Americana-folk singer/songwriter Roland Roberts traveled to the Canadian north for a creative gold rush all his own, All About The Timing and title track — both available now.
“I walked into Old Crow Recording in Whitehorse, Yukon on a cold, snowy January day,” Roberts recalls. “I’d only brought a ‘bag’ of new songs and an acoustic guitar, and had little knowledge of what the outcome would be.
“What happened next, though, was pure gold.”
In more formal terms, what he means is All About the Timing, Roland Roberts’ 10-track debut LP, released in Fall 2020.
Rooted in a classic country sound, the album reveals hefty helpings of American Folk, Delta Blues, and a side of Bluegrass for good measure. Roberts’ thought-provoking lyrics and commanding vocals arrest at first, before ushering listeners on a journey through vivid landscapes and poignant storytelling of personal growth, lost love, and more.
“I explored the self-realization of what these experiences bring,” he considers of heartbreak balm songs “Beautiful Soul” and “Don’t Tell Me Goodbye,” before the self-growth that shines in title track “All About The Timing” and “Being Me.”
“There’s a mix of upbeat stories, as well,” he adds, noting “Picture on the Wall,” a song about growing up, and “Sittin’ In Nebraska,” a catchy ditty about getting stranded by Mother Nature.
Add Nebraska to the list of many places Roberts’ music has taken him; Memphis-born, Alabama-raised, and Colorado-grown, Roland Roberts is now a staple in the ever-flourishing Alaskan music scene. After recording in Whitehorse and rooting down in Hatcher Pass, Roberts soon made acquaintances with bassist Alvin Fernandez, drummer Matthew Wallace, and multi-instrumentalist Matt Faubion to form The Roland Roberts Band.
The award-winning Canadian classical guitarist Emma Rush has released her third solo album. It’s called Wake the Sigh and brings to light a plethora of relatively unknown female-written guitar compositions from the 19th century, including works from Emilia Giuliani, Delores de Goñi and Julie Fondard — a professor of guitar in Paris, France.
Putting Wake the Sigh together wasn’t as simple as listening to old recordings, taking inspiration from them and re-recording them… No, Emma spent a couple of years researching these classical composers and uncovering their masterful compositions, which went on to inspire the 43-minute work. 14 of the 17 tracks were never-before recorded, so the Hamilton-based musician is technically the first to ever release them.
During pre-production, the ambitious Canuck did a residency in Lübeck, Germany, where she was able to conduct a lot of her research. Pre-pandemic, she visited libraries all across Europe and eventually managed to piece together tons of information about seven different female composers – many of them also renowned performers — and their works written throughout the 19th century.
In regards to her eclectic approach to recording this album, Emma admitted: “I always try to bring something new to the guitar world with my work, whether it’s playing music by unusual composers, or playing unusual music by the usual composers.”
On the overall inspiration behind Wake the Sigh, Emma added, “I think it’s about time we played more music by women. There’s tons of it out there and it’s great.”
The 17-track album was produced by Kirk Starkey and recorded in Hamilton, ON. The entire record was performed by Emma Rush, on a replica of a 19th century Stauffer guitar — provided by Miodrag Žerdoner. The colourful and mesmerizing artwork and liner photography used in “Wake a Sigh” was shot and created entirely by Richard Talbot.
In the last half-decade, Emma Rush has established herself as one of Canada’s top classical guitarists and has garnered worldwide recognition for her talents. Though she’s not touring during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has made appearances at major guitar festivals in Germany, Mexico, Sweden, the U.S. and Canada, as well as a four-city mini-tour in China. Much like she has with Wake the Sigh, Emma prides herself on bringing recognition to unique and niche music and styles.
Prior to Wake the Sigh, Emma released two solo albums: Folklórica (2014) and Canadiana (2017). The latter features arrangements of songs by classic Canadian songwriters, including: Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers. Her debut, however, takes listeners on a musical journey across four continents with works inspired by folk music and legend.
On top of her three City of Hamilton Arts Awards, Emma was a prize-winner at both the Columbus International Guitar Competition and the Great Lakes Guitar Competition. Her musical efforts have been supported by not only the Canada Council for the Arts, but the Ontario Arts Council, Hamilton City Enrichment Fund and FACTOR, too.
