Twitter, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a limited duration shareholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”). The Board adopted the Rights Plan following an unsolicited, non-binding proposal to acquire Twitter.
The Rights Plan is intended to enable all shareholders to realize the full value of their investment in Twitter. The Rights Plan will reduce the likelihood that any entity, person or group gains control of Twitter through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or without providing the Board sufficient time to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of shareholders.
The Rights Plan does not prevent the Board from engaging with parties or accepting an acquisition proposal if the Board believes that it is in the best interests of Twitter and its shareholders.
The Rights Plan is similar to other plans adopted by publicly held companies in comparable circumstances. Under the Rights Plan, the rights will become exercisable if an entity, person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 15% or more of Twitter’s outstanding common stock in a transaction not approved by the Board. In the event that the rights become exercisable due to the triggering ownership threshold being crossed, each right will entitle its holder (other than the person, entity or group triggering the Rights Plan, whose rights will become void and will not be exercisable) to purchase, at the then-current exercise price, additional shares of common stock having a then-current market value of twice the exercise price of the right.
The Rights Plan will expire on April 14, 2023.
Additional information regarding the Rights Plan will be contained in a Form 8-K to be filed by Twitter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell & Astro will release their new album Unprecedented, June 17 via UMe. The album will be released as a black 2LP, a limited-edition white-color 2LP, 1CD, limited-edition cassette as well as digitally. All formats include their new single “Sufferer”, which Ali has dedicated to his beloved friend and bandmate of over four decades, Astro, who tragically passed away last November.
‘”Sufferer,’ is a song that Astro and I have always loved, from the brilliant Kingstonians,” comments Ali. “Astro was so proud of our version of this song, as am I. It’s the first track off our new studio album Unprecedented which will be out in the summer. This song is more poignant and special than I ever realized after Astro heartbreakingly passed away after recording this album. We want to keep his memory alive through his music and this song and album.”
UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey’s most recent album, 2018’s A Real Labour Of Love, debuted at No.2 on the UK album chart, only dropping one place a week later to No.3, and the album spent a month in the Top 10. UB40 topped the UK singles chart on three occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe. Between 1983 and 1998 the group produced three Labour Of Love albums, bringing hits such as Eric Donaldson’s “Cherry Oh Baby”, Lord Creator’s “Kingston Town” and Johnny Osbourne’s “Come Back Darling” to a new, global audience. They also topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their reggae covers of “Red Red Wine” and “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” and had a further UK No.1 with their cover of “I Got You Babe” with Chrissie Hynde.
Caught You In A Lie
Do Yourself A Favour
Emperors Wore No Clothes
Happy Includes Everyone
Heaven In Her Eyes
Lean On Me / In Aid Of NHS Charities Together
Lean On Me
Mellow
Stay Another Day
Sufferer
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Unprecedented
We’ll Never Find Another Love
What Have I Done
SiriusXM and Laugh Out Loud announced today the launch of Amanda Seales’ Smart Funny & Black Radio, a new morning show on Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel 96. The weekly program will kick off on Monday, April 18, at 10:00 am ET.
On her new SiriusXM show, Seales and co-hosts Taj Rani and JeremiahLikeTheBible will start off listeners’ week on the right foot as they deliver laugh-out-loud conversations, games, celebrity interviews, and a heavy dose of commentary on Black culture and other topical issues. Seales’ new radio show comes fresh off the finale of the HBO hit Insecure, where she played the much-buzzed-about role of “Tiffany DuBois.”
“I’m beyond excited to have the amazing Amanda Seales join Laugh Out Loud Radio’s expanding family, as we continue to deliver a dynamic slate of voices to the channel,” said Kevin Hart, Chairman of Laugh Out Loud. “Passionate, unapologetic, brilliant, talented, and most of all funny, her show is going to be a can’t-miss experience for our SiriusXM listeners nationwide.”
“After so many years away, I’m hella hype to be coming back to radio!” said Amanda Seales. “Smart Funny & Black began as a live show, and since its inception has become so much more. It is a universe all about using comedy to build community, and I couldn’t be happier to be bringing that to a new audience at SiriusXM!”
