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MusicBC partners with Upstream MusicFest + Summit!

Music BC will be partnering with the inaugural Upstream Music Fest + Summit taking place in historic Pioneer Square in Downtown Seattle from May 11-13, 2017.   Music BC will be showcasing BC artists and participating in the summit and other networking events as part of our commitment to support BC artists and industry professionals.  

With funding made possible through FACTOR and The Government of Canada throughGlobal Affairs, BC artists are encouraged to apply to showcase at the Music BC House as part of the inaugural Upstream Music Fest + Summit.

“We have no doubts that the Upstream Music Fest + Summit will do great things for BC’s emerging talent and industry professionals and we are thrilled to be taking part. The Pacific Northwest has a vibrant and historic music scene and we applaud Upstream for recognizing that music has no borders” Alex Grigg, Executive Director Music BC Industry Association.

“Recognizing that music is a true ambassador, The Government of Canada is proud to be able to support the involvement and celebration of Canadian artists at the inaugural Upstream Music Fest + Summit,” James Hill, Consul General of Canada in Seattle. 

“The Pacific Northwest has always benefitted from a vibrant music community, but more than ever this music community deserves more exposure, resources and attention,” said Jeff Vetting, executive director, Upstream Music Fest + Summit.“Upstream is intended to help fill a void, with a festival for music lovers of all ages to discover and support emergent artists – and a summit that brings the industry together for thoughtful conversations around the most pressing issues and opportunities facing artists.” 

Applications and additional information can be found at: (www.do604.com/p/play-upstream) 

Music BC would like to thank the Government of Canada & FACTOR, for their continued support for BC artists and professionals.

About Upstream Music Fest + Summit: 
Upstream Music Fest + Summit is a three-day festival and industry summit celebrating the emerging sound and culture of the Northwest. Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen, the music festival includes intimate performances and unique collaborations across 25 venues around Pioneer Square and at the Main Stage in CenturyLink Field’s North Plaza. The two-day industry summit gathers artists, influencers and industry experts at WaMu Theater for keynotes and breakout sessions exploring the new music economy. Upstream offers a unique experience that fosters and supports artists at every level of their career, while offering music lovers a weekend of showcases from the Northwest and beyond.  

For more information and tickets visit: http://upstreammusicfest.com

About Music BC: 
Music BC is a not for profit association serving the for profit and non-profit music industry, including artists from all genres, industry professionals, service providers, studios, promoters, venues, festivals, producers, agents, managers and educational institutions. 

Music BC is a member based organization that provides the industry at large with information on the state of the industry, trends, funding & educational programs and resources. 

Music BC provides several services including Training & Development through our How To Series of workshops, panel discussions & seminars with leading industry professionals locally and across the globe.  Live Music Trade Initiatives including domestic and international showcasing opportunities such as Reeperbahn Germany, The Great Escape UK, Canadian Music Week, among others.  

Music BC also provides Touring & Industry Professional Grants in support of touring and other initiatives. Music BC is the voice of the BC Music industry through active advocacy for funding support, tax credits and creator’s rights. Internationally, Music BC advocates on behalf of the industry at international events to promote business and creative opportunities. Music BC, through CCD (Canadian Content Development) funding partnerships with broadcasters, create programs such as the Peak Performance Project & K96 Emerging Artist Program.

 

 

Friday 03.10.17
Posted by Jen Fritz
 

Scotty Hills To Release Nature Girl EP on February 24th

 

WATCH VIDEO PREMIERE OF 'WON'T BE BACK' @ THE SPILL MAGAZINE

"Names like Sam Cooke, Ron Sexsmith, Stevie Wonder, Junior Parker, or even Feist may come to mind occasionally, but Scotty remains effortlessly original." - CKUA Radio  

"..bluesy, neo-soul brilliance augmented by soaring guitar licks and the kind of falsetto harmonies that would make D'Angelo proud." - FFWD Magazine

Vancouver, BC - Vancouver Island based singer-songwriter Scotty Hills is pleased to announce the release a brand new EP, Nature Girl, on Friday, February 24th through his own label Grand Fir Records. And premiering today exclusively at The Spill Magazine is the video for the first single from the EP, 'Won't Be Back'. Directed by Alisa Banks, the video was shot in the Coachella Valley in California over the Christmas 2016 break. Click here to watch the video premiere. 

