A roundup of recent blogger tips and techniques for musicians from around the web. Find out more about the importance of band branding, how often a band should play, and music conference tips for indie artists.
In 90 Seconds or Less, Canadian music industry professionals tell you how to get the most out of showcasing and shmoozing at a music Festival and Conference.
Get to know a more about Michael P Falk from Head in the Sand, Paquin Entertainment Group's Grant Paley, and Stephen Carroll from Empirical Artist Services who will be on hand for our Summer Mentor Sessions one-on-one consultation meetings May 31, June 7, and June 21.
The local experimental electropop outfit is gearing up for the release of its hotly anticipated full-length debut, Today We’re Believers, due out on June 25 via Nevado Records in Canada and Roll Call Records in the U.S.
The release date will be another benchmark in what has been a landmark year and a half for Royal Canoe, whose ranks are Matt Peters (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Bucky Driedger (vocals, guitar), Matt Schellenberg (keyboards, vocals), Brendan Berg (bass, keyboard, vocals), Derek Allard (drums), and Michael Jordan (electronic drums). Last year saw the band make major inroads, inking a management contract with Nettwerk Music and booking agency agreements with Red Ryder (U.S.), LOUD Booking (France), and Burning Eagle Booking (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
It’s also been a creatively fulfilling period; along with putting the finishing touches on the record, the band also mounted an avant-pop interpretation of Beck’s Song Reader, an album released solely as sheet music, as part of the inaugural Pop Nuit, a new element of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival, curated by Schellenberg in February.
Add to that a slew of press bona fides from the likes of Exclaim!, The New York Times, Filter, and more, and you’ve got the kind of advance album buzz most bands only dream of. It’s also the kind that comes with a lot of hard work, months of grinding it out on the road and getting in front of key industry people.
Up-and-coming country songstress Ali Fontaine picked up a Native American Music Award (NAMA) over the weekend. Fontaine, who was also up for Songwriter of the Year and Best Female Artist, won for Best Country Recording for her self-titled album. A double winner at the APCMAs in 2011, she has six nominations already for her first recording.