SUM M ER FAVORITES EDITION
Celebrate summer with the new MDM Recordings Backroad Summer Jams Compilation, available now on iTunes!
You can also take advantage of special pricing on albums from Chad Brownlee, Jess Moskaluke, Bobby Wills, The Lovelocks, David James and more!
WIN Countrified Canada readers can visit www.countrified.ca to enter to win one of 5 MDM Recordings prize packages
FROMPASSION TO AWARDWINNINGGLOBAL OPERATION MIKEDENNEY M DM Recor din gs h as evolved f r om a passion t o an aw ar d w in n in g global oper at ion m u sic label, dist r ibu t or , an d ar t ist m an agem en t com pan y. Do you f in d sim ilar it ies bet w een r isin g ar t ist s an d you r jou r n ey st ar t in g ou t in t h e m u sic in du st r y?
Yes, both take a lot of time and money! In order to have a successful company in music you need to have successful artists. The A & R role has been crucial to the growth and continued growth of the company. Every good thing that is happening for our artists and company has been years in the making, there is no such thing as an overnight success.
Wh y is it im por t an t t h at M DM Recor din gs becom e a on e st op agen cy f or m u sician s? It is important for a couple of reasons. Primarily, by having everything under one roof that an artist would need to launch a career, it makes it easier and more
efficient to use the same people in the same areas of expertise. The system is consistent, the commitment to the projects is extremely high, and we can grown and learn as a solid team. This is really how the ?road family? came to be!
How do you k n ow w h en you 've f ou n d an ar t ist w it h a per f ect f it f or M DM Recor din gs? Is it a f eelin g, is it t h e sou n d? Is it t h e ar t ist 's per son alit y?
Everything starts with the song. If I don't feel it, I won?t sign it. For me it?s a gut feeling that opens the door to discussion of possibilities to see if it?s a fit for the artist and our label. We are very cautious to treat each artist as a singular priority, and to commit to each project as such. At the end of the day, the relationship is like a marriage and it can only work when everyone is on the same page.
Wh er e do you see t h e m u sic in du st r y h eadin g in t h e n ext 5 year s? Wh er e do you see t h e Can adian m u sic in du st r y h eadin g in t h e n ext 5 year s? I truly believe streaming will be the rebirth of a profitable music industry. As more people convert, and more money is generated it will begin to transition through to the artists and industry.
We are in a very interesting time for Canadian country music right now. I think you will see a couple changes. Unfortunately I think we will lose a few festivals in this country as I think we are getting over saturated. It's great to have places to play, but if the fans can?t afford the tickets, something has to give.
At radio, if we continue to produce the top quality music that Canadian artists are releasing now, it is going to have to change. There is just too much great music and too few opportunities for radio play! I am very interested in seeing what happens with CanCon laws as the government attempts to address this matter.
"ITALL STARTS WITHTHE MUSIC"
Advice t o r isin g ar t ist s - Wh ich is m or e im por t an t t h e im age or t h e m u sic? It always starts with the music, end of story. You can develop your brand your image after you have and or find the songs that are going to get you on the radio. I say the same thing at almost every panel I do. This is the music business, you need a plan and you need to be prepared to invest 3 to 5 years at least before you will see any real return on investment. That said, if you have a plan, build a good team, understand how the business works and have great songs, you will be setting yourself up to hopefully succeed.
SUMMER
Artists from MDM Reco their favorite things a Countrified Can
FAVORITES
ordings share some of about summer with nada readers.
Favor it e su m m er t im e dr in k When I'm on PEI, I hit up BarNone Brewery, which is a small craft brewery out in the countryside of PEI. Their Pale Ale is the most refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
St or y Beh in d Th e Son g We all do things that don't do us any good (you know what I'm talking about). That's where "Bad On Me " came from. Musically, I wanted to write a song that I could sing using just the fiddle (with a bit of foot stomping). It's also easy to sing a long to which makes it fun to play live. I co-wrote this withy my good buddy, Chris Kirby!
Favor it e su m m er 5 t h in gs you don?t t im e BBQ r ecipe k n ow abou t It's hard to beat cooking up some new potatoes on the BBQ during PEI summer time (you can get them on the side of the road pretty much everywhere you look)! Get the olive oil, green onions, lots of fresh garlic and salt + pepper and you're good to go!
