06/19/2017:
Two more shows added! In addition to 2 band shows at Sled, this Friday at 5 at Palomino and Saturday at 3 at Central Memorial Park, I'll be playing a little solo set at Blackbyrd record store Calgary location (1126 17 Ave SW) as a live-to-air thing for CKUA.
And after that's all done, back home, this coming Sunday, my old pal Mitchmatic (who has played nearly 100% of the sax you ever heard on my recordings) is having a Moving-to-Montreal party, so I'll be playing a solo set to open the evening on that one too.
All info is in the Shows page!
Two more shows added! In addition to 2 band shows at Sled, this Friday at 5 at Palomino and Saturday at 3 at Central Memorial Park, I'll be playing a little solo set at Blackbyrd record store Calgary location (1126 17 Ave SW) as a live-to-air thing for CKUA.
And after that's all done, back home, this coming Sunday, my old pal Mitchmatic (who has played nearly 100% of the sax you ever heard on my recordings) is having a Moving-to-Montreal party, so I'll be playing a solo set to open the evening on that one too.
All info is in the Shows page!
06/02/2017:
I've been back from tour for 3 whole weeks, and already there's a ton of stuff going on! If you missed my updates, they are living on my Instagram for all time, @jomcomyn.
I had such a great time returning to the Buck for a solo show with my main man Doug Hoyer last month.
I announced that I'm playing 2 shows with a full band at this year's Sled Island Fest in Calgary.
And to warm us up, we're playing the tour kickoff of Edmonton psych-rockers Archaics!
I've been slowly watching the Archaics for a few years, and they're definitely one of my favourite Edmonton bands, and one of the most exciting live acts around. They recently did a record with my old pal Renny Wilson. (In case you missed it, listen to what happened when Renny and I put our heads together)
That show with Archaics is at the Rec Room in Edmonton on June 10 and it's FREE OF CHARGE folks, so pile in the car and come on down.
If you missed it, you can see the music video for Dream Deep right here, and it's my directorial debut so you have to like it.
Whilst on tour, I got a bunch of nice press, from Healthy Phat in Edmonton, Beatroute in Calgary, and ohestee in Toronto. Thank you! Also, the album was charting for like 4 straight weeks at #1 on the mighty CJSR! Thank you! It hit #2 on CFRU Guelph. Love you, Guelph! And it was charting on CHUO Ottawa, CHRW London, CICK Smithers, CKUA Edmonton, CITR Vancouver, CFUV Victoria, CKDU Halifax, CHMA Sackville, and CFMH Saint John. Thanks Canada! I'm sorry I never visit you, but I promise I will.
I've been back from tour for 3 whole weeks, and already there's a ton of stuff going on! If you missed my updates, they are living on my Instagram for all time, @jomcomyn.
I had such a great time returning to the Buck for a solo show with my main man Doug Hoyer last month.
I announced that I'm playing 2 shows with a full band at this year's Sled Island Fest in Calgary.
And to warm us up, we're playing the tour kickoff of Edmonton psych-rockers Archaics!
I've been slowly watching the Archaics for a few years, and they're definitely one of my favourite Edmonton bands, and one of the most exciting live acts around. They recently did a record with my old pal Renny Wilson. (In case you missed it, listen to what happened when Renny and I put our heads together)
That show with Archaics is at the Rec Room in Edmonton on June 10 and it's FREE OF CHARGE folks, so pile in the car and come on down.
If you missed it, you can see the music video for Dream Deep right here, and it's my directorial debut so you have to like it.
Whilst on tour, I got a bunch of nice press, from Healthy Phat in Edmonton, Beatroute in Calgary, and ohestee in Toronto. Thank you! Also, the album was charting for like 4 straight weeks at #1 on the mighty CJSR! Thank you! It hit #2 on CFRU Guelph. Love you, Guelph! And it was charting on CHUO Ottawa, CHRW London, CICK Smithers, CKUA Edmonton, CITR Vancouver, CFUV Victoria, CKDU Halifax, CHMA Sackville, and CFMH Saint John. Thanks Canada! I'm sorry I never visit you, but I promise I will.
04/06/2017:
Today is the day I set sail for my second European tour!
First up is this Saturday April 8 in Stockholm at Larry's Corner, a great little record store in Södermalm, with Mathias Danielsson. The next day, Sunday April 9, I zip over to Gothenburg at Holy Moly.
The complete list of tour dates is illustrated beautifully on this tour poster by local auteur Travis Salty, and also on my shows page.
But first, I'd like to look back at last week and thank everybody for making the release show such an incredible night! Wares absolutely destroyed, and then I took the stage with my amazing band, and they kicked such amounts of ass as I've never seen before. The big surprise of the night was just how many people tried to cram into the Buckingham! Surrounded by so many good friends, new friends, and total strangers. It's the same every time---the tour kickoff is so great, I don't want to leave!
If you want to listen or buy, please head over to my bandcamp! The physical poster is available to order there (with instant download to your inbox) but I won't be here to mail any new orders until May.
So until then, the only way to get the poster is by coming to one of the European shows, or in Edmonton through my good pal Tory at Hideout Distro!
I got some generous praise from several outlets already, so I thought I'd share those with you.
First, I got a little heads up on Ride the Tempo in Toronto, and this blog in Berlin called The Chop included "Dream Deep" on their latest Neglected Essentials mix, ahead of my 2 shows there.
This one from my pal Fish at the Edmonton Journal; this one from good old Vue Weekly, and this one from the good folks at Grayowl Point.
I remember now why I hate reading my own interviews...but there's no reason you can't check them out if you want!
Also, I'm debuting my first self-directed music video, for "Dream Deep". It was a lot of fun to make, and I couldn't have done it without the amazing dance performance of Bridget Jessome, and I definitely couldn't have done it without the help of Edmonton filmmaker extraordinaire Dylan Howard, who made it look like a real video, and who also let me use his video editing suite to chop it together.
You can see it on Youtube or if you prefer, Vimeo too.
(And if you haven't seen it, Dylan also made this beautiful short doc about yours truly!)
Today is the day I set sail for my second European tour!
First up is this Saturday April 8 in Stockholm at Larry's Corner, a great little record store in Södermalm, with Mathias Danielsson. The next day, Sunday April 9, I zip over to Gothenburg at Holy Moly.
The complete list of tour dates is illustrated beautifully on this tour poster by local auteur Travis Salty, and also on my shows page.
But first, I'd like to look back at last week and thank everybody for making the release show such an incredible night! Wares absolutely destroyed, and then I took the stage with my amazing band, and they kicked such amounts of ass as I've never seen before. The big surprise of the night was just how many people tried to cram into the Buckingham! Surrounded by so many good friends, new friends, and total strangers. It's the same every time---the tour kickoff is so great, I don't want to leave!
If you want to listen or buy, please head over to my bandcamp! The physical poster is available to order there (with instant download to your inbox) but I won't be here to mail any new orders until May.
So until then, the only way to get the poster is by coming to one of the European shows, or in Edmonton through my good pal Tory at Hideout Distro!
I got some generous praise from several outlets already, so I thought I'd share those with you.
First, I got a little heads up on Ride the Tempo in Toronto, and this blog in Berlin called The Chop included "Dream Deep" on their latest Neglected Essentials mix, ahead of my 2 shows there.
This one from my pal Fish at the Edmonton Journal; this one from good old Vue Weekly, and this one from the good folks at Grayowl Point.
I remember now why I hate reading my own interviews...but there's no reason you can't check them out if you want!
Also, I'm debuting my first self-directed music video, for "Dream Deep". It was a lot of fun to make, and I couldn't have done it without the amazing dance performance of Bridget Jessome, and I definitely couldn't have done it without the help of Edmonton filmmaker extraordinaire Dylan Howard, who made it look like a real video, and who also let me use his video editing suite to chop it together.
You can see it on Youtube or if you prefer, Vimeo too.
(And if you haven't seen it, Dylan also made this beautiful short doc about yours truly!)
03/22/2017:
It's been a long time since I announced any news, but here are 3 things I need to tell you about!
And stay tuned for a music video, my directorial debut...
