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Lyra Announces North American Virtual Tour
1-minute tip for artists: Teach how to play your song
Video is an excellent format to use to break things down for your audience. Teach how to play the opening chords of one of your songs, or the chorus for your latest single.
For Jesse Cook, Isolation Brings Father / 12-Year-Old Daughter Collaboration
The more things change for multi-award winning and Internationally acclaimed guitarist, composer and producer Jesse Cook, the more they can feel the same.
At least, that’s the case when it came to recording for his recent video release — a timely revisit to his debut single “Tempest” — available now via his Facebook page.
“25 years ago this June, I released a little song called ‘Tempest’ on a record bearing the same name,” Cook recalls. “Three weeks ago, I was supposed to begin the Tempest 25 Tour, one of the biggest tours of my career, and a celebration of that record and the 25 years of music and touring that followed it.
“But, of course, that was postponed. So I sit here at home, like most people in the world, wondering what to do during a pandemic.”
The video started as a simple idea based on a simple question, Cook offers. “I thought I’d use this time to record a new version of ‘Tempest’ and see if it would sound different all these years later.
“I wanted to see, have I changed as a musician? Or as a producer?”
The verdict? That’s up to the listener to compare.
https://www.facebook.com/42517202282/posts/10157051012392283?vh=e&d=n&sfns=mo
But for Cook, the similarities from his perspective were a welcomed surprise.
“Oddly enough, the process seemed familiar…” he says. “The original was also created with me, alone at my house, playing all the instruments. 25 years ago, I couldn’t afford to hire musicians. This time, I’m alone because of social distancing.”
While the lion’s share of “Tempest” circa-2020 is Cook and Cook alone, he’s quick to give credit to some important helping hands. “Luckily, my friend Marito Marques has a beautiful studio in his home, and so he was able to add some fantastic timbales to the track,” Cook says. “It’s amazing how much life one extra person can add to a song.
“Things you learn during a pandemic…
“For the filming, I had the help of my 12 year-old daughter,” he adds. “She wisely wishes to remain anonymous, so I didn’t include her name in the credits, but I wanted to acknowledge her great camera work. I’m incredibly proud of her!”
As for a message to his fans, many of whom share his disappointment they won’t catch this year’s 25 date cross-country Tempest 25 Tour, Cook sends appreciation and well-wishes to all.
“At the time, I had no idea it would change my life,” Cook says of “Tempest” and its initial release.
(That’s an understatement… Since the 1995 release of Tempest, he’s held ten platinum and gold studio albums with combined sales exceeding two million copies, five concert DVDs and live discs, five PBS specials, a JUNO Award win and 11 nominations, three Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, a Gemini Award and an Acoustic Guitar Magazine Player’s Choice Silver Award. And that’s not to mention thousands of concerts in dozens of countries, plus millions of views and streams, and countless fans around the world.)
“25 years ago, if you had asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you I was happy in my solitude,” Cook reflects, a notion especially poignant considering current times. “I didn’t want to be in the public eye, but I was wrong.
“Before Tempest, I’d never seen the rest of Canada,” he continues. “I never dreamed I would one day see Asia, let alone tour it. My fans have lifted me up in so many ways, and have given me the freedom to follow my muse and chase my dreams. THEY opened the world to me.
“Without my fans, none of this would have happened. Words are not enough to thank all the people who have been with me on this crazy, beautiful journey these last 25 years.
“I hope you enjoy this,” says Cook. “It was a lot of fun to make!
“And be well, stay safe! Thank you, all!”
1-minute tip for artists: Podcasts!
There are about 900,000 podcasts on Apple, and that counts for around 30 million episodes. The rules of podcasts don’t apply to you – you’re not in competition with Joe Rogan, you’re aiming for your fans.
Talk about the making of your album, your video, it can be 10 minutes, 20 minutes – don’t go longer than that – leave them wanting more.