Favor it e su m m er t im e spot
Tim Ch aisson : I just got my first tattoo yesterday while on tour in England! I have 55 first cousins on my Dad's side who pretty much all play fiddle, sing or dance. I travel with my own coffee grinder, beans and french press. I'm obsessed with coffee.
I own a 1978 Dodge FunCraft When I'm on PEI, my wife and I camper-van (her name is Sally) take our camper-van to the that I basically live in when I'm beach as much as possible (the not on tour. If I could live in it full beaches are pretty beautiful at time, I would. home). We pack a lunch and just end up sleeping there for the night. Staring out at a sky absolutely full of stars and the sound of the ocean is pretty awesome. Pretty magical.
SUM M ER DRINK Guinness. No description needed. It's like an old trusty friend that you know won't let you down.
BBQ FAV Pretty simple: Chicken marinated in maple chipotle sauce/Baked potato with caramelized onions (both from my garden) / Zucchini boat with basil, rosemary, thyme, and shredded Parm/Homemade "Beer cheese bread". I am now hungry.
Hang most oasis
FAVORITE SUM M ERTIM E PLACE
ging with my dogs down in the creek that runs by my house. You can walk t of the way in the water and pick blackberries along the way. It's like an s away from time. I feel almost cleansed when I get out.
STORY BEHIND THE SONG SM OKE IN THE RAIN I knew going into writing this song that I was going to meet my fellow co-writers (Phil Barton, Brian White, and Mitch Merrett) in a cigar shop in Nashville. So I thought it was fitting to bring an idea I had about smoke disappearing as a metaphor for a relationship quickly fading away. Phil took it a step further and said it would disappear even quicker in the rain. Moments later the first line of the song was written: "I'll grab my boots from under your bed, be gone before you even know I left". The rest as they say, is history...
5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT CHAD BROWNLEE
1. I was once in a middle school musical for "Grease". I was Teen Angel and Vince Fontaine. I believe my Mom & Dad still have the VHS of it. I should probably find it before this is posted to destroy any evidence... 2. I used to work at a Hockey Shop until I could tour full time. 3. Bungee jumping, skydiving, learning Spanish, and getting my pilots license are just a few things on my list to do before I'm 40. 4. I haven't had cable for over 3 years 5. When I was 5 I sat on a robins egg thinking it would hatch. But instead crushed in under my own weight. I believe a few tears were shed that day.
FAVORITE
SUM M ERTIM SPOTS
SUM M ER TIM E DRINK Zoe: I'm obsessed with Brickworks Cider. And Kim Crawford Wine. No recipes needed! Ali: I love a good G&T, because it?s refreshing and delicious and only two ingredients are required - gin & tonic with a squeeze of LIME!
SUM M ER BBQ FAVORITES Zoe: I love food. And eating. I'm obsessed with grilled vegetable salad. Is that weird? I hope so! Ali: Can I say a medium-rare steak with a bit of kosher salt and black pepper with grilled peaches & cream corn on the cob?!?!?! YES, PLEASE!
Zoe: I grew up visitin my grandparents in Grand Bend, ON, and spent my summers frolicking on the beaches of Lake Hur It holds so many memories for me, an love going back.
Ali: Definitely on the dock at my husband? family cottage. We go at least once every summer and we hav many good times unplugging from the ?busyness? of life, swimming with our d reading on the dock, watching old movies night on the VCR, goi into town for ice crea cones and making ep bonfires!
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BEHIND THE SONG Hom e Sw eet Hom e we wrote in Zoe?s living room in Toronto with Gavin Slate and Travis Wood. Travis came in with a really strong chorus idea which we loved right away. We started working on the song together and three hours later, we had Home Sweet Home! It?s been our highest selling, highest charting and most played single to-date and we love the song so much. It?s been really amazing to see how fans have responded to it, and we love playing it live! We recently got to sing it for the Canadian troops in Kuwait, France and Ukraine which gave it a whole other meaning!
Bor n To Love we wrote in Nashville with two of our favorite collaborators, Brian White and Phil Barton. The ?Born To Love? chorus riff and song title came to Ali after she got off the phone with her husband one night before bed. Zoe was in the other room getting ready to go to sleep and Ali played her the song idea, which she loved. They decided to bring it into their writing session the next day with Brian and Phil, and when they heard it, they freaked! We ended up writing the song in an hour - something we have never done in a songwriting session, and may never do again. Songs usually take hours, if not weeks to finish up and this one literally had us so excited, it took minutes to complete! It came together so quickly, and ended up being the first single off our latest EP. We also named our EP ?Born To Love? because of how much we love this song!