Scotty Hills got his start at 17, playing drums in the blues clubs of the American Midwest. Before the age of 20, Scotty had opened for Chuck Berry at the Chicago Blues Festival, played the Mutual Musician Foundation in Kansas City, and had shared a bill with the Newborn Brothers in Memphis, Tennessee. From there, Scotty moved to Winnipeg and joined alt-blues band, The Perpetrators. After 2 albums, 2 Western Canadian Music Awards and a Juno Nomination, he ventured on his own and released his debut album Wonderland Urgency in 2008 which he later rereleased as Year of Septembers in 2013. 

On his latest effort, Nature Girl, set to be released on February 24th, Scotty embarked on a 2500 mile train adventure to Detroit. There, he collaborated with #1 selling Motown artists LJ Reynold (The Dramatics) and Tony Green (Tupac, George Clinton, Snoop Dog). He then teamed with mixer Diego Media (Hey Rosetta, David Miles, Joel Plaskett) and four time Grammy Award Winner Tom Coyne (D’Angelo, Adele, Amy Winehouse) for post production. The self produced EP is Scotty’s most soulful and sophisticated work to date, including lush string arrangements, lyrical painting and soaring dynamics that glue his genre-centric tendencies into the development of a unified sound from start to finish. 

The first single from Nature Girl, 'Won't Be Back'', has been described as country meets soul - Willie Nelson meets Aretha Franklin. It’s a song that epitomizes Scotty Hills' overall ‘Northern Soul’ sound with one foot in his prairie roots and one foot in Detroit soul, drawing from city blues and old country/folk. 'Won't Be Back' is a good first taste of the Nature Girl EP which is an eclectic mix of music that is hard to define. 

"I've tried to touch on many genres, without totally subscribing to any of them," says Hills.  "It's a pretty rootsy record, but I'm never satisfied with simply nodding my cap to tradition, nor am I preoccupied with colouring inside industry lines. It's harmonically broad. The melodies and lyrics are subtle and simple.  My goal as an artist, is to make a record that perfectly balances and blends all of my influences, into each song. Nature Girl is a big step in that direction. Listeners will hear a exploring songwriter, taking a deep look into the relationship between human nature and mother nature. 

Nature Girl will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services on Friday, February 24th. Scotty Hills will be playing a couple of shows on Vancouver Island around the release of Nature Girl, including a show on release day at Providence Farm in Duncan, BC. Hills will be heading out for a Western Canadian Tour later this spring, full details to be announced soon. For more info please visit: scottyhills.com

SCOTTY HILLS >> UPCOMING TOUR DATES
February 11 - Port Renfrew, BC - 2017 Song & Surf
February 24 - Duncan, BC - Live in the Chapel @ Providence Farm  (get tickets)

SCOTTY HILLS - NATURE GIRL TRACK LISTING
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 24th, 2017 (Grand Fir Records)
1.  Hope You're In Toronto
2.  I Want To Love You
3.  Nature Girl
4.  Won't Be Back
5.  The Answers

FOR MORE INFO: www.scottyhills.com
Twitter: @ScottyHills
Instagram: @ScottyHillsOfficial
FB: Facebook.com/ScottyHillsMusic

MEDIA TOOLS
WATCH/POST Scotty Hills - 'Won't Be Back' Video HERE (via YouTube)
STREAM/POST Scotty Hills - 'Won't Be Back' HERE (via Soundcloud)
CLICK HERE for album art + high-res press photos (Photo Credit: LeAnn Mueller)

 

 

Friday 02.03.17
Posted by Jen Fritz
 

Windsor Rockers The Silence Factory Premiere Brand New Video

Watch Exclusive Premiere of 'High' on Live in Limbo

Toronto, ON - Windsor rockers The Silence Factory are excited to announce the release of the video for their latest single 'High' with an Exclusive Premiere today on Live in Limbo. The Silence Factory will also be touring in support of their new music, and have select tour dates in February and March with a full Cross-Canada Tour throughout April and May, to be announced soon. See below for the latest tour listings.

