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TORONTO, ON – March 6, 2018 – Always bound by friendship, Darren Glover and Darcy Yates of Flash Lightnin’ resolutely refused to officially call it quits when Glover returned to Victoria in 2015, while Yates toured the world as a session player with Bahamas.  While only gathering on occasion for special and memorable shows, such as their 10th anniversary in Toronto in 2016,  it was finally time to acknowledge the inevitable, but not without a final, incredibly powerful recorded statement.

Today they are excited to announce that their upcoming EP Homage is set for release on April 6 via Pheromone Recordings. Along with the announcement they have given fans a taste of the EP today with their version of Jeff Beck’s interpretation of The Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things.” Listen here.

In the fall of 2015 Glover and Yates gathered with powerhouse drummer Blake Manning at Toronto’s Revolution Recording with Ian Blurton at the controls.

Four stone classic rock ‘n’ roll songs were covered:

• Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac’s “Green Manalishi”
• Mountain’s “Never In My Life”
• Jeff Beck’s interpretation of The Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things”
• Cream’s “Swlabr”

Simply put the combination of Flash Lightnin’, Ian Blurton and Revolution’s cavernous Neve room delivered the goods and in spectacular fashion.

We’ll leave the last words to Darren Glover: “It took 30 years to finally make the rock and roll record I always wanted to make.  Live, real and raw! 60’s and 70’s rock has been the backbone of my dreams and love for the electric guitar, especially British players like Clapton, Beck and Peter Green. Let’s not forget the massive tone of Leslie West who himself was a byproduct of the British blues invasion. This EP represents our life-long passion and respect to the birth of high powered electrified blues.”

ACROSS THE DARK OUT SEPTEMBER 15 VIA PHEROMONE RECORDINGS

LISTEN AND SHARE “CINDY RUNS” HERE

CANADIAN TOUR DATES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 19

The Wilderness Of Manitoba prefers to characterize itself as an evolving entity and founding member Will Whitwham is the last man standing. For the band’s new album, Across The Dark, the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist stepped up to write and produce all the songs himself. For the album’s first single, “Cindy Runs,” Whitwam took at look back at the 1960s pop songs he grew up loving and added a modern take, sonically and thematically.

The song itself is about “Cinderella as the clock strikes midnight and Cindy runs,” says Whitwam. “But, also touches on what many of these pop songs from the 60’s are about – teen angst, someone who is too elusive and trying to figure that out.”

From the band’s inception, it has redefined itself with every new release. The evolution of The Wilderness Of Manitoba’s sound has run the gamut from four part harmonies and its initial chamber folk sound to duo lead vocals and an expanded sonic palette ranging from cinematic indie pop to anthemic folk rock. The current live band includes vocalist/guitarist Raven Shields, bassist/vocalist Tavo Diez de Bonilla, and drummer Mike Brushey. “The touring and recording members bring fresh eyes and open ears,” says Whitwam. “Playing with new people always brings a greener, more inspired revitalization simply because it’s change. And change is great if you don’t fight it too much.”

Due out September 15 via Pheromone Recordings, Across The Dark is a little closer to what the present line-up of the band is delivering live. “We’ve experimented a lot in the studio over the past few albums while maintaining a core sound as a touring act”, says Whitwham. “And while that sound has always remained intact, it hasn’t always been easy in the studio just because there are so many options with multiple outcomes. I limited myself a little more on this record and ended up with something tighter.”

One of the things the album title reflects is feeling that you’ve committed to something sonically and you’re confident enough to ‘cross the dark’ with it. It’s not dissimilar to the touring life and its ‘down in the trenches’ mentality. Anyone who has toured extensively knows there are long stretches and dark roads (especially in Canada), but it can also be the most rewarding when you’re happy with the band and the shows you’re delivering. If night after night, you feel that the benefits far outweigh the kilometres, then you’re successful enough to justify the madness. The other half of ‘across the dark’ refers to risk and also to the search: constantly trying to find something and the yearning for someone as a main theme in the songs themselves.

