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JULY/AUG 2018 Yesterday's Buds Are Tomorrow's Flowers Note From The Editor
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Ready Or Not, Here They Come Ex Ømerta talk new music
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The Sacred & The Salvaged The New Adelphi Club
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The Business of Making Dreams Come True 14 Ashley Bieniarz and the Winnipeg Music Project
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Janet Adamana
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ally Sigurdson PROMOTIONS DIRECTOR Steff Shields STAFF WRITERS Graeme Houssin Candace Houle
SOUND, PHRASE & FURY is a Canadian music magazine out to promote musicians not usually covered in mainstream media. All music, photos and articles used are for the purpose of spreading the knowledge of these artists and their music. We always encourage readers to support every act by purchasing releases, merchandise and attending live shows.
To Relate & Reflect Belmont on their new album
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Far From Fraudulent Sub Hyps on their new music
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Manitoba Summer Festival Guide This year's best summer fests
Girls Rock Winnipeg Rock camp for female, two-spirit and non-binary youth
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A Story Told Colour By Numbers and their upcoming rock opera
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Dusk & Doubts You Know The Drill and their new EP, Selfhood
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Must Hear Two must-hear artists
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info@soundphrasefury.com @soundphrasefury facebook.com/soundphrasefury soundphrasefury.com
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+ EDITOR’S NOTE
YESTERDAY’S BUDS ARE TOMORROW’S FLOWERS
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We are fortunate to have such a vibrant and constantly evolving music scene in Winnipeg.
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Summer has finally bestowed its grace to celebrate we’ve put together a July/ upon Manitoba and here at SPF, that August issue that features primarily great means, it's time to enjoy the great outdoors Canadian talent! and listen to even greater summer songs! To put even more icing on the glorious We are fortunate to have such a vibrant cake, we’ve added some fancy new and constantly evolving music scene in features to our mag. With the help of our Winnipeg. We look forward to summer wonderful publication hosts, Issuu.com every year because we know it's when our we’re now able to present you interactive already bustling local scene, absolutely issues going forward including direct links explodes with new bands, new tours, and to listen to the artists we feature! new opportunities to discover the best of We hope you enjoy the awesome new the best in music. changes, the great bands we’ve featured This issue also lands on the birthday of and the cool summer fests that are hitting our wonderful home here in Canada, and in and around our great city!
Young cardinals take flight
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Janet Adamana Editor-In-Chief
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STORY & PHOTOS BY CANDACE HOULE
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Q&A Q&A +
READY OR NOT HERE THEY COME Armed with a new album, and their always insane and energetic live show, Alt-rock trio, Ex Ømerta are ready to take the city by storm. We spoke with Dale McIntyre (guitar/ vocals), Scott Beattie (drums) and Spencer Bauer (bass). CH: What is the origin of the band name? DM: There is an old Mob term that means a vow of silence against authority. For us, that just means doing things our own way. We do everything ourselves. We get our own music videos and our own album covers. So that's pretty much being thoughtful about the spirit of doing everything ourselves and keeping other people at bay. It puts us in a place where we can be everything that we want to be.
CH: Do you think if you had gone somewhere like Vancouver or Toronto to record your sound would have been different? DM: I don't know that it would have sounded different in a different location as much as it’s just the process of becoming what we are now. Winnipeg was a huge part of our epic opera. CH: You worked with Mike Nash, tell me about that. DM: You can be a lot of things that are all over the map and Mike had a really good way of reeling that in and being like ‘what are you really trying to say?’ We learned that it’s good to know how uncool you are in that process. We've been friends with him for a while now. We've worked with him before so it was super nice to just pull up into the cabin with a friend.
CH: You’ve mentioned that you see Winnipeg as an inspirational landscape. Can you explain a bit more? DM: Music is really personal to our own experiences and the context of that is really finding our musical identity. The process of doing that in Winnipeg just feels like the music really sort of soundscapes that for us. CH: Can you talk a little bit about your new single, SBeattie: Plus our music is really raw too. I feel like “Are You Ready For What’s Coming?” Winnipeg has a pretty bare-bones atmosphere. DM: It's a funny one for us as we kind of went out on this recording trip with the idea that we would CH: Was your upcoming album recorded in record some old material and we did two days of Winnipeg? songwriting. I think we had ten songs at the end of it DM: We went out to a cabin near Gimli. We've gone and quickly realized the plan had changed. out there to write tons of songs before so it only felt like it was there we’d record; away from the world, away from the world of the Internet and everything.
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It was a pretty joyous atmosphere in the cabin after we realized that. There was a really late night where we just, for whatever reason, picked the instruments back up because there aren’t any neighbours out there. “Are You Ready For What's Coming?” basically came from that. We got to retrospectively tie in the process of putting ourselves out there to the world, lyrically. That's kind of what we were trying to do with that song: say ‘here we are. There's more coming. Are you ready for it?’ CH: So it’s going to be a pretty accurate representation of what we can expect from the new album? DM: I think it gets it and also operates within a certain realm instrumentally and sonically. I think that it's definitely on the more relentless side of that realm. It’s one of the faster songs that we have for sure and we draw so much from so many different genres. We listen to Queens of the Stone Age just as much as we listen to the latest Lorde album. So being catchy but keeping the rock spirit within it, is a really important thing. CH: Being a three-piece with a big sound, do you ever find yourselves needing a fourth member? DM: No I don't. It's not needed right now because no matter what comes of the band, if we lose our minds and let 50,000 didgeridoos behind us, they’ll be hired and told what to play by us.