The Silence Factory’s new track ‘High’ was produced by Juno award winning and Grammy nominated producer Gavin Brown (3 Days Grace, Billy Talent) and is the second single from a new EP that will be released later this year. The song is currently going for adds at Canadian Rock Radio and is already getting spins 97.7 Hits FM, FM 96, The Fox 105.3,  Rock 106.7, The Wolf 104.9 and more! The first single from their upcoming EP release, a cover of Harvey Danger’s ‘Flagpole Sitta’, gained considerable spins at radio last year, charting at #51 on the Canadian active rock charts. 

The video for ‘High’ was directed by Jendo Shabo from Moonjump Productions and in keeping with the lyrics of the song, the video has a dark, moody vibe. 

“The story is a bit dark, but basically it’s about a guy who feels guilty about the death of his girlfriend – even though it’s absolutely not his fault," says frontman Nathan McNevin. “The video tries to capture that feeling that people have when bad stuff happens and they think they are to blame. But, in the end, the idea is that the girl comes back and tries to pull the guy into the road to get hit by a car and he realizes it at the last minute and pulls away. So, even though it’s dark it ends on a positive note. The guy finally realizes it’s not his fault so he can just be sad about the loss, but not blame himself.”

The Silence Factory formed in 2015 (as Nathan McNevin and The Silence Factory) and have been playing shows across Canada ever since.The band spent a great deal of time on the road in 2016, playing over 50 shows, all across the country. And they plan to spend 2017 doing the same thing. They recently opened up for USS at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit and will be announcing a Cross-Canada Tour soon. 

The Silence Factory's debut CD, Collection of Thoughts, was released in February 2016 launching their first commercial radio single 'Land'. In June 2016, the band took first place in 97.7 HTZ FM's Rocksearch competition which has launched the careers of many notable acts including Finger Eleven, The Trews, and The Glorious Sons. 

High' is currently available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services. For more info and the most up-to-date tour listings, please visit: thesilencefactory.com

THE SILENCE FACTORY >> UPCOMING TOUR DATES
February 3 - Toronto, ON - The Cameron
February 4 - Windsor, ON - The Beer Exchange
February 10 - Detroit, MI - The Shelter
March 1 - Toronto, ON - The Horseshoe

The Silence Factory is: Nathan McNevin (guitar/lead vocals), Nathan Schiller  (lead guitar/vocals), Kaiden Powell (bass/vocals), and Nick Predhomme (drums)

Website: www.thesilencefactory.com
Twitter: @NMSFBand
Instagram: @The_Silence_Factory
FB: Facebook.com/NathanMcNevinMusican

MEDIA TOOLS
WATCH/POST The Silence Factory's - 'High' video HERE (via YouTube)
STREAM/POST The Silence Factory's - 'High' HERE (via SoundCloud)
CLICK HERE for high-res press photos (Photo Credit: Anthony Sheardown)

Thursday 02.02.17
Posted by Jen Fritz
 

Every Last Chance Kick Off 2017 With Brand New Single

STREAM/POST Every Last Chance - 'All For Love'

Toronto, ON - With 2 radio hits already under their belt, Toronto-based studio project Every Last Chance is hoping for lucky number 3 with new track 'All For Love', going for radio adds now at Canadian HOT A/C Radio. 'All For Love' is the latest single from Every Last Chance's self-titled debut EP, released in August 2016 through Marquis Label Services. 

Every Last Chance is a Canadian project formed by a passion for rhythmic-leaning pop music. The name Every Last Chance derives from the exact moment when greatness occurs. When your back is against the wall and you realize that the only path is forward, forcing you to draw inspiration from that place deep inside that unlocks your full potential.

The debut single from Every Last Chance - 'Spotlight' f/ Marissa Dattoli - peaked at #65 on the Mediabase CHR chart with CHR Radio in Canada. The follow up single - 'Roll The Credits' f/ David Spekter - surpassed the first effort, peaking at #27 A/C and #39 Hot AC. To date, ELC has amassed more than 400,000 Spotify plays (and counting) and their debut EP was included on Music Canada's Top 10 EPs of 2016.

Like Every Last Chance's previous single 'Roll The Credits', 'All For Love' is a song about relationships. This one talks about the uncertainty that exists at the beginning of a relationship, when you're always trying to make the right move and can't quite help yourself. 