The new, one-hour radio program marks Seales’ return to SiriusXM, where from 2003–2007 she hosted Breakfast at Diva’s on Hip Hop Nation. During her tenure she interviewed some of the biggest music icons in the world, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, the late DMX, and more. In addition to her role on Insecure, Seales is known for her HBO stand-up special, I Be Knowin, and for her turn as host of the 2020 BET Awards.
Laugh Out Loud Radio features stand-up comedy curated by superstar Kevin Hart, as well as fresh comedic voices and specials from the Laugh Out Loud stand-up catalog. The channel is also home to Hart’s bi-weekly talk show with The Plastic Cup Boyz, Straight From The Hart, his one-on-one interview show with fellow comics, Comedy Gold Minds, and more great talk shows hosted by Earthquake, Jasmine “Jazzy” Brown, and Chris and Vanessa Spencer.
SiriusXM is available to subscribers in their car, on their phone and connected devices at home with the SXM App. Streaming access is included with all of our trials and most popular plans. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.
Amanda Seales is a comedian with a master’s degree in African-American studies from Columbia University. Among her many accomplishments, Seales is a former co-host of the daytime talk show, The Real, and also hosted NBC’s Bring the Funny and the groundbreaking 2020 BET Awards. In addition, Seales uses her popular Instagram account (1.9+ million followers) and podcast Small Doses to speak truth to change. Always an advocate for Black voices, she founded Smart Funny & Black Productions to produce and create art as edu-tainment across the media landscape by any joke necessary.
Taj Rani is a producer, content creator and host with a decade of experience in the digital media space having worked for brands such as BET,Essence and Red Table Talk, and with talent including Danyel Smith, Janelle Monáe and Amanda Seales. She is currently the producer for Smart Funny & Black Productions. An alumna of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Taj is passionate about combining her love of pop culture, history and storytelling through the Black lens to ensure that Black stories never are lost or go untold.
JeremiahLikeTheBible is an Atlanta native and Howard University alumnus who’s passionate about seeing Black stories represented in media and entertainment. Whether it’s songwriting or screenwriting, the creative multi-hyphenate always has something to say.
MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that Mariah Carey will teach a class on how to use the voice as an instrument. For the first time ever, Carey will bring members into the Butterfly Lounge, her mobile studio, to show how they can use their voice not only to sing but also to write and produce melodies, lyrics and instrumentation that blend genres and break barriers. Members will be the first to hear the reimagined version of “The Roof” with award-winning artist Brandy, and see Carey in action as she directs Brandy on background vocals. Carey’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 150+ instructors with an annual membership.
“Mariah is simply a genius. She’s one of the greatest artists of all time,” said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. “In her class, Mariah is opening up her studio for the first time ever, teaching members how to use their voice throughout the music-making process, including in the studio and while navigating the industry.”
In her class, Carey reveals how the voice can be used as an instrument on its own and how it can be an extension of the pen as a writer, making it possible for anyone to be a music producer. From communicating melodies to a string ensemble to turning personal stories into iconic soundtracks, Carey will provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at her music-making process. Taking members into the Butterfly Lounge as she works on a reimagined version of her beloved hit “The Roof” with award-winning artist Brandy, Carey will examine the importance of background vocals in making music, and how to build a song with a choir of voices versus a wall of sound. Carey will teach members how to use their personal experiences as inspiration for writing music and telling a story. Sharing how Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Part II” inspired her writing on “The Roof,” she will show members how to listen beyond genres and use samples as building blocks. Carey will also reflect on the challenges she faced in the music industry and provide tips for navigating the industry and maintaining creative control. Members will leave the class inspired to find their own voice, whether that means advocating for their own creative desires or honing it as an instrument.
“I’ve never let cameras in when I am creating—not when I’m writing, and especially not when I’m singing,” Carey said. “But now I’m taking MasterClass members into my studio to show them how they can write and produce music using their voice and become anything they want to be as long as they create, re-create, reimagine and reinvent.”
Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, actress, record producer, entrepreneur and pop icon. Known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whistle register, she has been referred to as the “Songbird Supreme.” Holding the record for the most No. 1 singles and most certified albums by any solo artist or female artist, Carey has received Billboard’s Artist of the Decade (1990s) and Icons Award, the World Music Awards’ Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium and holds three Guinness World Records. She is a five-time Grammy Award–winning singer with 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles and more than 200 million records sold, making her the best-selling female artist of all time. Her songs shatter records, her love of music blends genres and her penmanship and producing ability have earned her a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
It takes so much more than a strong voice, songs, and performing ability to break through the ocean’s swell of talent out there; it also takes a special ‘something’ that, while hard to pinpoint, is undeniably irresistible. With that, there’s no denying powerhouse blues singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Angelique Francis has ‘it,’ and she’s letting it flow for the immense pleasure of listeners everywhere with the release of her highly anticipated second album, Long River.
Featuring the release’s first single, “Storms From My Eyes,” the stunning slow-burner of a song sets a languid, classic blues heartbreak start to the engrossing voyage down the Ottawa-based artist’s new 14-track collection.
Blues traditions are at the heart of all of the songs, but there are also intriguing genre bends towards Soul, Folk, Jazz, Gospel, and Rock along the way. Francis’ versatile, soulful, and evocative vocals anchor the trip, conjuring up reminiscences of Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, Aretha, Bessie Smith, and more. And it’s the mixture of genres and influences running through Long River — and the sense of everything and everyone being connected — that anchor the key concept Francis wanted to convey with her new album.
“Despite our differences, and the vast variations in our personal histories, we are all floating down this river together,” notes Francis. “We are all connected in this way. We have all shared the same beginning, and we will all share the same end.”
Sharing that the title track of the album was written about the River of Life, for Francis, the universal connection and journey of all humanity is the thread that binds this project together.
“This analogy is the focal point on which this album of completely original songs is based,” she says. “A multitude of stories, experiences, and emotions of joy, pain, triumph, anger, love, embarrassment, and humour are reflected throughout.”
From the pure heartache of “Storms From My Eyes”, to the righteous anger of “Who is Caroline”, to the joy and devotion of “I’ve Never” and the revival celebration of “Soul Train Life”, Long River rolls over an exciting variety of musical territory. As Francis plainly and proudly puts in the album’s description, Long River is “a studio album recorded with live instruments” — and she plays several of them herself.
In addition to Francis’ focal point contributions as lead vocalist, she plays upright bass, electric bass, harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, organ, and keyboards on the album. Joining her are four of her family members: co-songwriter, producer, drummer and vocalist Kiran Francis, saxophonist and vocalist Kharincia Francis, trombonist and vocalist Kira Francis, and vocalist Kayla Francis. Rounding out the band are Dave Williamson on lead electric guitar and Ed Lister on trumpet.
The fact that music is an all in the family thing for Angelique Francis is not surprising as she was immersed in it from childhood — first taking the stage at age 7 and then, making her national TV debut on the Oprah Network at age 13 for writing and composing a theme song for “The Gayle King Show”. By age 14, Francis had already become a proficient acoustic guitar, upright bass, electric guitar, and electric bass player, and was performing at a multitude of festivals. In 2018, she released her first album of original music, Kissed By The Blues.
Now, already internationally known for her electrifying performances while holding court center stage with her double bass, Angelique Francis is staking her claim as an exciting and eclectic musical force to be reckoned with. She and her band have been featured at the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea festival, Sighisoara Blues Festival (Romania), Massey Hall (Women’s Blues Revue), Montreal Jazz Festival, Mariposa Folk Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival, Ottawa Folk Fest, and many more. She has shared the stage with and opened for, a wide range of renowned artists — including Gary Clark Jr., Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, Jimmy Vivino, Beth Hart, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummings, Sugar Ray, and the list continues to grow.
Francis’ impressive list of credits and growing caché in the Canadian music industry has led her to be invited to host the upcoming 2022 Maple Blues Awards to be held both live and virtually from Toronto’s Koerner Hall on Monday, June 20.
With her diverse experience and influences, it’s no wonder that Francis prefers to keep her creative focus open and inclusive.
“Much like life, Blues music is also a river. Blues is at the root of all modern North American forms of music, and its influence has flowed into the creation of many genres we know and love today.
“This album is not only a beginning to an exploration of the current human condition, but an exploration and consolidation of the many forms of blues, and blues-influenced music.”
With a new album that sets a high-water mark buoying her along, Angelique Francis is ready to storm international stages again in 2022 with appearances already scheduled in Europe later this spring with more to come.