It's been a long time since I announced any news, but here are 3 things I need to tell you about!
And stay tuned for a music video, my directorial debut...
1) New Album:
I Need Love is a 28 track album, mostly self-produced, with 1 song produced by Renny Wilson and 2 songs by produced by Jesse Northey. It will be released on March 30 via Sweety Pie Records as a newspaper-sized full colour poster with artwork by Jill Stanton, including a lyrics sheet and download. You can pre-order it here, or come pick up a copy at the Edmonton release show Thursday March 30 at the Buckingham.
Listen to 2 singles on bandcamp and soundcloud right now.
I Need Love is a 28 track album, mostly self-produced, with 1 song produced by Renny Wilson and 2 songs by produced by Jesse Northey. It will be released on March 30 via Sweety Pie Records as a newspaper-sized full colour poster with artwork by Jill Stanton, including a lyrics sheet and download. You can pre-order it here, or come pick up a copy at the Edmonton release show Thursday March 30 at the Buckingham.
Listen to 2 singles on bandcamp and soundcloud right now.
2) Album Release Show / Tour Kickoff Show:
The new album is released at a release/tour kickoff show on Thursday March 30 at the Buckingham in Edmonton.
It features myself with a full band accompaniment, Jessica Jalbert, Tom Murray and Andy Mulcair.
Starting out the night is a solo set from Wares, one of the best solo performers I've ever seen.
Last year she put out this amazing 7" which you should definitely hear and grip asap.
Tickets are $10 in advance at yeglive.ca and $12 at the door.
Here is the event page if you want that.
The new album is released at a release/tour kickoff show on Thursday March 30 at the Buckingham in Edmonton.
It features myself with a full band accompaniment, Jessica Jalbert, Tom Murray and Andy Mulcair.
Starting out the night is a solo set from Wares, one of the best solo performers I've ever seen.
Last year she put out this amazing 7" which you should definitely hear and grip asap.
Tickets are $10 in advance at yeglive.ca and $12 at the door.
Here is the event page if you want that.
3) European Tour:
I had so much fun last year, I decided to go back!
Starting April 8, I'm doing another solo tour of small art spaces, venues and cafes across the continent.
More specific info and links to each show at the shows page.
Apr 8: Stockholm, SE @ Larry's Corner
Apr 9: Gothenburg, SE @ Holy Moly
Apr 12: Copenhagen, DK @ Tjili Pop
Apr 14: Malmö, SE @ Far i Hatten
Apr 18: Berlin, DE @ Madame Claude
Apr 20: Offenbach, DE @ Waggon am Kulturgleis
Apr 21: Hamburg, DE @ Mobile Blues Club
Apr 26: Prague, CZ @ (A)void Floating Gallery
Apr 27: Vienna, AT @ Polka Dot
Apr 28: Salzburg, AT @ Plan B
May 3: Berlin, DE @ Ä Neukölln
May 6: Bruges, BE @ Snuffel Hostel
May 7: Bonn, DE @ Cafe la Victoria
May 8: Amsterdam, NL @ Dwaze Zaken
I had so much fun last year, I decided to go back!
Starting April 8, I'm doing another solo tour of small art spaces, venues and cafes across the continent.
More specific info and links to each show at the shows page.
Apr 8: Stockholm, SE @ Larry's Corner
Apr 9: Gothenburg, SE @ Holy Moly
Apr 12: Copenhagen, DK @ Tjili Pop
Apr 14: Malmö, SE @ Far i Hatten
Apr 18: Berlin, DE @ Madame Claude
Apr 20: Offenbach, DE @ Waggon am Kulturgleis
Apr 21: Hamburg, DE @ Mobile Blues Club
Apr 26: Prague, CZ @ (A)void Floating Gallery
Apr 27: Vienna, AT @ Polka Dot
Apr 28: Salzburg, AT @ Plan B
May 3: Berlin, DE @ Ä Neukölln
May 6: Bruges, BE @ Snuffel Hostel
May 7: Bonn, DE @ Cafe la Victoria
May 8: Amsterdam, NL @ Dwaze Zaken
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10/26/2016:
More great shows! I'm sort of planning a miniature hibernation so you all don't get sick of me before the next album comes out this spring. But in the meantime, I was asked to play two of my favourite places. First, I'll be doing the illustrious Saturday afternoon gig at my beloved Empress Ale House on Nov 5, just me and my trusty drummer Andy Mulcair. We've had one jam, and the arrangements so far are getting pretty loose and fun and interesting. Even if you've seen me a million times, I highly recommend checking this out, because it's probably going to be a one-in-a-lifetime set. And after that, I'm going by myself to hop on an amazing bill at the Sewing Machine Factory, one of the best new venues in town, hosted by one of the great new promoters in town, Sweaty Palms aka Mustafa. The main attractions are Hannah Epperson, Omhouse, and Symfan, so I better do a good one because the caliber is high on this one. This is on Nov 15. Both shows are up on my shows page. I continue plugging away on mastering the new record, which is a massive feat itself, since this is my longest and most particular album I've done, with pretty elaborate sequencing. Luckily, my secret weapon is my old pal Taylor Schaerer, the wizard of sound who mastered all of my early releases, and who is an extremely talented individual all around. |
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09/02/2016:
I was invited to play some really cool shows by some of my favourite musical pals!
The great Neal Moignard (top left), who directed the amazing music video for my song "Wish Upon a Storm" is back in the saddle making great music under the name Knots, and this time he has a full band. They're putting out a record, and the single is irresistible. For the big album release in Edmonton, we were lucky to get Simone Schmidt aka Fiver, also of the amazing band The Highest Order visiting us from Toronto. They are one of the best singers in Canada, with a voice like Johnny Cash risen from the grave, you gotta see this one. That's Saturday September 10 at Bohemia 10217 97 street.
I was also asked to join my good pal Jesse Northey of Jesse & the Dandelions, on a mini-tour of Alberta! Jesse just put out this awesome record True Blue, and here's a great music video of him figure skating. These shows are Thursday September 8 in Medicine Hat at Captain's Cabin Pub, and Friday September 9 in Lethbridge at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
I was invited to play some really cool shows by some of my favourite musical pals!
The great Neal Moignard (top left), who directed the amazing music video for my song "Wish Upon a Storm" is back in the saddle making great music under the name Knots, and this time he has a full band. They're putting out a record, and the single is irresistible. For the big album release in Edmonton, we were lucky to get Simone Schmidt aka Fiver, also of the amazing band The Highest Order visiting us from Toronto. They are one of the best singers in Canada, with a voice like Johnny Cash risen from the grave, you gotta see this one. That's Saturday September 10 at Bohemia 10217 97 street.
I was also asked to join my good pal Jesse Northey of Jesse & the Dandelions, on a mini-tour of Alberta! Jesse just put out this awesome record True Blue, and here's a great music video of him figure skating. These shows are Thursday September 8 in Medicine Hat at Captain's Cabin Pub, and Friday September 9 in Lethbridge at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.
07/04/2016:
Since my last entry, I played some solo sets as accompaniment to a fantastic dance artist, Bridget Jessome for Edmonton's Next Fest; I wrangled a new band together, including my old multi-instrumental pal Mitch Holtby; we opened for Besnard Lakes; we opened for Willie Thrasher at Sled Island in Calgary; and we played a great Thursday night banger with our pals Betrayers at The Common.
In the meantime, I've been starting to chip away in earnest at the final pieces of the new album, mixing what I finished recording at year ago at the old SPACE / Graphic Arts building, and recording a few last minute pieces with some more professional hands.
But I'll be popping my head up to do a solo set with a great talent from Montreal, Lucas Huang, aka Old Haunt, at the Buckingham on August 11. We're lucky enough to get one of Edmonton's best singers to open for us, Sister Ray aka Ella Coyles. You don't want to miss this, folks. I'll post a poster here when it's ready.
And finally, I've been pretty lax about keeping my records and tapes stocked up in stores, so shame on me.
