BC Singer-Songwriter Mark Perry Releases New Single GOLDEN SPRUCE

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MarkPerry · Golden Spruce

The pride of Northern BC, singer-songwriter Mark Perry has been writing songs about living in his hometown of Smithers and rural northwestern BC since he recorded his first album with Roy Forbes and Shari Ulrich back in the mid-90s. His 13th album, Northwest, is set for release later this year and the first single 'Golden Spruce' is out today on all digital streaming platforms. 

‘Golden Spruce’ is about the legendary story of Grant Hadwin, who felled Kiidk’yaas (also known as “the Golden Spruce”), a Sitka Spruce tree located on the Haida Gwaii archipelago and considered sacred by the Haida people. 

"In January 1997, Grant Hadwin, a Canadian forester, fell a 300 year old tree on Haida Gwaii," says Perry. “It's unique colour, appearance, and size made it a celebrated and valued tree, and was considered sacred by many Haida people. Grant did it to bring attention to the decimation of the massive old-growth forests. It provoked a lot of mixed emotions, far and wide. On February 13th of that same year, he left from Prince Rupert in his kayak, headed towards Masset for his court appearance. During the 100 km trip over, he disappeared. In the early 2000’s, Alaskan coast patrol still considered him a missing person of interest."

Perry is hoping his new single will shine some light on the importance of preserving old-growth forests in BC. He explains: “Some of the trees being harvested on Vancouver Island are over 1000 years old. They are irreplaceable. I think we have to ask ourselves as British Columbians, are we so desperate for timber supply?”

A dozen albums strong, Mark Perry is deeply loved in Canada for his good-humoured and thought-provoking performances that get festival audiences up on their feet and make theatre crowds feel like they’re in his living room. He sweeps you up in emotional and animated tales of sinking ferries, rising rivers, NHL dreams, or buying a car for “two cords of wood and 24 beer”. Towns dying, towns being born, small planes going down - Perry draws us in to reflect and laugh as he pays tribute to real characters and events in rural Canada. 

Mark Perry's new single ‘Golden Spruce’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit markperry.ca.

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Vancouver Musician Larissa Tandy Releases New Single SIRENS

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Australian expatriate singer-songwriter Larissa Tandy now calls Vancouver home and after moving to the city 6 years ago, she tuned in to the sounds of her new neighbourhood to write her new single 'Sirens', which is out today on all digital streaming platforms.

“I wrote ‘Sirens’ while living on the Downtown Eastside during the opioid crisis with sirens constantly blaring around me," says Larissa. "It’s in the key of E, which kinda works for most sirens in Vancouver and makes them a kind of background harmony. I started writing a lot about emergencies, drawing on my experiences with them back in my hometown in Australia. It has a population of 600 or so, a rural environment, so there’s a lot of what I think of as ‘natural drama’. As in, nobody seems to die peacefully in their sleep. It’s always some tragic, violent accident, or people just head out to work one day and don’t come home at night.”  

'Sirens' is the first in a series of singles set for release in 2021, recorded during an extended stint of living and working in Nashville: "I recorded these songs at my friend's studio, and we pulled the session together in less than 24 hours," says Larissa. "I just wanted to get good, vibey players in a room together, and especially wanted a bass player and drummer who work together a lot, so we invited the Jons (Estes and Radford), then tapped Dan Knobler and Ryan Brewer for guitars and keys. We tracked the songs pretty much live.”

The following day, Tandy drove to Memphis and recorded Motown legend, Jack Ashford (Funk Brothers, Marvin Gaye), adding his iconic tambourine sound to the songs.

From her humble beginnings in rural Australia, raising herself on stolen Aretha and Patti Smith records, Larissa has mined her difficult life for potent stories and spun them into songs that made their way onto radio in America, the UK, and Canada where the CBC ordained them as “songs you need to hear”. Within a few short years, she has doggedly beat a path for herself, touring relentlessly across Canada, Australia, and the US, and playing official showcases at Kansas City’s Folk Alliance, and Nashville’s AmericanaFest.

Larissa's debut album, The Grip, was released in 2017 and spent 4 months on the US Americana charts, reached #2 on the Canadian college radio chart, and attracted praise from almost every corner of the globe. Awards followed, namely the prestigious Nashville Songwriter Residency, which she used to carve out a place for herself in Nashville’s competitive writing scene. Tapped by artists for her tough affect and muscular writing, she jagged a number of cuts in her first year in the game, which secured chart positions in Australia and the UK. 

Larissa Tandy's new single ‘Sirens’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit larissatandy.com

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Registration Now Open For 2021 Fort Langley Jazz Education Workshop

The Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival is giving BC high school and college musicians the chance to enhance their skills, industry knowledge and relationships to thrive in the music industry, through their 2021 Jazz Education Workshop. 

All levels of jazz instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome to register for the workshop, which will take place as part of the 2021 festival (Sept 2nd - 5th) at Chief Sepass Theatre in Fort Langley on Sunday, September 5th. Registration for the event is $75 and is open now via the festival website. Students are advised to register early as workshop seats are limited. 

The 2021 Jazz Education Workshop is a full day of personalized music mentoring and coaching from some of western Canada’s top jazz musicians and educators. The 2021 faculty includes Jodi Proznick(Bass/Workshop Facilitator), Jesse Cahill (Drums), Mike Rud (Guitar), Miles Black (Piano), Vince Mai (Trumpet), James Danderfer (Woodwinds) and Steve Maddock (Vocals). 