'All For Love' is about just giving in and going for it with love. Sometimes it's better to just give into what you're feeling instead of overthinking it.

 FOR MORE INFO: www.everylastchance.com
Twitter: @everylastchance
FB: facebook.com/everylastchance

MEDIA TOOLS
STREAM/POST Every Last Chance - 'All For Love' here
STREAM Every Last Chance full EP here
CLICK HERE for album art + high-res press photos 

 

Thursday 01.26.17
Posted by Jen Fritz
 

Vancouver's Real Ponchos Release New Album on February 10th >> Release Show @ Wise Hall

Listen To First Single >>'No Show':

Vancouver, BC - Vancouver-based country rockers the Real Ponchos are independently releasing their sophomore full-length album To The Dusty World on February 10th and the band will celebrate the release of the album with a rip roarin' hometown show at Wise Hall on release day. See below for full show details. 

Real Ponchos’ music is subtle, yet revelatory. Deep grooves buoyed by rugged vocals and burning guitar. Songs inspired by human suffering with a folk sentiment at the core that opens the heart wide with luscious and spacious improvisation, while keeping feet on the floor with tight, soulful rhythm. The band - Ben Arsenault (lead vocals/guitar), Emile Scott (lead vocals/guitar), Emlyn Scherk (drums) and Michael Wagler (bass) - works in the lineage established by those before them, following those who have taken folk traditions into the modern age. And with 2 different lead vocalists, the Real Ponchos are able to embrace non-duality to create sincere and distinctive music that draws many different musical comparisons. 

"The most common comparisons we get after shows are probably the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers," says Ben Arsenault. "We try to take that classic live sound and couch it in more modern tones, with a spaciousness and rhythm that comes from jazz, Brazilian and African influences."


Real Ponchos released their debut, a self-titled EP, in 2013. They followed that up a year later with their first full length, Since I Let You Go, which received warm reviews from music critics across the country and earned the band a place amongst The Georgia Straight’s Top 10 Vancouver Bands of 2014.  

To The Dusty World was recorded at Vancouver's Afterlife Studios in late 2015 by John Raham. The decision to record the new album was instigated in part by drummer Emlyn Scherk’s relocation to Scotland. The band felt they needed to get in the studio to record the material they'd been working on over the past couple of years, before he left the country. The record is, in many ways, a continuation of the sound the band developed and captured with the previous release Since I Let You Go. Whereas that release focused on matters of the heart and loss, To The Dusty World is more inwardly focused on the self and that is especially evident on the first single 'No Show'.

"'No Show' is a transition song," Arsenault explains.  "It's about seeing the aimless path of your self-centered life, and longing for something more solid."

To The Dusty World will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers/streaming services on Friday, February 10th. Real Ponchos have plans to tour throughout Canada later this year, for more info and the most up to date tour listings, please visit: realponchos.com

REAL PONCHOS >> VANCOUVER ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
When: Friday, February 10th
Where: The Wise Hall + Lounge (1882 Adanac Street)
Doors: 8:00PM, Openers: James Green Band
Tickets: $15 at the door
Facebook Event Link: http://bit.ly/RealPonchosShow

REAL PONCHOS - TO THE DUSTY WORLD TRACK LISTING
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 10th, 2017 (Independent)
1.  No Show
2.  Cherchez Les Femmes
3.  Flatline Rose
4.  Passing Through
5.  Still The Same Fool
6.  Stillness
7.  To The Dusty World

"From the unlikely urban core of Vancouver comes the next best thing to happen to country-rock, Real Ponchos." - Vivascene.com

"..you’ll be hooked, especially if your iPod includes everything ever recorded by the Gun Club, Waylon Jennings, the Sadies, Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, and, well, anyone else famous for pushing country forward while respecting its past."  - Georgia Straight

 FOR MORE INFO: www.realponchos.com
Twitter: @realponchos
Instagram: @realponchos
FB: facebook.com/realponchos

MEDIA TOOLS
STREAM/POST Real Ponchos - 'No Show' here
WATCH/POST Real Ponchos - 'Flatline Rose' live video here
CLICK HERE for album art + high-res press photos (Photo Credit: Tayu Hayward)

 

Wednesday 01.18.17
Posted by Jen Fritz
 
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