CH: You’ve got a lot on the horizon: more singles and videos, an album and a big show coming up at Toba Rockfest. DM: Yeah we're really excited about that. It's funny being where we are right now and being able to play with a band like Jetset Satellite. I remember being a kid and kind of starting to know what was cool on the radio and I was like ‘Oh you talk about these Jetset Satellite guys. They must be really cool.’ Now to hear that we get to do a festival alongside them and we see all the amazing rock acts that are playing out there; it’s going to be incredible. CH: As a band, you’ve made a conscious choice to go with the uniform look. What is your idea behind that? DM: Like I was saying about the band name, about making our own thing, being the only ones kind of involved in it, I feel like it makes it very representable. It's easy to identify that it is this band. It also ensures we don't ever look like idiots on stage. We've played in bands before and tried to all look good at some point. If you have the same shirt and pants every night, it makes it easy to look good. SBauer: At first I found it uncomfortable but now I find it very comforting, I don’t even need to decide what I’m going to wear on stage.
SBauer: Right now what we're doing with our sound works really well as a 3-piece.
Stay up-to-date through Facebook.com/ExOmerta & instagram @exomerta. Stream them on Spotify. Stay tuned for their new album and catch them live on August 11 at Toba Rock Fest in Selkirk, Manitoba.
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Here we are. There's more coming. Are you ready for it?
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+ SIGHTS & SOUNDS
THE SACRED AND THE SALVAGED One man’s trash is another’s treasure. The saying is true for The New Adelphi Club owner Paul Jackson, who took an old lackluster venue and turned it into a sanctuary for emerging acts. Steff Shields accounts her first time at the iconic underground venue.
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS Q&A +
“It’s freezing.” “It’s not” “You’re Canadian. You don’t get a vote.” “Rude” The city of Hull has a history of necessary, cultural adaptability and the same is true of this hometown venue. Since its takeover by Paul Jackson in the early 80’s, The New Adelphi Club has been finding new ways to encourage a thriving underground music scene. The city of Hull has a history of being beaten up, only to rise, adapt and push on, and this passion project was no different. From tough financial situations near the outset, rough clients and years of trial and error, the Adelphi is now known to for Often praised as one of Hull’s best music venues, tight quarters, sound acts and even the occasional the doors of The New Adelphi Club open up onto line-up. an uninhabited hallway, ushering guests into one of the venue’s large showrooms, settling near a cash- The club itself is known to promote comedy nights, only bar. The sun-set themes and characters that disco shows and open-mics but none of these sets decorate the backside of the building are replaced have garnered as much praise as their live nights. by dark walls and street-art themed murals behind Whether it is punk, folk or hip-hop, the acoustics and the stage. I had unknowingly stepped into a venue atmosphere of The New Adelphi build a rich and that had housed some unexpected names over remarkable experience for show-goers. The layout the thirty years since its takeover. Remarkable and the culture of The New Adelphi Club provide local talent such as The Housemartins and The easy exposure to local talent while building up a Gargoyles were staples at the club for two decades, culture of creativity and ease. while globally-recognized group Oasis even did a one-shot over the small stage. The now scattered audience did little to show the capacity of the room For an extensive history of The New Adelphi Club, visit in its hey-day, but a quick history-bite from fellow theadelphi.com. show-goers described The New Adelphi as a staple for local music enthusiasts. Snow is a rarity on the now slush-lined streets of Hull. Despite the short walk, frigid water seeped in around the soles of my shoes. “Here we are.” The glow of a lit-sign was the only thing that signaled the converted house as our destination. Easy sounds of sound-check branched out through the poorly insulated walls, filling the otherwise empty street. “Shall we?”
STORY & PHOTO BY STEFF SHIELDS
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+ PROFILE
Music is Ashley Bieniarz’s thing. It’s her passion, seen in her own musical career. It’s her job, both as a piano teacher and a marketing assistant at Manitoba Music. Notably, it’s her passion – she is the host of the Winnipeg Music Project, one of Winnipeg’s premiere music radio shows and podcasts.
It began in the spring of 2015 as a blog where Bieniarz would interview her classmates and transcribe them into Q&A’s – “Which was a nightmare; I’m so glad I moved to radio,” she says – to find the answers she wanted to develop her own talent as a performer.
“When I first started standing, my mom noticed that I could keep a beat to the music,” Bieniarz says, sporting a treble clef necklace. “I would dance to beats, so she put me into piano lessons when I was three.”
Months passed, and Bieniarz expanded her pool of musicians from Faculty of Music peers to local musicians of all genres and levels of experience. Then, when asking about a possible on-air UMFM promotion to grow readership, Bieniarz was offered her own show.
Playing piano was a hobby she carried throughout high school and into post-secondary. But despite her long history of musical training, Bieniarz’s confidence was curbed as she enrolled in the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Music.
Cut to the present. The Winnipeg Music Project has featured some of Winnipeg’s most buzzworthy musicians – including Fred Penner, Carly Dow, Don Amero, William Prince and Boniface’s Micah Visser – many, more than once.
“It was really scary,” she says. “You get in, and you think, ‘I’m the best,’ and then I got in and realized “When I first interviewed [William Prince], he hadn’t even released his album that won the Juno yet,” that there’s like, child prodigies everywhere.” Bieniarz recalls. “He was talking about how he When Bieniarz approached her professor one-on- gets frustrated because when you Google ‘William one and asked how her peers managed to perform Prince’ you have to put in ‘music’ to find him or so confidently in front of others, her professor’s Prince William pops up.” advice was simple: ask them yourself; and so the Winnipeg Music Project was started, as Bieniarz says, very selfishly.
