Indie Rockers Royal Oak Announce Release of New EP on July 20th

VANCOUVER RELEASE SHOW ON JULY 27th @ THE BILTMORE

CANADIAN TOUR STARTING ON AUGUST 8th

LISTEN TO/SHARE First Single "Tell Me"

Vancouver, BC - Straight from the suburbs of Vancouver (Port Coquitlam, to be precise) indie rockers Royal Oak are excited to announce the release of their new EP, and third release, Pretend on July 20th. Royal Oak will celebrate the new EP with a release show at The Biltmore in Vancouver on July 27th and are kicking off a Canadian Tour on August 8th. See below for full tour listing. 

The release of the new EP comes on the heels of their second album, Younger, which was just released last year. On Pretend, Royal Oak continue in the same musical direction as their previous 2 releases successfully pairing indie rock vibes with a modern pop sensibility. It’s music that is clean and controlled, yet bursting at the seams with energy.   

The EP's first single 'Tell Me' was officially released on June 1st, after premiering on Spill Magazine. 'Tell Me' is a catchy hook-laden track, soaked in swagger with an 80’s synth backdrop and provides a teaser of what's to come. The band teamed up with Vancouver producer/mix engineer Ryan Worsley (Dear Rouge, Said The Whale) for this EP and with his skill and guidance, Royal Oak were challenged to move in new musical directions. 

"We started writing Pretend last year shortly after we got off the road from our Western Canadian Tour in support of Younger," said lead vocalist Austin Ledyard. "We were really inspired, after coming off of tour, to write some hard-hitting and fun music, while also trying different avenues that we hadn’t explored yet in our last two records. I think the energy and sense of discovery that we had when we wrote the songs translated very well once Ryan got his hands on them - they just felt so fresh and inspiring. When we started the EP, we recorded with the whole band live off the floor, and I think the concept of being in a room together really helped bring the energy and make the record shine. It just felt natural, just like every recording should feel like."

Royal Oak's new EP Pretend will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services on Friday, July 20th. For more information and the most up to date tour schedule, please visit: www.royaloakofficial.com

ROYAL OAK IS:
Austin Ledyard - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Brayson Wong - Vocals, Bass, Synth
Michael Kragelj - Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Myles Philpott - Vocals, Drums, Percussion

ROYAL OAK >> UPCOMING TOUR DATES
July 27th - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
August 8th - Fernie, BC - The Northern
August 10th - Calgary, AB - The Palomino
August 11th - Regina, SK - Cloud 9
August 13th - Thunder Bay, ON - The Foundry
August 16th - Hamilton, ON - The Casbah
August 17th - Toronto, ON - Supermarket
August 18th - Ottawa, ON - Cafe Dekuf
August 19th - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar
August 23rd - Winnipeg, MB - Le Garage Café
August 25th - Edmonton, AB - Bohemia
August 26th - Revelstoke, BC - The Last Drop
 

ROYAL OAK - PRETEND EP TRACKLISTING
RELEASE DATE: JULY 20th, 2018 (Independent)
1.  Tell Me
2.  Mistakes (ft. Chersea)
3.  Only One
4.  All Comes Back To You
5.  Hold To Nothing
 

FOR MORE INFO: www.royaloakofficial.com
Twitter: @RoyalOak_
Instagram: @RoyalOakOfficial
FB: Facebook.com/RoyalOakBand

MEDIA TOOLS
STREAM/POST Royal Oak - 'Tell Me' HERE
CLICK HERE for high-res press photos + album art (Photo Credit: Mackenzie Cholowski)

Jack Garton Announces The Release Of His Second Solo Album + Premieres New Single

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW IN VANCOUVER @ WISE HALL ON JUNE 30th

Watch/Share 'I Lit The Fire' Live Video:

Vancouver, BC - Straight from Galiano Island in the Salish Sea, eclectic singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jack Garton is excited to announce the independent release of his second solo album Love You Over Time on June 29th, and today marks the digital release of the first single 'I Lit The Fire' which premiered yesterday on Live in Limbo. Jack and his band the Demon Squadron will celebrate the launch of the album with release shows in Vancouver and on Galiano Island at the end of the month, as well as a string of BC tour dates this summer. See below for full tour listings. 

Recorded in Vancouver, BC, and Nanton, AB, with  Canadian music legends Steven Drake and Steve Loree, respectively, Jack Garton’s new album Love You Over Time is a blend of light and dark humour, digging deeper into the theme of commitment that he explored on his first full-length album Move The Mess Around. The band recorded all of the songs live off the floor, and the performances are stellar. The core personnel are: Brendon Hartley (bass), Adam Farnsworth (piano, Hammond organ, bg vocal), Amrit Basi (drums), Steven Drake (guitars and lap steel) and Jack Garton (accordion, trumpet and vocal). 

