Tim Baker & All Hands
At the end of 2017, twelve years after their inception, the multi-award winning band, Hey Rosetta! went on hiatus, after selling 10,000 tickets to five farewell shows. For the band’s principal songwriter and lead vocalist Tim Baker, this was the start of a new chapter.
On his debut solo album Forever Overhead, Baker warmly welcomes you to it. The first words we hear him sing, on the first single “Dance,” is akin to a toast: “here’s to the other side.” What follows are eleven songs that centre on kinship and show that Baker’s sharp songwriting, the heart of Hey Rosetta!, is as affecting as ever.
When crafting the album, Baker drew from 70s songwriters, like Jackson Browne and Randy Newman, whose music filled his childhood home and from his contemporaries (Feist, Leif Vollebekk, The Barr Brothers). Produced by Marcus Paquin (The National, Local Natives), Forever Overhead blends piano ballads with ebullient folk-rock tracks featuring Liam O’Neill (Suuns), Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), as well as Mishka Stein & Joe Grass (Patrick Watson).
In the album’s opening track “Dance,” Baker moves alongside soft piano chords as buoyant, 70s pop style instrumentation and a piercing guitar riff steadily build, bolstering his words of longing. He sings of connectivity and the tender emotions that are coupled with glances across a gym’s confetti-lined linoleum floor, the air thick with potential Like Forever Overhead as a whole, Baker brings beauty and hope into listeners’ lives.
Joel Plaskett
From rocking Halifax’s Marquee Club to performing for the masses at Massey Hall or touring the country with his father, Joel Plaskett has forged a reputation as one of Canada’s most engaging performers and respected singer-songwriters.
Plaskett’s songs are a perennial part of the national playlist, a fixture on “best of” lists, and the soundtrack to the lives of faithful fans across the country and around the world. His accolades over a quarter century include a Juno, numerous East Coast Music, Canadian Folk and Music Nova Scotia awards, and two Polaris short list nominations.
Plaskett’s new project, 44, is his most detailed musical weave yet. A sprawling box set comprised of four, 11-song albums connected visually and thematically, at its heart 44 is an imaginative rumination on trying to slow down and grow up in a rapidly accelerating world.
Plaskett began his musical career in the early 1990s as a member of alt-rock favourites Thrush Hermit, recruiting lifelong fans as the band toured North America in a half-size school bus, setting up their signature neon ROCK & ROLL sign from show to show.
In the early 2000s, Plaskett started touring under his own name with his band, The Emergency (featuring Dave Marsh on drums since 1999, and for the last 14 years, Chris Pennell on bass). Backed by the Emergency and racking up a growing roster of anthemic singalongs, Plaskett worked his way up from small clubs to opening for Paul McCartney and the Tragically Hip, and filling larger venues with his own devoted audience.
Plaskett is a versatile and ever-evolving artist, at turns delivering intimate and idiosyncratic singer-songwriter fare (In Need of Medical Attention, La De Da, The Park Avenue Sobriety Test); incendiary riff-rock (Down at the Khyber, Truthfully, Truthfully), left-leaning folk rock (Solidarity), as well as conceptual epics and off-kilter feats of musical stamina (Ashtray Rock, Three, Scrappy Happiness, 44).
Recorded to analog tape, Plaskett’s records reflect his attention to detail, his dedication to technique, musical history and craft, and a sincere and inimitable lyrical style that runs through his diverse and ever-expanding catalogue.
In addition to producing most of his own records since 1999, Plaskett has also set up shop behind the console at his New Scotland Yard studio in downtown Dartmouth, N.S. His work with artists like Jimmy Rankin, Two Hours Traffic, David Myles, Sarah Slean, Shotgun Jimmie, Dennis Ellsworth, Old Man Luedecke, Dave Marsh, Colleen Brown and longtime collaborator Mo Kenney has led to numerous awards for production, and turned New Scotland Yard into a popular destination for artists looking to develop and document their sound.