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PROFILE +
THE BUSINESS OF MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE ASHLEY BIENIARZ OF THE WINNIPEG MUSIC PROJECT ON HER CAREER AND CREATING A PLATFORM FOR OTHER MUSICIANS STORY & PHOTOS BY GRAEME HOUSSIN
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THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS SO DIY NOW, & I’M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT LOVE TO LEARN EVERYTHING
Prince’s first appearance on her show was in December of 2015. His second appearance, in September 2017, came only a half-year after his debut album Earthly Days won two Juno Awards for Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Indigenous Music Album of the Year. “To see that journey, that’s really cool to see,” says Bieniarz. “My friends blossoming.”
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Along the way, Bieniarz’s track record proves she achieved what she set out to do: absorb her guests’ advice and apply it. In 2016 she released her first single: “Paralyzed for Life,” a raw, stripped-down piano ballad with grippingly tender lyrics, a solid melody and impressive, breathy vocals, reminiscent of some of her key influences: Sarah McLachlan and Regina Spektor.
PROFILE +
Bieniarz’s consciousness of the music industry and its behind-the-scenes magic is the result of her years interviewing some of Winnipeg’s chief musical exports, attending workshops and familiarizing herself with the local music scene. “The music industry is so DIY now, and I’m one of those people that love to learn everything,” Bieniarz Since then, Bieniarz has released only one other says. “In many cases, artists have to do their own single: 2017’s “Almost as Much,” which already stuff. They have to be aware of the management, signals a new direction in Bieniarz’s musical style. It the publishing, the distributing, the booking… that’s still heavily features her signature crafty piano riffs, just how it works now.” but its quirky touches – the unexpected maracas, If Bieniarz’s experience makes it seem like she isn’t the slowed chorus – hint at a shift in her style. waiting around for an opportunity to strike her, it’s “I’m writing really intense ballads that require a lot because she isn’t. To her, luck isn’t a game plan of vocal power, and I’m really liking this direction – industry knowledge, the advice of established of ‘most melodramatic,’” Bieniarz says. “I’ve been musical forebearers and hard work, is. warning it sounds a little cabaret. I really like avantgarde and 20th-century atonal stuff, and the idea “If artists want to be successful, talent is not going of doing more flamboyant or theatrical stuff excites to get you anywhere,” she says. “There’s going to be me.” Both tracks have a meticulous quality to them, one in a million lucky opportunities where you’ll be and their staggered releases – along with Bieniarz’s in the right place at the right time, and someone will willingness to wait for the right time to formally find you, pick you up and walk you through. What’s release her debut EP or album – come off as strategic. exciting about today, with music being so accessible, you’re able to learn all these things.” Though Bieniarz says “Paralyzed for Life” is a far cry from her recent songwriting endeavours, it won her a spot as a 2016 Uniter Fiver finalist, alongside The Middle Coast, Deep Dark Cave, Adam Hanney & Co. and Fox Lake. The accompanying showcase in January 2016 was Bieniarz’s first performance.
Bieniarz will be performing at this month’s Northern Touch Music Festival showcase and Hoot Owl Festival August 23- 26 alongside fellow 2016 Uniter Fiver finalists The Middle Coast and Deep Dark Cave. Until then, catch the Winnipeg Music Project Tuesdays at 2 a.m. on 101.5 UMFM, or in podcast form on Google Play and iTunes.
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TO RELATE & REFLE 18
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Q&A Q&A +
Originally from Chicago, the five-piece rock band Belmont has been rapidly growing. With over 13,000 Likes on Facebook, Belmont is the new up-and-coming band in their music scene. Their current tour is taking them all over the United States and they show no signs of slowing down. Members Taz Johnson (Vocals) and Sam Patt (Guitar/Backing Vocals) say they want their music to make people think and reflect, and they hope their new self-titled full-length will continue to expand that mindset.
STORY BY ALLY SIGURDSON PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
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AS: Tell me about the history of Belmont, how did it start? TJ: Belmont started when Brian [Lada](drums) and I were both sophomores and juniors in high school. We never expected anything serious from the band… in fact, Brian didn’t want to join as a permanent member. However, after we put out Belmont ’s first EP, Vicissitude, which was recorded by Mat and Chris Kerekes in Ohio, Brian decided to join full-time. A year later, we headed back to a studio in Indiana to track “Between You and Me” over the course of several months and since then grinding for the common goal! AS: What’s your favourite part about being on tour? What’s your least favourite? SP: Playing shows and meeting people is the best part of tour. It really reminds us why we work hard and do what we do. The worst part? No Wi-Fi in the van. AS: What motivates you? SP: For me, it's watching live shows. Seeing an artist put on an entertaining show reminds me why I joined a band in the first place and the idea that I can possibly provide the same experience for someone else is a big motivator.
AS: Tell me about the biggest show you ever played? SP: We've sold out to our hometown crowd a few times now. Anytime we play in Chicago it sets the bar one notch higher than the last. AS: Who are your influences in music? TJ: We all have pretty different influences. Everyone is different. Collectively though, I would say Such Gold, The Story So Far, Counterparts, Volumes, and Citizen. Brian’s drumming on the new album pulls a lot of influence from different hip-hop artists and producers, so there’s definitely a mixed bag of influences in the cooking pot. We like that though. SP: Such Gold has been a band I've always pulled influence from since I got into pop punk. When I joined the band, I was introduced to Counterparts and Volumes. That combo kind of summarizes the general sound, but since Brian pulls a lot of metal influence on the drums, even a pop-punk styled song can turn into a heavier hitting track.
