May 17, 2018—“A lot of recent synth-based artists opt for maximalism, throwing as many sounds and textures into the mix as they can for both variety’s sake and to show off their gear a bit. Montreal-based artist Nick Schofield took the opposite route on his forthcoming album, using only one synthesizer, one effects pedal and a batch of field recordings he…
April 11, 2018—We’re so pleased to announce that JOYFULTALK has joined the incredible roster of artists at Constellation Records, who will release the band’s sophomore album later this year. The brainchild of instrument builder and jazz-fried alchemist Jay Crocker, JOYFULTALK offer up new concepts on regionalism and conjure micro-climate trance music. Admittedly influenced by the craggy treelines and flowing…
April 11, 2018—The Olympic Symphonium have shared the video of their performance of “Choral Voices” from the Shivering Songs festival, which premiered earlier this week via Spill Magazine. “That room was built for choral music and all though we aren’t a choir, we sure felt like it in such a grand, hollow space,” says member Graeme Walker. – Watch the…
March 29, 2018—Celebrated songwriter Michael Feuerstack releases his new album, Natural Weather, on May 25, 2018. Watch a video for the debut single, “Nobody Knows,” premiering exclusively via German outlet Intro Magazin by clicking HERE. Recorded at home, Natural Weather offers a deceptively rich palette. Most of the instrumentation is provided by Feuerstack, with Jeremy Gara (Arcade…
March 9, 2018—Paper Beat Scissors’ new release features arrangements that bandleader Tim Crabtree wrote during a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada’s Rocky Mountains in the winter of 2016. The album tracks span the whole 10-year catalogue and include 3 brand new songs. As Crabtree explains: “Live at La Sala Rossa is a very very quiet record in places,…
February 9, 2018—Last winter, the four members of The Olympic Symphonium travelled to the Old Confidence Lodge studio in Riverport, Nova Scotia to focus on capturing 13 new compositions. Working long days with the help and stamina of engineer Diego Medina, the band laid down this batch of songs and enlisted the help of several friends to sing harmony, play drums, strings, and…
January 31, 2018—We’re very happy to welcome Motherhood into the Forward Music Group management roster. After a standout year that saw them perform at festivals across Canada, with an orchestra, with a middle-school kids choir, and alongside both The Sadies and Timber Timbre, the New Brunswick trio have just announced a month-long North American tour that includes their first…
January 23, 2018—“beautiful, smooth…CBC can playlist this now.” – Eric Alper Come cry with The Olympic Symphonium in their official video for “Comedy”, the third single from their forthcoming album, Beauty In The Tension, out February 9. The song revolves around the idea of political correctness. What is acceptable to say to someone? What’s not? Is that…
January 2, 2018—We polled our crew and asked for a list of things that inspired them over the last year. What came back obviously skews toward music but also includes insight from the contributors. The results are diverse, though there is always room for improvement, and we try to shine a light on some self-released and DIY. If you were…
December 4, 2017—“Turn Into Vapour is a summation of everything the Halifax indie scene can offer. The lyrics are smart but unselfconscious, the music ambitious without burying the pop hooks and the production clean but retaining a raw edge. Early standouts include “Got Caught” and “Allyson Got Robbed” with its memorable refrain, “get your goddamn hands of off…
December 1, 2017—The Shivering Songs festival is extremely pleased to add an impressive slew of artists to its 2018 line-up: Timber Timbre, Reeny Smith, Fiver, Laurie Brown‘s Pondercast taping with Joshua Van Tassel, and Motherhood, as well as Bob Mersereau, Mike Trask, Julie Aubé, Camille Delean, Loic April, and The Montgomery Street Band. Now celebrating its eighth edition, Shivering Songs runs January…
November 22, 2017—Beauty in the Tension, the fifth studio album from New Brunswick songwriting quartet The Olympic Symphonium, will be released in February 2018. It is the result of rural isolation, small comforts, and inspiration in the form of two pairs of ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ pajama pants. For six days last winter, the band holed up in the legendary Old…
November 21, 2017—Artist, musician, producer, and sound explorer Jay Crocker has won an Emerging Artist Recognition Award from Arts Nova Scotia for his BIBELOT instrument/installation piece. The award was handed out this weekend as part of the Creative Nova Scotia Awards Gala in Halifax, NS. “Part instrument, part installation, BIBELOT is a self-composing set of sixteen ceiling mounted music boxes with custom-built drives, loops, lights, and amps. Creating a sanctuary…
November 21, 2017—Tim Tracey has been silently creating some of the darkest stop-motion videos from a small studio above an Army Navy surplus store in Halifax. He’s collaborated with Joshua Van Tassel on his award-winning shorts Kreb and DataMine, the latter of which premiered last year at TIFF. We’re very pleased to share with you the video for DoubleTooth‘s song When You Need A Helmet from their…
October 28, 2017—“There are plenty of chances taken on the album, from folk and country sounds, through to songs that almost seem as though they’re constructed from dueling breakbeats. Importantly though, I never felt like I was listening to an experiment, that organic base mentioned in the quote above ensures that each song manages to keep a…
October 7, 2017—In collaboration with our friends at Ottawa’s The Record Centre, we are delighted to announce that Gianna Lauren‘s third full-length, M o v i n g P a r t s, is now available on vinyl. Limited to 300 copies, the album is pressed on 180g black vinyl and comes with a download postcard redeemable three times. Her…
October 6, 2017—We have our most handsome collection of music yet! Interpretations of horses, drawn by various artists on the roster, adorn the CD sampler that will now come with every physical order until we run out. Featuring new songs from Michael Feuerstack and The Olympic Symphonium, a live track of Paper Beat Scissors with orchestral accompaniment, a new piece of music from Isador, and a cover of Hall &…
September 18, 2017—Only weeks ago, many music fans across Canada mourned the loss of one of The Signal, one of CBC Radio‘s most beloved shows. Have you heard the good news though? Laurie is continuing with radio through her new Pondercast, which has listeners intrigued since the inaugural episode. Listen to episode 01 The music might have something…
September 15, 2017—Since the first Sleepless Nights release in 2004, there have been two constants in the band: the steadfast artistic vision and direction of Aaron Wallace, and a gentleman named Keith Hamilton. Read more… Catch Sleepless Nights live: September 14 – Fredericton, NB: The Capital September 15 – Yarmouth, NS: The Red Knight September 16 – Halifax, NS: The Seahorse Sleepless Nights – Keith Hamilton ..Listen on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple // Order Digital “good time punk…
September 15, 2017—We’re continuing Revue performances into Eastern Canada this fall with shows in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal among others. This event is part of a series of unique shows we’ve been presenting all year in various venues across the country celebrating our 10th anniversary. The event will feature four acts from our roster: Michael Feuerstack, Gianna Lauren, Paper Beat Scissors, and Dan Misha Goldman…