In front of the studio is The New Scotland Yard Emporium, where Plaskett has partnered with Halifax mainstay Taz Records to bring a curated selection of records to his adopted hometown, providing a spot where music fans can congregate to grab a coffee or beer while they dig for records.
In a world increasingly connected—and disconnected — by digital mediums, Joel Plaskett prefers to make his connections the old-fashioned way, building community at his studio and shop, dedicating himself to the art and authenticity of songwriting and analog recording processes, and moving audiences with the electrifying, uplifting experience of live performance.
In all aspects of his work, Plaskett embraces both the communal and individual experiences music provides. The ways music and words combine to connect with the listener, turning a minute into a moment out of time, reminding us that we aren’t alone.
Dave Sampson Redux
Dave Sampson writes heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and
authentic voice that could blow down a brick house. His knack for crafting simple ear-worms
and his high-energy shows have been winning him fans across Canada. He has collaborated
and shared the stage with some of Canada’s top exports such as Classified, Alan Doyle,
Donovan Woods, and more. His 2019 EP All Types of Ways, produced and recorded by
Grammy award-winning songwriter Gordie Sampson in Nashville, TN, earned him two 2020
ECMAs for Country Recording and Rising Star Recording of the Year, as well as a
nomination for Songwriter of the Year. The album features several singles which received
hundreds of thousands of streams on DSPs, were added to many editorially-curated
playlists, and were placed in several national television series and advertising campaigns.
In 2014, Dave released his anticipated debut album “No Pressure, No Diamonds” with
producers/collaborators Carleton Stone, Gordie Sampson and Dylan Guthro (Port Cities).
With the release of this album, “ No Pressure No Diamonds” was nominated for Music Nova
Scotia’s Pop Album of the Year, reached #1 on the East Coast Countdown charts twice and
received national airplay throughout Canada. Dave was also invited to Germany in 2014 with
songwriters Carleton Stone and Breagh Mackinnon to participate in a songwriting retreat
followed by a tour.
Fast forward to 2015, his song “No Pressure, No Diamonds” was interpolated by Canadian
Hip Hop icon Classified and released as his first single (“No Pressure”) on the billboard
charts via Atlantic Records. “No Pressure’ features hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, and was
awarded Gold Record status by Music Canada. Dave also received a songwriting nod on
Classifieds “Oh No” track on his album “Grateful”, and Neon Dreams’ singles “Find a Way” &
“Love Experts” which made it to the billboard EDM top 40.
Dave has also been hand-picked as one of Nova Scotia’s most promising young songwriters
to take part in the prestigious, invitation-only Gordie Sampson Song camp for the past 10
years. Through this opportunity, he has been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of
Canada’s most sought after writers: Gordie Sampson, Caitlyn Smith (Nashville), Sam Ellis
(Nashville), Thomas AWG Salter (TAWGS), and many more.
“Heartfelt, energized and emotional, Dave Sampson has obvious natural talent as a Maritime singer-songwriter.
Recommended for fans of Joel Plaskett, David Myles and Hawksley Workman. ” – Grant Lawrence (CBC Music)
“Not only is Dave Sampson a fantastic singer/songwriter, but his live performance during both shows (as a band
and as a solo artist) was second to none. The level of comfort that he and his band have on stage oozes with
every movement made.” – HalifaxBloggers.ca @ EAST COAST MUSIC WEEK 2016
“Dave Sampson writes a great, heartfelt pop song and has a warm, inviting, laid-back style that will no doubt
appeal to a wide cross-section of people. It’s not hard to imagine his music lighting up the radio and drawing
crowds” – The Scope, St. John’s, NL
Dave Sampson
Dave Sampson writes heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and
authentic voice that could blow down a brick house. His knack for crafting simple ear-worms
and his high-energy shows have been winning him fans across Canada. He has collaborated
and shared the stage with some of Canada’s top exports such as Classified, Alan Doyle,
Donovan Woods, and more. His 2019 EP All Types of Ways, produced and recorded by
Grammy award-winning songwriter Gordie Sampson in Nashville, TN, earned him two 2020
ECMAs for Country Recording and Rising Star Recording of the Year, as well as a
nomination for Songwriter of the Year. The album features several singles which received
hundreds of thousands of streams on DSPs, were added to many editorially-curated
playlists, and were placed in several national television series and advertising campaigns.