AS: What do you want people to take away from your music? TJ: When people listen to our music we all want them to take away slightly different messages & emotions. Personally, I want to give people a reason to reflect. I TJ: What motivates me is definitely the passion feel like we get way too caught up in our own heads behind the music and all the amazing experiences by living so far in the future that we forget about Belmont has given me so far. I’ve met a ton of friends the NOW and those around us. When I write, I want through music and have been able to travel to places to make people think about their situations, both I never thought I’d get to at this point in life! personally and with the lives around them. Life is all about learning, and I think that sharing experiences and lessons through music is extremely powerful and something I strive for.
Watch for Belmont’s self-titled full length out on August 17, 2018. Stay up-todate through Facebook.com/BelmontBand, twitter @ belmontchicago and instagram @belmontmusic. Stream their music on Spotify.
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Q&A Q&A +
LIFE IS ALL ABOUT LEARNING, AND I THINK THAT SHARING EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS THROUGH MUSIC IS EXTREMELY POWERFUL
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FAR FROM FRAUDULEN
STORY & PHOTOS BY CANDACE HOULE CH: What does ‘Suburban Hypocrite’ mean? NC: Travis [Kroeger] (drums) and Luc [Kroeger] (bass) – who is absent because he overslept – we all went to school in Sanford, Manitoba. It’s actually where we met each other. Being there, there were two types of people. There were the kids who wanted to be gangster and the kids who wanted to be super country bumpkin. Really, we were in a rural town and at the end of the day we were all a bunch of suburban hypocrites. That's where the name came from.
am all over the map. I like bands like Bloodhound Gang and stuff like that. It definitely wouldn't fit our element but we all kind of bring that together. We have some songs that are ska-punk. We have some that are straightforward modern day punk, some that have the 80s vibe. We try to go all over the place.
CH: Your first album has a vibe of fast-sounding drunk friends playing together. With your new album, Crowd Pleasers For Mouth Breathers, was there a certain vibe you wanted to get across? NC: Yeah, I think the easiest way of putting it is, our CH: How do you define the type of punk you play? first album we were all wearing Velcro shoes; this NC: We definitely draw elements from everything album we have laces on and learned how to tie because we all have different influences. Lucas, he's them. We tried to step our game up and instead a Grateful Dead fan. He likes a lot of Jamrock, 70s of being that drunk loser band that plays at your stuff. He brings that to the table. Travis likes a lot of brother’s birthday, we’re trying to grow as musicians metal. Taras likes more 90s punk like Rancid. I myself and do the best we can.
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Q&A Q&A +
Nick Camble takes us thorugh how his punk band, Suburban Hypocrites take their musical growth to a whole new level with their latest album, Crowd Pleasers For Mouth Breathers.
CH: Signing with Last Ditch Records was a cool step for Sub Hyps, how did that come about? NC: I was actually in Las Vegas with the owner of the label, Kaitlyn. She's a good friend of mine. We were hanging out for Punk Rock Bowling. We just ended up talking and she was like “Hey, I’m running a label, I’d like to put some of your band’s releases out on it.” There isn’t a crazy story. She likes our music and I like her so it worked out.
CH: What does the album title mean? NC: A lot of our humour is very self-deprecating. We always try to take the piss out of ourselves and we have a song on the first album called “Fast Songs for Slow Minded People” and I continued on that joke.
CH: Let’s talk a bit more about your new album. How was the recording process? NC: It's definitely different from what we've done before because Travis had always recorded us. We finally have, what I would call a proper set up. The first album we did a lot of drum replacement and the it sounded very unnatural. The second EP we did a hybrid of electronic and real drums. For this album everything was recorded totally organically: guitar amps were recorded live off the floor, bass live off floor. It was basically done as a live record. There's minimal effects put on it. It’s pretty raw.
CH: What’s up next for Suburban Hypocrites? NC: We’re going on a two week tour at the start of July where we’ll finally get to play Vancouver, which is a tour-first us. We're pretty excited about it. We've always just done Western Canada but never crossed the Alberta / B.C. boundary so I think it'll be really fun; an experience for sure.
CH: There are a lot of different genres in Winnipeg right now. Do you find it’s hard to compete? NC: It’s funny you say that because we were actually talking about that on the way here. We find CH: How is the support from the label at this level ourselves pretty diverse. We like to think we have of your career? our own sound and we end up on a lot of weird bills. NC: It’s definitely easier because I was doing We’ve played with hip-hop artists. We’ve played with everything with the band: designing merch, doing acoustic artists. We will pretty much play anywhere. artwork, booking shows and all that. Now they're Any genre you can name we've pretty much played doing most of that. It's a lot easier and a lot of less it. We don’t look at bills as if we will fit in or not. We'd stressful for me. Now, I can focus on doing vocal rather be a sore thumb if anything and we pride parts, writing lyrics etc. When we go on tour, I’ll book ourselves on that. As long as people will have us and some of the shows, but for the most part they’ll book welcome us on their bill, we're more than happy to it and they get our CDs in stores. They’ve been great. play.
Stay up-to-date through Facebook.com/subhyps & instagram @subhyps. Stream them on Spotify. Get a copy of Crowd Pleasers for Mouth Breathers on Bandcamp.
