“I’ve never thought in terms of a ‘career.’ I’m uncomfortable with the word. I don’t use it because I’ve never approached what I do that way."

One of the greatest Canadian songwriters of the last five decades, Bruce Cockburn, joins us on this week's podcast. An inductee into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and member of the Order of Canada, Bruce is about to release his 34th (!) album, which is an all-instrumental collection entitled Crowing Ignites. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike and Bruce chat about his earliest years as a songwriter and performer in Massachusetts and Ottawa, the first song he wrote that he knew was good, the generational crossover in his audience, his friendships and partnerships with his long-time producer Colin Linden and manager Bernie Finkelstein, songwriting (of course), and a bunch more.

For our feature interview, Mike catches up with Ben Rayner (22:40), the long-time music writer and critic at the Toronto Star. He’s easily one of the best music writers in Canada and it’s obvious that his love of music, and writing about it, is as strong as ever. As local newspapers disappear and even the big newspapers like the Globe & Mail and National Post diminish their arts coverage and move music journalists into other beats, Ben is among the last of a dying breed. Mike and Ben chat about changing nature of music journalism in Canada and the decline of music coverage in newspapers and then get into what impact this could have on artists and the country’s music industry.

But before we chat with Ben, we also meet up with Charlie Wall-Andrews (2:48), the executive director of the SOCAN Foundation. Charlie fills us in all the various grants and programs that the SOCAN Foundation has available to artists. Then she and Mike discuss the concept of corporate social responsibility, which is an area of particular expertise for Charlie, and how it applies to the music industry. www.socanfoundation.ca.

Should you sign that contract? Can you remix or cover any song you want? What’s a split sheet? Chances are you’ve encountered a few tough questions related to music law, and if you haven’t yet, trust us. You will.

On this week's podcast, Canadian music lawyer Byron Pascoe of Edwards PC Creative Law walks us through general music law FAQs that will empower you to make good decisions. We also cover common music law agreements - from producer to management agreements - and related negotiation strategies and red flags.

Whether you're just launching your career or scaling the summit to the top of the industry, you're sure to pick up some helpful tips.

This episode is adapted from a recent music business webinar from Canadian Musician and NWC Webinars. To sign up for free webinars and access recordings of all of our previous sessions, visit www.nwcwebinars.com.

This week, we welcome back Paul Shaver, VP of Music & Radio at Nielsen Entertainment Canada, for what's always a fun and fascinating conversation about Canadian music consumption data. Nielsen recently released its latest "Music 360 Canada" report, which provides a thorough look at music consumption trends. Paul and Mike get into the generational divides between teens, millennials, and their parents with regards to music listening habits, why radio continues to be influential in music discovery, streaming’s potential economic growth, how smart speakers could impact the music industry, the growing popularity of podcasts, and a lot more.

A group of high-profile Canadian musicians - including members of Three Days Grace, Billy Talent, Stars, Blue Rodeo, Serena Ryder, and more - recently came together as Artists for Sudan to record a new version of U2's classic "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and raise awareness of the human suffering in Sudan.

Darcy Ataman, a co-producer of the track and the man behind activist organizations like A4A Records and Make Music Matter, discusses the origins of the project, how the star-studded lineup came together, why they chose this particular song, and a lot more.

The track is available to stream and download at www.makemusicmatter.org.

On today’s podcast, we have Sandy Graham, the woman who has had maybe the most diverse and interesting career in the Canadian music business. Sandy is currently the owner and editor-in-chief of Cashbox Canada, but over her roughly 40 years in the industry, going back to when she was a teenager, she has been involved in nearly every segment of this industry and has been a true trailblazer. She began in music retail, before being one of the first women to work at a major label in Canada. She’s been a radio music director, a venue owner – including of the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto – a music journalist, and she’s even a choreographer, having choreographed the first ever halftime show at the Sky Dome. Sandy is also an artist manager and festival organizer. Like we said, she’s been involved in everything and we’ve wanted to have her on the podcast for a while to tell her story and share some of the insights she has gained along the way.

