Vancouver Musician Frankie Sharp Releases Debut Single + Video WAIT IS OVER

WATCH/SHARE VIDEO HERE

Frankie Sharp, aka Natalie Franciska Sharp, is a Canadian actress, singer and songwriter from Vancouver, BC. When her acting career was temporarily sidelined last year due to the pandemic, Natalie decided it was the perfect time to develop her music career, and that’s when Frankie Sharp was born. 

Stuck inside and living with an upright piano in her studio apartment, she started writing music, focusing her energy on an entirely different creative endeavour. In a mere chance introduction to Vancouver singer-songwriter/producer, James Faulkner, a music collaboration ensued. The result is Frankie’s first single ‘Wait is Over’  which was originally written about a potential relationship, exploring that nerve-wracking waiting game you play before you decide to “go for it” and admit your feelings to that person. Filmed at the Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, the song’s electric 80s inspired video is a collaboration with her director brother Alexander Sharp. 

“For the video, my brother and I loved the concept of ‘going down the rabbit hole,’” says Frankie Sharp. “In the video, you see me drawn to this mysterious venue where I have this spontaneous performance experience, which ends up showing me what I’ve been longing for - to be a singer and find self expression. It is totally a parallel to my life, that I am finally tackling my music dream.”  

Natalie's acting career began shortly after she was accepted into Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, when she began working in film and TV with her first big booking on Supernatural. While in school, she snagged her first major feature Miracle Season, starring alongside Academy award winners, Helen Hunt and William Hurt, and directed by Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer). A few months later, she landed her first series regular, in the musical comedy show, Hit The Road. She played the role of Ria, daughter of Jason Alexander's (Seinfeld) character, and the lead singer of the series.  Recently she snagged the leading role in Baby Monitor Murders for Lifetime, the recurring role of “Anna” in the BH90210 reboot, and the latest villain “Sunshine” on CW’s The Flash.

Frankie Sharp's debut single 'Wait Is Over' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. 

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Alberta Musician Ryland Moranz's New Album XO, 1945 Is Out Today!

WATCH/SHARE Live Video For
3rd Single 'Beautiful World' HERE

Alberta-based singer-songwriter Ryland Moranz is excited to announce the release of his new album XO, 1945, out today on all digital streaming services through Tonic Records. Also out today is the live video for the album's 3rd single 'Beautiful World'. Watch the video here. 

Continuing in the grand tradition of great storytellers, Ryland filters the spirits and genius of literary giants like Kurt Vonnegut and Ernest Hemingway through the compositional templates determined by Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, or Blaze Foley, whose tragic demise is recalled in the affecting 'There Ain’t New Songs', which, like the ragtime-style 'Run Rabbit Run', is one of many sublime highlights featured on Ryland’s sophomore release, XO, 1945.

Both in his own right as a solo artist and as an integral member of Leeroy Stagger’s potent alt-country outfit, the Rebeltone Sound, Ryland has spent a considerable time traversing the highways and byways of Canada, the US, and Europe, reflecting on personal growth and empathetically noting all around him, absorbing the images, stories, events, and experiences of the road as he goes. While the miles and time slip by Ryland reads, mainly history and classic literature, and of the new songs that have emerged from an inspired combination of the compelling pages of his book choices and all he sees through tour bus windows in pursuit of his art.

“I feel less like a writer of fiction and more like a collector of sorts," says Ryland. "It’s a romantic notion, but I like the idea of being a hopeful observer of the world and the people in it. I think in a roundabout way that’s what the new record is about, and kind of why I called it XO, 1945 – kind regards from a past that’s different than you remember.”

The album title, XO, 1945, holds a mirror to the title of Ryland’s 2016 solo debut, Hello New Old World, as if in continuation of his sanguine faith in humankind turning the corner. It’s a lyrically poetic, sonically earthy album of gritty roots rockers and moving, nostalgic balladry, propelled by Ryland’s clawhammer banjo, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, mandola and harmonica, and intoned in a characterful voice recalling a young Steve Earle.

With ‘normal’ life on pause for the foreseeable future, Ryland will continue to passionately read, further enriching his mind with the classics, and, as that hopeful observer, gather and amass stories for the songs of Album # 3 and, quite likely # 4…and onward. Only time will tell.

Ryland Moranz’s new album XO, 1945 is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. 

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RYLAND MORANZ - XO, 1945.
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 15th, 2021
(Tonic Records)
01. Where Are My Blue Eyes
02. If I Had Wings
03. Dangerous Man
04. Lay Me Down
05. There Ain't New Songs
06. The Old Ways Of Navigation
07. Beautiful World
08. Israel
09. Richard Nixon
10. Run Rabbit Run
11. Stolen Land
12. No More Guns In The Valley
Download High-Res Album Art

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FOLLOW RYLAND MORANZ:
Website | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

 
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Bill Jr. Jr. To Release HOMEBODY on January 26th

NEW SINGLE 'DEAR NEIGHBOUR' OUT TODAY
WATCH/SHARE 360 VIDEO HERE

On January 26th, Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Russell Gendron will proudly release Homebody, his third outing under the band moniker Bill Jr. Jr. 