Canadian alt-pop, electro-synth and velvet-voiced artist velours is standing stellar in “Summer Haze” with not one, but two recent Saskatchewan Music Awards nominations around the track.
With velours nominated for 2020 Rock/Pop Artist of the Year, and Versa Films’ Dylan Hryciuk nominated for 2020 Music Video of the Year, the freshly announced nods are a warm close to a breakthrough year for the Saskatoon-based artist.
With “Summer Haze” at 30,000+ streams across platforms and rising, it’s one of four songs to land on velours’ 2020 debut EP, Identity — produced by multi-Platinum JUNO Award-winning songwriter Ryan Stewart (Carly Rae Jepsen, Bif Naked, CARYS).
“‘Summer Haze’ was the most intimate song I wrote for Identity, and it’s meant to evoke a feeling of renewal… An escape from an internal cage,” velours shares. “The afternoon I wrote it, I was inspired by the realization that it’s okay to not know the ending to the story of my life, and that I’m fine to still be messy.
“And that none of this makes me any less of a complex and strong person.
“I usually begin writing my songs with the first line,” she continues. “This one was ‘still think I’m messy and I’m intimate / with only myself to fit inside my home,’ and (it’s about) how I know who I am more than anyone else does. The term ‘Summer Haze’ sounds sweet and pleasant initially, but it paints a picture of how we sometimes ignore our feelings and get stuck in the haze of everyday life. The storm represents the harsh reality of experiencing hard times to come out the other side stronger.
“I hope this song shows you can overcome the hardest parts of your life, and that it’s better to face the storm than it is to stay in the haze.
“And that it’s okay to be ‘unfinished’ as long as you remember how capable you are.”
The song reflects the larger imprint of Identity, she adds. “The EP is about finding yourself and knowing that that’s a constant journey. There’s a narrative that developed in these four songs, even though it wasn’t intentional when I was initially writing each song individually. I could spend literal hours talking about the lyrics…”
With features on CBC, velours has also been selected for a SaskMusic Songwriting Challenge, a semi-finalist for the Unsigned Only Music Competition, and has performed at the TSAR Showcase, as well as in Yorkton as part of the International Women’s Day concert, and the SaskMusic Open House Livestream.
She is nominated for the 2020 Saskatchewan Music Awards Rock/Pop Artist of the Year award, and Versa Films’ Dylan Hryciuk nominated for the 2020 Saskatchewan Music Awards Music Video of the Year award for his work with “Summer Haze.”
“Having my music and creativity recognized with these Saskatchewan Music Award nominations is such an honour, especially alongside such talented Saskatchewan artists I admire,” she shares. “I really wouldn’t be here, celebrating with chocolate and Netflix, without the support of my family and from the music community here in this province. Countless wonderful people from SaskMusic have guided me towards understanding my career and future more clearly and, without all these beautiful people who take time out of their busy lives to aid emerging artists like myself, I know I would be a few steps behind.
“Starting out as a little girl singing along to CDs in the car with my mom, or making up songs in the grocery store, it’s a gift to have reached the artistic level I’m at to be nominated! Little me would’ve lost her mind if she had known what would already have happened by 21 years old.
“My mom is my favourite person; her constant support of me continuing to do what I love has given me the strength to put myself and my music out into the world. Growing up, my mom and I didn’t have a lot so, without my grandparents and their help, I wouldn’t have been able to take voice lessons. When I called my grandparents to tell them the news, my grandma and I just cried on the phone.
“Being in this place with two nominations in my first official year in the industry is a freak-out period in my life, for sure! I couldn’t be more stunned and deliriously happy, and I can’t wait to show what’s next.”
The Saskatchewan Music Awards honour notable excellence and celebrate the achievements of Saskatchewan artists; the ceremony is set to stream virtually this January 24th, 2021.
Honoring Frank Sinatra’s birthday and in celebration of the 60th anniversary of “The Chairman of the Board” founding Reprise Records, Frank Sinatra Enterprises and UMe are releasing Frank Sinatra: Reprise Rarities Volume 1. The album is available now all digital streaming platforms, HERE.
