Release Day Series Podcast
Alex Huard
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Conversations with award winning artists, independent musicians, and industry professionals. The Release Day Series Podcast dives into the stories, strategies, creativity and effort that goes into making release day a reality. Season 2 Theme music composed by: Graham Bieri Season 1 Theme music composed by: Evan Denley. Episodes containing explicit content are indicated on an episode by episode basis.
Available episodes
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4 days ago
The Flamingos Pink - Heads Full of Gold
The first episode of 2023 brings you the last conversation I had in 2022 with this incredible Montreal based Rock N Roll Duo - The Flamingos Pink. Sacha and Julz are here to talk about their Sophomore album, Free Livin.
The energy and excitement that comes through their riff-heavy music makes it hard to believe they are solely a two-piece thrill ride - and they have easily been one of my favorite musical discoveries since the release of their 2020 record - Outtacontroller.
We talk about how they got started making music together - Julz details the near parallel lives he and Sacha lived before starting the group, how they weathered the last 2 years in the music industry and fought for their independence, and what the title of the album - Free Livin' - means to them.
The Flamingos Pink
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Oct 26, 2022
Alicia Toner - Making the Most of an Album Release
2022 Canadian Folk Music Award winning singer-songwriter Alicia Toner joins the show this week to talk about making the most of an album release.
Her sophomore album "Joan" (absolutely fantastic) was released on June 25, 2021. Aside from releasing singles and music videos leading up to and following the release of the album, what caught my interest was what she did 1-year later. She celebrated the 1-year anniversary by releasing a new radio-edit from the album as a single, bringing renewed attention to the song and the project as a whole - brilliant! The song "Tonight" A gripping Folk-Americana song about allowing oneself to let go of reservation and leap into love features long time collaborator and JUNO Award winner Joey Landreth.
So often we feel like a project is old or has no life left in it as we move forward to create something new for people to see and hear. Alicia's success in re-visiting the release of her 1-year old album is a perfect reminder that despite the age of our previous work, there is still an audience that has yet to discover it.
Watch the video interview
https://aliciatoner.ca/
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Oct 12, 2022
David Myles: Songwriting - Why Taking Risks is so Important
David Myles hangs out this week to talk about his new album "It's Only A Little Loneliness" (September 23, 2022). We dive into the album's creation, the risks and fears he had during the songwriting process, how the production of the album differed from previous album recordings, and why he feels the release rollout may be the most successful of all of his albums. We begin the conversation discussing the podcast he started at the beginning of the pandemic "Myles From Home" and what he learned through the his conversations with some incredible Canadian musicians, and cap it off with a great story about a show I saw David at while he was on tour with Classified in 2012.
Theme music composed by @bedroomanticsmusic
Watch the video interview.
David Myles' Website
Myles from Home Podcast
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Oct 7, 2022
B-SIDE: Leanna Oki - Success with Independent Marketing & PR
Asian-Canadian artist Leanna Oki joins the podcast to talk about her brand new single "It was all a lie" (September 30, 2022), as well as her successful approach to connecting with music publications and radio stations. Leanna has been featured across Canada by Toronto Guardian, Canadian Beats, Aesthetic Magazine, Ottawa Life, The Permanent Rain Press, The Wire Megazine, and Cashbox Canada, and was aired by CBC Radio, the QUBE 88.9 FM and KOOP 91.7 FM. Leanna also appeared on CTV Ottawa Morning Live for their Morning Jam.
She has done an incredible job of taking what she's learned from working with industry professionals over the years to move her music career forward independently.
Watch the video interview
Leanna Oki's website
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Sep 28, 2022
Matthew Barber: An Honest Perspective from the 20+ Year Industry Pro
After a 3-month Hiatus I am so happy to be back and sharing a great conversation with juno-nominated Singer-Songwriter Matthew Barber following the release of his EP No Singing Or Dancing (July 2022). Matthew and I have a great discussion about the tracks that make up the EP and how they were created, his longevity in the music industry, consistent revenue streams, writing for a theatrical production of The Graduate with Justin Rutledge, his perspective on streaming numbers and with becoming a new dad (I have two young boys myself), we have a little fun discussing the kind of music that’s REALLY been playing around our homes. It’s a wonderful chat and I hope you enjoy it.
Theme music composed by: @bedroomanticsmusic
Watch the video interview here.
https://www.matthewbarber.com/
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Jun 2, 2022
Stephen Hero: Creating Raw, Real, Regional Hip-Hop
Matthew Elliott - better known in the Hip-Hop community as Stephen Hero, is from Saint John New Brunswick. In episode 45, we talk about his Gold Collection EP that he released on May 13, 2022.