'I Lit The Fire' is the first single from the album and it's one that digs deep into Jack Garton's past.

""I Lit The Fire' is heavily influenced by the rock 'n' roll that I grew up listening to," says Jack. " I love that dog-eared roll-call kind of delivery in Chuck Berry's songs, it's a form of classic American poetry. 'Johnny B Goode' starts out with that great image of the hut way up in the hills. I thought "what if someone came across that old hut, got a fire started and made it cosy again?"" 

Steeped in the solitude of the mountains and islands of the Pacific Northwest and raised in the boisterous, irreverent East Vancouver arts community, Jack Garton’s music is a dance party for the vulnerable at heart. Since releasing his first full-length album, Move The Mess Around, in 2016, Jack has been busy working on the follow-up while steadily playing Western Canadian festivals, clubs, halls and house concerts. 

No stranger to the stage, Jack Garton's music is all about the live show.  He spent 10 years honing his craft while touring Canada, the USA and Europe, as a solo artist and with other projects (Maria in the Shower), developing a distinctive voice on the accordion, mixing cajun, European and country styles with ease into an exciting roots music feast. Whether backed by his powerful band the Demon Squadron or solo, armed with an accordion and trumpet, his shows are theatrical, fluid, confessional, and fun. They reflect a lifetime of devotion to the art of live music as well as an impressive breadth of life experience including his roles as a father and husband, local gravedigger, theatre artist and music teacher.

Jack Garton's new single 'I Lit The Fire' is currently available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes and other digital retailers and streaming services. His new album Love You Over Time will be available on all digital platforms on Friday, June 29th. Look for Jack Garton and his band the Demon Squadron on tour throughout BC this summer with dates coming up in Ontario and Alberta in September and October. For more information and the most up to date tour schedule, please visit: jackgarton.com

JACK GARTON + THE DEMON SQUADRON >> UPCOMING TOUR DATES
June 29 - Galiano Island, BC -  South Hall w/ The Honey Tongues (Album Release Show)
June 30 - Vancouver, BC - WISE Hall w/ Scott Cook, Kitty + The Rooster (Album Release Show)
July 17 - Vancouver, BC - CBC Vancouver (Musical Nooner)
July 20-23 - Bella Coola, BC - Bella Coola Music Festival
August 3-5 - Wells, BC - ArtsWells Festival
August 17 - Mayne Island, BC - The Groove

FOR MORE INFO: www.jackgarton.com
Twitter: @jackandthedemon
Instagram: @jackandthedemon
FB: Facebook.com/demonsquadron

 

MEDIA TOOLS
WATCH/POST Jack Garton 'I Lit The Fire' live video HERE
STREAM/POST Jack Garton - 'I Lit The Fire' HERE
CLICK HERE for high-res press photos + album art (Photo Credit: Dylan Davies)

Lief Hall Announces North American Tour Dates Starting On May 24th

TOUR STARTS IN VICTORIA ON MAY 24th

"Roses for Ruins would make a good companion album for Kellarissa’s Ocean Electro.
Both albums showcase electronic soundscapes with a woman’s voice at the centre, and
while Kellarissa’s leans more toward up-tempo synth pop, both feature lyrics that
touch on matters personal and environmental." - Georgia Straight

Vancouver, BC - Vancouver based electronic artist Lief Hall released her new album Roses For Ruin on April 6th and spent much of April on the road for a West Coast tour of the USA with multi-instrumentalist ERAS. After taking a short break she's back at it, heading out on the road for a string of Western Canadian shows with Kellarissa, followed by more dates in the US and Eastern Canada. See below for full tour schedule. 

Lief Hall has been spending much of her recent downtime finishing up her new video for 'Glass & Obsidian' which will be premiering later this month. The track is the 3rd single from Roses for Ruin. The first single, the title track, 'Roses for Ruins' was released earlier this year when the video premiered on Exclaim!.  And the second single 'Lead Blood' was released in March. Roses For Ruins is collection of songs which blends electronic beats, foreboding synths and haunting vocal harmonies into pop-flirting melodies which explore the connection between the personal and the political, nature, technology and the subconscious. Listen to full album on Spotify. 

Previously a member of electronic duo MYTHS and no wave trio Mutators, Lief Hall began her solo project while living in Berlin in 2014, creating layered experimental all-vocal compositions in her album Voices (2014) and integrating dark electronic production with layered vocal harmonies in her EP Transform (2015). Recorded by Jordan Koop at The Noise Floor on Gabriola Island, Roses for Ruins marks a new direction for Hall's solo work, integrating acoustic instrumentation with Elisa Thorn on harp, Byron Peters on drums, Martin Reisle on cello and Jordan Koop on guitar.