Frank Sinatra: Reprise Rarities Volume 1 contains 13 Reprise tracks, many making their digital debut.
Sinatra realized a long-time dream by forming his own record label, Reprise, in 1960. At the time Sinatra’s business model was highly innovative in the recording industry; the very first of its kind, he pioneered the concept of having artists create and control their recordings.
“Untrammeled, unfettered, unconfined” is how the early advertisements described Sinatra on Reprise.
Throughout the years artists including Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bing Crosby, Nancy Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, The Kinks, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Frank Zappa, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Green Day and Michael Bublé among others have recorded albums for Reprise.
More volumes of Frank Sinatra: Reprise Rarities will be released in 2021. Siriusly Sinatra (SiriusXM Ch. 71) will also be airing an exclusive ‘Sinatra: Reprise Rarities’ special premiering in December.
FRANK SINATRA – REPRISE RARITIES Volume 1
1. In the Blue of Evening – March 21, 1961 2. As You Desire Me – November 20, 1961 3. Don’t Take Your Love From Me – November 21, 1961 4. Name It and It’s Yours – November 22, 1961 5. Come Waltz with Me – January 17, 1962 6. Everybody’s Twistin’ – February 27, 1962 7. I Left My Heart in San Francisco – August 27, 1962 8. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me – February 21, 1963 9. Come Fly with Me – October 11, 1965 10. I’ll Never Smile Again – October 11, 1965 11. Younger Than Springtime – September 20, 1967 12. Everything Happens To Me – September 24, 1974 13. Just As Though You Were Here – September 24, 1974
Postmates’ fourth annual #BetterThanSanta is here, starting tonight at 5 pm PST, and in the spirit of giving, Postmates is again granting as many holiday wishes submitted through Twitter as possible. But this year, Grammy Award-winning artist Lil Nas X will be Postmates’ first-ever Co-#BetterThanSanta as he trades in his cowboy hat for a Santa hat to help make people’s wishes come true. Fans can also tune into Monday Night Football tonight to catch a special #BetterThanSanta message from Lil Nas X and Postmates.
“Helping to bring joyful vibes to people this year is really important to me, and I’m super excited to join forces with Postmates to grant people’s holiday wishes this year with #BetterThanSanta,” said Lil Nas X. “We’re kicking things off today by Postmating some lunch from Hotville Chicken to Covenant House LA. With everything going on in the world, it’s important to me now more than ever to support the youth in my community.”
Today, Lil Nas X kicked off #BetterThanSanta a little early by Postmating a special contactless delivery from Hotville Chicken, a Black-owned local restaurant and Best of LA winner serving Nashville-Style hot Chicken, to the Covenant House California in Los Angeles which supports youth facing homelessness.
In addition to granting people’s wishes with #BetterThanSanta, Lil Nas X is helping people get into the holiday spirit all season long with his hit song, “HOLIDAY,” which has accumulated over 100 Million audio and video streams worldwide. The song was co-produced by Take A Daytrip and Tay Keith, and marks Lil Nas X’s first offering from his forthcoming debut album. Nas has also released the song’s cinematic and over-the-top official music video, which he co-directed with acclaimed director and creative Gibson Hazard. Set on Christmas Eve of the year 2220, the video follows Nas through his futuristic North Pole workshop where he takes on the role of four different characters, including Santa Nas X.
Like Lil Nas X, Postmates loves delivering joy for the holidays. Last year, so many people submitted wishes that #BetterThanSanta was trending on Twitter in the U.S. and Postmates granted all kinds of wishes including Lisa who asked for laptops to be sent to her sister, a teacher who needed them for her students. In 2019, celebrities also got wind of #BetterThanSanta including Miley Cyrus who asked to gift youth at the Happy Hippie Foundation with some goodies for the holidays and Carly Rae Jepsen who wished for Postmates to send books to kids at Children’s Hospital in LA; and Postmates delivered on both and more.