The mood on Homebody is personal, building on Gendron’s intimate and lyrical focus with the band’s big drums, soaring electric guitar, vintage keys and spacey textures. The arrangements shine, with thick string sections and rich vocal harmonies creating a lush and energizing result, which all comes through on the album’s 3rd single ‘Dear Neighbour’ out today. 

“‘Dear Neighbour’ is about a friend, we grew up together,” says Gendron. “She has a family now and became a successful architect, so this is about me reflecting on our different paths and where we are now.” 

The video for ‘Dear Neighbour’ was shot in 360 degrees creating a fun and interactive video experience, while showcasing Bill Jr. Jr.’s lo-fi 90s slacker vibe. Give it a watch here. 

Following up his previous EP’s Volumes (2016) and The Motions (2017), Homebody chronicles a period of movement between cities: songs that emerged while Gendron floated back and forth between Vancouver and Montreal. Gendron also spent a pivotal winter at the Banff Centre in the Canadian Rockies, and there he came into contact with Toronto’s Daniel McNamara, whose bass playing and big-picture sensibilities as a producer would end up proving crucial to Homebody. While at Banff the two also met guitarist Dan Nettles, a pillar of the famed music scene in Athens, Georgia and leader of one of the Classic City’s best, and least classifiable, jazz groups, Kenosha Kid. 

After Banff, Gendron reunited with McNamara in Toronto to workshop the songs for a hot week; then McNamara came to Montreal, where Gendron was stationed, and remained longer, deepening musical bonds as the songs continued to blossom. Nettles got looped in remotely and would send back guitar tracks, and the give-and-take of creative collaboration really started to flow — enough for Nettles to invite this incarnation of Bill Jr. Jr. down to Athens to make the album, at Chase Park Transduction Studios. 

Birthplace of R.E.M., the B-52s and so many vital musical forces past and present, Athens is a haven for the offbeat and highly individual when it comes to songwriting. It’s also packed with talented musicians with a feel for serving the music, regardless of genre.

So Nettles excitedly called in some of his friends to record with engineer Drew Vanderberg: drummer Seth Hendershot, an imaginative singer and songwriter himself as well as proprietor of Hendershot’s, one of Athens’ most essential music venues; keyboardist Jojo Glidewell, who came to the studio at the eleventh hour, literally right after stepping off the tour bus with Athens-born indie phenom Of Montreal; Serena Scibelli and Luca Lombardi, on violin and bowed double bass respectively (Lombardi and Hendershot are current members of Nettles’ Kenosha Kid); and, joining Hendershot on backing vocals, accomplished Atlanta-based (formerly Athens-based) singer Ansley Stewart, and one-half of the inspired Athens indie-folk duo Hope for Agoldensummer, Claire Campbell. 

“These songs are about my relationships to people and places, the cities I was living in,” says Gendron. “I was meeting all these people, there was a lot of transition going on.” 

One thing that provided stability, however, was the band name Bill Jr. Jr.: “My middle name is William and I come from a long line of Bills,” Gendron adds. “I’m not Jr., I’m Jr. Jr. It’s the alias I use no matter who I’m playing with. The title Homebody came to represent how my home was changing in this period. Moving to Montreal, the Banff residency, then down to Athens, but Vancouver was always there. I was with myself the whole time, so I guess that was home, in my body.” 

Bill Jr. Jr’s new single ‘Dear Neighbour’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. His new album Homebody will be released on January 26th.  For more information, please visit billjrjr.com.

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BILL JR. JR. - HOMEBODY
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 26th, 2021
(Independent)
01.  Renaissance Man 
02.  Blue
03.  City Limit
04.  Dear Neighbour
05.  Half Hitch
06.  So Long
07.  The Waves
08.  Run Home

Download High-Res Album Art

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FOLLOW BILL JR. JR.: 
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Banff Trio The Wardens Release Video For New Single COMING HOME

SECOND SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM
OUT ON JANUARY 29th
WATCH/SHARE HERE

Banff folk/roots trio The Wardens are known for their captivating live shows which feature masterful storytelling, alongside their classic Americana music.

Their latest single 'Coming Home' tells the tale of their colleague, legendary Jasper national park warden Frank Burstrom, a man who mastered to art of solitude.

"I wrote this song after reflecting on how much the world has changed in my 45-year lifetime and how fast everything continues to change," says vocalist/bassist Ray Schmidt. "It's amazing and terrifying at the same time. We have the entire knowledge of the world at our fingertips (who doesn't love that!) but that forest I played in when I was a kid is now a 7-11 and a PayDay loan. The idea of returning to a natural place that holds our childhood memories isn't so reliable anymore."