Records of In the Dark on 99 and the last few tapes of Black Pits EP are fully stocked and available at Listen Records on 124 Street and Blackbyrd Myoozik on Whyte in Edmonton, and there are also records (but no tapes, sorry) available at Blackbyrd's new location in Calgary on 17 Ave SW. I think it has more sunlight than any record store in Canada, so check it out!
And, I'm very happy to say that you can also get records through my good friend Tory Cullen aka (Karma Victoria), who was able to get my records into Edmonton-owned shop Bamboo Ballroom on Whyte, and also in her awesome Hideout Distro, which she operates out of Vacancy Hall in the Mercer Building on 104 Street, where you can find my records alongside her awesome hand-crafted jewelry. There's a great new interview with her, and you can read it here.
If you live in a major Canadian city, chances are you can find my records in one of the fine record-selling establishments nearby. As always, the full list is at the Buy page, just scroll down until you see Record Stores. And if you can't find me in your local city, you can always order a record through my Bandcamp or Wyrd Distro (although maybe wait until the postal strike gets settled!)
Since my last entry, I played some solo sets as accompaniment to a fantastic dance artist, Bridget Jessome for Edmonton's Next Fest; I wrangled a new band together, including my old multi-instrumental pal Mitch Holtby; we opened for Besnard Lakes; we opened for Willie Thrasher at Sled Island in Calgary; and we played a great Thursday night banger with our pals Betrayers at The Common.
In the meantime, I've been starting to chip away in earnest at the final pieces of the new album, mixing what I finished recording at year ago at the old SPACE / Graphic Arts building, and recording a few last minute pieces with some more professional hands.
But I'll be popping my head up to do a solo set with a great talent from Montreal, Lucas Huang, aka Old Haunt, at the Buckingham on August 11. We're lucky enough to get one of Edmonton's best singers to open for us, Sister Ray aka Ella Coyles. You don't want to miss this, folks. I'll post a poster here when it's ready.
And finally, I've been pretty lax about keeping my records and tapes stocked up in stores, so shame on me.
Records of In the Dark on 99 and the last few tapes of Black Pits EP are fully stocked and available at Listen Records on 124 Street and Blackbyrd Myoozik on Whyte in Edmonton, and there are also records (but no tapes, sorry) available at Blackbyrd's new location in Calgary on 17 Ave SW. I think it has more sunlight than any record store in Canada, so check it out!
And, I'm very happy to say that you can also get records through my good friend Tory Cullen aka (Karma Victoria), who was able to get my records into Edmonton-owned shop Bamboo Ballroom on Whyte, and also in her awesome Hideout Distro, which she operates out of Vacancy Hall in the Mercer Building on 104 Street, where you can find my records alongside her awesome hand-crafted jewelry. There's a great new interview with her, and you can read it here.
If you live in a major Canadian city, chances are you can find my records in one of the fine record-selling establishments nearby. As always, the full list is at the Buy page, just scroll down until you see Record Stores. And if you can't find me in your local city, you can always order a record through my Bandcamp or Wyrd Distro (although maybe wait until the postal strike gets settled!)
05/31/2016:
I went on tour, came back from tour, and now there's a bunch of Alberta shows to do!
But I really have to thank everybody who made the tour such a great experience, everybody in all the cities. What an incredible time! I can't wait to go back!
I put a bunch of photos on Instagram while I was gone, check it out!
Some time ago, I was approached by a local dance artist, Bridget Jessome, to collaborate on a piece she had composed to be accompanied by two of my songs, and she wondered if I wanted to join as a live solo performance. So, I'm happy to report that you can see this piece, Something I Know Because You Told Me, at this year's Nextfest in Edmonton. There will be three performances of the 10-minute piece: Saturday June 4 at 7:00 pm, Tuesday June 7 at 6:00 pm, and Saturday June 11 at 6:00 pm. You can see all of the info here.
After that, I have a few shows with the whole band, including my old pal Mitch Holtby on drums! (Okay, he's not that old.)
June 18 at the Needle in Edmonton, opening for the amazing Besnard Lakes!
And I'm very happy to announce my slots at this year's Sled Island in Calgary!
Wednesday June 22 at Ship & Anchor with Willie Thrasher, and Thursday June 23 at Palomino as part of a showcase from Edmonton's newest/best startup record label, Sweety Pie. I'm honoured and delighted to be a part of Sled, and to be considered in the extended Sweety Pie family.
I went on tour, came back from tour, and now there's a bunch of Alberta shows to do!
But I really have to thank everybody who made the tour such a great experience, everybody in all the cities. What an incredible time! I can't wait to go back!
I put a bunch of photos on Instagram while I was gone, check it out!
Some time ago, I was approached by a local dance artist, Bridget Jessome, to collaborate on a piece she had composed to be accompanied by two of my songs, and she wondered if I wanted to join as a live solo performance. So, I'm happy to report that you can see this piece, Something I Know Because You Told Me, at this year's Nextfest in Edmonton. There will be three performances of the 10-minute piece: Saturday June 4 at 7:00 pm, Tuesday June 7 at 6:00 pm, and Saturday June 11 at 6:00 pm. You can see all of the info here.
After that, I have a few shows with the whole band, including my old pal Mitch Holtby on drums! (Okay, he's not that old.)
June 18 at the Needle in Edmonton, opening for the amazing Besnard Lakes!
And I'm very happy to announce my slots at this year's Sled Island in Calgary!
Wednesday June 22 at Ship & Anchor with Willie Thrasher, and Thursday June 23 at Palomino as part of a showcase from Edmonton's newest/best startup record label, Sweety Pie. I'm honoured and delighted to be a part of Sled, and to be considered in the extended Sweety Pie family.
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04/20/2016:
Extra special retroactive thanks to the Empress Ale House and everybody for coming to the tour kickoff show. I've got a lot to learn before I get to Europe, but I feel much more prepared now. Special thanks to Travis Sargent for making these great posters, which you can see over here ☞ And in addition to those, 2 more tour dates were added in the last minute! May 7 (afternoon) / Ghent, BE / Sorry Notsorry Fest in Zonder naam Park May 22 / Reykjavik, IS / KEX Hostel 04/04/2016:
Okay, big announcements. 1) Going to Europe in May 2) Little tour kickoff at the Empress on April 18 3) Opening for Besnard Lakes on June 18 4) Other stuff that hasn't been announced yet. It's all in the Shows page, but here ☞ is a list of the Euro dates anyway. Tell your friends! (please) |
European Dates:
May 5 / Paris, FR / Onze Bar May 7 / Ghent, BE / In de Ruimte May 9 / Amsterdam, NL / Dwaze Zaken May 11 / Berlin, DE / Ä Neukölln May 13 / Jena, DE / Brandmarken Schuhe May 15 / Bonn, DE / Cafe la Victoria May 18 / Vienna, AT / Polka Dot May 21 / Reykjavik, IS / RVK Roasters |
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2/12/2016:
And another two shows with the band to announce! Thursday, Feb 25 at The Common, with one of my favourite new Edmonton bands of the last while, Slow Girl Walking. And the very next day Feb 26, I'll be opening for Faith Healer as part of a free on-air concert at CKUA radio. And otherwise, working steady on the new record and planning some tour dates abroad. None of it is going to be done properly, but bear with me please. |
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11/23/2015:
Two full band shows to announce!
December 19 at Ritchie Hall, we'll be a part of the holiday shaker from Edmonton's latest and greatest label, Sweety Pie.
It'll have a special holiday band featuring Marlaena Moore, Power Buddies, Rusty and a million other great folks.
It'll also have a ton of great comedians like Jon Mick, who has always wanted me to play music at a largely comedic show, so this will be his dream come true for him personally.
Also, we were invited to play NYE with the Betrayers at my favourite bar, The Empress.
Make sure you get a ticket ahead of time before it sells out. You get in, you get champagne, and you get to watch us pull out some dumb covers.
Two full band shows to announce!
December 19 at Ritchie Hall, we'll be a part of the holiday shaker from Edmonton's latest and greatest label, Sweety Pie.
It'll have a special holiday band featuring Marlaena Moore, Power Buddies, Rusty and a million other great folks.
It'll also have a ton of great comedians like Jon Mick, who has always wanted me to play music at a largely comedic show, so this will be his dream come true for him personally.