In 2014, Dave released his anticipated debut album “No Pressure, No Diamonds” with
producers/collaborators Carleton Stone, Gordie Sampson and Dylan Guthro (Port Cities).
With the release of this album, “ No Pressure No Diamonds” was nominated for Music Nova
Scotia’s Pop Album of the Year, reached #1 on the East Coast Countdown charts twice and
received national airplay throughout Canada. Dave was also invited to Germany in 2014 with
songwriters Carleton Stone and Breagh Mackinnon to participate in a songwriting retreat
followed by a tour.
Fast forward to 2015, his song “No Pressure, No Diamonds” was interpolated by Canadian
Hip Hop icon Classified and released as his first single (“No Pressure”) on the billboard
charts via Atlantic Records. “No Pressure’ features hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, and was
awarded Gold Record status by Music Canada. Dave also received a songwriting nod on
Classifieds “Oh No” track on his album “Grateful”, and Neon Dreams’ singles “Find a Way” &
“Love Experts” which made it to the billboard EDM top 40.
Dave has also been hand-picked as one of Nova Scotia’s most promising young songwriters
to take part in the prestigious, invitation-only Gordie Sampson Song camp for the past 10
years. Through this opportunity, he has been fortunate enough to collaborate with some of
Canada’s most sought after writers: Gordie Sampson, Caitlyn Smith (Nashville), Sam Ellis
(Nashville), Thomas AWG Salter (TAWGS), and many more.
“Heartfelt, energized and emotional, Dave Sampson has obvious natural talent as a Maritime singer-songwriter.
Recommended for fans of Joel Plaskett, David Myles and Hawksley Workman. ” – Grant Lawrence (CBC Music)
“Not only is Dave Sampson a fantastic singer/songwriter, but his live performance during both shows (as a band
and as a solo artist) was second to none. The level of comfort that he and his band have on stage oozes with
every movement made.” – HalifaxBloggers.ca @ EAST COAST MUSIC WEEK 2016
“Dave Sampson writes a great, heartfelt pop song and has a warm, inviting, laid-back style that will no doubt
appeal to a wide cross-section of people. It’s not hard to imagine his music lighting up the radio and drawing
crowds” – The Scope, St. John’s, NL
Pretty Archie
Pinning down the sound of Cape-Breton-based quintet Pretty Archie has always been about as easy as catching a greased pig, but with the release of their new, self-titled album the band is confident that their unique mix of folk, Americana, bluegrass, Alt-Country, and East Coast music will appeal to a wider audience than ever before. Celebrating their tenth anniversary with what is arguably their finest work to date, the album was released on February 11, 2022 via Curve Music/Warner Music.
Pretty Archie, their sixth album, is one of which they are justifiably proud, for it represents a quantum leap forward in the evolution of the group’s sound. ”I feel each of our other records was a step ahead of the previous one, but this one is six steps ahead,” declares bassist/vocalist/songwriter Colin Gillis. “We are proud of everything we’ve put out, but this is at a different level.”
Helping the group realize the formidable creative achievement that is Pretty Archie was internationally-acclaimed record producer and engineer Mark Howard, whose star-studded resume includes work with the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, U2, Tom Waits, The Tragically Hip, Peter Gabriel, and more. Howard’s fortuitous recent relocation to Cape Breton allowed Pretty Archie to take advantage of his skills, and the band couldn’t be happier with the results.