"I work as a wildlife ranger in Glacier National Park near Revelstoke, BC and it's a place, unlike that forest I played in growing up, that we've decided as a society not to change (other than melting glaciers, but that's another story)," Ray continues. "It got me to thinking about people who are intricately connected with wilderness. Frank Burstrom is a fellow that we all worked with as national park wardens. He grew up in Jasper National Park many years ago. His grandfather and father were also park wardens. His home was the wilderness, and after his 30-year career working in Jasper and Banff national parks, what has changed - and dramatically - is everything else around it. We can send people into orbit any day of the week, but a horse as a mode of transport seems out of this world. Maybe protected wilderness is that last enduring place that we have - that familiar, warm place that can hold our memories."

The Wardens' new album Sold Out At The Ironwood (out on January 29th) is a set list for a live show, creating a story thread and live show experience from beginning to end, and providing a glimpse into what makes their live shows rise above - the storytelling. The trio covers many of the gripping stories that they are known for ('The Legend of Wild Bill', 'Coming Home', 'Thousand Rescues') and also pay homage to the musical legends that shape music in the west ('The Code', 'Sold Out at the Ironwood'). Also included is Scott Ward’s telling of the very tragic tale on the live track 'Neil Colgan'. And finally, no show by The Wardens is complete with the classic 'Supper on the Trail' which is also featured live on the album.

"One of the most common questions we get from our audiences is whether our stories are included on our CDs," says Ray. "We usually say, 'we save that for the live performances' but we may not be able to do that for a very long time, so we wanted to remind people of the experience with this album.

The Wardens' new single ‘Coming Home' is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. Their new album Sold Out At The Ironwood will be released on January 29th. 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)


FOLLOW THE WARDENS:
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Singer-Songwriter Ryland Moranz Releases New Single + Video

2nd SINGLE FROM NEW ALBUM
OUT ON JANUARY 15th
WATCH/SHARE VIDEO

Alberta-based singer-songwriter Ryland Moranz has always been a firm believer that the old ways are the best ways. So when he set out to create the video for his latest single ‘Where Are My Blue Eyes’, the self-professed ‘analog snob’ decided they should shoot it on 16mm film. 

After the filming the video in Lethbridge and Edmonton with director Evan Uschenko, the film was processed, developed and scanned.  The developed film was then augmented by applying paint, ink, and by scratching with the needle from an old CBGB’s pin.  Each frame was painted by hand, a process that took over 40 hours.  The result is an intriguing piece of art in which all the luck, trial, and mistakes can be seen in earnest.  Not everything in this video is perfect, and that’s exactly the point.

“‘Where Are My Blue Eyes’ is the most honest thing I’ve ever written, and the video reflects that,” says Ryland.  “All the imagery; musings on love, the fallacy of humanity and the salvation that is found in the temporary nature of the universe is at the heart of who I am as an artist and as a growing human being.  This song came to me as a revelation, and it revealed that nothing is ever really forgotten and that I am as I am just as you are as you will be.  And if that’s the case then all is right in the universe.”

Following the October release of 'If I Had Wings', 'Where Are My Blue Eyes' is the 2nd single from Ryland's new album XO, 1945, which will be out on January 15th. A song that Ryland calls his favourite song he's ever written, 'Where Are My Blue Eyes' actually came about by accident.  

"I was on tour with Leeroy Stagger in California and we had a day on in San Rafael," says Ryland. "I was in a music store and found an amazing banjo that dated back to 1890. It was the real deal from its handcrafted inlay to its ivory tuning pegs; an equally stunning and sinister feature.  It was in a tuning I didn’t recognize, which turned out to be open C, an old timey sort of tuning that evokes the tectonic cultural tone of the instrument.  I became obsessed with the tuning and over the next afternoon developed what became the bones of the song."  

Ryland Moranz’s new single ‘Where Are My Blue Eyes’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. His new album XO, 1945 will be released on January 15th, 2021 through Tonic Records. 

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RYLAND MORANZ - XO, 1945.
RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 15th, 2021
(Tonic Records)
01. Where Are My Blue Eyes
02. If I Had Wings
03. Dangerous Man
04. Lay Me Down
05. There Ain't New Songs
06. The Old Ways Of Navigation
07. Beautiful World
08. Israel
09. Richard Nixon
10. Run Rabbit Run
11. Stolen Land
12. No More Guns In The Valley
Download High-Res Album Art

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FOLLOW RYLAND MORANZ:
Website | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube 

 
MEDIA TOOLS:
WATCH/POST Ryland Moranz's 'Where Are My Blue Eyes' video HERE
STREAM/POST Ryland Moranz - 'Where Are My Blue Eyes' HERE
CLICK HERE for biography + high-res press photos