Saskatoon's Minor Matter Set To Release Debut Full-Length Album on June 17th

Listen To Feature Track 'Barren Ground':

(Saskatoon, SK) - Saskatoon orchestral folk quintet Minor Matter are pleased to announce the independent release of their self-titled debut full-length album on June 17th with the premiere of their feature track 'Barren Ground' (CLICK HERE to listen). Minor Matter are playing 2 upcoming shows in Saskatoon in support of the album's release (full details below) and will embark on a Canadian Tour at the end of June. The full tour schedule will be announced next month. 

When it comes to musical experiences, Minor Matter prefer to take the listener down the path less travelled. With influences as diverse as the instruments they bring along for the ride, the group charts a course brimming with scenic detours and unsuspecting surprises.Hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Minor Matter started as Jeffrey Popiel’s experimental solo project and has grown to include 5 multi-instrumentalists that help bring his carefully crafted originals to life. Drawing on a well-stocked musical tool-box that includes everything from the bassoon and clarinet to glockenspiel and ukulele, Stephanie Unverricht, Heather Lake, Skyler Cafferata and Jon Henderson work to seamlessly fuse classical, folk, country, jazz and psychedelic rock.

Minor Matter released their 5-track EP, Concept of a Knife, in 2013. And the band has been hard at work since then, performing at prominent cultural events throughout Saskatchewan including LUGO, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra, MoSo Fest, the Ness Creek Festival main stage, and the Saskatchewan Art’s Board Lieutenant Governor General Awards, gaining new fans along the way. With the release of their new album on June 17th, the band will undoubtedly continue to grow their fan base with incredible tracks like 'Barren Ground' which is one of the few tracks on the album to feature vocals. Adding vocal elements to the songs certainly makes the music more accessible to a broader audience but the band didn't feel any pressure to include them. 

"We really try to be sensitive to and aware of what each piece requires musically and we don’t want to force things for the sake of conforming or meeting external expectations," explains percussionist Jon Henderson. "Each of us is drawn to certain songs from Jeffrey’s repertoire and we pick those that we feel work best both for our individual and collective personalities. The songs also evolve as we play them and in some cases, we’ve removed vocal parts because they didn’t fit quite right. So, no, we don’t feel any pressure in terms of ensuring there is a vocal element." 

When it comes to their craft, Minor Matter is passionate about continuously challenging themselves to push boundaries to create something new for audiences of all ages and musical preferences. Don't miss Minor Matter's upcoming shows in Saskatoon on May 28th and June 17th with more dates to be announced soon. Visit minormatter.ca for more info and the most up-to-date show schedules and tour listings. Minor Matter - Minor Matter will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers/streaming services on Friday, June 17th.

MINOR MATTER // SINGLE RELEASE SHOW
When: Saturday, May 28th
Where: Saskatoon, SK - Village Guitar & Amp for Ritornello Festival
Info: www.ritornello.ca

MINOR MATTER // ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
When: Friday, June 17th
Where: Saskatoon, SK - The Refinery for MoSo Fest
Info: www.moso2016.com

MINOR MATTER - MINOR MATTER TRACKLISTING
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 17, 2016 (INDEPENDENT)
1.  Hypnotisant
2.  Those Stars
3.  Barren Ground
4.  Program 1
5.  Zusammen
6.  Sacred Harmless
7.  Stuck in Serenity
8.  Tight Beach Sandals
9.  Royal Tour
10. What Indeed

FOR MORE INFO:  www.minormatter.ca
Twitter: @mnrmttr
Instagram: @mnrmttr
Facebook:  Facebook/MinorMatter

Alexandria Maillot Announces Release of New Single + Video 'Sunday Sara' // New Album Time Out on June 10th

Watch Exclusive Premiere of 'Sunday Sara' on Exclaim!

(Vancouver, BC) - Vancouver-based swoon-y bedroom pop artist Alexandria Maillot is pleased to announce the release of her new single and video 'Sunday Sara', and Exclaim.ca has the Exclusive Video Premiere. ‘Sunday Sara’ is the first single off of Alexandria Maillot's upcoming debut full-length album,Time, set to be independently released on June 10th, 2016.  With a Western-Canadian tour and a string of house concerts through Dan Mangan's Madic Records already accomplished this year, Maillot is setting her sights on a yet-to-be announced Cross-Canada tour this summer. Follow Alexandria Maillot on Facebook for the most up-to-date news and tour listings.

Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Alexandria Maillot has been busy crafting the sound of her upcoming full-length album, Time, for the past two years. The album is a follow-up to her debut EP Just Another Girl released in 2012, the same year that she was a Top 20 Finalist in the Peak Performance Project in Vancouver. The recording of Maillot's debut EP was a project spanning several years with the production for the EP taking place during the critical years of adolescence; thus, her new album Time is an apt illustration of her personal evolution - the sonic entity born from undiluted chaos. She wrote the first single 'Sunday Sara' during the budding of a new relationship and the song explores that feeling of being too vulnerable too quickly; being so honest with someone only to feel exposed. But the video (created by: cmyk Productions) takes the song in a somewhat different direction and is a tableau of substance addiction. 

"It follows the narrative of a virtuous young girl who has always lived within contained and unmarked, clean walls," explains Maillot.  "Within the comfort that surrounds her, an obscured object appears (the conflict), and her naivety leads her down a protracted path that engulfs all that was once familiar. The black lights and neon paint represent the minuscule and often impossible glimpses of hope.  An addiction is never finite; there is no algorithm for overcoming a battle once you are completely consumed. All that can be put to bet is the strength of one's remaining character and their determined mind."

Following the release of ‘Sunday Sara’, Alexandria Maillot will be playing select shows throughout British Columbia. With the release of Time on June 10th, Alexandria will be hitting the road to cover more of Canada to share her new sounds and make new friends. Please visit alexandriamaillot.com for the most up-to-date show schedules and tour listings. Alexandria Maillot - Time will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and all other digital retailers/streaming services on Friday, June 10th. 

ALEXANDRIA MAILLOT - TIME TRACKLISTING
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 10, 2016 (INDEPENDENT)
1.  Sunday Sara
2.  Other Line
3.  Smitten
4.  Did You Want To Tell Me Something
5.  Time (On Your Own)
6.  The Floor  
7.  Lonely Soul
8.  Sans
9.  Never Stop 

FOR MORE INFO:  AlexandriaMaillot.com 
Twitter: @alexandriasing 
Instagram: @alexandriamaillot
Facebook: Facebook/alexandriamaillot

Lovecoast Release Brand New Single 'The Floor' // Exclusive Video Premiere on Exclaim!

WATCH THE 'FLOOR’ ON EXCLAIM.CA!

(Victoria, BC) – Victoria indie soul-pop group Lovecoast are releasing their newest single ‘The Floor’ along with a brand new music video TODAY via Exclaim.ca! After a successful 2015 playing alongside Canadian acts such as Jocelyn Alice and The Fast Romantics, and gracing stages like Pemberton Music Festival 2015, Lovecoast hasn’t let 2016 slow them down. Along with their newly released single ‘The Floor’, Lovecoast recently played JUNOfest in Calgary and were just named Band of the Month for April 2016 at The Zone 91.3 in Victoria. 

Just like their 2014 debut EP “Chasing Tides”, Lovecoast’s newest single ‘The Floor’ was produced and engineered by JUNO nominated producer/engineer Tom Dobrzanski (Hey Ocean, Said the Whale, We Are The City) at Monarch Studios in Vancouver. Once again, Tom brought out the best in the band as ‘The Floor’ truly speaks to their dance driven nature and tight musicality. The band also had the pleasure of working closely on their new music and industry approach with CIRAA mentor Eon Sinclair of Bedouin Soundclash. “The members of this band continue to be very impressive in their approach to music and life at large,” said Sinclair. 

A lot has changed for Lovecoast over the past year as members Danielle Sweeney, Andrew Fraser and Jesse McNeill have welcomed a new guitar player, Mike Clement, and have added a fifth member, keyboardist/trumpet player Phil Hamelin. Though they’re new members, Clement and Hamelin are no strangers to the group as all five members graduated from Vancouver Island University’s music program. 