The EP forms a loose meditation on the self-destructiveness of wage aspirations; the way the poor hold up the rich in the hopes that they might one day join them, therefore maintaining the status quo and enforcing the division.
Having a Hip-Hop artist hasn’t been a common occurrence on the podcast so I’m excited to dive into the production of the tracks and dig around inside the mind of Stephen Hero for a better understanding of what this project is all about.
Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/EcI6MO77Vjw
https://stephenhero.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/stephenhero506
https://www.facebook.com/stephenherointhebooth
https://www.instagram.com/stephenhero506/
https://twitter.com/stephen_hero
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May 18, 2022
The Bros. Landreth: Trauma, Trust, & Truth - The Making of Come Morning
Episode 44 welcomes Joey and Dave Landreth of the JUNO award-winning duo The Bros. Landreth, to talk about their 3rd album, "Come Morning" (May 13th, 2022).
We dive into the record, taking a look at what went into writing and producing their most vulnerable record to date.
*Topics Covered:
*Writing
Producing
Track Sequencing
Album Artwork Design
Health and Wellness
https://www.thebroslandreth.com/
http://www.designbyroberta.com/
https://signalnoisemusicmarketing.com/
https://www.releasedayseries.com/
Listen on YouTube with enhanced visuals:
https://youtu.be/PKOXv0enels
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May 4, 2022
We Should've Been Plumbers: How the Duo Produced their Debut EP From Miles Apart
Trials, tribulations, but ultimately - success. Kim Carson and Jillian Comeau of the Alt-Grunge/Sad Pop duo We Should've Been Plumbers stop by to talk about their debut, self-titled EP, and the efforts that went into remotely producing the record with Kim in Nova Scotia, and Jillian in Vermont.
We talk about what went right, what went wrong, and why they're ready to do it all over again.
https://weshouldvebeenplumbers.bandcamp.com/
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Apr 20, 2022
Goodnight Sunrise - A Case Study on their Musical Evolution
Toronto based rock and roll group Goodnight Sunrise join the podcast to talk about their new single "Belong" released on April 13, 2022.
We talk about the ongoing battle to feed the social media machine and how they've stayed creative when developing content to promote their new music, how they've evolved visually and sonically as a duo over the 10+ years they've been creating music together, and grammar you should leave out of your band name...
Topics Covered:
* Branding / Re-Branding & the Importance of a visual identity
* Evolving as artists / musicians
* Social Media Creativity
GNSR website: https://www.goodnightsunrise.com/
Video Version: https://youtu.be/kcgWhHONpJk
Sign Up for our bi-weekly newsletter: https://www.releasedayseries.com/newsletter-sign-up-page
Release Day Website - https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Apr 6, 2022
Shawna Caspi - How Album Art Can Generate Income
On Episode 41, Alternative Folk artist Shawna Caspi joins us to talk about her 5th album "Hurricane Coming" that was released on August 27, 2021. In addition to the music that’s so beautifully put together - Shawna also created the cover art for the album, as well as 10 original paintings, each inspired by a song on the album. What she did with that artwork and how she collaborated with other artists for her music videos - that’s what really caught my interest...
We talk about Topics covered:
* Becoming a songwriter
* Co-Writing
* Government Funding
* Album Artwork designs
* Music Videos
Shawna's Website: https://shawnacaspi.com/
Shawna's Music videos: https://shawnacaspi.com/video/
Video version of the episode: https://youtu.be/agREXGIsm7U
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Mar 27, 2022
B-SIDE: Sleeping Bees - Behind the Trio's Independently Produced/Released Single "Rest"
On this episode of the Release Day Series Podcast: B-Side - I am joined by Toronto-Based folk trio "Sleeping Bees" to talk about their latest single - "Rest" - that was released on March 20th, 2022. The song represents an exciting new direction for the band, as it was entirely independently written, recorded, produced, and mixed by the band members themselves.
We get into the recording process of the song and why they felt the final product came together as beautifully as it did.
Sleeping Bees Bandcamp - https://sleepingbeesband.bandcamp.com/
Video version of the episode - https://youtu.be/XzXQyY6_3Wk
Release Day Website - https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Mar 23, 2022
Mountain Head - How to Stand out on Social Media
Returning to the show is Electro-Pop duo Mountain Head to talk about their debut EP Backseat - released on March 18th, 2022. Their creativity knows no bounds and they truly know how to embrace their originality. We chat about how their songs for the EP came together, they used crypto-currency to pay for the media rollout behind their Billboard Canada Charting track - Let It Out, how building a community behind your music is way more important than going viral and holding yourself accountable to staying creative on social media in a way that is unique to you as an artist.