“The workshop gives young BC musicians the chance to play with pros and peers to boost their improv skills in a supportive, no-pressure environment,” says Jodi Proznick, workshop facilitator and bass instructor. “It provides them with the opportunity to receive feedback, insights, and knowledge to level up their musicianship while forging relationships with A-list pros and other up and coming musicians.”

Jodi Proznick + Kristian Alexandrov directing at 2019 workshop. | Download high-res photos

Students will start the day with a kick-off faculty performance followed by master class breakouts by instrument and a round table panel discussion on the artistic and business side of “Life as a Professional Musician” during the lunch break. The afternoon will focus on improvisation ensemble sessions and end with wrap up performances by each of the ensemble groups.

“One of the key mandates of the festival is to support youth artists so we are delighted to once again host a jazz education workshop,” says Dave Quinn, co-founder and artistic director. “We have expanded this year’s workshop to a full day to give students more time to perform, be mentored and learn from experienced jazz musicians, while networking with other young jazz musicians.”

The workshop is funded in part through support from the BC Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia and the BC Touring Council.

Look for more exciting announcements about the 2021 festival in the next few weeks. For more information, please visit fortlangleyjazzfest.com.

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About the Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival:
Established in 2018, the Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is a not-for-profit organization whose mandate is to enrich cultural life in the Fraser Valley by bringing emerging and established jazz acts and visual artists to Fort Langley. The annual festival is typically held over the last weekend of July and draws thousands of residents and visitors to the streets of the community.

The Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is funded by corporate and government supporters, including: the Government of Canada; Province of BC; Township of Langley and corporate sponsors, Odlum Brown Limited, ConWest Group of Companies,  Kane Shannon Weiler LLP and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, proudly representing the Port of Vancouver.

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Steel & Timber Reveal 2nd Single Ahead of New Album Release on May 28th

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Steel & Timber · 03 - Slow Down

Just 3 weeks ahead of the release of their self-titled 3rd album, Calgary roots-folk band Steel & Timber deliver the 2nd single 'Slow Down'.

Following the release of their 1st single 'Don't Say No' last month, ’Slow Down’ is a track that is perfect for these pandemic times; examining the feeling of staying present and enjoying the moment.

"'Slow Down' is a song about how time is fleeting and how you really have to hold on to the moments that are dear, before they are just memories," says guitarist Benjamin Rogalsky.

Steel & Timber started with a banjo, an acoustic guitar, and a summer evening jam in Calgary, Alberta. Founding members Nathan Harris-Thompson and Benjamin Rogalsky expected to play some covers, share some ideas, and enjoy the outdoors. What they didn’t expect was an audience. With requests for albums, future performances, and a guitar case full of tips, the duo branched out and started a band.

After releasing albums Homebrew in 2015 and Everything You Own in 2017, husband and wife duo and Newfoundland natives, Navarro and Stephanie Ralph, joined the group adding the drum and bass on the new album.

Steel & Timber’s new single ‘Slow Down’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. Their new self-titled album will be released on May 28th. For more information, please visit steel-and-timber.com.

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STEEL & TIMBER IS: 
Nathan Harris-Thompson - lead vocals, banjo, acoustic guitar, ukulele
Benjamin Rogalsky - acoustic guitar, back up vocals
Navarro Ralph - bass, acoustic guitar, back up vocals
Stephanie Ralph - drums

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Alberta Funk Power Trio ADEQUATE! Announce Release Of New Album

FIRST SINGLE 'BIKE SHORTS' OUT TODAY

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ADEQUATE! · Bike Shorts (radio edit)

Alberta power funk trio ADEQUATE! are gearing up for summer with the release of their cheeky and explosive new track ‘Bike Shorts’, the first single from their self-titled debut album set for release on June 11th, 2021.

ADEQUATE! is known for their energetic live shows, where they pull the audience in with raw musicianship, tantalizing dance moves, mesmerizing lights, and high energy hi-jinx, and that live spirit is definitely present on ‘Bike Shorts’. 

"'Bike Shorts' is a song for the people, appealing to the most universal of commonalities - the hatred of wearing pants,” says lead vocalist Keenan Pezderic. "We set out to make a song that will make you get up, boogie down and leave you grinning cheek to cheek and that’s exactly what it does!"

Hailing from Lethbridge, Alberta, ADEQUATE! is sure to put a smile on your face and some dance in your pants! The trio has been slowly building their fanbase over the past few years with their fun and dynamic live shows, focused on providing an excellent musical experience through high quality showmanship and musical skill. ADEQUATE! brings in the fundamentals that made their funk idols live shows so great, aiming to be a source of entertainment for anyone listening. 

ADEQUATE!’s new single ‘Bike Shorts’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. Their self-titled debut album will be released on June 11th. For more information, please visit adequatefunk.com.

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ADEQUATE! IS: 
Keenan Pezderic - Drums, Lead Vox, Bass 

Scott Mezei - Bass, Backup Vox, Guitar, Drums
Josh Thorlakson
 - Guitar, Backup Vox, Bass

FOLLOW ADEQUATE!:
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STREAM/POST ADEQUATE!'s new single 'Bike Shorts' HERE
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