“It took us four years after our graduation to realize we should have never stopped playing together,” explains lead vocalist Sweeney. “And today it feels like we never did.” 

Now a strong five-piece Lovecoast are ready to share their new sound, starting with a show at Guilt & Company in Vancouver tomorrow! And they’re keeping up momentum this summer and have just announced their first festival of the season: Victoria’s Ska & Reggae Festival June 25th opening for The Black Seeds. 

For more information and the most up to date touring listings, please visit: www.lovecoastmusic.com

LOVECOAST // UPCOMING TOUR DATES
April 16 – Vancouver, BC @ Guilt & Company
June 25 – Victoria, BC @ Victoria Ska & Reggae Festival (Main Stage)

FOR MORE INFO: www.lovecoastmusic.com
Twitter: @lovecoastmusic
Instagram: @lovecoastmusic
Facebook: Facebook.com/lovecoastmusic
 

Lovecoast is: 
Danielle Sweeney – Lead Vocals
Mike Clement – Guitar
Andrew Fraser – Bass
Phil Hamelin – Keyboard/Trumpet
Jesse McNeill – Drums

“Lovecoast brings together modern day indie pop and blue-eyed ’70s R&B. It’s bouncy and infectious.” - Ride The Tempo

“Demonstrating a wide array of genre influences, Lovecoast kicked off the night with a jam packed set that had the crowd engaged and singing along by the final song, 'The Floor'.” – VIES Magazine

Winnipeg Dream Pop Duo Basic Nature Announce Canadian Tour Dates + Release Brand New Single!

Listen To 'Love Won't Always There':

(Winnipeg, MB) - Winnipeg shoegaze/dream pop duo Basic Nature are getting ready to head out for their first Canadian Tour of 2016! The tour will start with a hometown tour kick-off on April 29th and then Basic Nature will head out east for dates in Ontario and Quebec, including a show in Toronto for Canadian Music Week on May 5 (see below for full listing of tour dates). And to launch the tour with a bang, Basic Nature are debuting their brand new single 'Love Won't Always Be There' which will be included on their first full-length album to be released later this year. Click here to listen to 'Love Won't Always Be There'.

Claire Bones and Lizzy Burt formed Basic Nature in 2014 amidst one of the coldest winters Winnipeg had to offer in decades. Their passion for songwriting, sound and craft-making brought them together to complete the warm, lush and distorted songs that make up their debut 6-song EP Circles & Lines (Sundowning Records/Dub Dutch Picnic) released in May 2015. Following the release of Circles & Lines, Basic Nature successfully toured throughout Eastern Canada in support of the EP and were selected to open for shoegaze legends Swervedriver (UK) at the West End Cultural Centre in Winnipeg. The buzz on Basic Nature continued to build throughout 2015, the EP received much critical acclaim in Canada and was selected for multiple year-end favourite lists including: Winnipeg Free Press,  BeatRoute and Mixtape Magazine. 

Basic Nature cite Slowdive's album Souvlaki as the main musical influence for their EP Circles & Lines, however, it does not drive the sound they create. In fact, their upcoming full-length album will be taking the duo in an slightly edgier direction and their brand new track 'Love Won't Always Be There' is just a taste of what's to come. 

"We are so excited to finally share this song," said Lizzy Burt. "There is a real blissful melancholy that comes with performing it, the song kind of acts as a release of pent up energy bringing relief in the best way, and we want to share that. It comes from a realization that even at our lowest points in life, we may not find what we think we are looking for. And that's okay, because we can know that deep inside ourselves we have everything we need." 