Beach season is soon upon us, and Vancouver-based pop artist Sarah Tolle has a new body-positive anthem titled “Like It Or Not” at the ready. Available now, the song’s message? Acceptance. “Like it or not/This is how I look naked.”
The track begins with that lapel-gripping line, followed by a driving, danceable disco beat. Tolle then takes us on a relatable journey of both liking and loathing her body — and trying to accept the body she inhabits on both good and bad days.
The idea came to her by accident, she shares.
“I’m an actor, and one day while I was getting dressed after a shower, I started overthinking, ‘What if I’m on set one day, and I’m doing a naked scene, and a whole crew of people are all up close in my junk…?’” Tolle recalls. “Then this voice in my head said, ‘Well, Sarah, like it or not, this is how you look naked. They’re gonna see what’s there. The rest of it is all a story in your head.’”
Another attention-grabbing line in “Like It Or Not” is about wanting a beach body: “And if you wanted/ A beach body/ Listen up/ Step one: take your body to the beach/ That is all you have to do.” The idea for that one came from Tolle’s sister Anna and her approach to body acceptance on social media.
“I remember she posted this photo of herself in a swimsuit on the beach and, let’s just say the photo was not chosen for being the most flattering,” Tolle says. “And she wrote something like, ‘Here’s how to get a beach body: (1) Have a body (2) Take your body to the beach.’
“I like that no-nonsense sentiment.”
In creating the cover art and teaser video for the song, Tolle purposely went without makeup and didn’t comb her hair after her shower. “It was important for the integrity of this song’s message that I show up unadulterated and walk the talk,” she says. “‘Being confident’ in your body doesn’t mean you’re free of insecurities and shame… It means you experience all those things, and you also make room for celebration, nurturing, and gratitude.
“If you like some parts of your body but haven’t accepted other parts, well, that’s life. You’re on the journey.”
Sarah Tolle is a singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, BC, whose warm, energetic music is an exploration of radiant self-expression and a loving invitation to sing and dance. Her music is marked by a trusting openness, delivering pieces that are simple and accessible, yet empowering and fiercely immersive. You’ll hear themes of encouragement, acceptance, tolerance, and peace in her eclectic pop compositions that blend house beats, sweeping orchestral sounds, old-time banjo folk, and more.
Tolle grew up on a beautiful old farm in Wisconsin in a family that practiced music for fun and supported artists. In this space where the lines blurred between work and play, creativity wasn’t so much taught as it was simply practiced. Her mission with music is to revitalize and heal; to help people love themselves and the beings around them.
Canadian art-rock quartet AUS!Funkt want you to “Set yourself free” with the release of their fiery new single.
Fresh from their newly landed EP, Human Response, the track offers a straightforward message through its unconventional mash-up of the Toronto-based band’s signature blend of post-punk surf-rock, psychedelia, and electro-funk.
“This song came together pretty quickly, and was one of the first we wrote together as a group,” the band recalls. “Michael Wallace of Preoccupations helped produce this track, and added some percussion and tape-delayed vocal effects.”
The video for “Set yourself free” — which simulates a real beach using a green screen — pays homage to Toronto’s legendary Bloordale Beach, a spot that holds a special and somewhat symbiotic meaning for the band, who are Miroslav Miskovic (aka Jozzef Ladovina), Evan Henderson, Olivia Korwan, and Hugo Frutuoso.
“Bloordale Beach was a big, empty lot south of Bloor and Brock that a community of artists and locals transformed into a hangout spot that anyone could enjoy,” the band shares. “Unfortunately, it’s now been demolished; but we are proud to preserve its legacy with our video.
“Bloordale Beach fits the concept of AUS!Funkt perfectly: the area was repurposed to serve as a playground for the creative community in the same way we reuse and repurpose musical ideas to recreate different, constantly changing versions of songs when we play live.
“This is particularly important when we see more and more music venues and rehearsal spaces disappearing in Toronto,” they continue. “It’s important to not forget, as we tend to set ourselves free, that we should also aim to free the spaces from the cuffs of bureaucracy for people to push the barriers of art; Bloordale Beach was one of those attempts.”
