Music News Digest, Aug. 11, 2022
The finalists of the 2022 Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award are announced, Sue Foley (pictured) will record live at The Elmo, and the Junos change a date. Also in the news are Drake, DJ Khaled, NSMW, Ever After, Boots and Hearts, CIMA, Americanafest, Carleton Stone, Keychange, Oscar Peterson, Andrea Ramolo, and Darcy James Argue.
By Kerry Doole
Awards news
The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) has announced the finalists of the 2022 Slaight Music Emerging Songwriter Award. Established in 2017, the Award celebrates the achievements and bright futures of Canadian songwriters on an upward trajectory in their career. This year’s finalists, five Anglophone artists and six Francophone artists will be vying for a cash prize and opportunities to SOCAN songwriting camps, mentorship opportunities and recognition at the 2022 CSHF Gala. The Anglophone finalists are Nate Ferraro, Eli Brown, LOONY, Haviah Mighty, and TOBi. In the Francophone category are Robert Robert, Lou-Adriane Cassidy, P’tit Belliveau, Lydia Képinski, LUMIÈRE and Étienne Coppée. The CSHF is inviting the public to vote for their favourite songwriter as the second round of voting gets underway by a juried panel. Fans can vote daily here until Aug. 14. More info here.
– The 2023 Juno Awards have selected a new date, shifting one day to avoid the Oscars. Next year’s show in Edmonton will shift to March 13, from its original date of March 12. "This new date will provide greater access to a wider audience and give Canadian artists the attention their extraordinary works deserve,” the Junos said in a statement.
– Drake is a first-time nominee at this year’s Emmy Awards, joining the list of contenders in outstanding drama series for his role as an executive producer on the HBO series Euphoria. Drake has held this role since the launch of Euphoria in 2019. Other producer nominees newly added included Selena Gomez as an executive producer on Only Murders in the Building and Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr for The Beatles: Get Back. The Emmys air on Sept. 12 on CTV. Source: CP
Festivals news
– Organizers of electronic music festival Ever After say the event will not go ahead this weekend after failing to receive necessary permits from the local township of Oro-Medonte, Ont., which raised concerns over security and safety issues. A brief statement on Ever After’s social media page promised more details soon, and said ticket holders should “plan accordingly.” It did not use the words “cancelled” or “postponed.” A representative did not provide additional information, and wouldn’t comment on refunds. BlogTO reports that EDM fans are unhappy about the situation. Ever After was scheduled to run Aug. 11 to 14 and feature Canadian acts Rezz and Zeds Dead, plus international artist Dillon Francis and DJ duo Slander. Source: CP
– Severe weather temporarily stopped the final night of the Boots and Hearts festival at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, on Aug. 7. The fest grounds were temporarily evacuated, but the crowd was able to return for the fest closing set by Shania Twain.
– Music Nova Scotia has announced the third round of artists to perform at Nova Scotia Music Week (NSMW) 2022. The event's 25th-anniversary edition is set for Sydney, Cape Breton, Nov. 3 - 6. Notable names include Carleton Stone, Jayden Austin, Jordyn, Keats Conlon, Laura Gallant, Rankin Macinnis, The Town Heroes, and Willie Stratton. More info here.
Industry news
– CIMA will be returning to Hackney in London for the UK Americana Music Week taking place from Jan. 23-26, 2023. The conference, awards show and music festival feature live Americana music from the US, Austria, Spain, Denmark, the UK and more, and the day conference consists of 200+ international promoters, artists and festival owners. Applications to participate in the CIMA Mission, a showcase and business initiative, are now open, until Aug. 26. Apply here.
– Next month, CIMA, in partnership with BreakOut West, Alberta Music, Manitoba Music & SaskMusic, is returning to Nashville for a business & showcasing mission at the 2022 edition of the AMERICANAFEST. The Canada House showcase event at InDo (632 Fogg St) on Sept. 16 (noon - 6 pm) features nine Canadian artists: Amanda Rheaume, Del Barber, Desiree Dorion, Kyle McKearney, Last Birds, Les Hay Babies, Megan Nash, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, and Mikhail Laxton. More info here.
– As lead funder of their work in Canada, FACTOR advises of Keychange’s invitation to women and gender minority Artists and Innovators to take part in an extensive Talent Development Program of showcases, panels, workshops, mentoring and creative sessions. The year-long program takes place at 13 festivals across Europe and Canada, including two full network meet-ups in Feb. and Sept. As well as exporting opportunities, the program helps participants get to the next stage in their career through targeted training. Apply here by Sept. 28.
– Toronto radio station JAZZ.FM91 has declared Aug. 15 Oscar Peterson Day. Programming will culminate in a Live to Air concert featuring Juno Award-winning pianist Robi Botos and Order of Canada recipient bassist Dave Young in a duo performance in the station's Long & McQuade Performance Hall at JAZZ.FM91. Céline Peterson, the daughter of Oscar and host of JAZZ.FM show program will host, and Oliver Jones will also participate.
Artist news
– Award-winning Canadian blues singer/songwriter/guitar slinger Sue Foley joins an elite roster of artists to have recorded a live album at famed Toronto venue The El Mocambo. That list includes The Rolling Stones, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Elvis Costello, and Foley will be added to the list on Sept. 8, with her Live Recording there. Tix and info here.
– Nova Scotian singer/songwriter Carleton Stone (Port Cities) will release his third solo album, Papercut, on Sept. 9. He is now on an extensive US and Canada as a special guest to the Crash Test Dummies. Western Canadian shows run from Aug. 21 to Sept. 18. Here's Stone's new single.
– Acclaimed Toronto singer/songwriter Andrea Ramolo will celebrate both her birthday and the vinyl release of her latest album, Quarantine Dream, with a performance and party at Lourdes Coffee in Toronto (1867 Davenport Road) on Sept. 3, from 8 pm. Info here.
– Darcy James Argue is a Brooklyn-based Canadian composer and bandleader who has earned three Grammy noms and one Juno nod for his adventurous work with his 18-piece ensemble, Secret Society. Last week he launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the recording of a new album, Dynamic Maximum Tension, reaching 90% of his $20K goal in just a few days. Donate here. Argue is a major talent deserving greater recognition in his homeland.
– US hip-hop mega-star DJ Khaled has collaborated successfully with Drake before, and he recruits both Drizzy and Lil Baby as guests on his new single and video, Staying Alive. Khaled's 13th album, God Did, comes out on Aug. 26.