Mountain Head website: https://www.mountainheadmusic.com/
Video version of the episode: https://youtu.be/0f1YLpx5DtI
Release Day Series Podcast: https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Mar 11, 2022
B-SIDE: Tamara Grace - Leaving the Past Behind
Young Canadian Pop artist Tamara Grace joins us on Episode 2 of the Release Day Series Podcast: B-Side to talk about her song "Autumn Tears" - released on February 11, 2022.
Tamara teamed up with her dream duo to see “Autumn Tears” through to its final product. The song was produced by Dominique Messier (Céline Dion) and mastered by Marc Thériault who boasts an impressive portfolio of working with top musical talent including Céline Dion, Charlotte Cardin, Sia and Eric Clapton. “Autumn Tears” is a musical representation of the advice Tamara wishes she could have told her younger self and an encouraging reminder to learn from the past and persevere.
Watch the Vodcast version: https://youtu.be/NhfHfZZvKRU
Connect with Tamara Grace:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamaragracemusic
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/5htEPpLG7TqKG3PY8Dzhgw?si=2VGlc6qKRBKsXQCQA6q9ag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaragracemusic/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/realtamaragrace
YouTu…
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Mar 2, 2022
Raine Hamilton - Making Live Music More Accessible
*On episode 39, we are joined by Winnipeg based, chamber-folk musician Raine Hamilton to talk about their album Brave Land, released on January 21st, 2022.*
*We discuss the creation of the album, performing a song in latin, creating the album artwork with good friend Sarah Thiessen & Roberta Landreth. We also talk about the creation of the incredible shadow puppet music video for their song Eclipse. *
*We also touch on accessibility in the live music space. Raine is a believer that music is for everyone, and that we all have something to share, they offer workshops in songwriting and fiddle-tune writing, and offers concerts with American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, to help make live music and the community that comes with it more accessible to the Deaf community.*
Raine's website: https://www.rainehamilton.com/
Eclipse music video: https://youtu.be/u7ps_kEHwFQ
Video Version of the episode: https://youtu.be/UtghgjAoME4
Release Day Website: https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Feb 25, 2022
B-SIDE: Alex Southey - The Musicians Evolution
Alex Southey joins me to discuss his latest EP "My Nights on the Island" - released September 17th, 2021. We discuss his experimentation with the Mellotron on the project, his evolution as an artist, and his success with College radio airplay.
Release Day "B-Side" is a new addition to the Release Day Podcast Series.
Alex Southey Website: https://www.alexsouthey.com/
See Alex Live: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/alex-southey-kalila-badali-band-and-jasper-payne-the-horseshoe-tavern-tickets-255292505757
My Nights on the Island (EP): https://alexsouthey.bandcamp.com/album/my-nights-on-the-island
Video Version of the episode: https://youtu.be/-4kdLXcKdGw
Release Day Series Website: https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Feb 16, 2022
Ann Vriend: Inspired by Her Inner City Neighbourhood
Joining me today is two-time Maple Blues Award songwriting recipient and two-time Edmonton Music Award recipient Ann Vriend, to talk about her 7th album "Everybody Matters" (February 4th, 2022) and the inspiration her inner city neighborhood played in creating this powerful body of work.
*
Ann Vriend website*: https://www.annvriend.com/
*Everybody Matters Music Video*: https://youtu.be/UoaEGqRB4S8
*Video version of the episode*: https://youtu.be/MtxqpDNy-Eg
*Release Day Website*: https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Feb 2, 2022
Re-Branding Release Day & Finding Creative Inspiration w/Producer Bedroom Antics
Graham's back! We discuss the process of re-branding the visual identity of the Release Day Series podcast. We also get into how Graham - also a lo-fi beats producer known as Bedroom Antics - kick-started his creativity to begin 2022, by challenging himself to create and share 1 beat-per-day for the month of January - which he successfully completed. It was through his beat-per-day project that I discovered what would become the new theme music for the podcast.