“Set yourself free” is one of three songs from AUS!Funkt’s latest EP, Human Response. The selection touches on basic desires as human beings — freedom, connection, and communion — and include other staple songs from the band’s live repertoire, the bouncy-synthed, heavily percussed, and jagged-guitar stabby “Where’s my empathy?” and the brutish, in-your-face guitar-fuzzed rock-ripper that is “Socialized (feat. Blake Lambert).”
Also included are reimagined versions of “Set yourself free” with an ‘Acid Surf Version,’ as well as “Where’s my empathy?” with an ‘Electro Gospel Version’; both alternative takes are under Miskovic’s moniker of El Jozzef, with the latter also featuring Jen Simpson.
Human Response follows AUS!Funkt’s early-year offering, January 2022’s Post-Stagnation. Both EPs were penned pre-pandemic, but the band felt the world’s state of evolving affairs matched the relevancy of the songs and their underlying messages.
“’Information YEAH!’ hits all the keywords that marked this last two years: information, regurgitation, constant negation, no inspiration, indoctrination, suffocation and many other ‘-ations’ that we struggled with as a band,” AUS!Funkt says of Post-Stagnation’s lead single. “But, at the same time, the whole world did as well. It’s not that these things did not exist before the epidemic hit, it’s just that they became much more palpable in the time of crisis.”
Encapsulating a personal, edgy, and inside view of her perspective on the world, Alexis Lynn lays it bare on her latest single, “Fall Apart.”
Unafraid to be vulnerable, raw, or emotive on the latest release, the honeyed pop diva with a story to tell is back with a dreamy, up-tempo dance-floor bop that moves listeners in her catchy hooks, ear-worm melodies, and a message that resonates with us all.
“It’s about being everybody else’s rock, and putting their needs before your own,” the West Coast-based artist explains. “I wrote it at a point in my life where I felt like I was constantly balancing everyone else’s needs, and making sure everyone else was good — disregarding whether or not I was good.
“I was so burnt out and mentally/emotionally exhausted,” she continues. “I kept thinking, ‘when’s it my turn? To just completely crash and burn and have someone else worry about me instead of worrying about anybody else?’
“And I don’t know if that’s selfish, but I was just so tired of holding it all together.”
In true Alexis Lynn fashion, the song comes complete with a visual component. “I wanted the video to really showcase the chaos of feeling like you have a million different emotions and things going on and giving your energy to so many different people,” she explains. “I wanted it to showcase the feeling of losing your cool — and had a bunch of amazing cast come in for the party scene, and also to play some different emotions like anger, sadness, and euphoria.
“For the anger scene, the plan was to smash the TV with a baseball bat, but it literally bent the bat instead because the TV was so solid!”
Adding to the singer’s slew of pop heavy singles — including “Ghosts”, “Bubble,” “I Can’t Relate,” and more, and having racked up over a staggering Million+ streams and views — “Fall Apart” is another smash in her growing repertoire.
Par for the dynamic course, Alexis Lynn is never tepid when it comes to pulling punches on her trap-infused eclectic dance beats; conveying messages that resonate beyond music, it’s that relatability that continues to push her to a different dimension with her fans.
Unabashedly authentic, Alexis Lynn is a storyteller first, and foremost; citing Rihanna and Amy Winehouse among her influences, she finds solace in spinning yarns in her tunes — a quality she attributes to her family’s ties to Canada’s First Nations.
There is never a truth left untold; no subject too taboo, or prohibited… Nothing is off the table for this up and coming starlet with the powerhouse vox.
As the endemic looms, she has monster-sized plans for 2022. Having spent 2021 writing and recording her multifaceted exploration of mental health and its effects on our lives and relationships Lynn is looking forward to the future. Despite being unable to perform live last year, her tenacity to create music that moves and entices listeners to create their own dance hall — be it in their own living room, or walking down the street with headphones.
The beauty inside Alexis Lynn is not simply her staggeringly gorgeous singing voice, or her penchant for finding the beat that’ll move you. Her soundscapes set the stage for something bigger: something we can each go home with; something that says this person is singing.
Alexis Lynn? She gets us. She gets what we’re hurting, needing, wanting, feeling. And on this track, she lets us know it’s okay to “Fall Apart.”