This year, tweet your wildest wishes at Postmates and Lil Nas X here or just follow these directions:
Starting December 7 at 5 pm PST, Tweet your holiday wish (all wishes must be submitted by 3:00pm PSTDecember 10)
Use the hashtag #BetterThanSanta and #PostmatesContest
Check your replies for a message from Postmates or Lil Nas X
The Royal Mint, the Original Maker of UK coins, has today launched a commemorative coin celebrating the career of one of Britain’s most enduring musical icons – David Bowie.
It is the first time that a UK coin has been sent into space, and celebrates the intergalactic legacy of David Bowie and his hits including Starman, Life on Mars? and Space Oddity. The coin reached 35,656m and orbited the Earth’s atmosphere for 45 minutes before safely descending back to Britain.
The David Bowie commemorative coin is the third in The Royal Mint’s ‘Music Legends’ collection, and follows coins in honour of Queen and Elton John. The latest coin celebrates rock’s definitive chameleon with a design inspired by an image of David Bowie from his time spent living and recording in Berlin. The coin’s design includes the iconic lightning bolt motif from Aladdin Sane, and captures Bowie’s career journey.
Using the latest innovative technology and manufacturing techniques, the lightning bolt that features on a number of the special edition coins appears laced with stardust to create a glitter effect – elevating the stunning detail of the coin.
Born in Brixton, South London in 1947, Bowie started life as David Robert Jones. By the time he was 19 he had taken on his iconic name and began pursuing a career in pop music. Five days ahead of the Apollo 11 launch in July 1969, ‘Space Oddity’ was released in the United Kingdom. The single reached number five in the charts, making it Bowie’s first success as a writer and performer. David Bowie’s influence can be seen and heard everywhere and he continues to inspire hundreds of millions of musicians worldwide.
Available as limited-edition precious metal Proof editions and a standard Brilliant Uncirculated edition, the Brilliant Uncirculated coin is also available in three different slipcase covers exclusive to The Royal Mint – a fitting tribute to the career of one of British music’s most enduring icons. View the full collection on The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com/DavidBowie
Canadian singer/songwriter dynamo K BESD has turned rock, pop, and hip hop genres on their heads as she pays homage to Goddo’s 1978 iconic hit in “TUFF TIMES” — available now.
Executive produced by Goddo’s Greg Godovitz himself — and co-produced by Trey Mills (KRS One, Canadian Brass, Forest Blakk) and Eddie Kramer (The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix) — the track was mastered by multi-GRAMMY Award-winning engineer John Greenham (Billie Eillish).
“I’ve known Greg since I was a kid, and ‘Tough Times’ has always been one of my favourite songs of Goddo’s,” K BESD (Kelly Abesdris) recalls. “My producer and I were sitting at the studio brainstorming ideas and played the beginnings of Post Malone’s ‘Take What You Want’ and Goddo’s ‘Tough Times’ — they both have a great guitar riff in the intro, and I love the idea of blending genres to create what Post Malone calls ‘shmusic.’ We realized it was time for me to make a call to Greg and luckily he said yes to allowing me to rework his song.
“A lot of magic happened right from the beginning,” she recalls. “Trey started working on the beat and soon enough, the lyrics simply flowed out of me. I knew I wanted the original hook, and to incorporate some of the other lyrics — but also make them my own.
The rap feature involves Calgary-based artist Jackie Art. “I felt the way he wrote and delivered his lyrics would fit perfectly so I reached out to him on Instagram and, within 24 hours, he had written and sent over his idea.
“It was perfect.”
The pieces had come together but, before releasing “TUFF TIMES” to the world, K BESD was keen to glean Godovitz’s thoughts on the reimagined track. “Once we had it somewhat put together, I sent it to Greg on my way home from the studio one night. He called shortly after and said, ‘ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!’
“I held my breath for a moment,” she reveals. “I was wondering if this was a good or bad reaction? It turns out it was good, and he immediately sent it over to his pals Paul Dean (Loverboy) and Eddie Kramer, both of whom shared his enthusiasm.”
So much so that Kramer would come aboard to co-produce the track. “He really had a hand in shaping the vision and the sound of the single.”
At 15,000+ streams across platforms, “TUFF TIMES” is K BESD’s sophomore single release; it follows this year’s hit “L.I.Y.E. (Lights in Your Eyes),” and lands ahead of the Toronto-based artist’s forthcoming EP.