To record Pretty Archie, Howard and the band set up shop in the rustic setting of an A-frame lakeside cottage in Cape Breton. Lead vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Brian Cathcart explains that “Mark is very much about the vibe of the room, and this worked out perfectly. We were in the house for two weeks, basically doing a song a day, and we did evening sessions that had a cooler relaxed feel.”
“It was all basically recorded live off the floor, with minimal overdubs,” adds Colin. “That’s something we had always wanted, and Mark was able to do that. There’s a certain ambiance and energy in recording that way.”
Describing the new album, Brian states “it is more focused, even though you still can’t quite put a finger on it. For us, it definitely has way more of a country vibe. This record leans more towards alternative country or Americana, rather than the super commercial country out there.”
The catchy “Reasons” is one of the tunes that changed considerably in the studio, as Brian explains. “Originally that was rather a ‘cry in your beer’ song, but Mark wanted it faster. He had the 808 drum machine rhythm and we just sped the tune up to that, so now it is short, sweet and punchy.” There’s a similar upbeat tone to “Familiar Feelings,” another song that showcases the band’s instrumental prowess.
Brian digs deep vocally on the haunting ballad “Feel It In My Bones,” while, at Howard’s suggestion, “Someone New” became a duet, featuring Austin-based Maritime honkytonker Whitney Rose, with the contrasting vocals adding real resonance. Brian is especially proud of “Maritime,” a song written right in the studio that features these poignant lyrics – ”If your heart breaks down, we’ll use mine. It is weathered and weary, but it is Maritime.”
Cathcart explains that “as a band, we wear our East Coast hearts on our sleeves. We are very proud of where we are from, but our focus now is exposing people internationally to our part of the world.” Gillis adds that “if you are genuine and true to yourselves, then people will attach themselves to that, no matter where you are from.”
Pretty Archie have long been regional favourites, with a stack of Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Award nominations to their credit. They are now looking globally, and with Pretty Archie they have an album ready for international prime time play. Do yourself a big favour and check it out.
J.P. Cormier
Nobody really knows who J.P. Cormier is for sure. That’s to be expected, believe me.
In 1974 he was a five year old boy, discovering an innate talent for playing the guitar, I had a little hand in that, guiding him through the beginning stages. He learned faster than I could teach.
By the mid eighties, not out of his teens, he was a sideman for bands and artists of many different genres in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, and all across the deep south. As he travelled and worked he added more and more instruments to his arsenal of capabilities. He became indispensable to the bands he worked for.
In the early Nineties, he became a sideman for one of Canada’s favourite sons, Stompin’ Tom Connors and also became a staple of the recordings at Studio H in Halifax. His work with the CBC there, spanned musical, production and arranging duties.
All this before he was 20.
In the mid nineties he reentered the musical scene of his beloved East Coast and the Island called Cape Breton. He exploded onto the trad music scene there as a fiddler, performing some of the most difficult music ever produced by legends like Winston Fitzgerald and Angus Chisholm with a facility that stunned onlookers. Especially those who knew he wasn’t born there, but born in Ontario to Cape Breton parents. Somehow, some way, his music was the real thing, sounding like he had been steeped continually in a handed-down brew of family tradition from the old country.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
His previous gig was in Nashville playing mandolin and banjo in a grammy nominated bluegrass gospel band and performing on the Opry, and playing television shows with the likes of Waylon Jennings. All those people also thought he was one of them, American, reared in the ways of bluegrass, old time and Americana music. They knew he was from Canada, but it just didn’t seem possible.
Then in 1997, something amazing happened.
An album released in Canada, out of nowhere, called Another Morning. This time it was him as a songwriter and a lead singer.
And what a songwriter he turned out to be. Some of the performances on that album are literally part of the musical vocabulary today in the East Coast. Songs like the title cut, and Kelly’s Mountain, The Molly May (co written with his cousin Gervais) and others. It inspired, 25 years ago, some of the biggest names in the business today. People like Dave Gunning, Matt Andersen, David Myles, Joel Plaskett, all of which will tell you: that record changed things.