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A B O T I N
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L A V I T S FE SOAK IN SWEET MANITOBAN SUN & SOUNDS Summer is finally upon us and all Manitobans know it's time to bust out the sunscreen, sun hats and hit the outdoor stages! With our local scene chock full of places and spaces to take in some great tunes, we’ve compiled an extensive list to help you plan your summer fest circuit!
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+ FESTIVAL GUIDE
July 5- 8 • Bird’s Hill Provincial Park, MB
IVAL T S E F LK
FO G E P I WINN
The festival that needs no introduction, the Winnipeg Folk Fest has been a staple in the Manitoba music scene since its start in 1974. This year it brings an enormous line-up of 70+ acts from around the globe, including Sheryl Crow, Bahamas & The Strumbellas. Alongside these folk and roots superstars, will be over 40 incredible up-and-coming artists participating in the 2018 Stringray Young Performers program. This year’s program features some excellent local favourites like Erika Fowler, Nic Dyson, Olivia Lunny & Taylor Janzen.
ickets T • s t o /Ro Country
Folk/
July 21 • Brandon, MB
BRANDON
Flawlessly melding food, music, and art since 1985 is the Brandon Folk, Music & Art Festival. Highlights of this annual festival include community groups, art workshops and displays alongside their always-amazing line-up of performers. This year’s roster features Romi Mayes, Slow Leaves, Sweet Alibi and Caitlin Baker, to name a few. The one-day festival is only two and a half hours from Winnipeg and admission is free!
EST F R E MM
SU E V O L REAL
Folk
IC AND AR T
Folk/Indie /
Country/R oots
July 27 - 19 • Teulon, MB
Taking over Teulon, Manitoba is the always highly-anticipated Real Love Summer Fest. Produced by the year-round concert promotion company, Real Love Winnipeg, this event presents a plethora of fantastic acts year after year. 2018’s roster features many local scene favourites like Malcolm-Jay and housepanther alongside out-of-towners Tallies, The Velveteins, and VARSITY. One of the biggest advocates for safe and inclusive spaces for everyone, Real Love Summer Fest is a welcoming spot for all music-lovers.
/Pop/ e i d n I Rock/ Tickets 26
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FESTIVAL GUIDE +
Aug 3 - 5 • Lac du Bonnet, MB
FIRE & WA TER MUSIC
As the 2017 Manitoba Tourism Award winner for Event of the Year, the Fire & Water Music Festival definitely lives up to its motto: “Live Large, Dream Larger.” A fest that features excellent funk, soul, roots, and folk acts from all over, this three-day festival is dedicated to getting the audience dancing. Alongside a great line-up, the fest also features local craft and artisan vendors, a farmer’s market, and a special chainsaw carving exhibition. Catch My Song of The Hurricane, Matt Epp, Echo Nebraska, Micah Erenberg & Sophie Stevens and so many more.
Funk/Sou l/
Roots/Fol k Tickets
Aug 11 • Selkirk, MB
K FEST
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RO TOBA
FESTIVAL
The Village Idiots have already done so much for the scene with their weekly Facebook-streamed show, Live at The Roslyn. They don’t stop there though as the group presents this year’s Toba Rock Fest taking over Selkirk, Manitoba on August 11th. The festival will be serving up a much-needed platter of pure, uninhibited rock and roll. Bringing back fan-favorites Jet Set Satellite, alongside other beloved locals like Bright Righteous, Ex Ømerta, Moon Tan & Silence Kit, it’s bound to be a crazy show.
-rock t l A / k Roc s Ticket
Aug 16 -19 • Old Market Square, Winnipeg
MEMEFES T
The ultimate electronic music festival ascends into downtown Winnipeg this August with the annual MEMEFest - featuring an electrifying roster including Mr C, Noah Pred, Pezzner, Klove and Unit 42. This year they go even bigger melding music with tech and art, with an outdoor installation by Alpha Mix Nation entitled “Electric Roots.” The piece features trees illuminated by over 90,0000 LEDs programmed to display over 16 million light patterns set to the music - redefining the meaning of getting lit.
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Aug 17 - 18 • Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg
ES U L B Q&
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EG B P I N N WI
Giving you a fill of great food and damn well good music is the annual Winnipeg BBQ & Blues Festival. Taking over The Burton Cummings Theatre and its surrounding area on August 17-18, you’ll be able to catch headliners Blue Oyster Cult & Headstones. They’ll also be joined by a line-up of some of your favourite local and national blues acts on the free outdoor stage.
Tickets • s e u l Roots/B
Aug 17 - 19 • Kelwood, MB
HARVEST
SUN MUS IC FESTIVA L
Homey, welcoming and community-oriented, those are just a few of the ways people describe the Harvest Sun Music Festival. Showcasing and supporting both Manitoba musicians, artisans and farmers, this festival is dedicated to creating a strong, proud and thriving rural community. Their fantastic line-up spans the far reaches of country, folk, and roots, offering up some of the best of the best in the local scene. Catch Sierra Noble, Leaf Rapids, Carly Dow, Atlaas, Okay Mann and so many more at this three-day festival!
EST F C I S UT MU
TRO W O B RAIN
p/Folk o P / e i Ind Rock/ Tickets 28
Folk/Coun try/Roots Tickets
Aug 17 - 19 • St. Malo, MB
Celebrating their 10th Anniversary, Rainbow Trout Music Festival is bound to go even bigger this year! One look at the line-up and you best believe you’re going to spend that weekend dancing/swaying, crying, singing, and dancing some more. This year boasts another wide array of musical acts like Odd Outfit, Ghost Twin, and Super Duty Tough Work along with the return of the annual RTMF artist/animator installation. If cool, laid-back vibes, dipping into an ice-cold quarry and three days worth of impressive acts sounds like your thing (and why wouldn’t it?) you need to snag tickets to Rainbow Trout.