Multi-award winning and Gold- and Platinum-selling Canadian ‘First Lady of the Guitar’ Liona Boyd — and her multi-talented friend, singer/songwriter Amanda Martinez — want to wish you a very special “Happy New Year” with this, their newest single.
“It occurred to me many years ago that, apart from ‘Auld Lang Syne,’ there was no well-known celebratory song that welcomes in the new year while bidding farewell to the previous one,” Boyd recalls. “Even then, ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is, in itself, a slow and nostalgic song that mostly looks backwards, so I decided to write an upbeat pop song with joyful lyrics that people could enjoy dancing to…
“Play this happy song, be sure to sing along and dance around, even if you’re on your own,” she continues. “I guarantee it will lift your spirits!
“My hope, especially during these challenging days of the 2020 pandemic, is that people will share ‘Happy New Year’ with their families and friends, and look forward to a brighter future — whether it’s on New Year’s Eve, or any day of the year.”
Working with her long-time producer Peter Bond, Boyd invited her friend — a fellow multi-talented and inimitable artist, singer/songwriter Amanda Martinez — to join on the timely and multilingual track.
The release also features Boyd’s beloved classical guitar, her radiant talents with which recently garnered her a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National GUITAR Museum.
Previous honourees of the top nod via the National GUITAR Museum include B.B. King, Glen Campbell, and Bonnie Raitt; the Museum added Boyd to the esteemed list in appreciation of her tenured career enthralling millions with her romantic take on classical, folk and world music.
With this adding to Boyd’s growing collection of accolades, Boyd has also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Competition, and inducted into Guitar Player Magazine’s Gallery of Greats.
Recipient of both the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario, she’s the winner of five JUNO Awards, five Guitar Player Magazine’s Classical Guitar Musician of the Year awards, Vanier Award, Women Who Make a Difference award, Prix ‘Esprit du Ciècle, and Artist of the Year and Honorary Mayor of San Antonio, Texas — plus four Honorary Doctorate of Law degrees and an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree.
Since the beginning of her career in 1974, Boyd has released 28 albums — many of which have been Gold- and Platinum-selling. She has upwards of 16 Million streams across platforms, and rising, and her Holiday special, A Winter Fantasy, continues to be televised nationally via PBS and CBC across the United States and Canada, respectively — including this December 14th at 10:00pm on WNED and streaming on-demand via CBC’s Gem.
Liona Boyd has appeared in countless outlets around the world, and collaborated with the likes of Sir Andrew Davis, Yo Yo Ma, Eric Clapton, Gordon Lightfoot, Tracy Chapman, Ronny Hawkins, and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few. The author of two books, No Remedy for Love and In My Own Key, Boyd is also a dedicated philanthropist and activist for a lengthy selection of charities close to her heart.
Toronto singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jay Gordon Wright wishes there was more cowbell on his newest single, “Take Your Time,” and sophomore EP, Fall For Anyone — both available now.
But, let’s back up a moment…
“The EP represents a journey of sorts,” Wright fittingly offers, noting it’s from the idyllic to the dystopian. “It begins with the purest of love and intentions, handicapped by self-doubt, impatience, and frustration, and ultimately it ends in disillusionment and fury.
“This song is more carefree in a way that others on the EP aren’t; it’s a bit of a release,” he continues. “It’s meant to be reassuring, kind of like the inverse of the impatience I can feel throughout the artistic process.
“I think the message is that love triumphs in the end, whatever trials you might face along the way. Maybe it’s passive, as in ‘sit back, relax, it all works out,’ or maybe it’s active, as in ‘this is your time, take it!’
“Actually… When I think about it like that, it calls attention to the urgency of it — ‘hurry up and relax!’
“My only regret is that there isn’t more cowbell… My fever continues to spike.”
Fall For Anyone follows Jay Gordon Wright’s 2019 debut, Solar-Powered Love. Classically trained in the violin, Wright has expanded his musical tool shed to include just about every instrument he can get his hands on. He’s performed alongside Ian Thomas, Bill Dillon (Robbie Robertson, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell), Mike Boguski (Blue Rodeo), Steve Strongman, the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, and more.
