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Marshmello Headlines as FEED THE BLOCK Brings Free Outdoor Dance Parties Back to Downtown Las Vegas

Eric Alper
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Marshmello Headlines as FEED THE BLOCK Brings Free Outdoor Dance Parties Back to Downtown Las Vegas

Downtown Las Vegas has a dance floor again. FEED THE BLOCK, the free open-air block party series that pulled more than 40,000 fans to Fremont East in its debut year, returns for its 2026 season with GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer Marshmello headlining the kickoff event on Thursday, April 2nd, starting at 6pm. Presented by Wynn Nightlife and Corner Bar Management, the series transforms the intersection of 6th and Fremont into a high-energy outdoor celebration under the desert sky, and admission is free.

The series earned its reputation fast. Its inaugural run featured electrifying sets from Gryffin, Major Lazer SoundSystem, and Diplo, establishing FEED THE BLOCK as one of downtown Las Vegas’s most talked-about live music experiences. The premise has always been straightforward and genuinely rare: world-class dance music, open to everyone, in the middle of the city. Corner Bar Management founder Ryan Doherty puts it plainly: “Artists like Marshmello represent the very best of what this series stands for, pure energy, massive sound, and a community of fans who come together to celebrate music.”

Marshmello is exactly the right artist to open this chapter. Since emerging in 2015, the masked producer has accumulated more than 50 billion streams and built a catalog that moves without friction between dance, pop, hip-hop, and country. His 2024 collaboration with Kane Brown, “Miles On It,” made history as the first song to debut at number one simultaneously on both the Top Dance/Electronic Songs Chart and Top Country Songs Chart. His April 2nd set will take place atop the legendary Forest House Art Car, a stage that has graced Electric Daisy Carnival and Burning Man. The setting alone raises the stakes considerably.

Wynn Nightlife Senior Vice President Ryan Jones frames the partnership with equal enthusiasm: “Bringing an artist of Marshmello’s caliber off property and to the streets of downtown Las Vegas speaks to the power of this partnership.” That instinct, to take genuinely premium entertainment and hand it directly to the community, is what makes FEED THE BLOCK one of the most exciting recurring events in live music right now, and one of the most generous.

General admission RSVP is free. VIP tickets, featuring a dedicated viewing area and open bar, are available now at blockparty.vegas/feed.

R&B Rising Force Jai’Len Josey Signs With WME and Announces Def Jam Debut ‘Serial Romantic’

Eric Alper
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R&B Rising Force Jai’Len Josey Signs With WME and Announces Def Jam Debut ‘Serial Romantic’

Jai’Len Josey is having a moment that feels less like a breakthrough and more like an arrival that was always inevitable. The Atlanta-based singer-songwriter has signed with WME for global representation and announced ‘Serial Romantic’, her major label debut on Def Jam Recordings, out April 24th. Executive produced by five-time GRAMMY Award-winner and 2026 Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee Tricky Stewart, with contributions from The Dream, Leon Thomas, and Theron Thomas, the album is built with the kind of creative firepower that signals serious intent.

The resume behind ‘Serial Romantic’ is quietly staggering. Josey penned the platinum hit “Pressure” for Ari Lennox. She has writing credits alongside SZA, Babyface, Rod Wave, and Wyclef Jean. She holds a publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing. She made her bones on Broadway starring in The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! before pivoting to recording, releasing her Illustrations EP independently in 2020 and following it with the critically praised Southern Delicacy EP on Def Jam in 2023. Every step has been deliberate, and ‘Serial Romantic’ is where those steps converge.

Her latest single, “Housewife,” set the tone for this new era, pairing cinematic production with playful confidence while challenging traditional narratives around relationships and autonomy. As Jai’Len previously shared, “the track reframes domestication as a choice, emphasizing empowerment and self-definition.”

