The Funk Hunters Receive CIMA Road Gold Certification

THE FIRST ELECTRONIC ACT TO GET THE AWARD

In an award ceremony that could only happen in 2020, Vancouver based DJ duo The Funk Hunters (Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith) became the first electronic act to receive Road Gold certification from the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA), via a Zoom presentation earlier today.

The Funk Hunters received CIMA's Road Gold certification, in recognition of exceeding 25,000 ticket sales domestically, in the last year. Road Gold is a certification program that celebrates and acknowledges Canada’s hard-working touring artists and bands. The Certification is dedicated to The Funk Hunters 2019“Typecast Tour”.

“CIMA is pleased to award The Funk Hunters with Road Gold certification for their 2019 tour,"  says Sam Rayner, CIMA Industry Development and Membership Coordinator. "With the live music sector so devastated by COVID-19, it's more important than ever to celebrate and acknowledge the hard work and successes of touring artists and crews, the companies who fuel them forward, the venues that host them, and the fans that fill the seats. The Funk Hunters are the first electronic band to receive this certification, and are an excellent reminder of what we have to look forward to when we can gather for live music and performances again: incredible Canadian music.“

The Funk Hunters Nick Middleton adds: “To say 2020 has been a tough year for our industry is an understatement. We’ve seen the lifeblood of our team, our art, and our fans come to a total halt. So with no touring on the horizon, it feels pretty special today to be able to reflect back on 2019 and the incredible year we shared on the road with our team and all our fans. Thanks to CIMA for this great honour, it feels pretty cool to join the ranks of some of Canada’s best, and to be the first electronic act is something we are really proud of. We share this award with everyone who’s supported us along the way.”

The Funk Hunters 2019 “Typecast Tour” - in support of their debut album - saw the duo tour nationally across the country selling out multiple nights at iconic venues like Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom, as well as headlining Canadian festivals of all styles ranging from institutions like the Calgary Stampede to the electronic-leaning Shambhala Music Festival. In addition to domestic touring, this same year also saw The Funk Hunters perform internationally throughout Australia, New Zealand, and the USA - highlighted with their return to Coachella plus debut appearances at Life Is Beautiful Festival (Las Vegas) and Outside Lands (San Francisco).

With touring shutdown in 2020, The Funk Hunters have pivoted to online streaming where they’re quickly building a massive online following. They were featured in the first ever livestream event inside TikTokearlier this year performing live simultaneously to over 300,000 people around the world. Since then the DJ duo have cultivated a loyal following on Twitch, an online streaming platform, launching their own free weekly shows. In just the last 3 months alone, The Funk Hunters have streamed live DJ sets to fans on their Twitch channel racking up a record 2.1 million minutes watched. 

For more information on The Funk Hunters and to keep up to date on their latest livestreams, please visit: thefunkhunters.com. 

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Vancouver Musicians Matt Storm + Ivan Hartle Release Collab Single MORE TO FIND

LISTEN TO 'MORE TO FIND' HERE
WATCH/SHARE VIDEO HERE

Vancouver musicians Matt Storm and Ivan Hartle are excited to announce the release of their new collaborative single 'More To Find' out today on all digital platforms. Watch video here.  

The story behind 'More To Find' is a serendipitous one because Matt and Ivan didn't set out to create a collab track. In fact, it kind of happened by accident.

"I’ve been producing and recording Ivan’s music for over a year now, and he showed up at the studio one day with a long list of 'to do’s' for his songs in progress," says Matt Storm. "We both sat there feeling a bit overwhelmed with the tasks ahead, so we plugged in a Wurlitzer keyboard and started jamming. Ivan started playing a riff that caught my attention, that he had written it the week before. I quickly laid down a percussive rhythm on the body of an acoustic guitar, a technique I’d been toying with for a while, and it set the foundation around the keyboard. Once we had that, Ivan simply said 'Is this our collab track?' He could sense I was itching to get on the song. Riding the wave of inspiration, we organized melodies, wrote lyrics, and recorded the entire song in that one day." 

'More To Find' has a soul-influenced, laid back vibe perfect for Sunday morning playlists. But despite its chill mood, the song's deeper meaning is a bit more heavy.

"'More To Find' is a song about soul searching, coming to terms with your past, and embracing the uncertainty of your future," says Ivan Hartle. "Matt and I have similar musical tastes, so this collaboration was long overdue, and it came together with a level of spontaneity and inspiration that's captured in the recording."

Matt Storm and Ivan Hartle's new single 'More To Find' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit: mattstorm.ca + ivanhartlemusic.com 

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The Wilderness Announce Release of New Live EP

NEW SINGLE 'FIRE AND THE WOLVES' OUT TODAY
WATCH/SHARE LIVE VIDEO HERE

Kingston indie rockers The Wilderness did the ultimate version of turning lemons into lemonade this past summer. Instead of being upset that they can't play live shows and tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they decided to take it to the studio and record a live EP.

The result is Live at the Bathouse which features live versions of select songs from their recently released album, Until Tomorrow. The EP is set for release on December 4th with the first official single 'Fire and the Wolves' out today on all digital platforms. Watch the video here.

Leading up to the release of Live at the Bathouse, The Wilderness have been rolling out weekly live videos of the tracks featured on the EP via their social media platforms. With 3 released so far, the videos capture the chill, creative vibe of the live recording sessions at The Bathouse studio.