Bedroom Antics - https://my.bio/bedroomantics
Release Day Website - https://www.releasedayseries.com/
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Jan 19, 2022
Chastity - Building A Loyal Community & Inclusive Spaces Through Their Music
*Community is undoubtedly one of the main reasons music is so important to our mental health. When you discover a song where you feel as though the artist is singing to you, or the instrumental is the perfect soundtrack at that very moment - you get this feeling like someone understands you, that you’re not alone. With so many artists focused on being present and relevant on social media and within the algorithm of streaming services, this is an element that gets lost on so many indie artists. Whitby, Ontario Based punk rock band Chastity have recognized the importance of creating community through their music. On January 13th 2022, the band released their 3rd full length album Suffer Summer - with many listeners singing its praises - myself included. Joining me today is the architect behind the project - Brandon Williams. Brandon and his band have toured Europe, parts of the united states with PUP the band, had most recently been opening for the Dirty Nil, has opened for City and Co…
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Dec 15, 2021
Catherine MacLellan & Good Lovelies - Christmas Special
Well here we are - the final episode of 2021 and our very first Christmas Special! In this episode I am excited to share two conversations with you. My first is with JUNO Award winning Singer/Songwriter Catherine MacLellan. On November 26th 2021, Catherine released her debut Christmas EP - “Holiday”. Consisting of 3 beautiful renditions of holiday classics and 1 original Christmas song that Catherine wrote during the winter of 2020, we talk about why this was the time to record and release her first Holiday project, a collection of songs she self-engineered and self-produced. We get into the production timeline for the music and accompanying marketing material when putting the holiday project together in order to have successful Holiday release, what being a JUNO award winner has done for her musical career, and why nearly 55 years later, Catherine and her family are re-releasing her father - Gene MacLellan’s debut record.
After that, I will be joined by the JUNO Award winning t…
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Dec 1, 2021
The Fretless - How the string quartet took collaboration to another level in 2021
On episode 34, Ben Plotnik from the JUNO Award winning string quartet, The Fretless, joins me to talk about their latest, collaborative album “Open House”, released on October 22nd, 2021. "Open House" is a 10 song album and the first project that sees The Fretless feature vocals on all the tracks and in such a prominent role. Working with artists like Celeigh Cardinal, Nuela Charles, The Bros. Landreth, Dan Mangan and more.
We talk about the process of interpreting and re-arranging songs from Bruce Cockburn, Steely Dan, Feist, and Alessia Cara - to name a few - for the the fiddle/viola & cello, and what they needed to do in order to clear the songs for publishing on the album.
A supergroup of celebrated solo artists, The Fretless has been creating a singular and signature sound that dares to expand the idea of what a string music quartet can be—transforming fiddle tunes and folk melodies into intricate, beautiful, high-energy arrangements that have quickly gained a dedicated fo…
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Nov 17, 2021
Daniel James McFadyen - How a Musician Overcame the Pandemic Identity Crisis
*Hello and welcome to the release day series podcast, I'm your host Alex Huard, joining me today from the east coast of Canada in Nova Scotia, is singer songwriter Daniel James McFadyen to talk about his debut album August, I’m Yours that he released on October 8th, 2021. In our conversation we really dig into the inspiration behind the songs on the album, learning more about what they mean to Daniel and the circumstances under which many of the songs were written. We also talk about the process of booking his tour from Halifax to Toronto while the pandemic carries on, and what the response has been from venues and his audiences. A couple familiar names pop up as well, names that you might recognize from the wonderful music they write, or from the podcast itself...small world.*
*At the start of 2020, McFadyen had just recorded and released an EP. He had a hit song going viral on YouTube and he was ready to start a summer-long tour across Canada. Then the world shut down, the tour wa…
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Nov 3, 2021
Adrian Sutherland - When the Magic Hits
*On episode 32, joining all the way from northern Ontario in Attawapiskat First Nation on the James Bay, is Adrian Sutherland. The indigenous singer-songwriter, who might be best known as the frontman of the band Midnight Shine, released his debut solo record, When the Magic Hits on September 17th, 2021.
We go into detail about how Adrian adapted to the pandemic to get the album recorded and visual identity of the record put together. This includes; building his studio out of a sea container to record out of, working remotely with award winning producer Colin Linden of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and JUNO-Nominated producer Tim Vesely of the Rheostatics. Working with his wife as his photographer, and self-producing his own music video consisting of 1600 selfies.
We also touch on his songwriting session with Serena Ryder, playing hockey with Jim Cuddy at the JUNO Cup, and how building industry relationships can make all the difference in forging ahead in your musical career.