Also, we were invited to play NYE with the Betrayers at my favourite bar, The Empress.
Make sure you get a ticket ahead of time before it sells out. You get in, you get champagne, and you get to watch us pull out some dumb covers.
11/8/2015:
Next solo set is Thursday Nov 12 at Accent Lounge in Edmonton.
Might happy to be a part of the legendary Endless Bummer Fest, which calls itself the Worst Festival in the World.
Big expectations to live up to.
After that, I'll be roping a band together again for a couple shows in December, so keep your eyes peeled.
Next solo set is Thursday Nov 12 at Accent Lounge in Edmonton.
Might happy to be a part of the legendary Endless Bummer Fest, which calls itself the Worst Festival in the World.
Big expectations to live up to.
After that, I'll be roping a band together again for a couple shows in December, so keep your eyes peeled.
10/13/2015:
Here's a bit of coverage of my last set, last Friday for the Up + DT Fest in Edmonton. I was playing with some lovely Icelandic folks, Snorri Helgason, Pétur Ben, and a surprise set from Sóley, all of whom were very good and very humbling to watch, and all of whom made me want to hop on the nearest plane to Reykyavik. There weren't many in attendance, but among them were Jibril Yassin and Chris Gee for Exclaim, so a mighty thank you to those two gents.
Here's a bit of coverage of my last set, last Friday for the Up + DT Fest in Edmonton. I was playing with some lovely Icelandic folks, Snorri Helgason, Pétur Ben, and a surprise set from Sóley, all of whom were very good and very humbling to watch, and all of whom made me want to hop on the nearest plane to Reykyavik. There weren't many in attendance, but among them were Jibril Yassin and Chris Gee for Exclaim, so a mighty thank you to those two gents.
08/17/2015:
You can hear one of my new songs, along with some great bands from around the world (and a few Edmos too!) on this great mixtape from a blog Mouca, based out of Porto, Portugal and Berlin (not Portugal).
Also, there was a great review of the EP from the folks over at Ride the Tempo.
And I'm starting to close in on basic tracking for the new full-length, out hopefully next spring.
You can hear one of my new songs, along with some great bands from around the world (and a few Edmos too!) on this great mixtape from a blog Mouca, based out of Porto, Portugal and Berlin (not Portugal).
Also, there was a great review of the EP from the folks over at Ride the Tempo.
And I'm starting to close in on basic tracking for the new full-length, out hopefully next spring.
08/11/2015:
Looks like some people are liking the new EP!
It's been jostling between #1 and #2 on the CJSR chart, neck and neck with Daniel Romano of all people! So I'm in good company there.
And the folks over at Grayowl Point put out a review just today, which was darn nice of them.
I'll have some shows lined up in a bit here, so stay tuned to my Shows page for that.
And I finally caught up on mail, so if you ordered something, it is coming, and sorry for the delay! It's in Canada Post's hands now.
Looks like some people are liking the new EP!
It's been jostling between #1 and #2 on the CJSR chart, neck and neck with Daniel Romano of all people! So I'm in good company there.
And the folks over at Grayowl Point put out a review just today, which was darn nice of them.
I'll have some shows lined up in a bit here, so stay tuned to my Shows page for that.
And I finally caught up on mail, so if you ordered something, it is coming, and sorry for the delay! It's in Canada Post's hands now.
07/07/2015:
Wow, I've got some major catching up to do after Sled Island.
For starters, Sled Island was amazing! Thanks to Shawn Petsche for arranging the festival, thanks to Bry Webb and the Providers (Rich and Nathan) for being such great people and playing such great music.
Since I've been back, I've had a lot of interviews and such leading up to the cassette release on Thursday, so here they are.
Here's a little sit-down I did with my bud Jenna Williams over at Beatroute. I think I may have exaggerated my relationship to Brandy and Ace of Base (and Bob Dylan for that matter), but I always second-guess these things anyway.
This is a little blurb from the lovely Paul Blinov at Vue Weekly, and it puts me in good company with Jessica Holtby.
This is an interview I did over the phone with Samantha Power, one of my favourite Edmonton writers ever, for GigCity.
And this is the link for the Exclaim premiere of the "Lost in Time" video by Parker Thiessen. I'm so glad the world can finally see this. For a long time, I didn't know what it was going to look like, but it turned out to be as bizarre and funny and beautifully shot as I had hoped. Parker is genuinely one of the most passionate, creative people I've ever met, and everything he does is full of that positive energy that oozes out of him like that green slime from Ghostbusters. Between all of his noise projects, his work for FAVA, and all of the great videos he shoots, it's amazing he had time for me. Nobody else in the world can do what Parker does, and I'm very lucky to have a song set to one of his ideas.
Wow, I've got some major catching up to do after Sled Island.
For starters, Sled Island was amazing! Thanks to Shawn Petsche for arranging the festival, thanks to Bry Webb and the Providers (Rich and Nathan) for being such great people and playing such great music.
Since I've been back, I've had a lot of interviews and such leading up to the cassette release on Thursday, so here they are.
Here's a little sit-down I did with my bud Jenna Williams over at Beatroute. I think I may have exaggerated my relationship to Brandy and Ace of Base (and Bob Dylan for that matter), but I always second-guess these things anyway.
This is a little blurb from the lovely Paul Blinov at Vue Weekly, and it puts me in good company with Jessica Holtby.
This is an interview I did over the phone with Samantha Power, one of my favourite Edmonton writers ever, for GigCity.
And this is the link for the Exclaim premiere of the "Lost in Time" video by Parker Thiessen. I'm so glad the world can finally see this. For a long time, I didn't know what it was going to look like, but it turned out to be as bizarre and funny and beautifully shot as I had hoped. Parker is genuinely one of the most passionate, creative people I've ever met, and everything he does is full of that positive energy that oozes out of him like that green slime from Ghostbusters. Between all of his noise projects, his work for FAVA, and all of the great videos he shoots, it's amazing he had time for me. Nobody else in the world can do what Parker does, and I'm very lucky to have a song set to one of his ideas.
06/16/2015:
As of today, I have three shows coming up.
First, the Sled Island show in Calgary. It's at the Ship and Anchor on Thursday June 25, and I'll be opening for Bry Webb.
Second, the release show for my Black Pits EP at Wunderbar, on Thursday July 9. It's just me and Mauno, so it'll be over early.
Third, Golden West Music Fest, which is a big camping trip/music festival up in Ardmore, AB close to Cold Lake. It's on the August long weekend, it's full of great bands, and it's a ton of fun, so I really hope I see you there.
As of today, I have three shows coming up.
First, the Sled Island show in Calgary. It's at the Ship and Anchor on Thursday June 25, and I'll be opening for Bry Webb.
Second, the release show for my Black Pits EP at Wunderbar, on Thursday July 9. It's just me and Mauno, so it'll be over early.
Third, Golden West Music Fest, which is a big camping trip/music festival up in Ardmore, AB close to Cold Lake. It's on the August long weekend, it's full of great bands, and it's a ton of fun, so I really hope I see you there.
06/02/2015:
Today, you can listen to one of the songs off the new EP, because it's streaming on Exclaim. I recorded "Lost in Time" with Garrett Johnson (from Brazilian Money) in one long, 8-hour session right before he moved from Edmonton to Montreal. I came to him because I always considered him one of the bona fide "geniuses" of music in Edmonton, in the sense that his approach to writing and composition and rhythm is completely unique. Sometimes it comes across as "weird", but usually that's just a synonym for "interesting." And when I told Garrett that I didn't have a bass part written yet, he spent about an hour piecing one together, and now---go figure---it's the best part of the song.
So thanks, Garrett, and thanks to Josiah and everyone at Exclaim. The EP will be out July 9 from Bart Records (and there might even be some tapes ready for Sled).
Today, you can listen to one of the songs off the new EP, because it's streaming on Exclaim. I recorded "Lost in Time" with Garrett Johnson (from Brazilian Money) in one long, 8-hour session right before he moved from Edmonton to Montreal. I came to him because I always considered him one of the bona fide "geniuses" of music in Edmonton, in the sense that his approach to writing and composition and rhythm is completely unique. Sometimes it comes across as "weird", but usually that's just a synonym for "interesting." And when I told Garrett that I didn't have a bass part written yet, he spent about an hour piecing one together, and now---go figure---it's the best part of the song.
