Since Edmonton rockers Royal Tusk’s new single ‘Aftermath’ was released in early October, it has gained over one million streams on Spotify only. Equally to the song, the music video for it is also raw and chaotic, and reflects on the mayhem and the normalization of the violence we see on television and social media every day.
Erin, Amelia and Sweet Marie
12 East Coast Music Award nominations with wins for Solo Recording of the Year, R&B Recording of the Year and the first woman to receive Producer of the Year. With such acclaim showered on Maritime singer-songwriter Erin Costelo’s 4th album Down Below, the Status Quo, nobody would question her if she opted to keep on walking down a well blazed path when it came time to record again. Halifax’s queen of salt water soul had other things in mind.
Pushing the envelope, raising the bar, whatever you want to call it, Costelo was up for a fresh challenge and Sweet Marie would place her squarely inside exceptionally unique territory for any musician. As the waves washed outside her timber-frame home and studio in Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, the goal was to self-produce 10 songs in 10 days.
The result is Sweet Marie, a genre-defying gut kick from an artist that had been pushed so close to the edge that thoughts of abandoning her own music career seemed like a very viable option when she looked over it. There was not going to be any tumbling over into an abyss here, however. Instead Erin Costelo decided to push back.
“I think being a musician today is becoming more and more difficult to get by. Financially and emotionally it is very challenging,” explains Costelo.“I thought I might continue to produce records for people but cut back on touring and that Sweet Marie might be my last album. In the middle of recording a signed a record deal with Compass Records in the US and had one of the most inspiring musician experiences making the record. I think it breathed new life into me to keep going.”
A day ahead of the album’s release –celebrated with a show at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage on Saturday night–, I talk with Costelo about this inspiring recording and how she turned to friend and fellow musician Amelia Curran to document the entire process.
Andre Gagne: Your last album Down Below, the Status Quo received some amazing accolades. Did you find there was much pressure on you going into the studio to record Sweet Marie to replicate that success somewhat?
Erin Costelo: I always feel pressure making a new album. This one is my 5th. I think the pressure is a result of wanting to grow as an artist and not really because of award nominations or wins. Although that is also a nice bonus!
Of course, this album is pretty unique with you wanting to record 10 songs in 10 days. What had you wanting to challenge yourself in this way?
As I started to produce more records for others, they didn’t have years to make a record! I was learning that extending the project didn’t always make a better record so I wanted to challenge myself to capture a moment in time and strive for a creative energy and not perfection.
Tell me a bit about why you turned to fellow musician (and friend) Amelia Curran to help document the recording?
Amelia stayed very much in the periphery during the filming process and I think that is why I wanted her instead of another film director to make the documentary about the album. Because she is a musician she knows the moments in a studio recording that are worth capturing and also knows how to stay out of the way and not disrupt the creative flow. She was a wonderful fly on the wall, as was her excellent and sensitive film crew. I chose Amelia because she is great at what she does and I loved her documentary film work. It was a coincidence that she was a woman. A very happy one as I love supporting female artists especially an artist like Amelia who is growing a career in a new art form for her.
What with a documentary crew filming and the want to get those ten songs out in the short deadline, what are your personal thoughts on the final album?
I love it! It feels like a group of musicians playing together and is a real snapshot of a moment in time.
Though hurried to record, do you feel that the process still evolved organically or were you constantly trying to beat the clock, so to speak, making things more regimented?
Quite the opposite. Once we were all at the home and recording, it ended up being the most relaxed studio experience I have ever had. We all lived at the house together and would record for a few hours, take a break, go for a walk, make a great meal, record again, and repeat. It was lovely and easy.
When you look back at this project what do you feel will stand out as most memorable to you?
I think the time I got to spend with such wonderful musicians will be a cherished memory.
What do you feel you most learned about yourself recording Sweet Marie?
Be confident. Say what you think. Keep dreaming.
Our sit down with (ETA) Emily Taylor Adams
We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the beautifully talented (ETA) Emily Taylor Adams.
Getting to Know Kentucky Newcomer Hannah Ellis
Hannah Ellis, a small-town girl from Campbellsville, Kentucky, has been making a name for herself since she first released a track in 2015 titled “Officer Down”. The story behind the song was about the passing of her cousin killed in the line of duty. Ellis released a song last year to iTunes and Spotify titled “Temporary Feeling,” which began to garner the singer more attention due to her honey voice and charismatic personality.