Sarah Falzon, a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer with Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP, joins us to chat about the recent slew of copyright infringement lawsuits hitting pop stars, including Drake and Katy Perry, as well as Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Ed Sheeran.

As Sarah says, it seems like the floodgates have opened in the wake of the infamous “Blurred Lines” conflict in which the estate of Marvin Gaye successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copying the “feel” and “sound” of Gaye’s 1977 song, “Got to Give It Up.” We discuss the details of the newer lawsuits that make them interesting and whether we really have entered a riskier era for songwriters. Sarah also explains if the U.S. lawsuits have any bearing on Canadian songwriters and the relevant differences between Canadian and American copyright law.

Tim Moxam has partnered with Toronto's StopGap Foundation, which builds ramps for community spaces to increase accessibility, and launched StopGap on Tour. Moxam collaborated with some fellow songwriters and crafters to build a series of special-edition StopGap ramps, pre-ordered and spec'd to accommodate the needs of non-accessible venues, cafes, record stores, and other community hubs that Moxam would be visiting on his recent East Coast tour. Hear about this cool initiative, how you can get involved for the future, and some of the peripheral benefits that come with it.

We also chat with Michael "Wanz" Wansley, who spent his life as a working musician before a song he featured on from a local rapper blew up into a global phenomenon. The song was "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, with Wanz's distinctive voice featured prominently in the chorus. That led to a whirlwind couple years for Wanz, allowing him to fulfill a lot of his childhood dreams, before the song receded in the public consciousness and he had to figure out life after sudden and short-lived commercial success. In this inspiring conversation, Wanz discusses life before, during, and after "Thrift Shop" and how it changed his thinking about fame and success in music.

Danya Dixon is the new CEO of Canadian Music Week. Drawing on her 10+ years of experience with the country's marquee music industry conference and festival thus far, she's got some fresh ideas to ensure the event meets and exceeds expectations for its 2020 edition and beyond.

On the conference side, she discusses the goal of reaching gender parity for invited delegates within the next few years and some of the timely and important topics they'll be focusing on with their programming. On the festival side, she says to expect an emphasis on quality over quantity with showcasing artists, discloses some of the specific genres they'll be focusing and expanding on going forward, and a lot more.

Josh Finlayson of heralded roots-rock outfit Skydiggers joins us to chat about the group's latest album, Let's Get Friendship Right. What started as a project based on the five stages of grief blossomed into something far more expansive and diverse. Finlayson tells us about how the album came to be, the significance of recording at The Tragically Hip's Bathouse Studio, how his creative partnership with bandmate Andy Maize has stayed so strong over the years, and more.

Plus, Mike sat down with Kintaro Akiyama of Toronto's Birds of Bellwoods to discuss how songwriting works in a very democratic group and the evolution of their sound from straightforward folk-rock to incorporating more electronic elements, as evidenced by their new single “Easy." They also talk about the unique Rock the Rink tour, which finds Birds of Bellwoods sharing an audience with Olympic figure skaters like Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, and Patrick Chan.

Dave Cool, the director of artist and industry outreach at Bandzoogle, joins us to discuss the bankruptcy of popular crowdfunding site PledgeMusic and his company's subsequent move into the space.

Bandzoogle is a Canadian company that operates globally and is known for its suite of website-building services aimed specifically at musicians. In June, Bandzoogle announced it was launching a crowd funding platform as part of its subscription services. That announcement, not coincidently, corresponded with the bankruptcy of PledgeMusic. Through the previous two years, PledgeMusic suffered a slow death, plagued by missed payments to artists and accusations of misspending by management, which raised many questions about the viability of the crowd funding model itself. So, with Dave, we get into the weeds about PledgeMusic’s collapse and why Bandzoogle thinks it has a better business model for it.

The healing power of music is at the heart of The Awesome Music Project Canada: Songs of Hope & Happiness, which features intimate stories from Canadians of all walks of life - including Sarah McLachlan, Michael Buble, astronaut Chris Hadfield, Olympian Madeleine Thien, and NHL star Theo Fleury - on how music changed their lives. Rounding out the book are descriptions of the neurological research confirming that music is good for us and why.