So thanks, Garrett, and thanks to Josiah and everyone at Exclaim. The EP will be out July 9 from Bart Records (and there might even be some tapes ready for Sled).
05/28/2015:
This is shaping up to be one of the best Sled Islands in memory. The schedule came out today. Not only do I get to play 3 times (once for me, twice for Faith Healer), and not only do I not have to miss seeing Television, but I get to open for one of my all-time heroes Bry Webb. This is a major Sled dream come true, and I have nothing but tremendous thanks and respect for Shawn Petsche and all of the organizers of this amazing festival. You can see all of my upcoming shows, as always, in the shows tab.
This is shaping up to be one of the best Sled Islands in memory. The schedule came out today. Not only do I get to play 3 times (once for me, twice for Faith Healer), and not only do I not have to miss seeing Television, but I get to open for one of my all-time heroes Bry Webb. This is a major Sled dream come true, and I have nothing but tremendous thanks and respect for Shawn Petsche and all of the organizers of this amazing festival. You can see all of my upcoming shows, as always, in the shows tab.
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05/17/2015:
As I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to be the subject of a beautiful music doc made by the lovely and talented Dylan Howard. It's now up for streaming on Vimeo via his own Truthful Work Films website, and it's also up on the videos page of this website. The film is called Lifetimes of Snow, and it's shot half in digital, half 16mm, by the amazingly talented cinematographer Aaron Munson. So if you want to hear me mumbling about myself over top of some gorgeous shots of my hometown, you can do that now. A million and a half thanks to Dylan and all the crew for making such a beautiful film. Also, when I'm not Jomming around with myself, I'm playing in a real band called Faith Healer. We recently went on the CBC show q (not Q) in Toronto. You can listen to the whole thing here, or watch a video. And the Faith Healer record Cosmic Troubles is completely Jom-free, so I don't hesitate to flog it on anyone and everyone. You gotta hear this thing! June will be a busy month, getting ready for The Black Pits EP, a new 6-song cassette, made with 6 producers (including myself), to be released on Bart Records, as well as a music video, directed by Edmonton's crown prince of creativity Parker Thiessen. More news on that will crop up right here as it comes. |
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05/06/2015:
I am pleased to be included on the lineup for this year's Sled Island, making it my second year. Whoever wrote that little artist bio sure was nice. Looking through the lineup, I'm really honoured to be going as a performer, and super excited as a spectator. The Sleddites were decent enough to invite myself, along with some of my favourite Edmonton and Calgary homies like Diamond Mind, Feverfew, Hagface, Ben Disaster, Faith Healer (special homies), tuques, Renny Wilson Punk Ex, Astral Swans, Betrayers, Switches, Pigeon Breeders, Lab Coast, Lucid 44, Lad Mags, Samantha Savage Smith, Slates, Stepmothers, Tee-Tahs, and some of the country's finest from coast to coast including The Backhomes, Construction and Destruction, Cousins, Jon McKiel, Maica Mia, Monomyth, Psychic Pollution, Shooting Guns, and Viet Cong. I'll also get to see Television (holy shit), Godspeed! (amazing), Bry Webb (the legend), Iceage, Lightning Bolt, and Mykki Blanco.
I never thought I'd see my name next to Jaga Jazzist!
I am pleased to be included on the lineup for this year's Sled Island, making it my second year. Whoever wrote that little artist bio sure was nice. Looking through the lineup, I'm really honoured to be going as a performer, and super excited as a spectator. The Sleddites were decent enough to invite myself, along with some of my favourite Edmonton and Calgary homies like Diamond Mind, Feverfew, Hagface, Ben Disaster, Faith Healer (special homies), tuques, Renny Wilson Punk Ex, Astral Swans, Betrayers, Switches, Pigeon Breeders, Lab Coast, Lucid 44, Lad Mags, Samantha Savage Smith, Slates, Stepmothers, Tee-Tahs, and some of the country's finest from coast to coast including The Backhomes, Construction and Destruction, Cousins, Jon McKiel, Maica Mia, Monomyth, Psychic Pollution, Shooting Guns, and Viet Cong. I'll also get to see Television (holy shit), Godspeed! (amazing), Bry Webb (the legend), Iceage, Lightning Bolt, and Mykki Blanco.
I never thought I'd see my name next to Jaga Jazzist!
03/25/2015:
A bunch of new stuff came about recently, so I thought I'd keep you in the loop.
First, it's been announced that I will once again be apart of the Golden West Music Festival. I've had the good fortune to be invited to the three-day festival up in sunny Ardmore, Alberta for every one of its three years, and I'm very excited to get the band back together, play a few songs, and have another cool dip in Cold Lake.
Talented filmmaker (and my good buddy) Dylan Howard (of Truthful Work Films) was commissioned by Edmonton's Film and Video Arts Society (FAVA) to make a 10 minute film about a local musician, and he picked yours truly. Dylan had a great team with him, and I got see what a real film shoot looks like (and feel how cold a real film shoot feels in the winter!). After watching Dylan's film about our mutual friend, the great Liam Trimble, I was both excited and terrified at the prospect of having the camera pointed at me. But any trepidation I had about having my big face on the big screen was weighed with the knowledge that I was in good hands, and I'm proud to have been involved in the project.
You can see the debut of "Lifetimes of Snow" in Edmonton at FAVA Fest, on the evening of Thursday, April 16 at the Metro Cinema. Admission is by donation, and the films start at 7.
Over at Weird Canada, my eloquent and giant-hearted friend Jared Majeski wrote a beautiful and flattering Cityscape piece about Edmonton. He included one of my songs on the playlist, and he put my picture on the top of it (for better or worse!).
I'm also happy to be playing guitar in an excellent band called Faith Healer, formerly known by its brainchild, Jessica Jalbert (who has lent her amazing voice to some of my recordings). I didn't play a note on the new album Cosmic Troubles, and therefore, I won't hesitate to crow about how great it is. But don't take my word for it: the whole thing was recently put up for stream in advance of the March 31 release, through Mint Records. Have a listen, and go buy the record when it's out.
I'm in the process of finishing up an EP, starting up recording for the next big album, and finishing a video. No dates yet, but I'm hoping to have the EP behind me by the summertime. As always, I'll keep you posted.
A bunch of new stuff came about recently, so I thought I'd keep you in the loop.
First, it's been announced that I will once again be apart of the Golden West Music Festival. I've had the good fortune to be invited to the three-day festival up in sunny Ardmore, Alberta for every one of its three years, and I'm very excited to get the band back together, play a few songs, and have another cool dip in Cold Lake.
Talented filmmaker (and my good buddy) Dylan Howard (of Truthful Work Films) was commissioned by Edmonton's Film and Video Arts Society (FAVA) to make a 10 minute film about a local musician, and he picked yours truly. Dylan had a great team with him, and I got see what a real film shoot looks like (and feel how cold a real film shoot feels in the winter!). After watching Dylan's film about our mutual friend, the great Liam Trimble, I was both excited and terrified at the prospect of having the camera pointed at me. But any trepidation I had about having my big face on the big screen was weighed with the knowledge that I was in good hands, and I'm proud to have been involved in the project.
You can see the debut of "Lifetimes of Snow" in Edmonton at FAVA Fest, on the evening of Thursday, April 16 at the Metro Cinema. Admission is by donation, and the films start at 7.
Over at Weird Canada, my eloquent and giant-hearted friend Jared Majeski wrote a beautiful and flattering Cityscape piece about Edmonton. He included one of my songs on the playlist, and he put my picture on the top of it (for better or worse!).
I'm also happy to be playing guitar in an excellent band called Faith Healer, formerly known by its brainchild, Jessica Jalbert (who has lent her amazing voice to some of my recordings). I didn't play a note on the new album Cosmic Troubles, and therefore, I won't hesitate to crow about how great it is. But don't take my word for it: the whole thing was recently put up for stream in advance of the March 31 release, through Mint Records. Have a listen, and go buy the record when it's out.
