awakening process, a journey that began when she fought breast cancer in her forties. The album speaks to her unraveling, her epiphany and, finally, her metamorphosis.
Kevin Drew met Usher in 2013 through Downie, and they soon became good friends. Their collaboration is heard throughout the album, in its robust compositions, ambient chords and hypnotic rhythms. Featuring her son Lou on keyboard and drums, her daughter Willo on harmonies and Usher playing classical guitar, organ, harmonica and providing vocals, All This Is is an offering almost thirty years in the making.
The project was recorded at The Bathouse Recording Studio — a studio owned and managed by The Hip, near Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. The album art was designed by Willo.
ALBUM TRACK LIST
Coming Home
Quickening
First Frequency
Core
Thunderclap
Ascension
Disappearing Bridge
The Field
Brilliant Self
Heart Clicks
All This Is is infused with high levels of frequency, found to be beneficial for inducing calm and deep relaxation. The album, which will also be available on meditation app Medito, is an extension of Usher’s frequency work. Her online platform, The Simplicity Platform, offers sessions, classes, recordings and other tools designed to help others achieve a deep state of calm and inner peace. The project is the first in a series of projects geared at healing, self-discovery and growth, with two books on the subject authored by Usher debuting in 2022. More information on the books can be found here.
Kaya Usher is a Canadian artist, musician and frequency work professional currently residing in Southern Ontario. Her work helps others to heal, discover and grow. At 20, Montreal native Usher met Gord Downie at university, and fell madly in love. A talented lyricist and musician in her own right, Usher stayed home and raised the couple’s four children. But in private, Usher and Downie would sing duets at family functions and share creative ideas. Their life together was a ride of experiences and themes that have made it into All This Is.
Sown from a thicket of inspiration throughout the pandemic’s earliest days, multi-award-winning contemporary composer and singer/songwriter Carmen Braden unearths her immersive and exploratory new album, Seed Songs — available now.
With previously unveiled singles “Kick Kick” and “Menu” landing prior to release, the 18-song collection opens with “The Mind is Wild” — a spacious and rich journey into how we as humans internalize and connect to our environment.
“The first lyric reveals that ‘the wilderness is just a state of mind,’” Braden offers, adding, “this is from a realization that I carry the influence of the space, the cold, and the gentle pace of my northern home within me, no matter where I am.
“Producing ‘The Mind is Wild’ in the close-living situation of that first fall and winter of the pandemic brought a renewed appreciation for the experience of ‘wilderness,’ even if it’s on the inside.”
The pandemic would serve as a springboard for more than just this one song’s inspiration, she reveals. “Throughout those early months, the minutiae and small details of everyday life were my focus. I wrote dozens of these short ‘seed song’ ideas — all connected to moments of beauty I encountered, or struggles of the day-to-day. I strived to share things that may seem ordinary or simple at first, but are actually profound, fulfilling, and nuanced.
“Each song has a core — a ‘seed idea’ — I tried to capture,” Braden continues. “They’re each a kind of vignette: a moment in time; a snapshot of joy or struggle, fragments; phrases; edges…”
One such example sparked mid-spin class, now to be heard in the song “Ken’s Calves.” “For brief moments in the pandemic, I did some attempts at regular exercise, which is not something that comes easily or naturally for me,” she laughs. “I went to my instructor Ken’s spin class, and my favourite stationary bike was in a position so that my field of vision was directly at his wheels — and legs! This song is what came from listening to the up-tempo, beat-driven music that played during the classes, and the positive vibe I got after getting the blood moving.”
There are also glimmers of travel-based memories and experiences Braden’s encountered while far away from home. “I did a lot of remembering like this during the pandemic, since travel was not possible; it was a way of staying connected to the places and people I know and love. ’Lights of Port Angeles’ is actually a song about scuba diving in southern British Columbia, when we were within sight of Port Angeles in Washington State. The ‘border’ and ‘barrier’ in the song is actually the divide between the above-water world and the underwater world. Every time I entered that other world, I felt mystery and wonder edged with fear. I love returning to that feeling, even if just in my memory.”
While the longest song on the LP, “Serendipity,” arrives at just over three minutes, most are far briefer — and by their own organic unfolding. “I chose 18 of the strongest ‘seeds’ to bring together in this album, and it was a journey in releasing expectations, allowing each song to have the sound or length it needed,” she explains. “I feel there is beauty in miniatures… In brevity… And if I can say something meaningful and musical in one minute, then that’s all the time it needs to take.”
Nowhere is this more elegantly displayed than on “Only One of Her,” a song written for Braden’s young daughter; at just 38 seconds long, it floats like a lullaby, or a fragment of a love song, its pointedness only punctuating its imprint. “As I’ve watched her grow, I get hit by the same revelation over and over: she’s a completely unique human. It’s both obvious and miraculous, but that revelation is almost physical in its impact; it takes my breath away.”
Given how the album’s inspiration was gleaned somewhere between the ebb and flow of navigating Covid, the tangible construction of the album also presented a creative curveball, given social restrictions.
“I worked through the writing and recording of Seed Songs all by distance from my home in Yellowknife with my friend and producer Mark Adam in Nova Scotia,” Braden recalls of the process. “Working that way meant I brought the music to life with Mark in ways I hadn’t done before.
“Mark encouraged me to embrace the rough while not sacrificing the concise. I also used instruments and technologies that were new for me — guitars, synthesizers… This brought a process of freedom and exploration to the recording process.”
Carmen Braden is long familiar with the process of exploration. Her debut album, Ravens, was released in 2017 combining her songs and compositions, and her sophomore offering, Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars, followed two years later as a deep dive into her contemporary works for chamber ensemble.
Among her many accolades, Braden won the Western Canadian Music Award for Classical Composer of the Year in both 2019 and 2020, and received nominations for ECMA Classical Album of the Year (2020), WCMA Classical Artist of the Year (2019), and WCMA Classical Composition of the Year (2017).
And having taken the stage at intimate theatres and MainStage folk festivals — including the 2010 Olympics, Koerner Hall, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, Stratford Summer Music Festival, Folk on the Rocks, and many more — Braden is lauded as an esteemed solo performer and collaborator. Her extensive contemporary classical compositions are nationally recognized, and she has been commissioned and performed by world-class ensembles, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, James Ehnes and the Canadian Chamber Choir.
Seed Songs, Carmen Braden’s third album, is available now.