Robert tells us about the origins of the project, some of his favourite stories shared in it, the research the project will fund, and a lot more.

Proceeds from The Awesome Music Project Canada will go to music and mental health research, starting with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and one of the world's leading research centres. www.theawesomemusicproject.com.

Cousins Adam and Cale Gontier of Saint Asonia join Mike to discuss their new sophomore album, Flawed Design. Hailed as a “supergroup" since dropping their self-titled debut in 2015 (Saint Asonia’s members have been in Three Days Grace, Staind, Art of Dying, Thornley, and more), Adam discusses early expectations for the group, songwriting, and how two significant life moments – the birth of his first child and entering rehab – influenced the new record. They also discuss mental health for musicians and whether the industry should provide more support. We then finish with an exclusive acoustic performance of their new song “The Hunted.”

Before that, we chat with critically-acclaimed East Coast singer-songwriter Dave Sampson about his new EP, All Types of Ways. We discuss his life and career in the five years between his widely-praised debut LP in 2014 and this new project, navigating the music industry, his friendship and creative partnership with fellow Nova Scotian and Nashville hitmaker Gordie Sampson, and more.

Darryl Ballantyne, CEO of Toronto-based lyric licensing company LyricFind, joins us to discuss the quickly-growing business of displaying lyrics, from Google searches to merchandise and a lot more. We get into how the licensing deals for lyrics work and, yes, the legal dispute between Genius Media and Google that had LyricFind caught right in the middle.

We also touch on a number of new initiatives that LyricFind has announced over the past year, including partnerships with fizy in Turkey, MPA/PMLL in the U.K.. and some Canada-specific content, like the funding from the Canadian Government to promote and export Canadian content through lyrics and lyric translations and to bring the stories found in Indigenous songs to all Canadians. That includes some interesting insight into the process of translating various Indigenous languages.

Mike recently spent an afternoon in the workshop of one of Canada’s top luthiers, Linda Manzer, for a fun chat with her and one Canada’s top singer-songwriters, Stephen Fearing (Blackie & The Rodeo Kings). Together, they talk guitars (obviously), the role the instrument plays in their respective careers and personal lives, share some interesting stories, and get into the new custom Cowpoke guitar that Linda had just presented to Stephen. After the interview, Stephen gives the first-ever performance on the custom guitar.

Plus, contributor Hal Rodriguez recently spoke with Wide Mouth Mason's Shaun Verreault on the band's new album,I Wanna Go with You, and the lap steel's central role in its composition. In this brief snippet, Shaun explains how he found and developed a fondness for the instrument. Check out the full Q&A at https://shorttakes.canadianmusician.com/wide-mouth-mason/

http://canadianmusician.com

AEMCON - the Alberta Electronic Music Conference - is Canada's largest professional gathering of electronic music industry insiders, bringing together those who want to learn, teach, inspire, connect, and dance. Five days of panels, workshops, and night events will showcase 125-plus artists and speakers, with over 3,000-plus attendees expected.

The fourth edition of AEMCON takes place in Calgary from Nov. 13-17, 2019, and we've got Co-Founder Andrew Williams and Marketplace Coordinator Tyler Brown on the show to talk about the event and its unique programming streams like Addiction and Recovery, the DIY Feminist Resistance, and Dance Music as an LGBTQ Art Form. Then, we get into the state of electronic music in Alberta and Canada, identify some incoming trends that may inform future editions, and more.

Fresh from their panel at Indie Week’s Indie101 Music & Tech Conference, Mike sits down with Erin Kinghorn, the co-founder of playlist-pitching company Digital Promotions Group (DPG) Canada and founder of artist development company eEK! Productions.

Together, Mike and Erin chat all about streaming playlists and how songs find success on them. Erin explains how the playlist ecosystems works, the data and analytics that matter, the differences between the various streaming platforms, how a playlist-pitching campaign works, how to measure success in this quickly-evolving sector, and a bunch more.

http://dpgworldwide.com http://canadianmusician.com

We're thrilled to have both The Good Lovelies and Delaney Jane on this week's pod!