I'm in the process of finishing up an EP, starting up recording for the next big album, and finishing a video. No dates yet, but I'm hoping to have the EP behind me by the summertime. As always, I'll keep you posted.
02/06/2015:
Pleased to see a second life for this beautiful video of "Wish Upon a Storm" shot by Neal Moignard.
The kind folks at Weird Canada have given it some love, just in time for another round of shitty Edmonton weather.
How poetic.
Pleased to see a second life for this beautiful video of "Wish Upon a Storm" shot by Neal Moignard.
The kind folks at Weird Canada have given it some love, just in time for another round of shitty Edmonton weather.
How poetic.
12/21/2014:
Things are pretty quiet in Jom land.
But I realized that it's already been a year since the Edmonton release of the album at Wunderbar.
I remember it being a completely incredible night, and I was lucky enough to get to see one of my favourite bands, the amazing Energetic Action.
When I originally released the album, I had to pick the 8 strongest songs, the "hits", that would fit on the 12" vinyl, and include the other 7 tracks as Bonus tracks for the download. I decided to only put those core 8 songs on the Bandcamp page as well, hiding the other 7 as Bonus download tracks only accessible to people who bought the album.
But now, a year later, even though I still think that the core 8 tracks are definitely the strongest, I am very proud of the whole album, front to back, Track 1 to Track 15.
So now, you can hear all 15 songs, for better or worse, skip as many as you want to, take them or leave them.
You can stream them on Bandcamp, on Youtube, and on a bunch of digital services like Spotify and iTunes.
And, of course, you can still buy it on 12" vinyl and get the digital download, from Bandcamp, Wyrd Distro, or a number of record stores across Canada.
Thanks to everyone for all the amazing support and well wishes I've received this past year.
Love,
Jom
Things are pretty quiet in Jom land.
But I realized that it's already been a year since the Edmonton release of the album at Wunderbar.
I remember it being a completely incredible night, and I was lucky enough to get to see one of my favourite bands, the amazing Energetic Action.
When I originally released the album, I had to pick the 8 strongest songs, the "hits", that would fit on the 12" vinyl, and include the other 7 tracks as Bonus tracks for the download. I decided to only put those core 8 songs on the Bandcamp page as well, hiding the other 7 as Bonus download tracks only accessible to people who bought the album.
But now, a year later, even though I still think that the core 8 tracks are definitely the strongest, I am very proud of the whole album, front to back, Track 1 to Track 15.
So now, you can hear all 15 songs, for better or worse, skip as many as you want to, take them or leave them.
You can stream them on Bandcamp, on Youtube, and on a bunch of digital services like Spotify and iTunes.
And, of course, you can still buy it on 12" vinyl and get the digital download, from Bandcamp, Wyrd Distro, or a number of record stores across Canada.
Thanks to everyone for all the amazing support and well wishes I've received this past year.
Love,
Jom
12/05/2014:
While on tour, I was invited to record a live session for the radio show Best of the West on CJLO in Montreal.
It was an early morning, and I was sick, but it gives a rough impression of what the upcoming stuff might sound like.
You can check it out here.
Special thanks to Sarah Stupar and Patrick McDowall for making it happen.
While on tour, I was invited to record a live session for the radio show Best of the West on CJLO in Montreal.
It was an early morning, and I was sick, but it gives a rough impression of what the upcoming stuff might sound like.
You can check it out here.
Special thanks to Sarah Stupar and Patrick McDowall for making it happen.
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10/31/2014:
Tour's over, but I'm still doing things. Weird. I'm bringing the full band together to play at Bohemia on November 11, along with one of my favourite Edmo bands the Tee-Tahs. Details here. And I was asked to do a little solo set at the album release for Edmonton supergroup Duplekita on November 15 at a new space called Lift Interactive. And then I go down to Calgary on Saturday, November 22 to open up for Gruff Rhys (formerly of the Super Furry Animals)! It's a free show at the good old Palomino Smokehouse, so I am super excited for that one, and I hope all you Calgary folk come out for a good old, foot-stompin, Welsh experimental pop-rock, good time. |
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10/27/2014:
Well, that was fun!
Thanks to everyone who made this tour so awesome. I got to touch base with all of my pals, I made new pals, I saw some amazing bands, met some great promoters, and I didn't run into any moose.
I now have records in record stores across eastern Canada, and it's also available to order through the Wyrd Distro.
For a full list of record stores, see the buy page.
Well, that was fun!
Thanks to everyone who made this tour so awesome. I got to touch base with all of my pals, I made new pals, I saw some amazing bands, met some great promoters, and I didn't run into any moose.
I now have records in record stores across eastern Canada, and it's also available to order through the Wyrd Distro.
For a full list of record stores, see the buy page.
10/20/2014:
Tour Update
It's already well into the second week, and lots to update.
The short story is: I played some great shows in southern Ontario, met some new amazing people, and reconnected with some Edmonton bros and brodettes in Montreal. I came down with some sick, but I used my day off to rest up a bit, so I'm pretty well okay now.
Unfortunately, my show here in Quebec City had to be cancelled. It was an in-store appearance on a Monday night, and it was so quiet, we decided it was probably best to just wait until I'm in town again.
On the plus side, my TBA shows for Halifax can now BA, thanks to the amazing Nick Everett, who is as awesome a promoter as he is an artist.
Both shows are happening on Saturday, October 25.
The first is an afternoon show at 2550 Agricola, check out the details here.
And after that is an evening show at Young Offenders Gallery at 2130 Gottingen, here.
And before that, I'll be stopping in Fredericton to play the Reneu Boutique on Wednesday, and Charlottetown to play Baba's on Thursday.
I'm not sure when I'll be on tour again, so if you're kind of curious to hear what I sound like live, this is the week to do it.
Tour Update
It's already well into the second week, and lots to update.
The short story is: I played some great shows in southern Ontario, met some new amazing people, and reconnected with some Edmonton bros and brodettes in Montreal. I came down with some sick, but I used my day off to rest up a bit, so I'm pretty well okay now.
Unfortunately, my show here in Quebec City had to be cancelled. It was an in-store appearance on a Monday night, and it was so quiet, we decided it was probably best to just wait until I'm in town again.
On the plus side, my TBA shows for Halifax can now BA, thanks to the amazing Nick Everett, who is as awesome a promoter as he is an artist.
Both shows are happening on Saturday, October 25.
The first is an afternoon show at 2550 Agricola, check out the details here.
And after that is an evening show at Young Offenders Gallery at 2130 Gottingen, here.
And before that, I'll be stopping in Fredericton to play the Reneu Boutique on Wednesday, and Charlottetown to play Baba's on Thursday.
I'm not sure when I'll be on tour again, so if you're kind of curious to hear what I sound like live, this is the week to do it.
10/13/2014:
Tour Update
It's the third day of this tour, but there's already a ton of stuff to share.
First of all, a bit of housekeeping:
I recently did an interview for the Waterloo Record to promote the Waterloo show this Wednesday, I recently did a phone-in interview for the National Hum on CKCU to talk about the Ottawa show this Friday, I'll be doing a little interview for CHUO in Ottawa this Wednesday at 5pm, and there's a Facebook event for the Charlottetown show next Thursday.
Saturday's show at the Holy Oak Cafe in Toronto was a delight. I got to meet the incredible Jos Fortin and witness an amazing set (complete with bass clarinet!), and I got to watch one of my all-time favourites in all the land, Doctor Smooth himself, Thom Gill. And I got to see a lot of friendly faces, mostly Edmontonians, which always helps with the pre-show jitters. From there, I was going to spend the night with my lovely on Toronto Island, via the after-hours Night Water Taxi, which runs til 2:30 am.
Of course, if it doesn't run til 2:30, or even til 2 (when I got there), then there you are standing at the harbour for 45 minutes with no water taxi, and a nearly-dead phone, and if it's so late that everyone you know is alseep, and all of the hostels and hotels aren't picking up, or full anyway, then the only thing to do is to pull an all-nighter in the nearest 24-hour Tim Hortons with your lovely until the morning ferry comes at 8:00. So that was day one!