Holding on to a slice of childhood innocence should never be ill-advised as it can enhance the sweet moments in our lives, and make the inevitable sour times easier to swallow. With that in mind, JUNO Award-nominated Canadian jazz vocalist Mary Lou Sicoly is serving up a deliciously spicy take on romantic naivete with the release of her new single, “Blame It On My Youth.”
Written by Oscar Levant and Edward Heyman in 1934 and recorded throughout the decades since by the likes of Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Connie Francis, Chet Baker, Holly Cole, Aaron Neville, and Jamie Cullum, “Blame It On My Youth” has stood the test of time as a relatable tale of guileless love.
If I expected love when we first kissed
Blame it on my youth
If only just for you I did exist
Blame it on my youth
“I fell in love with the lyrics and, of course, the gorgeous melody,” Sicoly notes as to why chose to record this classic. “Being raised in a household where a sense of humour was the recipe for keeping young at heart, I’ve always had a sense of whimsy.”
That sense of whimsy found its way into the recording as well. Originally a ballad, Sicoly’s bright version of “Blame It On My Youth” is full of sunshine and rhythm. It’s an intriguing musical dichotomy of a lyrical lament set against a very festive soundscape. For that unexpected, bold and ear-pleasing treatment, Sicoly gives full props to her longtime musical director.
“This song was arranged by my brilliant Musical Director, John Ebata,” Sicoly shares. “In a completely different style than the original, he gives it a Latin feel — cradled in a blend of colourful percussion and driving, Cuban-style bass which makes the vocals pop.”
“Blame It On My Youth” is the first single from Lemon Meringue Pie, the 10-song debut album Sicoly and Ebata started working on pre-pandemic. For these two past JUNO nominees, it’s been a labour of love and much needed creative focus over the past two uncertain years. Lemon Meringue Pie will see its highly anticipated release on May 10th with a launch concert at Toronto’s famed Jazz Bistro. It will be as much a celebration of a great musical partnership as it will be for the music itself.
“I feel that collaborating and working with people has to begin with a mutual respect for each other’s talents as well as a genuine chemistry that allows the flow of ideas to make good music,” Sicoly says. “I am blessed to have that dynamic both with my Musical Director and the musicians with whom I work.”
Lemon Meringue Pie may be Sicoly’s debut jazz album but that’s just the latest accomplishment in a career that has seen some wonderful milestones so far for the Toronto-based singer/songwriter. She has written and recorded five children’s albums, including the JUNO nominated Chase a Rainbow. Sicoly, Ebata and Nova Scotian vocalist Mark Riley recently toured a “classic duets” album and, currently, Sicoly, Ebata and Dora Award winning multi-instrumentalist, composer and vocalist Waleed Abdulhamid are working on an equity, diversity and inclusion project called “Songs For Humanity.”
Also an esteemed music educator, Mary Lou Sicoly is a recipient of the CARAS (JUNO) Award for Music Education, a TVOntario Award for Innovation in Music Education and was the 1999 recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence. A presenter at several education conferences, Sicoly has also toured the Arctic with “Strings Across the Sky”, leading music camps in Tuktoyaktuk and Iqaluit.
From singing with her dad’s dance band in Sault Ste. Marie to jingles and commercial spots, to performing in various solo, ensemble and big band shows everywhere from the CNE to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Mary Lou Sicoly has years of diverse and exciting performances behind her and many more ahead of her too. A tour to support Lemon Meringue Pie is in the works for Ontario and the Maritimes later in 2022/2023.
Now, with “Blame It On My Youth”, Sicoly is offering a first bite of her upcoming album that is bursting with flavour, zing, and a lot of the ingredients found in her own personality.
“No matter what losses or challenges I’ve experienced, I’ve continued to be a hopeless romantic, someone who believes that something good is just around the corner.”
While many romantic relationships have not survived throughout the global pandemic, many have thrived, begging the question of what’s behind love lost and found during this unprecedented time in human history. Vancouver, BC-based rock group Son of James is exploring these two sides of love from a personal perspective with back-to-back singles and videos, “I Need You” and “Have You Been in Love.”
Both “I Need You” and “Have You Been in Love” were borne out of pandemic-inspired introspection and creativity for Son of James’ lead vocalist and songwriter, Shon Wong.