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FESTIVAL GUIDE +
WINNIPEG Aug 23 • Shaw Park, Winnipeg
CLASSIC R
OCK FEST
Get your fill of some good classic rock at the 2nd annual Winnipeg Classic Rock Festival at Shaw Park in Downtown Winnipeg. Snag a spot at this year’s fest as it features some of Canada’s favourite rock legends like Tom Cochrane with Red Rider, Holly Woods & Toronto, and Greg Leskiw with Monster Hollow.
Classic Ro ck Tickets
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Aug 23 - 26 • Kerry, MB Hoot Owl Festival is fresh to the festival game this year and kicks off their inaugural date with a line-up stacked with over 25 local acts. Taking place in Kerry, Manitoba, the three-day outdoor festival will feature indie, rock, pop, and folk acts including Deep Dark Cave, Solhounds, Northern Royals, Greg Arcade and a special super mashup of The Middle Coast & Red Moon Road.
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WHOOP & Aug 25 • Portage Le Prairie, MB Folk & roots lovers can wind down the summer with the Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival. Located at the aptly-named Enchanted Healing Oasis (ECHO) just outside Portage la Prairie, the festival has grown to be a fun-filled yet low-key event for those who just want to enjoy the company of good people, good vibes, and good folk music. Attendees can catch performances from Casati, Brothers Zed, the Young Pixels and The Deeds.
HOLLAR F OLK FEST
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INDUSTRY +
Girls Rock Winnipeg on creating inclusive and encouraging spaces for marginalized youth to explore their creativity and change the music industry. From picking you up during your darkest moments, to preparing you for the greatest times, musicians and listeners alike know the undeniable impact of music. But the unfortunate dark side of the music industry is its long history of being primarily-run by and catered to privileged cis-gendered males, often times leaving women, people of colour and those in the LGBT2SQ+ community feeling out of place and even silenced within their local scenes. But for those in marginalized groups, the state of the Canadian music industry, and Winnipeg’s scene particularly, has increasingly become a vessel for the creation of stronger, more open and inclusive communities - a movement that local non-profit organization, Girls Rock Winnipeg (GRW) continues to foster with the kick-off of their first Girls Rock Camp Winnipeg (GRCW). Founded by Brandi Olenick, Girls Rock Camp Winnipeg is a one week music day-camp for local female, trans, two-spirit, and gender nonconforming youth. The camp’s purpose is to create an inclusive setting for youth to explore music creation, performance and their own creativity in a safe and encouraging environment.
After hearing about the experiences and successes of a Girls Rock program in Saskatoon, Olenick was inspired to begin volunteering at a similar camp in Winnipeg, but found our music-centric city was lacking such a program. “I looked for something here and I really researched where I could find Girls Rock Winnipeg or something along those lines,” said Olenick. “There wasn't anything so I just went from there and started the footsteps to get it going.” The iconic music hub, West End Cultural Centre, got wind of Olenick’s program and soon offered to become an organization partner, becoming the camp’s location, as well as the continued host of many GRW fundraising concerts. GRW is operated by a volunteer-run board, with members coming from diverse communities and musical backgrounds. Kelly Campbell is one such board member. Growing up as a member of the LGBT2SQ+ community attending a primarily conservative high school in Halifax, the guitarist/ vocalist of Winnipeg garage-pop group, Mulligrub, knows first-hand the importance of creating an inclusive scene and how it can empower people in marginalized groups.
STORY BY JANET ADAMANA
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“There was this queer folk-punk music scene [in Halifax]. It was way different from going to school where my school was really sexist and kind of really shitty,” said Campbell. “After school I would go play with my band and it would just be all these queer people and it was much easier for me to feel like, ‘okay I can leave this place that I grew up.” --Youth attending Girls Rock Camp Winnipeg, get a well-rounded taste of what it’s like to be a musician – from playing instruments, songwriting, recording, creating merch and zines, pressing their own vinyl to practicing and performing – but they also get to participate in numerous workshops dedicated to fostering their self-confidence, creating bonds with one another, and discussing social issues as well as getting to meet and watch local female, two-spirit, trans and gender non-conforming musicians just like them, during the lunch time band performances.
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Campbell echoes that sentiment, with the emphasis of not just talking about representation and inclusion, but showing it and making youth feel they belong and the community wants to hear what they have to say. “A really big thing about music is taking up space and lots of the time, girls and nonbinary kids are really shy and don't take up a lot of space because they aren't encouraged too,” said Campbell. “That in of itself is so important, to be like, ‘we want to hear you. We want to know what you think.’” ---
Girls Rock Camp Winnipeg runs from August 13-18 at the West End Cultural Centre and is available to youth ages 10-14 who identify as female, trans, twospirit, and gender non-conforming. The program is currently full, but the group hopes to expand in the coming years to include youth ages 8-16, as well as a separate week for adults. GRCW is still looking for volunteers to fill several roles, including “Part of the camp is to try to give people who don't band managers, instructors, mentors, set-up/ feel that they have a voice, that voice, empowerment cleaning staff. They are also seeking volunteers and support and create that kind of community,” to help with organization roles year-round. Many said Olenick. “When you see yourself up there you roles need no previous musical experience. If you have the idea that ‘wow, if somebody like me can do are interested in volunteering, please contact girlsrockcampwinnipeg@gmail.com or fill out the that, maybe I can do it too.” official volunteer form.