"Releasing this album was very exciting for me because it's the first time I have incorporated acoustic instrumentation in my solo work, which has been a long time dream of mine," says Lief Hall. "I worked with amazing musicians who come from a slightly different musical background than myself, all trained in either jazz, classical or new music, but with a dedicated practice in improvisation and experimental technique. Working with them was such a pleasure and incorporating live instrumentation into my music is something I definitely plan to continue in the future."

Roses for Ruins is currently available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services. Look for Lief Hall on tour in May and June throughout Canada and the US. For more information and the most up to date tour schedule, please visit: LiefHall.com

LIEF HALL >> UPCOMING TOUR DATES
May 24 - Victoria, BC - Copper Owl w/ Kellarissa + Psychic Pollution
May 25 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore w/ Kellarissa + N.213
May 26 - Kelowna, BC - Milkcrate Records w/ Kellarissa
May 27 - Winlaw, BC - Metal Church w/ Kellarissa
May 28 - Calgary, AB - Tubby Dog w/ Kellarissa + Hello Moth
May 29 - Edmonton, AB - The Sewing Machine Factory w/ Kellarissa
May 30 - Regina, SK - T&A w/ Kellarissa, LOA + ygretz
May 31 - Saskatoon, SK - Paved w/ Kellarissa
June 1 - Winnipeg, MB - The Handsome Daughter w/ Kellarissa, Ghost Twin + Tansy
June 10 - Queens, NY - HOLO w/ Kayla Guthrie + Holy Hum
June 11 - Providence, RI - Machines with Magnets  w/ Val Martino + House Red
June 14 - Boston, MA - Lilypad w/ Vehement Caress + Lure
June 15 - Montreal, QC - Psychic City w/ Petra Glynt
June 20 - Toronto, ON - Double Double Land w/ Mary Ocher, Bile Sister + Canadian Romantic
June 30 - Halifax, NS - The Seahorse w/ Jeff Pineau
 

FOR MORE INFO: www.liefhall.com
Twitter: @LiefHall
Instagram: @Lief.Hall
FB: Facebook.com/LiefHall

 

MEDIA TOOLS
STREAM/POST Lief Hall - 'Lead Blood' HERE
WATCH/POST Lief Hall - 'Roses for Ruins' video HERE
CLICK HERE for tour poster, high-res press photos + album art (Photo Credit: Lief Hall)

JP Maurice To Release New Album on May 18th, First Single Out Today!

LISTEN TO/SHARE - JP Maurice - 'Rocket':

Vancouver, BC - After releasing his critically acclaimed Girls EP last year, Vancouver musician JP Maurice returns with his follow-up album Boys set to be released on May 18th. The first single 'Rocket' premieres today ahead of his upcoming shows at Canadian Music Week in Toronto on May 11th and his Album Release Show at The Rickshaw in Vancouver on May 18th. See below for complete tour information. 

The release of JP's new album was four years in the making. The initial recording process started in September 2014 at a little studio in Toronto called The Trailer.

"Many of the songs were reworked or even scrapped for newer, stronger, or more appropriate tunes," said JP Maurice. "And this all culminated in recording sessions in Vancouver in the Summer of 2016 with producer/mixer Russell Broom at Blue Light Studio, which I luckily had become a partner in after successfully taking home 2nd place in the final edition of the Peak Performance Project. 15+ songs were recorded and it was decided to break the album up into 2 parts which became the Girls EP and Boys LP."

JP released the cinematic pop-noir EP Girls in January 2017 which was the follow-up to his 2013 full-length album, The Arborist. He released the upbeat single 'Go' in late 2017, along with the fun, high-spirited video. The track is featured on both Girls and Boys and bridges the gap between the two releases. 

"Calling the albums Boys and Girls was a simple way of breaking down the idea that we need to be aware of all sides and all points of view," said JP Maurice. "The Girls EP reflects a darker musical tone, leaning heavier on piano and neo-soul qualities, while the Boys album is more upbeat and rooted in acoustic, alt-country, and straight up pop influences.”

