BC Jazz-Pop Musician Kate Trajan Shares New Album ANCIENT FIRES

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'ANCIENT FIRES' HERE

BC jazz-pop musician Kate Trajan shares her debut full-length album Ancient Fires out now on all digital streaming platforms via Pastiche Records. Listen to the full album here.

Kate is also featuring the title track 'Ancient Fires' as the 3rd single, following previous singles 'No One To Dream About' and 'Amazon's Dilemma. On 'Ancient Fires', she delivers an emotional tribute to the bittersweet experience of parting with her first love. This heartfelt folk-tinged pop ballad showcases her lush vocals and poignant songwriting, drawing listeners into a deeply personal narrative.

"This song was inspired by the experience of saying goodbye to my first love and moving away from my hometown of Nanaimo," says Kate. "It materialized in bits and pieces through the years, like a puzzle. I was only given a few pieces at a time. It became layered with experience from other goodbyes in my life, and the heartbreak, hope and fear that came with stepping into the unknown of what would come next."

Currently living on Salt Spring Island, BC, Kate is classically trained in piano and voice, and her songwriting draws on two decades of experience performing with jazz, folk, and indie groups across Canada and in the UK and the Netherlands. Kate released her debut EP Yesterday Left Without Her Suitcase, featuring four original songs, in 2022. Ancient Fires, Kate’s first full-length album of original music, was recorded at Eastcote Studios in London, UK.

Says Kate: "Of course, you don’t need to go all the way to London to find a great recording studio. The reason I did was because I was working with London-based producer Sarah Gillespie to create this album. I met Sarah when I lived in the UK back in 2008 and we sat next to each other on a flight from London to Vancouver. I started following her music career online, and saw during COVID that she had begun the Create Now Academy, mentoring female artists to develop careers in the music industry. I felt like that was just what I needed to get in gear and get my original music out into the world, so I signed up and started working with her to get this album made."

Ancient Fires is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit katetrajan.com.

KATE TRAJAN - ANCIENT FIRES
(Pastiche Records)
01. No One To Dream About
02. Amazon's Dilemma
03. Ancient Fires
04. This Is The Life
05. Winding My Way
06. Am I A Fool
07. Come
08. Ode To The Moon
09. A Universe Apart

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STREAM/POST 'Ancient Fires' HERE (via YouTube)
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CLICK HERE for biography, high-res press photos + album art

Yellowknife Musician Carmen Braden Shares New Single + Video AN INVITE

2nd SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM
A HARD LIGHT OUT ON DEC 5th

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ward-winning singer-songwriter and contemporary composer Carmen Braden shares her new single and video ‘An Invite’ out now on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here.

‘An Invite’ is the second single from the Yellowknife artist’s new album, A Hard Light, which is set for release on December 5th. The eclectic ambient pop track feels like an immersive experience, taking the listener on a journey from the first note. The song recalls a moment in Carmen's past, giving it a ghost-like quality, as if participating in a sense memory of someone else's life.

"This tune comes from a memory of a night when I was a young woman away from home," says Carmen. "There was an encounter that brought me sharply to a moment of choices—choices about what I was ready to do with my body and with whom. I remember coming out of that moment feeling so strong, knowing that I had made deep, clear choices for myself. The music emerged from a marimba loop and improvisation by my producer, Mark Adam, which reminded me of that time in my life. The call-and-response moments with Nova Scotia singer Cas Palmer weave into the long melodies of this story-song, featuring expansive rolling grooves and drum-and-bass vibes, all of which have grown into a darkness and intensity that truly match the memory."

A multi-talented artist recognized as an “acoustic ambassador of the Canadian Subarctic” (Musicworks Magazine), Carmen has played intimate theatres and main stage folk festivals, smoothly transitioning between genres of songwriting and composing. Her contemporary classical compositions are nationally recognized, with commissions and performances by world-class ensembles and performers, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, James Ehnes, and the Canadian Chamber Choir.