Momentum behind Serial Romantic has been steadily building. Previously released singles “Won’t Force You,” “Freak,” and “New Girl” have earned praise from outlets such as Billboard, VIBE, OKAYPLAYER, EBONY, and more, highlighting her ability to merge nostalgic R&B influences with a fresh, pop-contemporary edge.

“I’m truly grateful and beyond excited to be working with the WME team,” Josey shares. “There’s so much passion behind what we’re building, and I can’t wait to share these moments with new audiences.” That enthusiasm is grounded in genuine creative momentum. Singles “Won’t Force You,” “Freak,” and “New Girl” have already built a foundation that makes ‘Serial Romantic’ one of the most anticipated R&B debuts of 2026, and one of the year’s most compelling stories in contemporary music full stop.

With WME now in place for global touring and cross-platform opportunities, Jai’Len Josey is positioned to take this well beyond the album cycle. The infrastructure matches the ambition, and the talent has always been there.

Minneapolis Folk Voice David Huckfelt Channels Chief Seattle on His Most Vital Song Yet

Eric Alper
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Minneapolis Folk Voice David Huckfelt Channels Chief Seattle on His Most Vital Song Yet

David Huckfelt has spent years building a body of work rooted in moral clarity and musical depth. “Chief Seattle’s Dream,” out now on Don Giovanni Records, is the fullest expression of that commitment yet. Inspired by Chief Seattle’s landmark 1854 speech, the track is a stirring tribute to the natural world and the interconnectedness of life, written by an artist who has spent decades as a genuine ally to Indigenous leaders, artists, and activists.

The song carries the weight of that history. Simnasho Warm Springs singer Quiltman, who has worked alongside John Trudell, Jackson Browne, and Bonnie Raitt, contributes vocals, and his words on the track are striking: “Hearing this song this morning has brought some sunshine into my reality.” That kind of response from a collaborator with Quiltman’s lineage is not incidental. It speaks directly to what Huckfelt has built. Huckfelt himself calls it “the most important song I’ve written to date.”

The track received a significant platform when it was featured in the season premiere of AMC’s acclaimed series Dark Winds, produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin. Music Supervisor Rick Clark described Huckfelt as “a formidable truth teller whose songs are like dreamscape movies, illuminating a real place that was never taught in American History books.” That kind of placement and that kind of praise does not come to artists who are merely competent. It comes to artists who are essential.

Huckfelt is the founding frontman of Minneapolis indie-folk cult favorites The Pines, a figure rooted in the same Midwestern soil that produced John Prine and Greg Brown, and an artist who has shared stages with Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, and Bon Iver. ‘I Was Born, But…’ collects reimagined overlooked gems from some of American music’s most influential songwriters, and it stands as one of the most quietly powerful folk releases in recent memory.

With production already underway on a full album of original songs for Don Giovanni Records later this year, Huckfelt is moving with purpose. “Chief Seattle’s Dream” is the kind of song that outlasts its moment, and one of the most deeply felt and fully realized folk recordings 2026 has produced.

K-Pop Powerhouse IVE Bring Their “SHOW WHAT I AM” World Tour to North America This Summer

Eric Alper
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K-Pop Powerhouse IVE Bring Their “SHOW WHAT I AM” World Tour to North America This Summer

IVE are bringing one of the biggest K-pop tours of 2026 to North America, and the scale of it demands attention. The six-member group, comprising ANYUJIN, GAEUL, REI, JANGWONYOUNG, LIZ, and LEESEO, have announced a full North American leg of their WORLD TOUR “SHOW WHAT I AM,” kicking off July 21st in Toronto at Scotiabank Arena and running through August 9th in Vancouver at Rogers Arena. Eight cities, eight arena shows, promoted by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale April 2nd at 3pm local time.

The tour launched in October 2025 with a three-night run at Seoul’s KSPO DOME, building on the momentum of IVE’s first world tour, which connected them with more than 420,000 fans across 19 countries. This chapter pushes further. Where their first tour was rooted in the concept of “I,” self-confidence and individuality, “SHOW WHAT I AM” expands the lens toward “We,” exploring shared emotion and the collective experience between the group and their fanbase, DIVE.