The Canadian industry thought so too, and it received a juno nomination and won an ECMA.
And that was just the beginning.
36 years later after stepping on stage as professional union musician for the first time at the tender age of 13, JP is still going, and frighteningly, still getting better.
16 albums followed the success of Another Morning, winning 12 more ECMA’s, another Juno nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award and 5 Music Nova Scotia Awards. Each album was a snapshot of each thing that he can do. There are fiddle albums, Mandolin, Banjo, Guitar, tribute records, songwriting collections, a purely astounding spectrum of talent and musical vision.
His catalogue of recordings and the 150 or so records he’s produced on other artists, resemble the tapestry he weaves in live performance. Where he used to carry 3 and 4 piece bands, he tours alone now.
Just him and the instruments.
People still leave his shows confused, amazed and wondering what they just saw. Did they see a storyteller? A Songwriter? Arguably one of the best guitar players in the business today? Someone who crosses the lines between different instruments like there are no lines? Who was that masked man, anyway?
Accolades aside, and there are many from people like Chet Atkins, Marty Stuart, Waylon Jennings, Gordon Lightfoot; JP sees himself as just a performer. He’s shy, but has a razor sharp wit and lightning sense of humour. He can be reserved or edgy to the point no return. He speaks for soldiers, first responders, other artists, the forgotten and lost. He speaks sometimes only for himself and refuses rebuttal.
Of all the things he is, foremost he is an entertainer. I think one of the best. After you’ve seen what he does, I’m certain you will too.
Madison Violet
After 20 years together, Juno nominated singer-songwriting duo, Madison Violet, are as much wanderers as they are musicians. It is a career filled with endless roads stretching into the horizon, winding through changing landscapes, each kilometer traveled carrying with it the promise of inspiration. Perhaps that is the secret of what has made Madison Violet such an enduring band. Because with each new town, each new venue, their curiosity grows, their love of music deepens, their desire to push musical boundaries expands.
It is believed that the spark that ignited Madison Violet’s irrepressible curiosity came from an unlikely source; while sitting in Brenley’s grandmother’s kitchen in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, filled to bursting with family, friends, instruments (and maybe even a foe or two), and miles from their adopted home of Toronto, Ontario, two musicians looked at each over the flickering light of the old wood stove and knew that theirs would be an unconventional journey. Inspired by their heritage, emboldened by their vision, Lisa MacIsaac and Brenley MacEachern decided that they would create a sound that would have it’s roots in their past while continually exploring new sounds. From the beginning, the multi-instrumentalists have carried authenticity with them like a talisman, writing all of their own music and lyrics, believing that the best way to connect to their audiences was to treat them like old friends sharing a secret and a smile. As vocalists they have an innate ability to break your heart, slyly knowing that their soaring harmonies will mend it, often all in the span of one song.
The shared belief in themselves and their fearlessness to follow their dreams did eventually pay off and accolades and awards soon became synonymous with Madison Violet; including a Juno nomination, a Canadian Folk Music Award for Best Vocal Group Album of the Year and a Critic’s Choice Award from Country Music People’s Magazine. Their songs have been featured in the notorious music magazine MOJO’s Top 10 Playlist, and received a mass of acclaim from outlets such as the BBC, the CBC, Maverick Magazine and NPR, and have earned the duo the Grand Prize in the Maxell John Lennon Song Writing Contest (which was voted on by a panel of distinguished artists including Elton John, Tim McGraw, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, John Legend, Enrique Iglesias and Mary J.Blige). Madison Violet were on Germany’s WDR’s list of ‘Best Bands of All Time’ and with a bit of a departure from their rootsy sound, their single ‘These Ships’ was released in 2014 on one of the largest dance labels in the U.S., Ultra Records, garnering over 1,000,000 plays on Spotify. Madison Violet has 9 studio albums to their credit including the new Christmas classic “Sleigh Bells in the Snow” featuring their friend and collaborator Ron Sexsmith, singing on Frosty the Snowman.