She has released three studio albums: Seed Songs (2021), Songs of the Invisible Summer Stars (2019), and Ravens (2017). Carmen has earned national recognition by winning the Western Canadian Music Award for Classical Composer of the Year in both 2020 and 2019. Additional nominations include Classical Album of the Year (2020) at the East Coast Music Awards, Classical Artist of the Year (2019 WCMAs), and Classical Composition of the Year (2017 WCMAs). Carmen's fourth studio album, A Hard Light, produced by her long-time collaborator Mark Adam (Music In the Woods, Nova Scotia), will be released on December 5th.

'An Invite ' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit carmenbraden.com.

FOLLOW CARMEN BRADEN:
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WATCH/POST the 'An Invite' video HERE (via YouTube)
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Vancouver Alt-Rockers OurGlassZoo Release New Album + Share New Single/Video

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Vancouver alternative rock band OurGlassZoo shares their third full-length album, Horizons, out now on all digital streaming platforms via Volunteer Media/The Orchard (Sony Music). Listen here. OurGlassZoo is also showcasing 'Spark' as the fourth featured single from the album, along with the premiere of the music video.

'Spark' marks a striking departure from their usual high-energy tracks and reveals a different side of the band, highlighting their ability to craft emotionally charged and introspective music. “'Spark' is about breaking out of the darkness and learning to respect and trust yourself again,” says lead vocalist and lyricist Josias Tschanz. “The dancer in the video, Chan Smook, expresses the lyrics visually while the band is trapped and exposed behind a TV screen with their eyes covered in darkness. During the interlude, the dancer bursts into an expressive sequence, bringing back hope and light while sheltering the singer and the other band members. We are strong advocates for mental health awareness and have teamed up with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) on several occasions, so the song is very meaningful to us. We really enjoyed working with a full string arrangement to bring the vision to life. The lyrics fittingly end with, ‘I will follow you, my friend.’”

OurGlassZoo recorded Horizons in late 2023 at Monarch Studios. The album is part of a journey that connects to their previous albums, Aftermath (2022) and Hindsight (2020), telling the story of a world that came to a halt, struggled to recover, and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Josias explains: “While Horizons is more hopeful, it remains critical of humanity’s current path, as reflected in tracks like ‘Burn,’ ‘Innocence,’ and ‘Shut Up.’ However, it also highlights the preciousness of life and the importance of enjoying it, emphasizing healing and finding purpose to guide us in rediscovering our paths.”

Horizons is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit ourglasszoo.com.

OurGlassZoo - *Horizons*
Volunteer Media/The Orchard (Sony Music)
01. Shut Up
02. Hey Now!
03. Home ft. O.K.A. & Rachel Schroeder
04. Burn ft. O.K.A.
05. Innocence
06. For The World To See
07. Spark

MEDIA TOOLS:
WATCH/POST 'Spark' video HERE (via YouTube)
CLICK HERE for biography, high-res press photos + album art

Leeroy Stagger Releases New Album 3AM REVELATIONS + Shares New Single/Video

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Victoria-based alt-country musician Leeroy Stagger shares his new album 3 AM Revelations out now on all digital streaming platforms via Tonic Records. Listen here.

To celebrate the launch of his new album, Leeroy is also releasing the video for his 2nd single 'Count To Ten', which follows the release of lead single 'Watermelon Pink'. The video was filmed this summer on Hornby Island and although he is known for his prolific songwriting, ‘Count To Ten’ is not a Leeroy Stagger song.

“This is Dennis Ellsworth’s song,” says Leeroy. “He wrote it with my tone in mind and when I heard it, I knew I wanted to record it. His version is very different from what I did with it. I feel akin to Dennis’ music because it feels like it lives in my mind as well. I don’t know what this song is about to him, but for me, it’s a meditation in gratitude and an observation on how much beauty exists in the world when you shut off the noise.”

3 AM Revelations refers to the early morning hours when most of us are asleep, but if you’re Leeroy Stagger, you greet the coming dawn with words, music, and grace — and there could be no better title for his 13th full recording. For it’s in that sacred and moonlit window that brought forth his strongest, most passionate songwriting to date.

Says Leeroy: “Most of these songs were composed in the wee hours of a new day. The witching hours, you could call them. Where my mind is active and there’s a peace and spirit I embrace in the quiet of life.”