The creative centerpiece of the tour is ‘REVIVE+’, IVE’s second full-length album, released February 23rd and debuting at the top of domestic and international charts. The 12-track project is less a reset than a re-ignition, building on the identity IVE have already established while pushing their artistic range wider. Pre-release double title track “BANG BANG” hit number one across major domestic charts, achieving a Perfect All-Kill, the first of 2026 and IVE’s sixth overall, following a run of hits that includes “After LIKE,” “I AM,” and “REBEL HEART.”

IVE have spent four years building one of the most consistent track records in K-pop. Forbes named them among the 2024 30 Under 30 in Asia. Billboard called them “an undeniable force in K-pop’s next generation.” Seven consecutive million-sellers. A collaborative single with David Guetta. An all-English release featuring Saweetie. The numbers and the ambition keep climbing in lockstep, and “SHOW WHAT I AM” is the most expansive statement yet from a group that has never once moved slowly.

VIP packages are available at vipnation.com, including soundcheck access, post-show send-off events, and official IVE VIP photocard sets. Additional Asia dates in Hong Kong and Taipei follow the North American run in September.

IVE WORLD TOUR “SHOW WHAT I AM” 2026 Dates:

Asia (Previously Announced):

Saturday, April 4 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Axiata Arena

Saturday, April 25 – Manila, Philippines – SM Mall of Asia Arena

Saturday, May 9 – Singapore – Singapore Indoor Stadium

Saturday, May 23 – Macao – The Venetian Arena

Sunday, May 24 – Macao – The Venetian Arena

Australia & New Zealand (Previously Announced):

Saturday, June 13 – Sydney, AU – Qudos Bank Arena

Tuesday, June 16 – Melbourne, AU – Rod Laver Arena

Saturday, June 20 – Auckland, NZ – Spark Arena

North America (Just Announced):

Tuesday, July 21 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Thursday, July 23 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Saturday, July 25 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

Wednesday, July 29 – Austin, TX – Moody Center

Saturday, August 1 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

Tuesday, August 4 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena

Friday, August 7 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sunday, August 9 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Additional Asia Dates (Just Announced):

Friday, September 4 – Hong Kong – Asia World Arena

Saturday, September 5 – Hong Kong – Asia World Arena

Friday, September 11 – Taipei, TW – Taipei Arena

Saturday, September 12 – Taipei, TW – Taipei Arena

Patriarchs in Black Resurrect a Black Sabbath Deep Cut and Make It Devastatingly Their Own

Eric Alper
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Patriarchs in Black Resurrect a Black Sabbath Deep Cut and Make It Devastatingly Their Own

Patriarchs in Black are not interested in the obvious. While most bands mining the Black Sabbath catalog reach for the anthems, this heavy music collective went straight for “Supertzar,” one of the most ambitious and underappreciated compositions in the Sabbath canon, and turned it into something cinematic, crushing, and entirely their own. The single is out now on NoLifeTilMetal Records, and it arrives with serious pedigree behind every note.

The lineup assembled here is not incidental. Johnny Kelly, the powerhouse behind Type O Negative, drives the track with the kind of drumming that reshapes a room. Dan Lorenzo of Hades delivers the riff weight, while former Pale Horse Named Death member Eric J. Morgan layers keys that push the track toward genuinely epic territory. Over all of it, Sarah Sovak’s haunting, angelic vocals give “Supertzar” its rock opera dimension, a quality the original always hinted at but rarely received in full.

The track carries a remarkable stamp of legitimacy. Original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward heard the rendition and gave his approval. That is not a detail to gloss over. Lorenzo traces the song’s origin to a conversation with Kelly during sessions for an earlier project, a casual mention that sent him back to a track he had not revisited in years. “I fell in love with it,” he says. “Sarah Sovak and Eric J. Morgan really helped us bring the song to life.”