In 2017, she released her first EP. The five-song record included “Temporary Feeling” and another popular single of Ellis’, “ILY So What”. Other tracks included a beautifully breathtaking track of heartbreak titled “Never In Love”. “Ghosted”, a fun country/pop-rock track, tells the story of a guy who stopped talking to the girl he was dating, thus “ghosting” her. The final track on the record is titled “Break from the Weather”. The song is a fun country-pop track that is sure to have you singing along in the car or shower.
In 2018 Hannah released her latest single “Home and a Hometown”. The song talks about her love for her hometown in Kentucky and all the things that make it special for her, and then about her home in Nashville and what makes it feel like home for her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lgGk2qKZyQ
One on one with Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo
On Thursday July 12, Blue Rodeo came to Ottawa to perform for the 12th time at RBC Bluesfest. Before the show I had the opportunity to talk to Jim Cuddy about his solo projects, family and how Thursday night’s show almost didn’t happen and the future of Blue Rodeo was in jeopardy due to an illness in the band.
Talking Music, Touring and Whiskey with Brett Eldredge
How does Brett like his whiskey? Does he prefer peanut butter cookies or a peanut butter sandwich? Where would Brett go if he had a time machine good for one use only?
Here at Soundcheck Entertainment we had an opportunity to sit down with Brett Eldredge at RBC Bluesfest, and talk music, touring and more.
Brett a Paris, Illinois Native, signed to Warner Music in late 2010 and shortly after he released Raymond and It Ain’t Gotta Be Love. The Illinois singer released his debut album Bring You Back in 2013. His sophomore album was released in 2015 including his #1 hit song “Wanna Be That Song”. Eldredge then went on his co-headlining tour with Thomas Rhett titled the “Suits and Boots” tour. As Brett continued to climb the charts with his music, and open for acts such as Luke Bryan, Taylor Swift and many more.
Brett is preparing for the second leg of his headlining tour “The Long Way” which will kick back up on September 13th in Denver. A full list of his tour dates, merchandise and more can be found here http://www.bretteldredge.com.
You can check out the interview here at our Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/soundcheckentertainmnt/brett-eldredge-interview-sound-check-entertainment
We would like to thank Mary from Warner Music for setting this up for us, as well as Brett for taking time out of his day to meet with us.
Special thanks to Nick Reynolds for taking some photos during the interview, you can check out his portfolio here: https://www.nixaov.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nixaov/?hl=en
Special thanks to Nick Reynolds for taking some photos during the interview, you can check out his portfolio here: https://www.nixaov.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nixaov/?hl=en
Night of Firsts at Festival Country de Lotbinière
We’re back in St. Agapit, Quebec this weekend for Festival Country de Lotbinière. The weather is perfect, the beer is ice cold, the poutine is amazing and the entertainment is red hot. Friday night kicked off with incredible performances by 2 amazing artists leading up to a high energy, and whiskey fueled performance by reigning Canadian country Queen Meghan Patrick.
Ian Campeau’s Higher Calling
A year ago Ian Campeau was on a high. A Tribe Called Red, the group he co-founded, was attracting more mainstream attention than ever for their acclaimed electric pow-wow beats, a powerful mix of First Nations rhythms and electronica. They’d come a long way from filling up the dance floor in Babylon to opening up the 2017 Juno Awards. The peak of that high was, perhaps, came this year when they netted Group of the Year.
Getting Honey Suite with The Lifers
Liv and Anita Cazzola lead Guelph’s art-folk/rock collective The Lifers. So, what’s in a name? Well, for starters, the two have a partnership that seems tightly fastened together for life with needle, thread, some welding, a smattering of duct-tape and a bit of super glue for good measure. Oh yeah, and blood. They’re sisters.
Tara Shannon Aligns with LymeHope to Raise Awareness on Lyme Disease
4 million, that’s the number of Canadians that say they or someone they know has been afflicted with Lyme Disease. A few months ago Ottawa musician Tara Shannon became part of that statistic when she was diagnosed with the bacterial infection.