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Lots of the time, girls and non-binary kids are really shy and don't take up a lot of space because they aren't encouraged too.
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SPF 6.4 ARTISTS PLAYLIST Snag a listen to the artists featured in Sound, Phrase & Fury 6.4 on Spotify. SoundPhraseFury • SPF 6.4 Artists
SOUNDPHRASEFURY.COM
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A STORY TOLD STORY BY JANET ADAMANA
PHOTO BY MICHAEL OSIKOYA
SPF: How did Colour By Numbers start? JA: Me and Alex met almost ten years ago. We met one night at a bar and I basically just asked him the first time I met him, 'hey, do you want to be in my band?' I didn't have a band [laughs].
we had grown up at the same time period, and had an affinity for the same kind of music. What we were listening to was the stuff from the early 2000s and late 90s, and that came to be a pretty important influence in our sound.
AK: Yeah, we were talking about this genre of music that I decided was a genre of music, that I was calling backcountry. It's just folk kind of stuff and I was like 'hey I'm really into this kind of music but I don't really have anyone to play a band with me.' And Jared was like 'well do you want to be in my band?' [Laughs].
JA: I think the first EP was definitely more influenced by our love for 70s music and stuff. There's a lot more like 'back country' that sort of non-existent genre we keep referencing. But yeah, it was a lot more folky, country, still a bit of rock, something psychedelic to it. It was kind of all over the place. But now our sound is a lot more based and like late 90s.
SPF: What influences did you borrow from when you were putting together your sound? AK: I think that changed a lot when we found our members. Jared had his friend Mike. They went to high school together and he came back from being in BC. We asked him to play drums with us on a regular basis. He said sure. Later Jesse joined and it was when we were all together I think we realized
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AK: It's more refined. When we started, me personally, I was still exploring music and it was like 'oh, this is really cool. This is really cool,' and that would come out in my music. It was when the four of us got together and we were like, 'oh, we all like this' where we started to really create something that took the shape of that kind of alternative rock.
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Who knew the fictional story of one awkward musician could grow into a glorious new project for one of Winnipeg’s most notable alt-rock bands. Colour by Numbers takes inspiration from their single, "Thaddeus " – an endearing story of one man’s mission to break into the local scene – to create their latest musical offering: a full-length rock opera album.
SPF: A lot of your songs are very story-based, who does that or where does that come from? AK: That's mostly me. I did any English degree in university so I read a lot of stories. It's just sort of my style I guess. I don't know why that is.
coherence where there's a plot, there's characters, there's actually a timeline that makes sense and conveying that through music is a challenge but that's sort of our big thing that we're trying to do right now.
SPF: I'd be listening and thinking, like is this a life story about you or something made up? AK: Which song were you thinking of? SPF: The one about the super awkward guy. AK/JA: Ah, Thaddeus. AK: That's not about me particularly at all. JA: Well.. It's got some truth to it [laughs]. AK: It's actually about a fictional character in the music scene in Winnipeg who is trying to break into the scene. It's sort of becoming its own thing and we're writing other songs in the same universe.
SPF: Where did that whole idea come from? AK: I don't know. I wrote that song Thaddeus and the way I write songs is, I'll write a melody and a line will pop into my head. Sometimes it's a line that doesn't make sense. The line that I was playing with was: 'Thaddeus had a mission to tell all the other musicians...' I was like 'OK that's a cool line. That's a cool rhyme and it means something,' but I didn't know what it was about. Then I was like ' okay, he has a mission to tell the other musicians he's in a band. And that he'd be down to jam' and it became Thaddeus is just this guy who was trying to get his footing and meet people. I think it just came more or less from nowhere. But out of that single song sort of came this idea to create other songs in that same Universe.
SPF: Yeah, so more about your new music. JA: Going back to that Thaddeus thing, we are working on a rock opera. I think that's going to be our next big release: a first full-length album which is going to be rock opera which is a pretty ambitious task. AK: Yes. We've never done something like this before so trying to create something with
Follow through Facebook.com/cbnmusic & instagram @colourbynumbers. Stream on Spotify. Catch them on their western Canada tour kicking off at the Cavern on July 26.
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DUSK & DOUBTS
Independent musicians know chasing their ultimate dreams is not always what it’s cracked up to be. Although, fulfilling and exhilarating, being a young touring musician can also be disheartening and challenging. In their new record, Selfhood, pop-punk quartet, You Know The Drill, touch on the hardships and self-doubt that come with trying to reach your goals and living a life making music that heals others’ souls.
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STORY BY JANET ADAMANA JA: How did you get your start in music and how did You Know The Drill come about? BY: You Know The Drill came about when Brad [Potter] (drums) and I were reaching the end of our music course at College, and we wanted to continue making music, so we started a band. For the first year or so we were absolutely clueless and made every possible mistake, but I like to think that those experiences have made us just a little more knowledgeable today. SPF: You spent a lot of time touring your last EP, how has that helped you grow as a band and as individuals? BY: Touring requires you to spend a lot of time with each other in close and confined quarters, so during that time you learn a lot about everyone. Because of this, I'm more comfortable with my bandmates than I am with anyone else in the world. We all know how to make each other laugh and how to deal with someone when they aren't in a good mood. All this kind of experience went a long way when it came to writing Selfhood as it gave us the ability to push each other harder and fight a little more for an idea we believe in.