They did more than that. “Supertzar” as reimagined by Patriarchs in Black is a fully realized heavy music statement, the kind of cover that justifies its own existence by expanding what the source material suggested was possible. Bold, atmospheric, and built to last, it is one of the most convincing heavy music releases of 2026 so far.

Modern Metal Duo Daedric Strip Back and Go Deep on Acoustic Single “Iridescent Wings”

Eric Alper
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Modern Metal Duo Daedric Strip Back and Go Deep on Acoustic Single “Iridescent Wings”

Daedric have always operated in the space where heavy and emotive intersect. “Iridescent Wings” (Acoustic), out now via FiXT, finds vocalist Kristyn Hope and producer Geoff Rockwell peeling back the armour entirely. The track is the first single from the forthcoming Reborn EP, which revisits select songs from their 2025 album ‘As The Light Left’, and it announces that project with quiet, haunting authority.

The original “Iridescent Wings” was described by the band as what Daedric would sound like if they made an emo song. The acoustic version takes that vulnerability further, stripping away the ferocity to leave something bare and confessional. Hope’s vocals, always a commanding presence in the band’s heavier work, take on an entirely different weight here, intertwining with gentle acoustic guitar while Rockwell adds subtle backing vocals that deepen the intimacy without crowding it.

Hope is candid about the process: “Getting the energy and emotion right took some real effort, but we ended up with something we think is a great addition to the Daedric canon.” That effort is audible. This is not a throwaway acoustic exercise. It is a fully considered reimagining that reveals new dimensions in the songwriting. A track this restrained and this affecting confirms Daedric as one of modern metal’s most versatile and compelling acts working today.

The band’s trajectory makes the arrival of this single feel significant. Since launching in 2021, Daedric have toured North America twice, shared stages with Vola, earned recognition from Cristina of Lacuna Coil in a Spotify Women of Metal roundtable alongside Spiritbox and Halestorm, landed in Outburn issue 112, and placed their collaborative track “Abandon” with Andromida inside a Ubisoft Rainbow Six Siege promotional trailer. Nearly 500,000 followers across platforms and a European tour ahead, 2026 is already shaping up as their biggest year yet.

Italian-Danish Metal Force W’t’M Deliver Melodic Firepower on Explosive New Album

Eric Alper
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Italian-Danish Metal Force W’t’M Deliver Melodic Firepower on Explosive New Album

W’t’M are not a band that arrived quietly. The Italian-Danish modern metal project, formed in 2022 as a remote collaboration between Italian singer Marica Moire and Danish bassist Ole Quist, has moved fast and with clear direction. Their new single, out April 10th and produced at Hop House Studio by Andreas Linnemann, is the sharpest distillation yet of everything this band does well: atmospheric melodies colliding with hard-hitting riffs and vocals that refuse to stay small.

The project took a significant step forward in 2023 with the addition of Michael Bastholm Dahl, formerly of Artillery, whose dynamic vocal duets with Moire gave the band its defining signature. That combination of voices, one grounded and commanding, one soaring and immediate, is the engine that drives W’t’M’s sound into genuinely compelling territory. Fans of Halestorm, Within Temptation, Pretty Maids, and Deep Purple will recognize the bloodline immediately.

Their 2025 debut album ‘Witness the Madness’ established the foundation, followed by high-profile European festival appearances including Nordic Noise Festival, Copenhell Pre-Event, and Death Island Festival, plus live performances across Poland. For a band that began as an online experiment, the ground covered in a short time is striking. Quist puts it plainly: “This single captures everything W’t’M is about, powerful melodies, emotional depth, and pure metal energy.”

The new single delivers on that promise with force and precision, a track that locks into a groove and refuses to let go. W’t’M are building something with staying power, and this release makes that unmistakably clear. A modern metal act worth tracking closely and one of the more exciting international discoveries of the year.