In its eight year existence, The Wilderness Of Manitoba’s strengths come as a direct result of the wealth of traveling the band has done; playing a multitude of festivals and touring in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, the USA and Canada. “The live show,” says Whitwham, “is an in-the-moment portrait of the band and its efforts.” Those efforts were recognized when The Wilderness of Manitoba was nominated for a JUNO Award. Summing things up, Whitwham says, “There is no lacking in the quantity of musical ideas and we’re looking forward to getting back to performing as a live entity.”

TOUR DATES

Sep 19 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse
Sep 20 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison
Sep 21 – Hamilton, ON – Mill’s Hardware
Sep 22 – Guelph, ON – University of Guelph
Sep 22 – Elora, ON – Elora Brewing Company
Sep 23 – Sarnia, ON – Paddy Flaherty
Sep 27 – Saskatoon, SK – Vangelis
Sep 28 – Edmonton, AB – The Mercury Room
Sep 29 – Red Deer, AB – Bo’s Bar & Grill
Sep 30 – Calgary, AB – Night Owl
Oct 5 – Kelowna, BC – The Habitat
Oct 6 – Vancouver, BC – The Biltmore Cabaret
Oct 7 – Chilliwack, BC – Tractorgrease
Oct 8 – Mission, BC – House Show
Oct 11 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
Oct 13 – Sault Ste Marie, ON – Loplops
Oct 20 – London, ON – London Music Hall
Oct 21 – Harrow, ON – The Legion
Oct 26 – Oshawa, ON – Moustache Club
Oct 27 – Kingston, ON – The Mansion

TORONTO, ON – July 10th, 2017 – One of Canada’s most lauded independent bands, Lowest of the Low, announced earlier this year a string of live dates this summer including an appearance at Hillside Festival this Friday and a headlining show at The Danforth Music Hall on September 9th. Today, the band are excited to announce that their fourth studio album Do The Right Now is set for release on September 8th via Pheromone Recordings. In anticipation of the release, the band have shared the first single and lyric video for “Powerlines,” watch here.

On the single, front man Ron Hawkins reflects, “Powerlines is a song about my experiences writing the first Low album, Shakespeare My Butt. I had recently broken up with a long time partner and moved into a punk rock squat with some crazy characters I called friends. Every day I walked through the city with a notebook and drank in bars and went to galleries and shows and hung out in my little bohemian circle of anarchists, punks and poets. I became the protagonist in the movie of my life and the city was a cinematic sidekick and factored into the lyrics like a companion.”

The visually stunning lyric video was made in collaboration with photographer, Tom Ryaboi, a pioneer of the art of roof topping. The video reflects Ron’s relationship with his hometown of Toronto and his changing perspective of it over the years. The video is a natural fit to depict a very modern version of Toronto from perspectives not often seen.

Do The Right Now was recorded at Revolution Recording in Toronto, with Ron Hawkins and studio co-owner Joe Dunphy sharing production duties.

Stay tuned for more Canadian tour dates.

Track Listing

1. Powerlines
2. Gerona Train
3. Do The Right Now
4. Saint Spurious
5. Minuteman
6. The Hard Way
7. Something To Believe In
8. Don’t Let it Lay You Low
9. Sister Jude
10. Infinite
11. Immortal
12. California Gothic

Tour Dates

July 14 – Guelph, ON – Hillside Festival
July 15 – Ottawa, ON – Hope Volleyball Summerfest
Sept. 09 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth Music Hall
Sept. 16 – Prince Edward County, ON – Sandbanks Music Festival
Oct. 01 – Sydney, NS – Mary Winspear Centre
Oct. 05-06 – Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom (w/ 54-40)
Oct. 28 – Hamilton, ON – Collective Arts Brewery @ Guitars Strings And Kidney Things

Watch: “Powerlines”
Stream: “Powerlines”

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Award-winning artist Mo Kenney reveals The Details
Pheromone Recordings – September 29, 2017

Lyric video “If You’re Not Dead” released today
TORONTO, June 7, 2017 – This is the year that Mo Kenney plugs in, quite literally. The award-winning artist from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada is releasing The Details due September 29, 2017 via Toronto imprint Pheromone Recordings.

