“The fans might not be there to see me, but every chance I get, I’m gonna’ show them what kind of R&B I’m bringing to the table,” says JRDN (AKA Jordan Croucher). The silky-voiced singer is opening a Canadian tour with pop-rockers Hedley, his biggest gig so far. But this smooth operator is just getting […]
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Major Jillionaire
“It’s easy to get lazy as a DJ, especially when you play three nights a week in the same environment to a drunk crowd,” says Halifax’s DJ Tom Fleming, 2013’s Red Bull Thre3style winner and house DJ for The Dome. On Thursday, with Mixre and DJ Savoury, Fleming will open for one of Diplo’s dance-hall […]
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Sherman Downey’s Sun rises
When Sherman Downey began recording his debut album, Honey for the Bees, four years ago, he went into the studio with a grant from MusicNL, a full set of songs…and no band. Rather than seeking out some session musicians and hoping for the best, Downey turned to the folks he was working with on a […]
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Magnolia’s in bloom
“We would wake up at like 11 and have breakfast,” says Scott MacLean, one half of Magnolia, of making the duo’s first EP, “and smoke some cigarettes, then go record until 10 or 11 at night.” “Drinking would commence at some point in there,” adds Leanne Hoffman, the other half. “It was really relaxing. I […]
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Get schooled on the dance floor
Beginning this week, Halifax will be home to a rather unconventional lecture series. On the last Thursday of each month, a community organizer is invited to give a public lecture followed by a dance party. The new Queer Possibilities lecture series “aims to expand the geographies of queerness in the city of Halifax” and “emphasize […]
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Dark for Dark is “Even” steven
In the making of its latest single “Even,” Dark for Dark bartered a custom headboard for a music video and recording time for a yet-to- be-decided-upon good. The band’s lead singer and songwriter, Rebecca Zolkower is willing to continue her bartering economic strategy with fans for a download code at the upcoming single release party. The […]
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Ryan Hemsworth’s in the mix
When Ryan Hemsworth was invited to the press conference for the 2014 Juno Awards nominations, he thought he was just going to a music industry meet-and-greet. The Halifax-born, Toronto-residing music producer went to the early February event with his manager and a representative from his record label. “They got through choir album of the year […]
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Zuppa makes Mirth!
“Our new show is based on Plato’s Symposium, which is all about love,” says Zuppa Theatre’s Sue Leblanc. “We’re incorporating the themes of love and joy into the play, which is a bit of a departure for us.” No kidding. Though the veteran company is all about inspiration and innovation, it’s also often coming from […]
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Thick as Weed Thief
“It wouldn’t be a hard thing to put one over on us,” says Aaron Burke, vocalist for Weed Thief, “but we’re no thieves.” Drummer Tri Le adds: “In high school, everyone got ripped off.” On Friday, three-piece Weed Thief releases a new tape at Plan B to follow up last year’s pair of EPs. “Weed […]
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Fully RealEyez
“This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life—putting out an album,” RealEyez (AKA Erin Dorrington) says as she sits in a sunny north end cafe. It’s hard not to get swept up in her excitement. Warm and enthusiastic, throughout the conversation Dorrington tells some harrowing facts about her past, but brushes the […]
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Wyrd Distro for the people
This Saturday, outsider art site Weird Canada launches Wyrd Distro, its not-for-profit indie music distribution service for the entire country. This is monumental. Twenty-one celebration parties will happen across Canada simultaneously, featuring regional bands and a videochat with Weird Canada’s founder Aaron Levin and executive director Marie LeBlanc Flanagan. The Wyrd Distro is a game-changer. […]
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Molly Thomason’s high school confidential
Remember when life was a series of what-ifs? Becoming was a rite of passage. Those crucial years of self-discovery, no responsibility, first loves, begging for cigarettes, getting high at lunch, hardcore crushes, stealing alcohol, grades, navigating your parents and self-absorption. Dreaded adulthood was never gonna happen. Some of us walked out the doors of our […]