A powerful, emotion-packed ballad a la Mr. Big’s “To Be With You,” “I Need You” is a result of the early days of COVID and the isolation Wong was feeling that bred self-reflection. As a fitness trainer, Wong had been suddenly shut down. Live music and the ability to perform were also off the table. So, he was feeling lonely and uncertain about the future.
“Everyone is keeping their distance; we’re at the peak of COVID; nobody is taking any chances,” remembers Wong. “In that stage, I asked myself ‘Shon, why are you alone?’ and at that moment I started to think about past girlfriends and past romances and why it didn’t work.
“This song is basically me owning up to it and taking responsibility for what could’ve been some great relationships.”
Give me your hand
Give me this dance
All I need is one more chance
I Need You
Son of James explores a more hopeful side of love and relationships with their second single and video release “Have You Ever Been in Love?” Thinking and chatting with friends about how many relationships have been casualties of the pandemic prompted the question to be asked and gave Wong some introspective food for thought.
“I had to really think about that, and the answer was ‘no,’” Wong recalls. “I’m imagining being in a 10-year relationship and being asked that question, and how awful it would be if the answer was still ‘no.’”
However, “Have You Been in Love” is not so much about the absence of love as it is about the prospect of it. “To remind everyone what love sounds like, ‘Have You Been in Love’ was written with a carefree approach that electrically soars past any boundaries,” explains Wong. It’s a reminder that keeping six feet apart isn’t forever. Don’t be afraid to love.”
“Have You Been in Love” intriguingly shifts tempos and gears the same way that the pursuit of love alternates between heart-racing moments and more methodical periods of waiting. Wong shares lead vocals with Jackie Nguyen like a courtship dance built around the lyrics Wong had been hearing in his head for some time after that initial chat with friends about relationships and the pandemic.
The rest of the band wasn’t immediately on board. “To them, I was bringing a demo held together with scotch tape. But once we got Jackie to sing the chorus, people started to see what I was cooking up. Then once we got the pianist, cellist, and synth strings to help disguise the tempo changes, the scotch tape started to turn to glue, and the song started taking shape.”
Much like the two sides of love that the songs reside on, the videos for each have their own distinct moods and directions and both are available now to watch on YouTube.
An empty warehouse with an open staircase is the main location for “I Need You” conveying a broken down, lonely and rundown feeling. “It was perfect!” says Wong. “I thought it would be cool to have different musicians at the top of the stairs while I was singing at the bottom. In editing, we could flicker between different musicians while I sang. To do this, I had to shoot myself performing with each musician individually, so we had consistency.”
The video for “Have You Been in Love” is revved up in more ways than one. Wong and his creative team wanted to echo the song’s classic rock vibe in the video. “I dusted off my Top Gun Jacket, jumped into my red 1985 Honda Prelude, and cruised the streets of Vancouver,” says Wong. “We also incorporated a retro sound wave graphic for the female vocals. The video is intimate, raw, retro, sexy, and fast. All the ingredients of a classic rock love song!”
Son of James, self-described as a “Vancouver Chinatown rock band that blends the soulful sounds of rock and funk with the mystical sounds of Chinese instrumentation”, is proving to be both a cultural and musical force in the Lower Mainland and beyond with their brand of “Chynatruckerfunk”. In addition to hosting gala Chinese New Year’s events since 2018, the band collaborated with the Vancouver Cantonese Opera and Heart of the City Festival to pen and then perform their original hybrid Chinese Rock Opera “Tale of the Eastside Lantern” in front of a sold-out crowd at Vancouver’s CBC Studio 700. The band made the cover of The Georgia Strait for their efforts. Their music has also taken Son of James to stages in San Francisco, Nashville, Memphis, and Europe.
Alongside frontman and key songwriter Shon Wong, Son of James features an interchangeable line up of Michelle Kwan on cello and Guzheng (Chinese Harp), Jonathan Reichart on lead guitar, Adam Richards on guitar, bass, and vocals, Alan Ruiz on bass, Reuben Avery on piano, Jason Overy on drums, Eric Tsang on sax, and the Jackie Nguyen on vocals.
As we move ahead in 2022 with live music returning and venues welcoming guests back to enjoy it, Son of James will take full advantage of the momentum that two new, pandemic-borne singles are bound to provide.