5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE LOVELOCKS 1. Zoe: My first official gig was singing back up for a rapper when I was fifteen. Yup. It's true. 2. Zoe: Eyeballs really wig me out. Please don't ever put in contacts or eye drops in my presence. 3. Ali: I am obsessed with having clean ears. I regularly abuse Q-tips, and yes I know it?s bad for me. But I can?t help my addiction! 4. Ali: I love, love, LOVE popcorn!!. 90% of the reason I go to the movies is because I want to eat popcorn NO SHAME!! 5. Zoe & Ali: Ali and I dated the SAME BOY before we became friends. Important clarification: we did not date him at the same time. In fact, we both dumped him and found each other as a best friend! HIGH FIVE!
FAVORITE SUM M ER DRINK Depends on what's in the fridge! My buddy, Colby, used to always drink beer and orange juice. He thought he invented it!
FAVORITE SUM M ERTIM E SPOT My hammock in my backyard.
FAVORITE BBQ RECIPE I just tried this out the other day. Super easy! We have a pretty big garden so I browned one side of a circular sliced zucchini in some olive oil. Then I put some pizza sauce on the browned side, a slice of pepperoni on top of that, and a piece of mozzarella on top of that. Broil it for about 10 minutes and you've got yourself a zucchini pizza.
5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT JESS M OSKALUKE BEHIND THE SONG "Take Me Home" was written by myself and two other women I had been wanting to write with for a long time. We sat down and started to share stories and we realized we all had a similar situation happen, and immediately realized it was something that needed to be put out into the world for other people to feel like they aren't alone. Then ?Take Me Home? was born.
1. I could eat popcorn every day forever and never complain. 2. I once wrote and was featured in a rap song called "Storm Before the Calm". 3. I'm a big believer in rescuing animals. I only have one rescue pup (her name is Nala) but that can (and will) change. 4. I had a curling rock thrown at my hand when I was a kid and now I can't bend my pinky finger properly. (Most Canadian accident ever!) 5. My first car was an Oldsmobile Alero. I had it until I was 24.
FAVORITE SUM M ER D Beer
SUM M ER SP
The beach!
DRINK
SPOT
FAVORITE SUM M ER BBQ RECIPE I like to cook Cajun chicken, I kinda make up the recipe as I go depending on how hot we want it.
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5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT BOBBY WILLS BEHIND THE SONG ?Never Didn't Love You? was born of an age old conversation that starts on the basis that men and women don't communicate the same way. Sometimes I've been guilty of not expressing my feelings and assuming my wife knew. But I never didn't love her!!!
1. I love reading and will generally do a book a week ranging from Mystery to Psychology. 2. I sleep walk - and often sleep eat 3. I love broccoli slaw 4. Sea salt dark chocolate is an addiction. 5. I once wrestled a crocodile
FAVORITE BBQ RECIPE My specialty is a bacon-dog! Literally wrap a hotdog with bacon before you toss it on the grill. I think of myself as a culinary mastermind.
FAVORITE SUM M ER DRINK A favorite drink on my patio during the summer seems to be my blueberry mojitos ? my specialty! Muddle about 1.5 oz fresh blueberries, 8 mint leaves, with 1.5oz blueberry vodka, 0.5oz vanilla vodka, 1oz fresh squeezed lime juice, and about .75oz of a sweetening agent (my go-to's are cane syrup or simple syrup). Roll with ice, then top with soda.
THE STORY BEH
For me, it's important that my mu relate to the listeners. Starts with lyrically and melodically. I still get to it. I hope people really dig deep one, and connect to it like I do.
HIND THE SONG
usic and songs really grab and a Girl is such a beautiful song, goosebumps every time I listen p with the message behind this
SUM M ERTIM E SPOT Doesn't matter where in the world I am... but if I'm on a golf course or on the water, it's going to be a great day.
5 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT DAVID JAM ES 1. My jobs before music were bartending and working in mom's flower shop 2. I've broken 12 bones... I'm sort of a walking accident-waiting-to-happen 3. I'm a diehard sports fan, especially with my Winnipeg Jets 4. If I wasn't a musician, I'd try to be a professional golfer 5. I can't even remember the last day I went without coffee or espresso. It was probably the 90's.
COUNTRIFIED CANADA & M DM RECORDINGS WISHES EVERYONE A GREAT SUM M ER FILLED WITH GREAT M EM ORIES!