Be sure to catch Basic Nature on their upcoming Eastern Canadian Tour starting on April 29th in Winnipeg! For more information and the most up to date tour listings, please visit: basicnatureband.com

BASIC NATURE // UPCOMING EASTERN CANADIAN TOUR DATES
April 29 - Winnipeg, MB @ The Handsome Daughter (Tour Kick-Off!)
April 30 - Thunder Bay, ON @ The Apollo
May 3 - Hamilton, ON @ Homegrown Hamilton
May 4 - Gatineau, QC @ Minotaur
May 5 - Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddah (CMW)
May 6 - Montreal, QC @ Poisson Noir
May 8 - Montreal, QC @ Le Cagibi
May 10 - Ottawa, ON @ Black Squirrel Books & Cafe
May 11 - Peterborough, ON @ The Garnet
May 12 - London, ON @ Vibrafusion Lounge
May 13 - Guelph, ON @ 42 Jane
May 14 - Windsor, ON @ Phog Lounge
May 15 - Sault St Marie, ON @ Gore Street Cafe

FOR MORE INFO: www.basicnatureband.com
Twitter: @Basic_Nature_
Instagram: @Basic_Nature_Music
Facebook: Facebook.com/basicnatureisaway

Basic Nature is: 
Lizzy Burt - lead vocalist, electric guitar  
Claire Bones - backing vocals, drums, percussion

 "Circles and Lines is six tracks of bliss...the duo of Lizzy Burt and Claire Bones deliver an impeccable set, featuring serene vocals and fuzzy, slowburn guitars. The title track is echoing and haunting." - Ride The Tempo

"The album glows in a 90’s lo-fi haze. With messy-haired nods to The Cranberries, Slowdive and Sharon Van Etten, these women know how to draw from influence and make it their own." - Make A Little Noise

Vancouver Pianist/Composer Nathan Shubert Releases New Video for Piano Day

Watch Exclusive Premiere of 'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö' on Vancity Buzz

(Vancouver, BC) - March 28th, the 88th Day of the year, is Official Piano Day and Vancouver pianist/composer Nathan Shubert  is kicking off his new piano-based solo project with the release of a new live video today for his orginal composition'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö'  as part of the world-wide Piano Day celebrations. Watch the 'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö'  video here. 

Piano Day was created in 2015 by German musician Nils Frahm  as a way to celebrate piano music, bring it more exposure, and foster community amongst piano composers. Piano Day has quickly been adopted by piano composers all over the world, with concerts and releases taking place on all continents which is why Nathan Shubert chose today for the release of his new live video. It felt like the perfect way to launch his solo career and celebrate the beauty and growing popularity of piano music.

"I definitely think piano music is becoming a lot more popular in North America these days," said Shubert. "I've always listened to piano music, and I think it has enjoyed more success in general in Europe over the years where there's more appetite for a broader array of ideas. Recently though European artists like Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds have begun touring North America, and bringing an excitement for this music with them. I'll have to admit though, I was a bit confused the first time I saw a Pitchfork review of solo piano music."

'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö' will be included on Nathan Shubert's debut album, a full length of solo piano compositions, release date to be announced. The project marks a massive shift for Shubert, who has been a sought after sideman and session player in Vancouver for over a decade, bringing his harmonic inventiveness and intelligent dynamism to artists such as: No Sinner, David Newberry, Jody Glenham, and Rich Hope. Switching focus to his own work, Shubert challenged himself to write solo piano music every day for six months. This intense and immersive period resulted in works that blend a muted physicality with an exceptional ear for beauty. Expressive and accessible, Shubert wrote these pieces purely for the pleasure and beauty inherent in them, not as exercises in composerly rigor or pianistic dexterity. Free of external meanings, the pieces take on their own deeply implicit, wordless significance.

Named after the protagonist of the Swedish/Danish TV show Bron (The Bridge), Shubert's new instrumental composition 'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö'  isunderstated, quietly propulsive, and uncommonly poetic. An encouraging and exciting sign of what's to come from this Vancouver-based composer. Join Nathan Shubert as he takes part in Official Piano Day with the release of his new music - watch the live video here and stream/download the composition here (via SoundCloud). For more information, please visit NathanShubert.com.

FOR MORE INFO:  www.nathanshubert.com
Twitter: @NathanShubert
Instagram: @NathanShubert
Facebook: Facebook.com/NathanShubert

MEDIA TOOLS
WATCH/POST the video for Nathan Shubert's - 'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö'
STREAM/POST/DOWNLOAD Nathan Shubert - 'Saga Norén, Länskrim, Malmö' (via SoundCloud) 
CLICK HERE for high-res press photos + album art