Heralded folk/harmony trio The Good Lovelies just dropped their second Christmas collection, Evergreen, and are now set to embark on their annual holiday tour. We catch up with Sue Passmore to talk about the evolution of their acclaimed holiday show, the art of writing a quality contemporary Christmas tune, their Good Lovelies Forest initiative, and more.

Then, the same morning that her debut LP, Dirty Pretty Things, dropped, Mike sat down with platinum-selling alt-pop singer/songwriter Delaney Jane. She discusses her journey from Toronto art school student to in-demand songwriter and rising pop star, recounts a chance meeting with a new neighbour that led to a very fruitful artistic partnership and high-profile writing gigs, and how that launched her career as a fully-independent artist.

http://canadianmusician.com

This week, we welcome Joanne Janzen, an Edmonton-based music life coach who also hosts her own podcast, fittingly titled The Music Life Coach Podcast. In this enlightening conversation with Jo, she teaches us what exactly a music life coach does and how she became one while also navigating her own career as a professional musician. We then get into career development, psychology, mental health, live performance, and how Jo's work differs from and complements that of an artist manager. She also gives us some tips on professional networking and developing a "personal mindset strategy" to propel your career forward.

http://musiclifecoach.joannejanzen.com/ http://canadianmusician.com

Ajungi – pronounced AH-YUNG-EE – is a Nunavut-based music collective made up of up-and-coming artists from across the territory. The concept was created by artist and entrepreneur Thor Simonsen, the creative director of Hitmakerz, an Iqaluit-based record label that delivers music workshops to remote communities across Nunavut and records, produces, and releases music by many Inuit artists.

Simonsen joins us to talk about the project's inception and goals, what the workshops and recording sessions entail, how they benefit the artists' careers and communities, and a lot more.

http://canadianmusician.com http://ajungi.ca

For today's episode, Mike had a chance to sit down for a lively, fascinating, and fun conversation with Daniel Tate and Rob Bowman, authors of the brilliant new book The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History. Covering from the mid-1800s all the way to 2000, the book offers a comprehensive and incredibly interesting history of Toronto’s live music scene, all illustrated with images from Daniel’s massive collection of concert flyers spanning over a century – from minstrel troupes to Notorious B.I.G.’s only Toronto show, which almost caused a riot.

If you have any interest in the history of popular music, you’ll love this fun conversation.

http://canadianmusician.com

Happy Holidays! We're switching things up for this special episode with an interview that originally aired on The Music Life Coach Podcast, featuring host Jo Janzen interviewing Canadian Musician Editor-in-Chief and podcast host Andrew King about his article "The Era of the Artistpreneur."

Andrew has valuable info for artists about what it means to be an entrepreneur in today's music business, how "do it yourself" doesn't necessarily mean "do it alone," how artists can assess risks and not let fear impede their decision-making, and a whole lot more. Plus, Jo offers some advice of her own, drawn from her experiences as an artist and those of some of her clients.

Check out Andrew's "The Era of the Artistpreneur" feature at: https://indepth.canadianmusician.com/the-era-of-the-artistpreneur/

Learn more about The Music Life Coach Podcast at: https://musiclifecoach.joannejanzen.com/templates/blog/podcast/

Happy New Year and hope everyone has had a great holiday! Like we did last episode, and before we get back to our usual programming next week, we're switching things up for one more special episode with an interview that originally aired on The Music Life Coach Podcast, featuring host Jo Janzen interviewing Canadian Musician Senior Editor and CM Podcast co-host Mike Raine about his article, "Music Is Facing a Mental Health Crisis."

With Jo, Mike discusses his research and reporting for the article, which examines the critical issue of mental health among professional touring musicians. They look at the alarming stats on musicians’ mental health and reasons they suffer from significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts; the insights Mike gleaned from the musicians and experts he spoke with; and what can be done to address the problem at both the industry and personal level. Plus, Jo offers some insights and advice of her own, drawn from her experiences as an artist and those of some of her clients.

Check out Mike's article, "Music Is Facing a Mental Health Crisis”

Learn more about The Music Life Coach Podcast at: https://musiclifecoach.joannejanzen.com/templates/blog/podcast/

In December 2019, with just a few months left before he steps down from his post as president of Re:Sound, Mike had a wide-ranging chat with Ian MacKay about his 11 years with the performing rights organization that represents labels and performing artists.