In these musical revelations—recorded in Stagger’s new Victoria home studio made of “beautiful rough-cut wood”—we hear gratitude, struggle, rebel rousing, balladry, compassion, and humour. We go to worlds as small as the back of lousy Dodge Dart, and worlds as vast as the Alberta Skies and as ethereal as human connection.

3 AM Revelations is the result of what Stagger calls his “third attempt” at making this record, meaning his listeners can look forward to two more collections in the can. And if 3 AM is three times the charm, as well as the bewitching hour in which to write beautiful music, Leeroy Stagger has tapped into something remarkably moving.

3 AM Revelations is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit leeroystagger.com.

LEEROY STAGGER | 2024 CANADIAN TOUR DATES
Sept 13th - Fernie, BC - Knox on 2nd
Sept 14th - Rossland, BC - Between The Peaks
Sept 27th - Charlottetown, PEI - St Paul’s Anglican Church
Sept 28th - Woodstock, NB - Crossing Paths
Sept 29th - Fredericton, NB - Charlotte Street Arts Centre
Sept 30th - Halifax, NS - The Carleton (Halifax Urban Folk Festival)
Oct 4th - Halifax, NS - The Carleton (Halifax Urban Folk Festival)
Nov 28th - Port Alberni, BC - Char’s Landing
Nov 29th - Qualicum House, BC - Rotary House
Nov 30th - Tofino, BC - Clayoquot Sound Theatre

Leeroy Stagger - *3 AM Revelations*
(Tonic Records)
01. Mediocrity Pill
02. Count To Ten
03. These Days
04. St. Patricia
05. Alberta Stars
06. Life's A Drag
07. Blue Skies
08. Watermelon Pink
09. 68 Dodge Dart
10. It's Gonna Be Alright (Someday)

**Download High-Res Album Art**

MEDIA TOOLS:
WATCH/POST 'Count To Ten' video HERE (via YouTube)
CLICK HERE for biography, high-res press photos + album art

Yukon Indie-Folk Band The August Arrival Share New Single WHISPER

2nd SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM
HILLSIDES OUT ON OCTOBER 11th

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Yukon indie-folk band The August Arrival share their laid-back 80s-influenced new single 'Whisper' out now on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here.

Led by Yukon songwriter and vocalist Sara MacDonald, The August Arrival is a solo project supported by friends, incorporating live and recording contributions from an array of musicians who slide in and out of the lineup. 'Whisper' is the 2nd single from their forthcoming album Hillsides. On the surface, the song feels energetic and easy-going, but if you dig further, you'll find a deeper meaning underneath.

"'Whisper' is a song about witnessing a loved one struggle," says Sara. "Writing this song was meaningful in many ways. It gave voice to the intense emotions that can surface when someone close to you faces hardship, which allowed me to gain some distance from those feelings. Additionally, the process of writing the song affirmed my commitment to doing everything possible to help that person. Ultimately, through writing 'Whisper,' I came to believe that it was all going to be okay."

Set for release on October 11th, The August Arrival’s new album, Hillsides, will resonate deeply with fans of intimate indie folk-rock, drawing inspiration from Postdata, Blind Pilot, and Manchester Orchestra. The music’s driving melodies, poetic lyrics, and atmospheric instrumentation create an emotionally charged journey that lingers long after the final notes fade. Written during what Sara describes as a “growth phase,” Hillsides reminds us that strength and beauty emerge from life’s most challenging moments. From health scares to a child’s Autism diagnosis to the loss of a loved one, The August Arrival’s songs offer an honest and vulnerable examination of change, loss, longing, and finally, appreciation.

'Whisper' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit theaugustarrival.com.

Tracklisting:
The August Arrival - *Hillsides* (Independent)
Release Date: October 11th, 2024
01. Camped Out
02. Fleeting and Forever
03. Keep Driving
04. Let It Go
05. Last Known Bird
06. Lifting Again
07. Whisper
08. Hillsides

**Download High-Res Album Art**

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MEDIA TOOLS:
STREAM/POST 'Whisper' HERE (via SoundCloud)
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CLICK HERE for biography, high-res press photos + single/album art

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2nd SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUMHILLSIDES OUT ON OCTOBER 11thSTREAM/SHARE HERE

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'ANCIENT FIRES' HERE

2nd SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM
HILLSIDES OUT ON OCTOBER 11th

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