Today marks the release of “If You’re Not Dead” the first song off The Details, which was premiered on tastemaking open-format radio show The Strombo Show this past Sunday night on CBC Radio Two in Canada. The new song shows Kenney’s vocals soaring above an assured bent guitar line and a driving kick drum, setting an accelerated tempo and tone for a new set of songs far removed from the confines of the singer-songwriting world where she first became known and adored. Find it here on all streaming sites (and below in the brand new lyric video.)

Mo Kenney’s numerous achievements for her songwriting and music are impressive for an artist who began releasing and touring less than five years ago: 2013’s Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada Prize for her song Sucker, the USA Songwriting Competition’s 1st Place Winner (Folk) for I Faked It, numerous Music Nova Scotia and East Coast Music Awards, a Canadian Folk Music Award and a JUNO award-nomination.

With The Details, Mo Kenney traces her own strange, devastating, and ultimately hopeful trip through the trials and tribulations of booze-fuelled breakdowns, clouds of depression, and disintegrating relationships. It’s a journey, thankfully, that finds Kenney sailing to calmer seas, closing gently on the sparse, clear-minded “Feelin’ Good.” But the storms weathered to get there are the kind that leave lasting scars. The self-destructive drive of “On The Roof” explodes out of the gate with blistering intensity. “June 3rd” channels the late Elliott Smith with spectral atmospheres as Kenney comes to terms with her alienating behaviour. And the vicious, rollicking “If You’re Not Dead” shows her playing mind games over feral guitar solos and biting hooks. With every track, Kenney unflinchingly confronts her annihilation and eventual redemption, leaving nothing out. Combining elements of bruising rock ‘n’ roll, vivid psychedelia, and haunting, left-of-the-dial pop, The Details documents Kenney’s fight to survive her own worst enemy.

She explains, candidly, “The Details is a fourteen song concept album. The album starts off kind of hopeless and gets progressively more optimistic. This album is the details of coming out the other side.”

Mo Kenney just returned from touring the United Kingdom. Follow along here to see her live. More tour dates will be announced.

Find Mo Kenney on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA ANNOUNCE NEW EP, SPRING TOUR DATES

THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA ARE SET TO RELEASE THE TIN SHOP EP, A COLLECTION OF TRACKS FROM SONGWRITER WILL WHITWHAM, ON MAY 5 VIA PHEROMONE RECORDINGS

LISTEN TO AND SHARE “BRIGDEN FAIR” HERE

SPRING TOUR DATES WITH JENNY BERKEL AND EAMON MCGRATH BEGIN MAY 4

Since its inception The Wilderness Of Manitoba has continued to grow and evolve with every new release. Throughout it all founding member Will Whitwham has left his imprint on each and every sound the band has produced – from the chamber folk debut, Hymns of Love and Spirits, to the cinematic indie pop of Between Colours.

Now the sole songwriter of the outfit, Whitwham has written and produced a collection of songs which represent yet another chapter in the ever evolving story of The Wilderness Of Manitoba. Due out May 5 via Pheromone Recordings, The Tin Shop EP strips back the layers of anthemic folk rock to reveal the heart of Whitwham’s songwriting. Whitwham together with vocalist/guitarist Raven Shields will support the release with a string of tour dates throughout Spring with Jenny Berkel and Eamon McGrath. Full tour dates can be found below.

Today, The Wilderness Of Manitoba are sharing “Brigden Fair” from the EP, a track which Whitwham wrote to feel “like Donovan wrote the lyrics but it was sung and recorded by Simon and Garfunkel. We stopped into the Brigden Fair on tour a few years ago and had a really nice ride on this giant maiden sea woman. Over time, I fictionalized and personified this fall afternoon and amusement ride into song.”