Ian discusses how Re:Sound’s mission evolved over the decade, how the rise of streaming and its ocean of data impacted its work, evolving relations between music industry organizations, Entandem’s performance thus far, and more. Mike and Ian also dig into the numbers, both positive and negative, from Re:Sound’s most recent financial report, discussing why domestic revenues have been flat while international revenue are increasing and whether music rights holders are owed more compensation for private copying.

Plus, singer/songwriter Ed Roman joins us for a short chat about his single, "Stronger," his unique approach to lyric writing, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com

Holy F** frontman Brian Borcherdt joins us to talk about Deleter*, the band's brand-new record that dives further down the rabbit hole at the intersection of technology and humanity. We talk about the evolution of their hybrid sound, how the various members' work playing in and producing other projects advances what they do collectively, and a lot more.

Then, Mike has a fun and fascinating chat with Prism Prize Founder Louis Calabro about the industry and art of music videos. They talk about how the whole purpose of a music videos has evolved from the days of MTV and MuchMusic to the YouTube era, the democratization of video making, what makes for a good music vid, and more.

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Go to Bandzoogle.com to try it free for 30 days, and be sure to use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

http://canadianmusician.com

When Karen Allen told us about her book for musicians about the live streaming platform Twitch, she said: “I’ve been working in digital music for 20 years and have never seen anything so effective for artists.” That certainly piqued our interest.

Lo and behold, there is a growing and prospering community of musicians on Twitch using the platform to engage new fans, turn casual fans into super fans, and make some good money doing it. Allen, a veteran of the digital music industry and author of Twitch for Musicians, joins us on today's show to explain Twitch’s evolution and how indie musicians can utilize it to great effect.

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

http://canadianmusician.com

For her latest single, "Say Too Much," on-the-rise Canadian country singer/songwriter Karli June teamed up with an unlikely ally in pop/rock producer and All-American Rejects keyboardist Scott Chesak. But while Chesak's success as a songwriter and producer largely stems from projects with the likes of Panic! at the Disco and Weezer, his first foray into country has been quite fruitful.

Andrew speaks with both artists about how they first came together, what drew Karli to the song despite the demo being straight-up pop, how the song evolved during their sessions, and lessons learned for both the emerging singer and touring vet throughout the process.

PLUS, because it's #BellLetsTalk Day, we're re-airing Mike's interview with Royal Mountain Records' Menno Versteeg from this past summer about the label's mental health fund and why musicians are particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles.

Check out Mike's feature on Music's Mental Health Crisis at: http://canadianmusician.com/features

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Having and relaying a clear idea of your identity, image, and overall narrative is vital to developing and maintaining a devoted fan base in today's super-saturated music business. But what should you be focusing on, and how should it be presented to make the biggest impact with your audience and the industry?

Music industry veteran Steve Waxman has shaped the careers of some of Canada's best-known musical exports and joins us with answers to those questions. We cite well-known examples like Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Scott Helman, and Brett Kissel, talk about the importance of goal setting, and touch on The Creationists - Steve's new podcast about people who create.

http://canadianmusician.com http://imstevewaxman.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Severine Erickson is the president of the recently-launched Triple A Talent, a Vancouver-based artist management and booking agency specializing in the electronic music scene. Severine explains how negative experiences with agents inspired him and the other Triple A co-founders to start their own company with a plan to do things differently. Severine also discusses the unique aspects of being an agent in the EDM scene compared to other genres, the health of underground EDM in Canada, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com http://triplea.agency/

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Jordan Elliott (sometimes spelled Jordyn - you’ll hear why) got into the business of artist management when she was just 21 years old, signing a band to a major label contract while still in school. Since then, she’s continued on that path, working with artists like Meghan Patrick and Eric Ethridge and blazing a trail as one of the top female managers in Canadian country music.