John Fogerty Performs ‘Have You Ever Seen The Rain’ and Other CCR Hits
John Fogerty performs Creedence Clearwater Revival classics in the latest installment of Rolling Stone’s “In My Room,” a new series in which musicians perform from their homes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s Self Quarantine, Rock ’n Roll-style with Spin Doctors’ Toronto-Based ERIC SCHENKMAN’s “Locked In The House All Day”
When Spin Doctors mega music man Eric Schenkman penned his newest single “Locked In The House All Day” for his latest solo album Who Shot John?, little did he know it’d become the shared experience for so many of us.
Little did any of us, really.
“I’ve been hunkered down in Toronto, not working live — which is basically what I do,” Schenkman says of how he’s personally wrangling social distancing and self-quarantine. “Still playing music at home, though!”
The video for “Locked In The House All Day” splashes city streets with graffiti alleys before they emptied entirely, and Canadians were called to change old routines into new normals — Schenkman included.
“My mom is in an old folks home a mile from where I am,” he shares of another way his day to day has changed. “They actually have active COVID-19 cases, which is scary. I can only visit her at her window, which is kind of a miracle in itself since her room happens to have an accessible window.
“I’m thankful for that!”
When it comes to Eric Schenkman, he’s a long-familiar face on hundreds of stages before thousands of fans worldwide with the Spin Doctors. As one of the band’s not-so-secret weapons — a vital songwriter and a virtuoso guitarist who crafted the ‘90s band, and co-wrote all five of their Top 100 hits — he’s also worked with Chico Hamilton, Carly Simon, Natalie Merchant, Noel Redding, Phoebe Snow, Corky Laing, and more.
His self-produced third solo album, Who Shot John? showcases the many sides of Schenkman; from raw, rockin’ blues to funk/soul/pop, the entire release is both classic and immediate.
And, as Schenkman would likely admit, overdue. “I’ve been playing the Ontario blues circuit for about a decade,” he explains. “I have this long history as a guitarist in relation to the blues up here in Canada. And I’ve been writing songs in a couple of different idioms. So Who Shot John? comes from a convergence of my three worlds — vocals, guitar and songwriting.
“It’s about my life. Where I’m at now.”
And as it turns out, “Locked In The House All Day” even all the more so.
“I only go out with a mask now, and I keep my distance more than ever. This is a real communal issue,” he adds. “We are truly in it together, eh?”
“Locked In The House All Day” and Who Shot John? are available now.
Coronavirus: Which Startups are Winning and Losing?
The coronavirus has now dubbed the ‘great unwinding’ of our economy. The financial crisis this pandemic has caused is taking its toll on startups across the world.
Startup businesses have always been risky; they either succeed or fail within the first years of infancy. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, times have changed so dramatically many thriving startups are now struggling to survive and vice versa. All because of a dramatic change in the general public’s lifestyle.
Below is a list of the startup winners and losers during this pandemic. If you’re thinking of spending this time at home to launch your new startups, then think wisely and about what people need right now. Try to look for new business opportunities.
Winners
It has become evident that the best new startups over recent months are the ones in the service and entertainment industry. People who are stuck inside are craving a boredom release and general solutions to uphold their lifestyles indoors.
Games
Video game developers, board game sellers, and online casino platforms are all thriving. With many countries on lockdown, people have more time on their hands and are eager to fill it with gaming entertainment.
In the world of video games, sales across 50 markets have increased by 52.9% over week 12 of the pandemic. While digital downloading in France alone spiked 180% during the lockdown period. Online casino memberships are through the roof as casino halls, major sporting events, and race tracks closed.
Jacek Michałski from Kasynos.Online states that online casinos can be a serious source of income, but above all, a great form of entertainment. Killing two birds with one stone for those out of work and bored at home.
Delivery Services
Online stores and delivery services are booming right now. Their no contact method of working may have put them in a bad light with customers in pre-pandemic days. Now their drop off and go approach is what people need and want.
People are being told to stay indoors, and the age of digital shopping is allowing more and more people to obey those rules and stay safe.
Subscription Services
Subscription services are taking off right now, from meal prep delivery services to pet toy bundles. There are so many subscription-based new business opportunities out there for people to turn a profit from home.
Many people are making a difference in other’s lives by using their skills of cooking to sell or donate meals to the vulnerable. Entrepreneurial ideas like this can soon turn into a strong startup venture
Losers
Many startups that are struggling are having to fold or cut staff to try and keep their heads above water. Most startups rely on investors to operate at the beginning. However, capital from seed-stage funding has plummeted by around 22%.