LISTEN TO AND SHARE “BRIGDEN FAIR” HERE

Four of the record’s tracks were recorded at a now closed down Toronto studio called The Tin Shop, an intimate space just down the street from Whitwham’s house. The EP’s title pays homage to a place and time which reflects the vibe of the tracks captured there. Whitwham was joined by Shields to record the half dozen songs that comprise The Tin Shop EP, one of which, “Nothing’s Ever Said,” was already featured in the US television series No Tomorrow.

Later this year, The Wilderness Of Manitoba will prepare to release their fifth studio album. The release features a full band and will be sure to further cement Whitwham as one of Canada’s most diverse and compelling songwriters.

TOUR DATES

May 4 – Toronto, ON – The Burdock Music Hall ^ Tickets / Facebook
May 5 – St. Catharines, ON – Niagara Artists Centre ^ Tickets
May 6 – Hamilton, ON  – Mills Hardware ^ Tickets
May 13 – Harrow, The Legion Hall ^
May 18 – Guelph, ON – Silence %
May 19 – London,ON – The London Music Club % Tickets
May 20 – Ottawa, ON – Zaphod Beeblebrox ^ & % Tickets / Facebook

^ with Jenny Berkel
% with Eamon McGrath

THE TIN SHOP EP
01 Nothing’s Ever Said
02 Brigden Fair
03 Across The Dark
04 The Silence Of Sound
05 Wild Wind
06 November (The Tin Shop Version)

THE WILDERNESS OF MANITOBA ONLINE

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POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE LONGLISTED SONGWRITER’S NEW ALBUM, DAYBREAK OVER JACKSON STREET, OUT APRIL 14 VIA PHEROMONE RECORDINGS

LIVE PERFORMANCE DATES BEGIN APRIL 15

Today, Saskatoon-based roots singer / songwriter Steph Cameron is sharing “Winterwood,” the latest track from her upcoming album Daybreak Over Jackson Street. “Winterwood” is about “being at the mercy of uncertain forces,” says Cameron. “Of a moment where time is frozen and clear and our own vulnerability is stark and beautiful.”

Due out April 14 via Pheromone Recordings, Cameron will support Daybreak Over Jackson Street with a hometown release show on April 15 in Saskatoon before making her way to Toronto for Canadian Music Week.

In 2014, Steph Cameron arrived on the scene like a bracing gust of fresh musical air with her debut record Sad-Eyed Lonesome Lady, receiving unanimously enthusiastic reviews. “This is a monumental, brilliant album… heralds the crowning of a bright new talent,” declared PopMatters in calling it the #1 Canadian album of 2014. No Depression termed it “a stunning debut,” while Exclaim! noted that “Sad-Eyed Lonesome Lady delights from start to finish. Steph Cameron is the real deal.” The record also made the coveted longlist for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize in 2015.

Look for music scribes to again reach for superlatives to describe Daybreak Over Jackson Street as Steph’s new album navigates subtle changes in stylistic terrain. If the debut felt as if it emerged fully-formed from the bohemian streets of Greenwich Village circa 1963, then the extra maturity of this album gives it more of an early ‘70s Laurel or Topanga Canyon atmosphere.

Like her debut, Daybreak Over Jackson Street was recorded at elite Toronto studio Revolution Recording with producer Joe Dunphy. It retains the sparse template of her first record – one voice, one guitar, both recorded in intimate fashion and to tape.

Many of these new songs feature a more mature Cameron looking back upon earlier turbulent times. “As I get a bit older I’m able to recall my youth from a different perspective. Many of these songs draw their content from the life and relationships I had in my youth; to people and places, particularly East Vancouver.” She describes “Daybreak Over Jackson Street” as a song “about living in an impoverished neighbourhood in an urban setting. That song acknowledges some of the elements of life in a slum.” A similar locale, East Vancouver, permeates “Richard,” a haunting ode to a troubled comrade left behind – ‘a hotel is a real sad place for living’.

Having spent some time living in The Kootenays, the great outdoors appears in Cameron’s “That’s What Love Is,” a lovely and gentle tune featuring a circular guitar pattern and such atmospheric imagery as ‘late at night when the coyotes call, the dogs whimper and the leaves fall’. Then there is the fast and breezy “Little Blue Bird,” one ‘sitting in the snow, staring at the stars dreaming of the railroad cars’.

