Banff Trio The Wardens Announce Release Of New Album

FIRST SINGLE + TITLE TRACK OUT TODAY
LISTEN/SHARE HERE

The Wardens · Sold Out At The Ironwood

When Banff folk/roots trio The Wardens recorded their new album Sold Out At The Ironwood they couldn’t have imagined that they would have to pivot and completely change their plans for promoting the record, set for release on January 29th, 2021.

For a band known for its captivating live show, not being able to play tour dates to support the new release was definitely not the best-case scenario. But the band decided to reframe their predicament and reflect on the incredible 10 years they’ve had of being independent musicians.

“We’ve played nearly 50 shows a year for the last five years all across western North America,” says vocalist/bassist Ray Schmidt. “We’ve done it with stubborn grit and determination, creating audiences where audiences don’t traditionally exist. We have travelled into the far away corners of rural western Canada and found people who want to hear our kind of music, and they come from miles around to see us. We played a show at Hoadley Hall, AB a while back, and it’s basically a community hall at a crossroads in central Alberta. By the time we got called onto stage, there were 300 people packed into the hall to hear us play. They may have come for the pie, but they stayed for The Wardens.”

And that’s what the new album Sold Out At The Ironwood is all about - it’s a set list for a live show, a story thread and an experience like The Wardens’ live shows, from the beginning to the end. It’s all about community. The community that The Wardens have created with their fans. And with live venues not able to sell out or even operate anymore, the trio provides a bright memory on the title track and first single, ‘Sold Out at the Ironwood’.

“I wrote this song after watching Tom Russell on stage at one of the premier venues in Alberta,” says vocalist/guitarist Bradley Bischoff. “It was a full house, and Tom - my Elvis - invited me to help him sing one of his songs.”

The Wardens' new single ‘Sold Out At The Ironwood’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more information, please visit:  thewardensmusic.com

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THE WARDENS - SOLD OUT AT THE IRONWOOD
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 29th, 2021
(Independent)
01. The Code
02. The Legend Of Wild Bill
03. Shining Mountains
04. Timberwolf Reprise
05. Last Cowboy In The Outfit
06. Half-Mile Honeymoon
07. Thousand Rescues
08. Sold Out At The Ironwood
09. Coming Home
10. Selkirk Snow
11. Neil Colgan (Live)
12. Supper On The Trail (Live)
Download High-Res Album Art

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THE WARDENS ARE:
Scott Ward (vocals, fingerstyle guitar)
Bradley Bischoff (vocals, lead + rhythm guitar)
Ray Schmidt (vocals, upright bass, mandolin)


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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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FOLLOW MATT STORM:
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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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FOLLOW CAROLINA EAST:
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STREAM/POST Carolina East - 'All The Things' HERE
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