Birmingham Singer-Songwriter Ella More Captures Love’s Quiet Reckoning on New Single “Sweet Rose”

Eric Alper
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Birmingham Singer-Songwriter Ella More Captures Love’s Quiet Reckoning on New Single “Sweet Rose”

Ella More has a gift for finding the emotional truth inside a moment and building a song around it. “Sweet Rose,” out now, is her most expansive release yet, produced by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated producer Jake Gosling (Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith) and driven by bright, addictive pop production that pulls you in immediately. The track captures the intoxicating rush of love while quietly unravelling what happens when that feeling no longer fits the person you are becoming.

The song draws directly from Ella’s own life. Raised in Moseley, Birmingham, she grew up watching her parents build a relationship rooted in resilience and chosen commitment, together since they were fifteen. That model of enduring love became the standard. “Sweet Rose” is the moment she held her own relationship up against it. “There is a moment when you look at your life from the outside,” she explains. “You see the person you love, you see yourself, and something shifts.”

The visual world built around the single deepens that contrast sharply. A preserved Mid Century home in the heart of the Black Country contains the relationship, still rooms and repeating conversations, Ella moving through space in sharp Mary Quant-inspired silhouettes. Outside, the landscape opens. A suitcase, wide countryside, wind replacing silence. Freedom arrives not with drama but with deliberate, quiet steps.

“Sweet Rose” is a genuinely compelling piece of pop songwriting, emotionally layered and sonically immediate, the kind of track that rewards repeated listening. It sits comfortably alongside everything Ella has built so far, and then pushes further. With over 1.1 million cross-platform streams, support from BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6, BBC 1Xtra, and BBC Introducing, and critical praise from Wonderland, Clash Magazine, and New Wave Magazine, the attention around her is well earned and still building.

Having already toured alongside Jorja Smith and Tamera, Ella More is operating with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what she is making and why it matters. “Sweet Rose” is that conviction in full bloom.

Spotify’s New SongDNA Feature Is Changing How Fans Connect With the Music They Love

Eric Alper
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Spotify’s New SongDNA Feature Is Changing How Fans Connect With the Music They Love

Spotify has quietly rolled out something genuinely interesting. SongDNA, currently available through Spotify for Artists Preview, is an interactive discovery feature that pulls back the curtain on the creative process behind a song. For Premium users, it surfaces the full creative team, inspirations, samples, interpolations, and song connections directly inside the mobile app, including the Now Playing view. It is the kind of context that used to live in liner notes, now embedded where the listening actually happens.

The feature is designed to deepen the relationship between fans and music in a way streaming has rarely attempted. SongDNA draws contributor data from labels and distributors, links sample and interpolation information via WhoSampled, and lets artists and their teams manage what appears, including hiding or showing specific credits and song connections. Artists with more than 5,000 monthly active listeners can add contributors directly, giving smaller acts a meaningful tool for proper credit attribution.

For artists, the appeal is straightforward. Every collaborator, co-writer, and producer who shaped a track now has a visible presence inside the listening experience. That kind of transparency matters in an industry where behind-the-scenes contributions routinely go unacknowledged. SongDNA gives those credits a home that fans will actually encounter.

For fans, it opens a genuine discovery loop. Finding out a favorite track interpolates a soul classic from 1971, or was co-written by a producer with a catalog worth exploring, turns a single listen into a rabbit hole. That is exactly the kind of engagement Spotify has been chasing for years, and SongDNA delivers it in a format that feels organic rather than forced.

SongDNA is accessible now in the Spotify mobile app version 9.1.28 or higher for artists enrolled in Spotify for Artists Preview. Changes made through Spotify for Artists appear in the app within 48 hours. It is early days, but the feature points toward a more connected, more informed listening culture. That is worth paying attention to.

SongDNA is worth setting up now. Getting ahead of it before the wider rollout is exactly the kind of move that pays off.