LISTEN TO AND SHARE “CALIFORNIA” HERE
LISTEN TO AND SHARE “YOUNG AND LIVING FREE” HERE

LIVE DATES
Apr 15 – Saskatoon, SK – Village Amp & Guitar
Apr 22 – Toronto, ON – The Dakota Tavern (8 PM) – CMW

WATCH AND SHARE “THE NEXT BLUE SKY” HERE

NEW ALBUM, SOLIDARITY, OUT NOW VIA PHEROMONE RECORDINGS

THE SOLIDARITY TOUR CONTINUES THIS WEEK WITH SPECIAL GUEST MAYHEMINGWAYS

“as cohesive as it is diverse…consistently impressive” No Depression

“Bill and Joel Plaskett get it right” NOW Magazine

“passion and prowess are evident throughout …beautifully shared vision” Exclaim!

“the most explicit folk foray of the Halifax musician’s career – built in his co-headlining father’s image, soaked in traditional sounds from both shores of the Atlantic” The Globe And Mail

Joel Plaskett and his father Bill Plaskett are just getting started on their cross country tour supporting their new collaborative album, Solidarity. Accompanying them on tour is Peterborough’s own Mayhemingways who also joined Bill and Joel in studio at Revolution in Toronto to capture the new video for “The Next Blue Sky.” The video was directed, edited, and captured by multiple JUNO Award winning veteran musician and producer Michael Phillip Wojewoda (Spirit Of The West, Rheostatics, Barenaked Ladies), who also recorded and mixed the live audio. Wojewoda is a long time fan of Joel’s however, this video marks the first time the two have worked together.

“The Next Blue Sky” is a song about heading West and looking for greener pastures. “This song is close to my heart these days,” says Joel. “Farewell to Nova Scotia while we hit the road, chasing the next blue sky.”

WATCH AND SHARE “THE NEXT BLUE SKY” HERE

Out now via Pheromone Recordings, Solidarity is a powerful collection of original and traditional songs, reflecting the duo’s individual journeys and personal politics. From the introspective opening track “Dragonfly,” a song about a paranormal experience that Joel had, to “On Down The River,” Bill’s closing track about leaving his home in England, the album is grounded in folk music but informed by rock and roll history.

The 11 songs on Solidarity are varied and personal, yet expressive of interconnecting themes.

Folk-based political songs like “We Have Fed You All for a Thousand Years” and “Jim Jones” sit side by side with contemplative love songs “No Sight Compares” and “New California,” a touch of rockabilly country blues “Help Me Somebody Depression Blues,” and more fully arranged folk rock songs of contemporary social commentary “Blank Cheque.”

Solidarity is a surprising and unique album, full of strong guitar playing and thoughtful, accessible songs. An excellent addition to the Plaskett catalogue and hopefully the first of many for the Plasketts.

THE SOLIDARITY TOUR

Mar 22 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre

Mar 23 – Regina, SK – WA WA Shire Centre

Mar 24 – Saskatoon, SK – Broadway Theatre

Mar 29 – Kelowna, BC – Mary Irwin Theatre

Mar 30 – Nanaimo, BC – The Queens

Mar 31 – Victoria, BC – Alix Goolden Performance Hall

Apr 1 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre

Apr 5 – Waterloo, ON – Starlight

Apr 6 – Waterloo, ON – Starlight

Apr 7 – Hamilton, ON – The Studio at Hamilton Place

Apr 8 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall

Apr 12 – London, ON – Aeolian Hall

Apr 13 – London, ON – Aeolian Hall

Apr 14 – Stratford, ON – Avondale United Church

Apr 20 – Halifax, NS – Rebecca Cohn Auditorium

Apr 22 – Port Hawkesbury, NS – Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre

May 4 – Paris, ON – Dominion Telegraph

May 5 – Bayfield, ON – Old Town Hall