In March 2019, Madison Violet will release their latest album “Everything’s Shifting”. The album is a heartfelt examination of how memory can splinter a heart, how loss shapes perspective and how sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t have love without regret. It is an album to be listened to on the open road, with the windows rolled down: a love letter to their fans, from two wanderers who continue to follow the melodies wherever they lead.
Matt Minglewood
Matt Minglewood – genre – Northern Rock with a Canadianna feel, a musical hybrid with one foot steeped in the musical roots of blues & country and the other knee-deep in rock. To quote one fan “We had a blast! A cornucopia of awesomeness ” What’s in store at a Minglewood Show – tunes from Matt’s latest release ‘Fly Like Desperados’ , and old classic fan favourites, peppered with songs & stories.
Minglewood, known for his high octane shows will have you enjoying his brand of rock as it should be heard, wrenched from the heart and shot from the hip. For all music fans with a taste for the blues & rock, to witness this band is a feather in your cap. Joining Matt on stage & on his latest release ‘Fly Like Desperados’ is Moon McInnis on drums & vocals, the vivacious and extremely talented Emily Dingwall does the honors on bass and vocals, 19 year old Nick McInnis adds his immense talent on guitar and Jeff Stapleton tickling the keyboards & vocals. The youthfulness in the band has added a fiery spark to their shows.
Hope you got the opportunity to catch one of their shows, you won’t be disappointed.
Matt has released 14 recordings and has amassed numerous awards & accolades including two ECMA awards for 2018 ‘Blues Recording of the Year’ and the coveted ‘Fan’s Choice Entertainer of the Year’ awards. To name but a few of the awards he has amassed throughout his career include:
East Coast Music Awards
2018 Fans Choice ‘Entertainer of the Year’
2018 Blues Recording of the Year for ‘Fly Like Desperados’2008 Blues Recording of the Year for ‘The Story”
2006 Blues Recording of the Year for ‘Live at Last’
Lifetime Achievement Award
Maple Blues Awards
2015 Blues with a Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement) 2013 Entertainer of the Year Award
Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival
2005 Dutch Mason Blues Award
Canadian Country Song of the Year
Me & The Boys 1986
Great Canadian Blues Award
CBC Radio Saturday Night with Holger Peterson
Honorary Doctorate from UCB
Two Juno Nominations & Three Gold Records
Bestowed with the Queens Jubilee Medal for his contribution to Canadian Music
Lucy MacNeil
The only girl in a family of five boys, Lucy MacNeil can be described as the heart of The Barra MacNeils. Her crystalline vocals are immediately identifiable with the group’s quintessential sound.
For Lucy, music has always had a heartbeat and she recalls it as the centre of her childhood home where family, neighbours and visiting musicians were often known to gather — the perfect rhythm of everyone’s feet tapping with the music would lull her to sleep on many nights.
Lucy’s own musical journey officially began when she was 9 years old, but even before that she was step dancing alongside her mother, a well-known local dancer and teacher. Her career with The Barra MacNeils has seen her opening tours for international stars such as Celine Dion, Kenny Rogers and fellow Canadian Rita MacNeil. Yet, with all the many rich and rewarding experiences Lucy’s fondest memory of performing took place in grade 10 at Memorial High School. A contestant in the winter carnival pageant, she put together a performance for the talent portion that drew on all her talents – singing “The legend of the St. Anne’s Reel” playing the fiddle between verses and then ending with a step dance routine. The remarkable effort would lead to her very first standing ovation.
A devoted mother of two talented young girls, Lucy finds time to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, from sharing recipes with her mom, and getting car care advice from her dad, chatting with old friends or dancing to the infectious latin rhythms in her ZUMBA class. Lucy MacNeil looks forward to discovering where music and her extraordinary life will lead her next.
Vocals, bodhran, Celtic harp, fiddle, stepdancing