Jazz Piano Titan Emmet Cohen Announces ‘Universal Truth,’ a Centennial Tribute to Miles Davis and Coltrane

Eric Alper
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Jazz Piano Titan Emmet Cohen Announces ‘Universal Truth,’ a Centennial Tribute to Miles Davis and Coltrane

Emmet Cohen has announced ‘Universal Truth’, his fourth album for Mack Avenue Records, arriving May 29th. Recorded in celebration of the centennial year of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the album carries forward their spirit of personal and spiritual discovery through Cohen’s own distinctly modern lens. The DownBeat Readers Poll Pianist of the Year for 2025 brings the full weight of his craft to this one.

The album is built around classic repertoire associated with both legends, but the crown jewel is Cohen’s original three-part suite, also titled “Universal Truth.” He draws the title directly from Coltrane’s own language: “When Trane talked about his artistry and his calling, his intention was always to seek that universal truth.” That searching quality runs through every track, and Cohen’s suite stands as some of the most ambitious and revelatory work of his career.

The assembled cast is extraordinary. Bassist Ron Carter and tenor saxophonist George Coleman reunite on “My Funny Valentine,” more than sixty years after recording it with Miles Davis at Lincoln Center. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt delivers a blistering solo on “Well You Needn’t,” and the album closes with Coltrane’s “Blue Trane,” featuring the twin tenors of Coleman and Tivon Pennicott alongside Pelt and Cohen’s core trio of Yasushi Nakamura and Joe Farnsworth.

‘Universal Truth’ is Cohen doing exactly what he does best: connecting generations, honoring the lineage, and making something that feels urgent and alive in the present tense. Pre-orders are open now.

A wide-ranging tour is already underway, stretching deep into 2027 and including livestream events, festival appearances, and concert hall dates across North America.

‘Universal Truth’ Tracklist:

  1. Budo
  2. Well You Needn’t
  3. My Funny Valentine
  4. Gingerbread Boy
  5. I. Eternal Glimpse
  6. II. Compassion
  7. III. Universal Truth
  8. Blue Trane

Tour Dates:

March 24-28 – New York, NY – Birdland

March 29 – Portsmouth, NH – Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club

April 4 – Gainesville, FL – University of Florida

April 6-7 – La Jolla, CA – The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

April 8 – Stanford, CA – Bing Concert Hall

April 9 – San Francisco, CA – SFJAZZ Center

April 10 – Rohnert Park, CA – Sonoma State University

April 11 – Irvine, CA – Irvine Barclay Theatre

April 12 – Santa Barbara, CA – Campbell Hall

April 14 – Santa Cruz, CA – Kuumbwa Jazz Center

April 16-19 – Seattle, WA – Jazz Alley

April 21 – West Vancouver, BC – Kay Meek Arts Centre

April 22 – Portland, OR – The Old Church Concert Hall

April 27 – Livestream – Live From Emmet’s Place (featuring Veronica Swift)

April 29 – International Jazz Day Celebration

May 2 – Danbury, CT – Western Connecticut State University

May 8 – Miami, FL – Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

May 17 – Buffalo, NY – Kleinhans Music Hall

May 25 – Livestream – Live From Emmet’s Place (Universal Truth Release Show)

May 28 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wallis with the Pacific Jazz Orchestra

June 11 – Cincinnati, OH – Caffe Vivace

June 12 – Lakeside, OH – Hoover Auditorium

June 14 – Boone, NC – Appalachian Theatre of the High Country

June 22 – Livestream – Live From Emmet’s Place (featuring Chris Potter)

July 8-12 – New York, NY – Smoke Jazz Club

July 25 – Katonah, NY – Caramoor

September 5-6 – Washington, DC – DC Jazz Fest

September 8-12 – New York, NY – Birdland

September 18-25 – Botti @ Sea

September 26 – Chicago, IL – Hyde Park Jazz Festival

October 9 – Provo, UT – BYU

October 11 – Berkeley, CA – Freight and Salvage

January 12-17 – David Foster at Sea

January 17-24 – The Jazz Cruise

January 24-31 – Journey of Jazz Cruise

February 12 – Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Center

February 19-21 – Northridge, CA – Cal State Northridge

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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