It'll be like 2 AM driving down the motorway, completely shattered after playing a gig and if it's not a particularly rewarding gig, there's a large sense of ‘what's the point in doing this? We're tired, we're away from home, and we miss our loved ones.’ Of course, this doesn't define what touring is all about, as the vast majority is the most fun you could have, but it's very easy to get bogged down in those dark, pessimistic thoughts late at night. SPF: What was the process like working with that caliber of a professional team? BY:Well, we worked with Alex from ROAM on our last EP, and we've known him for ages, so working with him again was super chill. He helped us round off these songs by rearranging certain sections, getting me to rewrite certain lyrics and it all went a long way! He also sat in and produced some of the vocal tracking sessions which we did with ROAM's tour manager and our friend Rich Dack. Rich has a sick studio built in his house in Eastbourne, so he let us sleep there whilst we recorded vocals. He was so supportive and passionate about making the vocals sound as good as they possibly could.
SPF: In your new record, Selfhood, you touch on the dark side of touring. Can you talk about life Stay up-to-date through Facebook.com/ on the road and what inspired “Homesick”? YouKnowTheDrillUK & instagram @yktduk. Stream BY: Very often after shows, to save on paying for a Selfhood on Spotify. hotel we'd just drive straight home. These late night drives, in particular, are what inspired “Homesick.”
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MUST HEAR COMPILED BY STEFF SHIELDS 40
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From a UK indie-rock group reshaping the genre to locals keeping the in-yourface vintage punk vibes alive, we’ve got two all-star bands that have earned a spot on your playlist!
MUST HEAR +
LET MAN LOOSE INDIE-ROCK HULL, UK
The town of Hull, UK has always been a hub for creatives, but since being voted City of Culture in 2017, this Yorkshire town has exploded with musical acts of every kind. It can be difficult to stand out through a crowd of consistent noise and brash lyrics, but local band Let Man Loose has found a foothold. By combining technical skill, deliberate lyrics and a soulful approach to a hard-rock edge, the boys in the band are making a name for themselves, one EP at a time. Vol. I, the debut album from Let Man Loose demonstrates the unusual attention to detail that goes into creating a lyrical re-telling of something dismal but relatable. The three-track EP takes listeners on a play-by-play of bad decisions, bad rationale and the consequences therein. Far from catchy choruses or a badly-rhymed bridge, the lyrics that make up such songs as "The Coffin’s Final Nail" show a sort of prose that set these Hullians apart from their peers.
rock. Frontman Marc Ainley bends his vocals in a way reminiscent of Alex Turner while backing instrumentals call on classic west-coast rock style of LA and southern California. This blending of overseas styles makes for something truly unique. It is this distinct voice that has warranted Let Man Loose consistent bookings around the UK, including a gig at the New Adelphi Club, one of the city’s most notable music landmarks. As the founding foursome of Ainley, Jamie Rothery, Sam Howell and Daniel Griffin are beginning to gather steam, the summer schedule is filling up for this much-in-demand group. With a global resurgence of indie-rock groups, it is easy to become swept up in the repetitive. Let Man Loose has found a way to distinguish themselves and their unique sound among the hoards of other voices, screaming at microphone level. With their sound, soul and style, Let Man Loose breaks away from common themes and keep audiences interested.
The four-piece band injects just enough of their Let Man Loose will be releasing their second album, own musical influences to create a recognizable aptly named “Vol. 2” on July 27th, 2018. but altogether different take on modern indie-
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YER MUM PUNK WINNIPEG, MB
There is a saying that old punks never die, they just stand in the back. It is one that I had heard many times over but never had I been able to stand within such a perfect example as I did on June 16th, 2018. For this writer, It was the last of many nights in the prairie capital of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The first night of the Winnipeg International JazzFest saw show-goers flocking into the city’s exchange district and downtown core. Far away from billboards and lights, one local venue reignited an annual tradition of pitting local hip-hop acts against seasoned punk bands. In a crowd full of OG punk styles, it was difficult to distinguish who had arrived with intent to play and who was simply there for the show. Nostalgic camaraderie filled the room, filling the spaces between painted faces, mohawks and chain-lined vests. With drinks in hand, the sparse crowed centred themselves, waiting on the fringes of patience for the band to begin.
positions in an almost aloof sort of way, passing sarcastic comments and anecdotes between them. Strangely, it was the perfect introduction to the politically charged, hard-lined set to follow. Stylistically, crowd favourites like "Psychopath" and "Basic White Bitch" call back to the early days of the 1970’s New York punk aggression while the notable influence of a female lead singer reminds audiences of Sleater-Kinney and X. Drawing on everyday stereotypes, pet peeves and doomed interactions, the relatable and easy to recognize tracks from Yer Mum have pulled in a dedicated following. With unique sounds, raw technical skills and just the right amount of banter, these Winnipeggers show no signs of slowing down. PMS, the debut album from Yer Mum, has garnered attention for the group, cementing bookings all over Winnipeg, Manitoba and the surrounding area, including the iconic Cavern Tavern. As the band prepares to drop their second album, room should be made for these up-and-coming cultural punks.
As the aptly named trio of, Yer Mum took to the stage, it was easy to see why they had drawn such a crowd. Counter to the typically aggressive stage You can catch Yer Mum at the Cavern, September presences of punk bands, founding members Jimmy 1st, 2018, along with The Shit Talkers and Daisy Jazz, Jenny Wuckert, and Travis Nolette take their Stranglers.
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