JP Maurice's new album Boys will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services on Friday, May 18th. For more information and the most up to date tour schedule, please visit: jpthemaurice.com

JP MAURICE >> UPCOMING CANADIAN TOUR DATES
May 11 - Toronto, ON - The Cameron House (CMW)
May 18 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre (Album Release Show) 

FOR MORE INFO: www.jpthemaurice.com
Twitter: @jpthemaurice
Instagram: @jpthemaurice
Facebook: facebook.com/maurice

MEDIA TOOLS
STREAM/SHARE JP Maurice - 'Rocket' here
WATCH/SHARE JP Maurice - 'Go' video here
CLICK HERE for album art + high-res press photos (Photo Credit: Jen Van Houten)

Raine Hamilton's Sophomore Album Night Sky Out On March 23rd

RAINE HAMILTON'S SOPHOMORE RELEASE
NIGHT SKY OUT ON MARCH 23rd

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW ON MARCH 24th @ THE WECC
TOUR DATES STARTING APRIL 4th

NEW SINGLE 'STARLIGHT' OUT TODAY

>> WATCH/SHARE VIDEO HERE <<

(Winnipeg, MB) - Winnipeg singer/songwriter Raine Hamilton's second full-length album Night Sky is set for release on Friday, March 23rd and today marks the release of a new single 'Starlight'. Watch the video here. 'Starlight' follows the release of 'Lift Me Up' which was released late last year.

To celebrate the release of the new album, Raine will be performing live at The West End Cultural Centre on March 24th with a Canadian Tour starting in Saskatoon on April 4th (see below for full tour schedule). Raine is taking steps to make the album release show more inclusive with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and gender inclusive washrooms. The release show will open with an artists' circle,  featuring Abigail Lapell, Nic Dyson, Gabriela Ocejo, and ASL poetry by Jordan Sangalang. The entire show will have ASL interpretation, including consultation and shadowing by Joanna Hawkins. Click here to see live performance footage with ASL interpretation from Brittany Toews.

Raine’s new album, Night Sky, tips between the earthly and the otherworldly; it is anchored in relatable lived experience, while reaching into the space just beyond, thinning the veil between here and there, affording safe passage to the rough and beautiful places. Raine’s ethereal voice and lyrics are at the forefront of these powerful and relatable tunes, written both in English and in French. Alongside cello and double bass, and with Raine on violin or guitar, these songs have a moving string quartet feel with a cosmic reach.

"The night sky, for me, is a symbol of the beyond. It is light in the darkness," says Raine. "It is stillness and vulnerability. Imagery of the night sky appears again and again in these songs, the title of the album making itself known."
 
Raine's live show is more than just music as she's also a charming and funny storyteller, pairing her vulnerable tunes with engaging story intros. Raine believes that music is for everyone, and that we all have something to share. An experienced educator, Raine offers workshops in songwriting and fiddle tune writing (EN/FR). Raine also offers concerts with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, to help make live music and the community that comes with it accessible to the Deaf community. 
 
Raine has toured Canada extensively, driving, flying, and floating her way coast to coast. Highlights include: Performing songs with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (3 times!), playing a concert in a cave (10 stories below the earth!), playing many festivals across Canada, playing for her passage on Via Rail, and meeting so many amazing humans along the way. 

Raine Hamilton's new album Night Sky will be available on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services on Friday, March 23rd. For more information and the most up to date tour schedule, please visit: rainehamilton.com
 

RAINE HAMILTON >> UPCOMING CANADIAN TOUR DATES
March 24 - Winnipeg, MB - The WECC *Album Release Show* (with full band) Ticket Link here
April 4 - Saskatoon, SK - The Bassment (with string trio)
April 5 - Medicine Hat, AB - Esplanade Theatre (with string trio)
April 6 - Twin Butte, AB - The General Store (solo)
April 7 - Grand Forks, BC - Seniors Hall at City Park (solo)
April 8 - Vernon, BC - Record City (solo)
April 11 - Vancouver, BC - Guilt & Co. (solo)
April 13 - Chilliwack, BC - Tractorgrease Cafe (solo)
April 14 - Lions Bay, BC - House Concert (solo)
April 21 - Toronto, ON - House Concert (solo)
April 22 - Toronto, ON - The Burdock (solo)
April 25 - Peterborough, ON - The Garnet (solo)
April 26 - Owen Sound, ON - Bleeding Carrot (solo)
April 28 - London, ON - House Concert (solo)
April 29 - Whitby, ON - UpCap Cafe Concert Series (solo)
 

RAINE HAMILTON - NIGHT SKY  TRACKLISTING
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 23rd, 2018 (INDEPENDENT)
1.  Starlight
2.  Lift Me Up
3.  To The North
4.  Robin Hood
5.  Aurora In The Meadow
6.  Everyday
7.  For Hidegard (Canon in b phrygian)
8.  La Plaine
9.  Broken Plate
10. Bury My Heart

FOR MORE INFO: rainehamilton.com
Twitter: @RaineSongs
Instagram: @RaineHamilton
FB: Facebook.com/RaineHamiltonMusic

MEDIA TOOLS
WATCH/POST Raine Hamilton 'Starlight' video HERE
STREAM/POST Raine Hamilton 'Starlight' HERE
CLICK HERE for high-res press photos + album art (Photo Credit: Megan Steen)