Bed and Breakfasts
The travel and tourism sector has been hit the hardest with borders closed and people told to stay in place. Even successful accommodation services like Airbnb have had to suspend their operation. They have been forced to freeze around $800 million worth of their marketing.
Bed and Breakfasts, hotels, and hostels stand abandoned across the world, only playing host to those people stranded in different countries.
Transport Services
All forms of transport services have come to a grinding halt. Leaving taxi startups with hardly anyone left to serve. Transport apps are also pretty much useless at this time. Online platforms for air travel are only receiving traffic from hopeful browsers bookings.
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
Another sector that’s taking a hard hit is the food industry. Unless the establishment offers a delivery service, the majority have closed their doors indefinitely. Many of the staff that works at these establishments are now on furlough. Any revenue a startup’s business has accumulated is now being eaten into.
Final Thoughts
The coronavirus pandemic hit the world like a freight train. It has changed every aspect of the way we live for the foreseeable future. Businesses will go under, others will prosper, and some may find an opportunity to launch new business ideas. The ‘great unwinding’ will take the globe through an economic crisis, shaping the economy far from what is familiar.
New opportunities await if you’re business-minded. If you’re planning to begin a startup company, then be wise to people’s needs and wants during a pandemic. Entertainment, online services, and delivery are the way forward in this social distancing world.
1-minute tip for artists: On This Day In History.
It’s your own This Day In History expertise. Put the spotlight on your favourite album or song release date, or even your own history.
1-minute tip for artists stuck on social media: Holidays!
There’s a holiday around the corner, and it’s not the one you think.
Canadian Grunge Trap / Alt Hip Hop Rocker Krosst Out Issues “Funerals” for Former Self
Toronto-based grunge trap and alt hip hop rocker Krosst Out marks the end of his former self with the symbolic unleashing of new single, “Funerals” — available now.
The track lands ahead of his forthcoming album, Phone Calls With Ghosts, a project that has the Toronto-based artist squaring away with his small-town upbringing; the LP is set for release June 26, 2020.
“Some kids treat piano lessons like a chore, but I treated them like a lifeline,” Krosst Out — nee Aaron Siebenga — offers. “They were my way out.”
The sentiment — and its translation into “Funerals” and Phone Calls With Ghosts — are in reference to his upbringing in the small Northumberland County town of Campbellford, Ontario, population 3,500.
“‘Funerals’ was the first song for this project I ever did, and it hit home with me,” Krosst Out shares of the revelation. “As the project grew, I built around this concept of talking to the people that don’t know who I am anymore, as well as for the people currently in my life, letting them know where I’m at.
“I feel as though you get to a certain point as an adult where it suddenly dawns on you that you’re no longer who you were when the people ‘back home’ knew you,” he reflects. “You’re different now, and that’s ok.
“This album is about that. It’s about coming to terms with — and then burying — your old self to make way for your new self. As hard as that is, it’s how we grow as humans. You are not the kid they used to know.
“The project started from the idea of a ‘road trip’ where you’re taking the scenic route,” he continues, previewing the album’s vision at large. “It’s a road trip with another person — but for this, it’s a ghost.
“The confines of the car force you to be honest with the other person, and that’s like what happened for me when writing this album. It took me to a place where, with every beat, I just got real on it and emptied out everything I had, track by track.”
Phone Calls With Ghosts is Krosst Out’s sophomore album offering, and follows 2017’s debut EP Lifeoftheparty, and a series of singles — including 2019’s “Too Much on My Mind” with Spark Houston and “End of My Rope” with Statik.
The video for “Funerals” — set for release March 27th — packs a powerful and poignant symbolic punch, serving as a friend/foe farewell of sorts for Siebenga’s small town to big city come up. “To make the video in a church in Campbellford is somewhat poetic considering the song is about the death of my former self, really.”
As for now, it is eyes on the road ahead for Krosst Out, starting with the release of “Funerals” — available now. Phone Calls With Ghosts is available June 26, 2020.