Jordan tells us the story of her fascinating career as she examines the unique relationship between artist and manager, discusses the obstacles she faced as a young woman in a male-dominated field, and a lot more.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Canadian rock icons Glass Tiger and high-energy EDM duo Pineo & Loeb recently collaborated on a re-imagined version of the former's "This Is Your Life," featuring guest vocals from Matt Mays. Glass Tiger's Alan Frew and P&L's Mitch Pineo join us this week to share what initially brought them together, why they each wanted to work with the other, how the track was recorded and assembled, and more. Plus, get an exclusive scoop on their next collab: a fresh take on one of The Beatles' best-known songs with Frew once again on lead vocals.

Plus, Andrew and Mike share SOCAN's preliminary data from 2019 and a slew of submission opportunities to perform at high-profile music festivals throughout 2020.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Being a tour manager means being a logistics coordinator, accountant, event planner, human resources professional, crisis manager, and counselor. Everything that goes on during the tour - or leading up to it - runs through them. Really, it's one of the most important yet least-discussed jobs in the music business. That’s why Mike wrote a feature article for the March/April 2020 issue of Canadian Musician trying to make sense of tour managers’ responsibilities and share a few of their stories.

One of those interesting and fun conversations for the magazine was with Erika Duffee, the go-to tour manager for Canadian pop-rock star Scott Helman and arena-filling Italian pianist Ludovico Einaudi, among others, which we share on today’s episode. You'll hear about the many facets of this odd role along with some great stories from the road and other insights.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Mike sits down with visionary pop songwriter, producer, and singer Lauv, who has just dropped his highly-anticipated debut LP ‘How I'm Feeling.’ They discuss Lauv’s rise to hitmaker status for stars like Charli XCX and Celine Dion, and the transition to performing his own songs with the likes of Alessia Cara and BTS. He also delves into self-care and mental health and how his Blue Boy Foundation factors in.

Before that, we chat with Marc Vincent, better known as Ruffsound. He’s one of the premier beatmakers and producers in the resurgent Quebec rap scene, working with lauded locals Loud, Koriass, and FouKi and international names like Dua Lipa and Black Pink. They get deep into the sound of Francophone hip-hop and why it's taken off in recent years, as well as Ruffsound's moonlighting in film and TV.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

This week, we bring you a fun and interesting chat with Floyd Kane, the creator and writer of the CBC series Diggstown. Floyd and Mike chat about the use of music as a storytelling and emotional device in TV, how and when music comes into the TV writing process, how songs are chosen for the show, and some of the great independent Canadian artists whose music is featured in Diggstown.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Here's hoping everyone is holding up while holed up. On today's show, we bring you a candid conversation with Erin Benjamin, the president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association, discussing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the association's members and wider concert industry in Canada.

Let's be clear: the situation is dire, and there's up-to-date data to prove it; however, the CLMA is working hard by advocating the government to recognize and help the industry through these hardships and has been making inroads. We get into these and other efforts the association is spearheading, including collaborations with fellow music industry stakeholders, and share tips on how anyone listening can take action.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

This week, we bring you a special conversation with rap innovators Cadence Weapon, aka Rollie Pemberton, and Hua Li, aka Peggy Hogan, from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The two were part of the 20-day Banff International Songwriter Residency as a mentor and participant, respectively, and we dive into their experience, talk about the value of collaboration and idea-sharing, wax on the concept of "Canadian music," and more.

Plus, shortly after Canada started taking COVID-19 seriously in mid-March, a group of Toronto creatives launched a livestreaming initiative called URGNT. The idea was to broadcast sessions with a diverse array of artists from empty Toronto venues, ensuring every stakeholder would receive some compensation for their work at a time they'd really need it. We speak with co-founder Mark Marczyk about how everything came together.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

They're one of the greatest musical trios this country has ever produced. Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden - aka Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - join us on today's show. Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with the guys in those glorious days before physical distancing became the new normal. In 2020, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are celebrating their 25th year together, so of course we discuss that longevity and the unique chemistry they share, as well as the making of their new album, King of This Town. Tom also discusses the incredible personal journey he’s been on over the last seven years, and Colin and Stephen ponder it from their unique vantage point.

http://canadianmusician.com

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce of acclaimed rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids join us this week. We chat about how they’re getting through the quarantine and the frustration of a cancelled U.S. tour. Then we get into the making of their new EP, Born Deadly, discussing the influence of Kobe Bryant (whose death inspired the song “Kobe Face”), as well as how they took their anger over the RCMP’s actions against Indigenous protesters in Wet'suwet'en territory, and across Canada, and put it into the raging new track “Cops with Guns Are the Worst!!!”