Then, after a few hours of stolen sleep, I made my way to Guelph to play the Cornerstone. That venue was suddenly unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances, but luckily the promoters were Mike Deane and Dave Lander, who are the nicest guys in the world, and the show happened anyway, in Mike Deane's beautiful, 1890's-era house. After the sudden venue change, I was pleasantly surprised to play to a solid roomful of really wonderful people, and it later came about that the house used to house some of the Constantines (!). Seeing that I had to miss their comeback show in Edmonton (they played while I was in Toronto), this was a nice little wink of the eye to me from circumstance. Thanks, circumstance!
And finally, a minor anecdote that will only resonate with car-centric Edmontonians like myself: I'm here in Toronto with 2 days off, and I want nothing more than to be free of the car for a few days in this wonderfully walkable city. Alas, where do you find a place to park in this mammoth center, and how expensive will it be, and will I have to move the car around at certain hours, and will it be 20 blocks away? But, as luck would have it, the hostel I'm staying had one right there, and for very cheap. Thanks again, circumstance!
So then, a few days rest, and then it's off to Waterloo I go, home of the Princess Cafe, Weird Canada Headquarters, and Matt Mazowita.
Tour Update
It's the third day of this tour, but there's already a ton of stuff to share.
First of all, a bit of housekeeping:
I recently did an interview for the Waterloo Record to promote the Waterloo show this Wednesday, I recently did a phone-in interview for the National Hum on CKCU to talk about the Ottawa show this Friday, I'll be doing a little interview for CHUO in Ottawa this Wednesday at 5pm, and there's a Facebook event for the Charlottetown show next Thursday.
Saturday's show at the Holy Oak Cafe in Toronto was a delight. I got to meet the incredible Jos Fortin and witness an amazing set (complete with bass clarinet!), and I got to watch one of my all-time favourites in all the land, Doctor Smooth himself, Thom Gill. And I got to see a lot of friendly faces, mostly Edmontonians, which always helps with the pre-show jitters. From there, I was going to spend the night with my lovely on Toronto Island, via the after-hours Night Water Taxi, which runs til 2:30 am.
Of course, if it doesn't run til 2:30, or even til 2 (when I got there), then there you are standing at the harbour for 45 minutes with no water taxi, and a nearly-dead phone, and if it's so late that everyone you know is alseep, and all of the hostels and hotels aren't picking up, or full anyway, then the only thing to do is to pull an all-nighter in the nearest 24-hour Tim Hortons with your lovely until the morning ferry comes at 8:00. So that was day one!
Then, after a few hours of stolen sleep, I made my way to Guelph to play the Cornerstone. That venue was suddenly unavailable due to unforeseen circumstances, but luckily the promoters were Mike Deane and Dave Lander, who are the nicest guys in the world, and the show happened anyway, in Mike Deane's beautiful, 1890's-era house. After the sudden venue change, I was pleasantly surprised to play to a solid roomful of really wonderful people, and it later came about that the house used to house some of the Constantines (!). Seeing that I had to miss their comeback show in Edmonton (they played while I was in Toronto), this was a nice little wink of the eye to me from circumstance. Thanks, circumstance!
And finally, a minor anecdote that will only resonate with car-centric Edmontonians like myself: I'm here in Toronto with 2 days off, and I want nothing more than to be free of the car for a few days in this wonderfully walkable city. Alas, where do you find a place to park in this mammoth center, and how expensive will it be, and will I have to move the car around at certain hours, and will it be 20 blocks away? But, as luck would have it, the hostel I'm staying had one right there, and for very cheap. Thanks again, circumstance!
So then, a few days rest, and then it's off to Waterloo I go, home of the Princess Cafe, Weird Canada Headquarters, and Matt Mazowita.
10/06/2014:
Tour kickoff in Edmonton was a ton of fun!
The video looks beautiful, and now you can see it too.
Just go right here. Thanks to mega-talented Neal Moignard and Danielle Wensley for making this thing.
Tour kickoff in Edmonton was a ton of fun!
The video looks beautiful, and now you can see it too.
Just go right here. Thanks to mega-talented Neal Moignard and Danielle Wensley for making this thing.
09/26/2014:
I'm going on tour!
The Edmonton tour kickoff on October 3 will have an advance screening of the new video for "Wish Upon a Storm" by Neal Moignard.
The video will debut on this website on Monday October 6.
Here is a list of tour dates, with links to the Facebook events.
If you know someone in these cities who you think might like my stuff, feel free to send them an invite.
10/3: Edmonton, AB//SPACE w/Gary Debussy and Max Uhlich
10/11: Toronto, ON// Holy Oak Cafe w/ Thom Gill
10/12: Guelph, ON//The Cornerstone (event)
10/15: Waterloo, ON//Princess Cafe w/ Love Banshee (event)
10/16: Hamilton, ON//Baltimore House w/ Marriage (event)
10/17: Ottawa, ON//Pressed w/ Winchester Warm (event)
10/18: Montreal, QC//Brasserie Beaubien w/ Calvin Love
10/20: Quebec, QC//Le Knock-Out (in-store)
10/22: Fredericton, NB//ReNeu Boutique w/ Maicamia (event)
10/23: Charlottetown, PEI//Baba's w/ Emilee Sorrey
10/24-25: Halifax, NS//TBA
I'm going on tour!
The Edmonton tour kickoff on October 3 will have an advance screening of the new video for "Wish Upon a Storm" by Neal Moignard.
The video will debut on this website on Monday October 6.
Here is a list of tour dates, with links to the Facebook events.
If you know someone in these cities who you think might like my stuff, feel free to send them an invite.
10/3: Edmonton, AB//SPACE w/Gary Debussy and Max Uhlich
10/11: Toronto, ON// Holy Oak Cafe w/ Thom Gill
10/12: Guelph, ON//The Cornerstone (event)
10/15: Waterloo, ON//Princess Cafe w/ Love Banshee (event)
10/16: Hamilton, ON//Baltimore House w/ Marriage (event)
10/17: Ottawa, ON//Pressed w/ Winchester Warm (event)
10/18: Montreal, QC//Brasserie Beaubien w/ Calvin Love
10/20: Quebec, QC//Le Knock-Out (in-store)
10/22: Fredericton, NB//ReNeu Boutique w/ Maicamia (event)
10/23: Charlottetown, PEI//Baba's w/ Emilee Sorrey
10/24-25: Halifax, NS//TBA
08/27/2014:
I'm officially playing this year's Pop Montreal!
September 20 at Cagibi, with Hinindar + Miss Emily Brown
I'm officially playing this year's Pop Montreal!
September 20 at Cagibi, with Hinindar + Miss Emily Brown
08/20/2014:
I'll be doing a little solo set as part of CJSR's 30 Anniversary show at Barber Ha on August 30, along with Slow Down Molasses, Love Electric and the Strugglefucks.
And it's all part of Endless Bummer, which you can check out here.
I'll be doing a little solo set as part of CJSR's 30 Anniversary show at Barber Ha on August 30, along with Slow Down Molasses, Love Electric and the Strugglefucks.
And it's all part of Endless Bummer, which you can check out here.
07/21/2014:
The next thing I'm doing is the Golden West Music Fest. They're in their 2nd year, and if it's anything like last year, it's going to be an awesome time.
Here's their website, and here's the facebook page.
The next thing I'm doing is the Golden West Music Fest. They're in their 2nd year, and if it's anything like last year, it's going to be an awesome time.
Here's their website, and here's the facebook page.
07/04/2014:
Here's a few good words about my Palomino show at Sled Island from the good folks at Texture Magazine.
Here's a few good words about my Palomino show at Sled Island from the good folks at Texture Magazine.
06/25/2014:
Well that was a very busy week.
Thanks so much to everyone in Calgary for giving me such a warm welcome. Both of my shows were very well received; I played with some amazing bands (Hana Vave was great, and the legendary Elliot Brood had the whole place on their seats!). Overall, I had a very lovely Sled Island, and I hope I can make it back down pretty soon.