"It was lovely to be at The Bathouse in the summer," says guitarist Sacha Lansky. "We'd spend the evenings hanging out on the pier, and Jonas and I would go fishing throughout the day. A stark contrast to the cold and icy months when we recorded the full album."

The Wilderness are one of those bands you HAVE TO SEE LIVE. They thrive as a live band and they wanted to capture that energy even though they can't play shows right now. Through the making of the Live at the Bathouse EP, the band could let the songs evolve further than their studio counterparts, and also breathe some new life into some of their more recent songs that they haven't even had the chance to perform live yet.

"While we may not have had a live audience, performing these songs as a band allowed us to bring a live energy and reinvigorated spirit to each of them," says sax player/percussionist Nicholas Lennox.  "Some of these songs have new harmonies, others different grooves and instrumentation, all of which is part of performing for us. We loved the sound we could achieve at The Bathouse and couldn't think of any better way to showcase the growth and evolution of these songs than by performing them live at The Bathouse."

Fire and the Wolves'  is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. And look for Live at the Bathouse on December 4th.  For more information, please visit: thewildernessband.com

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THE WILDERNESS - LIVE AT THE BATHOUSE
RELEASE DATE: DECEMBER 4th, 2020
(Independent)
01. Graveyard
02. Citalopram Blues
03. Fire and the Wolves
04. Where I Roam
05. You, The Ocean
06. Settled Up
07. If I Have to Die
08. Twenty-Five
Download High-Res Album Art

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THE WILDERNESS IS:
Jonas Lewis-Anthony (lead vocals + guitar)
Sacha Lansky (lead guitar + backing vocals)
Karl Tombak (bass)
Henry Lawrence (drums + backing vocals)
Nicholas Lennox (saxophone, percussion + backing vocals)
Liam Neale (keyboard + percussion)

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Carolina East Releases Heartbreaking New Single ALL THE THINGS

EAST COAST MUSICIAN CAROLINA EAST RELEASES
HEARTBREAKING NEW SINGLE 'ALL THE THINGS'

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Carolina East · All The Things

East Coast country pop artist Carolina East gives us all the feels on her heartbreaking new single 'All The Things' out today on all digital platforms. 

‘All The Things' is the 4th single to be released from Carolina East’s new album Soaked in Whisky, which will be out in May 2021. A song about a failed relationship, 'All The Things’ examines the loss you feel for everything that will never happen because of a break-up.

"'All The Things’ is about all of what could have been with a past partner," says Carolina. "I wrote this song about a relationship that didn’t work out, and for the best." 

A creation of the maritime elements, Carolina East is a vibrant, bold, songstress from Newfoundland and Labrador, who proudly wears an eclectic tapestry of musical influences, from soul to country, to pop. This year, Carolina East won the MusicNL Country Artist of the Year award, received a nomination for ECMA Indigenous Artist of the Year, and she recently joined the Sirius XM Top of the Country competition as one of eight competing semi-finalists. 

Carolina East's new single 'All The Things' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit: carolinaeastmusic.com

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The Blake Reid Band Release New Single PENNY

1ST SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM OUT IN MAY 2021

LISTEN TO 'PENNY' HERE
WATCH/SHARE VIDEO HERE

If you need a pick me up, Calgary country roots group The Blake Reid Band will put a smile on your face and leave you with positive vibes aplenty on their new single 'Penny', out today on all digital platforms. Watch video here.

‘Penny’ is the 1st single from The Blake Reid Band’s new album Another Way Home set for release in May 2021. The follow-up to Reid’s 2015 solo album Rust, Another Way Home finds the Calgary-based singer/songwriter boldly crafting a new Americana-focused sound with his most trusted collaborators, resulting in a blend of roof-raising anthems and heart-wrenching ballads. ‘Penny’ is the perfect summation of Reid’s new direction - authentic Americana set against a modern approach to classic bluegrass and gospel themes.

“‘Penny' is about silencing the world and finding a way to be lost in a single moment,” says Blake Reid. "To navigate life’s storms sometimes, we need to crack a bottle of wine, gather good friends, and completely open our hearts. I’ve learned that the moments when love trumps money are the ones that I hold on to. When your heart leads, pennies are insignificant.”

After basic tracks were laid down at Nashville’s Sound Emporium with producer Aben Eubanks (Kelly Clarkson) and some of Music City’s finest players, Another Way Home was polished off in Calgary with the full Blake Reid Band line-up displaying their dynamic chemistry forged during a solid year of touring.

Reid says, “As this is the debut album for the Blake Reid Band, the idea for the album’s direction, writing and song selection was to return to our roots. We chose to title the album Another Way Home, because it’s really about that—finding a different route to our centre, both personally and musically.”

The Blake Reid Band's new album is actually the continuation of the No Roads In documentary project, directed by Josh Wong and released in 2017 to International acclaim. Based on the simple premise of capturing the band over a week of recording at an abandoned house in the middle of a thousand acres of prairie wheat fields, the film is a moving exploration of the creative process, and a celebration of the pure thrill that comes from making music with close friends. Another Way Home includes six songs also featured in No Roads In, re-recorded in the studio, but with the same intention.

Blake Reid Band's new single ‘Penny’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit:
blakereidband.com

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