Plus, influetial and innovative hip-hop producer David Strickland and multi-faceted creator Que Rock talk about their collaborations on Strickland's upcoming collection, Spirit of Hip Hop. Strickland addresses the truly stellar guest list he's assembled for the record - which includes Que - before we touch on some of the themes they cover, how categorization can be counter-productive in hip-hop, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com

Veteran concert promoter, writer, broadcaster, artist manager, and TV producer Steve Warden joins us to discuss and flesh out some of the ideas he proposes in an open letter published by FYI Music News. The piece ponders on how musicians and the music industry can move forward during and after the COVID-19 shutdowns. We chat about the flood of free virtual concerts and subsequent concerns about devaluing artists’ performances, what a virtual tour could look like, what the industry needs to start putting in motion, and more.

http://canadianmusician.com

RadioClub is the brainchild of lifelong friends Shawn Desman and Tebey - two music industry vets with a long list of international achievements to their names. We get into what inspired this new collaborative project, why they chose to cover Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" for their first single, the parallels between pop and country compositions, and more.

Also on the pod is Dre Pao - an artist, TV and podcast host, and social media consultant who also helps young artists develop their own music careers. Mike talks to Dre about how artists can take advantage of prominent social media platform TikTok to engage with fans and boost their profile.

http://canadianmusician.com

This week, we’re sharing the full conversation Mike had with musician and artist advocate Miranda Mulholland as part of his research for a new article on how the COVID-19 crisis is impacting the music business and what lies ahead. Miranda - who, in addition to being an artist advocate that works closely with all levels of government, is also one-half of the duo Harrow Fair – offers a revealing perspective on how artists are being professionally and personally impacted by the loss of live shows, gives a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of how government has dealt with the crisis, and discusses her own experience of releasing an album in the midst of all this.

Read Mike's article, "Behind the Scenes as the Canadian Music Industry Copes with an Unprecedented Crisis," at: https://indepth.canadianmusician.com/its-impossible-to-imagine-behind-the-scenes/

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Three Indiana women who moved to the United States as children have created a fund to help immigrant families who don't qualify for government aid and have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The women joined other volunteers, many of whom are also recipients under the ...

Former President Barack Obama slammed the Trump administration's coronavirus response as an "an absolute chaotic disaster."

Mr. Obama's comments came Friday night while privately talking to ex-members of his administration. A tape of the conversation was leaked to Yahoo News, which first reported the former president's comments Saturday morning.

He ...

For the second time, a federal judge has issued a restraining order against Kentucky officials who moved to block church services during the coronavirus shutdown.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove ruled Friday night in favor of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Nicholasville and against Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's order ...

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the negotiation process for coronavirus relief packages, saying rank-and-file members have been all but shut out of the process.

"It's really hard to understate how devastating this has been, in terms of our legislative and oversight abilities, for an average member of Congress to ...

Two Democratic senators, along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have introduced a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks every month throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis, as proposals for stimulus payment programs float on Capitol Hill.

Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts teamed ...

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - After fleeing Venezuela along with millions of others amid the country's grueling humanitarian crisis, Misael Cocho made his way by bus to Peru - where he got odd jobs and sent money home monthly to support his mother and his 5-year-old son.

But just after Cocho ...

The London Royal Ravens lost the first map against the Atlanta FaZe on Saturday and were denied a chance to restart despite the fact they had to play shorthanded because Matthew "Skrapz" Marshall was not in his seat at the start of the match.

UFC legend Georges St-Pierre will be inducted to UFC's Hall of Fame, it was announced on Saturday.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says, in the spirit of "competitive fairness," he believes facilities across the NFL should reopen at the same time.