In that week, I was featured on CBC's Key of A thanks to the very friendly Katherine Duncan.
The good people over at Hi54lofi put me in another one of their mixtapes, which you can check out here.
My buds at All Our Blaring Lights included me in their Sled Island roundup.
I was also featured on this generous writeup in the Beatroute from Sarah Taylor about our set at Palomino, and these amazing writeups from Christine Leonard and Jenni Orton.
Well that was a very busy week.
Thanks so much to everyone in Calgary for giving me such a warm welcome. Both of my shows were very well received; I played with some amazing bands (Hana Vave was great, and the legendary Elliot Brood had the whole place on their seats!). Overall, I had a very lovely Sled Island, and I hope I can make it back down pretty soon.
In that week, I was featured on CBC's Key of A thanks to the very friendly Katherine Duncan.
The good people over at Hi54lofi put me in another one of their mixtapes, which you can check out here.
My buds at All Our Blaring Lights included me in their Sled Island roundup.
I was also featured on this generous writeup in the Beatroute from Sarah Taylor about our set at Palomino, and these amazing writeups from Christine Leonard and Jenni Orton.
06/18/2014:
Getting ready for my first Sled Island show ever (for Jom). Went away camping for 2 days prior, and now my computer is exploding with nice things.
Weird Canada included me on its own curated "Guide to Sled Island." You can read it here.
And my good pal, the amazingly talented Doug Hoyer (who, don't forget, is opening for St Vincent on Friday!) said some really nice things about my stuff for this mixtape he did for Under the Radar. You can read that here.
Getting ready for my first Sled Island show ever (for Jom). Went away camping for 2 days prior, and now my computer is exploding with nice things.
Weird Canada included me on its own curated "Guide to Sled Island." You can read it here.
And my good pal, the amazingly talented Doug Hoyer (who, don't forget, is opening for St Vincent on Friday!) said some really nice things about my stuff for this mixtape he did for Under the Radar. You can read that here.
06/11/2014:
I was featured in a little Sled Island feature on Edmonton bands in the Beatroute.
I'm pretty much the most boring one in it.
But I am really excited for Sled.
I think the Elliot Brood show is sold out (!!!) but I'm playing Palomino Upstairs on Wednesday at 5 (and I think that my set, other than one other thing at like noon, is the first set of the whole festival--so there's that).
And I forgot to mention that I'll be playing both sets with my lovely band--Tom Murray, Jessica Jalbert, and Renny Wilson. Unfortunately, it will be the last set with dear Renny on the drums because he's leaving oil country for cigarettes country (Montreal). Come say goodbye!
I was featured in a little Sled Island feature on Edmonton bands in the Beatroute.
I'm pretty much the most boring one in it.
But I am really excited for Sled.
I think the Elliot Brood show is sold out (!!!) but I'm playing Palomino Upstairs on Wednesday at 5 (and I think that my set, other than one other thing at like noon, is the first set of the whole festival--so there's that).
And I forgot to mention that I'll be playing both sets with my lovely band--Tom Murray, Jessica Jalbert, and Renny Wilson. Unfortunately, it will be the last set with dear Renny on the drums because he's leaving oil country for cigarettes country (Montreal). Come say goodbye!
06/05/2014:
My long-awaited Weird Canada review finally dropped.
On twitter, Jesse Locke called it "seasonally inappropriate swooner jams", which I'm pretty happy with.
Read it here.
My long-awaited Weird Canada review finally dropped.
On twitter, Jesse Locke called it "seasonally inappropriate swooner jams", which I'm pretty happy with.
Read it here.
06/03/2014:
Golden West full schedule just got released!
I'm playing Sunday evening. It was such a blast last time, I hope you can come out. (Only $50 for music, camping, the works)
Check it out here.
Golden West full schedule just got released!
I'm playing Sunday evening. It was such a blast last time, I hope you can come out. (Only $50 for music, camping, the works)
Check it out here.
06/02/2014:
A few days ago, on Friday night, I was featured by the legendary Laurie Brown on CBC's The Signal (she played "Wish Upon a Storm").
I've been a fan of that show for a few years now, so that's pretty awesome.
And today, Grayowl Point had some nice things to say about the album.
You can read it here.
A few days ago, on Friday night, I was featured by the legendary Laurie Brown on CBC's The Signal (she played "Wish Upon a Storm").
I've been a fan of that show for a few years now, so that's pretty awesome.
And today, Grayowl Point had some nice things to say about the album.
You can read it here.
05/27/2014:
They announced the Sled Island lineup today!
I have two official shows:
Wednesday, June 18 at the Palomino (upstairs) with a great Calgary band called Hana Vave and my good buds Diamond Mind.
Thursday, June 19 at the Ironwood, opening for legendary Canadian country dudes Elliott Brood!
Here's the full lineup.
They announced the Sled Island lineup today!
I have two official shows:
Wednesday, June 18 at the Palomino (upstairs) with a great Calgary band called Hana Vave and my good buds Diamond Mind.
Thursday, June 19 at the Ironwood, opening for legendary Canadian country dudes Elliott Brood!
Here's the full lineup.
05/19/2014:
It's been a crazy couple of weeks.
I played a really fun show in Calgary at 510 last week. I played a really nice little show at Wunderbar for the Hot Plains festival this weekend.
And I'll be playing a great little show at the Artery for NextFest on June 6.
There will be more info to come on that one, but I do know that I'll be playing with Switches and the Lad Mags, so it's going to be a great time.
It's been a crazy couple of weeks.
I played a really fun show in Calgary at 510 last week. I played a really nice little show at Wunderbar for the Hot Plains festival this weekend.
And I'll be playing a great little show at the Artery for NextFest on June 6.
There will be more info to come on that one, but I do know that I'll be playing with Switches and the Lad Mags, so it's going to be a great time.
05/11/2014:
Just dropped off some copies of the limited vinyl for In the Dark on 99 in Calgary at Sloth and Melodiya.
About to play my first Jom show in Calgary ever, with my favourite Calgarians--Knots and Cold Water.
Just dropped off some copies of the limited vinyl for In the Dark on 99 in Calgary at Sloth and Melodiya.
About to play my first Jom show in Calgary ever, with my favourite Calgarians--Knots and Cold Water.
05/09/2014:
It's official! I'll be returning to the stage at the 2nd annual Golden West Music Fest way up in Ardmore, Alberta (it's by Cold Lake)!
Camping, excellent hangouts, excellent food, beautiful scenery, good bands. It's like North Country mixed with Sled Island.
I think it's cheaper if you get a pass before June. Come on up!
Here's the website.
It's official! I'll be returning to the stage at the 2nd annual Golden West Music Fest way up in Ardmore, Alberta (it's by Cold Lake)!
Camping, excellent hangouts, excellent food, beautiful scenery, good bands. It's like North Country mixed with Sled Island.
I think it's cheaper if you get a pass before June. Come on up!
Here's the website.
05/05/2014:
The long-hiatused Knox Road blog is back, and I'm honoured to be their first new post in a long time.
See what they had to say about the album closer, featuring my talented palbert, Jessica Jalbert
The long-hiatused Knox Road blog is back, and I'm honoured to be their first new post in a long time.
See what they had to say about the album closer, featuring my talented palbert, Jessica Jalbert
04/29/2014:
It was official before, but it feels extra official now.
It was official before, but it feels extra official now.
04/20/2014:
The folks over at Toronto's Ride the Tempo seem to like the new album.
The folks over at Toronto's Ride the Tempo seem to like the new album.
04/15/2014:
All sorts of big news today.
First, my latest album is up for streaming and buying, over at my bandcamp page.
And also, I am proud to announce that I will (finally) be playing with band at the Sled Island Festival in Calgary this June.
It looks like all of those people who told me to just keep on applying were right.
I can't wait to see you all down there.
All sorts of big news today.
First, my latest album is up for streaming and buying, over at my bandcamp page.
And also, I am proud to announce that I will (finally) be playing with band at the Sled Island Festival in Calgary this June.
It looks like all of those people who told me to just keep on applying were right.
I can't wait to see you all down there.