If you h…
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Oct 20, 2021
The Hello Darlins - From Session Musicians to "North" Americana Supergroup
*I am so excited to share my conversation with Candace Lacina of the "North" Americana Supergroup The Hello Darlins, to talk about the band’s debut album Go By Feel, released on June 11, 2021. Formed by Candace and her husband Mike Little - both seasoned songwriters and musicians in their own right, the two have been working as session musicians for artists you may have heard of; Shania Twain, the late B.B. King, George Canyon, and The Road Hammers - to name just a few. In our conversation we talk about what it’s been like going from session musician into the spotlight, what they’ve learned about recording, songwriting, and the release process during their many years in the music industry, and what their experience has been getting back to live shows in 2021
If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.com
Thank you so much for list…
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Oct 6, 2021
Dropout Entertainment - How the Canadian Indie Music Publication has created a worldwide audience
Well am I excited to say this is episode 30 of the podcast, and joining me are Jesse Read and Ben Gibson - the creators and curators of the online Canadian music publication Dropout Entertainment. The reason these guys are special - aside from doing great things for the Canadian music community, is they’re the reason the release day series started in the first place!What I love the most about Dropout is their focus on truly independent musicians, artists you’ve likely never heard before but are deserved of the spotlight and recognition. Jesse and Ben open up about the creation of the publication, their mission to highlight undiscovered talent, and the great additions to their platform to continually elevate and broadcast Canadian music through their SOCAN certified online radio station and podcast.While Dropout Entertainment has been reaching hundreds of thousands of readers and listeners online - they’ve also gone beyond the digital platform, creating Canada’s first Independen…
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Sep 22, 2021
Good Kid - How the indie rock band got their music into Fortnite
On episode 29, I am joined by Jacob Tsafatinos of the band Good Kid - who’s latest EP - Good Kid 2 came out on November 6, 2020. This band is one of my favourite musical discoveries of 2020, with a sound reminiscent of The Strokes and Tokyo Police Club, with a little Fallout Boy or Panic at the Disco in vocals for good measure. What I love about the band is the visual and creative identity they have developed for themselves based on their passions and interests that lie outside of the music world, from video games to anime. We talk about the character the band has created called “Nomu” who is embedded in all of their album art - like Eddie from Iron Maiden - generating what they call “fan art friday”. We get into the creation of the band's very own 8-bit side scrolling video game called Good Kid - Ghost King's Revenge, and it's accompanying 8-bit soundtrack of their music - that they created themselves. We also talk about how they got their song “Witches” added to Fortnit…
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Sep 8, 2021
F. Scott and the Nighthawks - How the band has created a true Rock N Roll ethos
On episode 28 I am joined by Scotty Taylor, the leader of the Canadian outlaw, country rock and roll group F. Scott and the Nighthawks to talk about their debut album, and one of my favourites of 2021 - Hold on to Your Heart, released on August 13, 2021. One of the things I love the most about this album is how the tracks are sequenced, the flow from one song to the next feels absolutely perfect to me. Scotty gets into the details of the production of the album, and how the combined musical influences of the band members helped to create such a cohesive mix of Americana and punk to create an album that can ultimately be defined pure and simple - as rock and roll.We talk about how their image aligns with the music, opening up sponsorship opportunities...but Scotty also gets into the hard realities they have faced as a band through the pandemic, the impact it’s had on their release process and the opportunities they had lined up but never fulfilled.It’s a conversation that I believe…
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Aug 25, 2021
Hideout Legacy - How creating remix versions of your singles can enhance your release schedule
On episode 27 I am joined by Alex Arthur, the drummer for alternative rock band Hideout Legacy to talk about their singles Game Changer, released on February 19th, and Drive Me Wild, released on May 14th. These guys have had a really cool approach to releasing their music that includes creating remixes of their singles to not only give a little more life after the songs initial release, but how it gives them an opportunity to take a new musical approach to the song and reach a wider audience.We also get into their rebranding process and how they took themselves from their initial band name Total Runout, became Hideout Legacy and worked with their manager Jeannie Reid to develop their visual identity.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley…
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Aug 11, 2021
Tennyson King - Embracing His Chinese Heritage Through Music
On episode 26, I am joined by singer songwriter Tennyson King to talk about all manner of things music, from international touring, to grant writing - but most importantly his latest releases, Sheng Ming De Jin Du and Zi Zai - the first songs he’s ever released in cantonese. In light of May being Asian Heritage Month and the events regarding anti Asian racism in Canada and around the world, Tennyson decided it was time he shared more of his Chinese heritage through his music. Shing Meng Di Jin Du, was released on May 21 2021, and Zi Zai on June 24, 2021.We talk about what the songs mean, where the ideas for them were conceived, along with process of writing and translating the songs from english to cantonese, we also dive into his experiences touring internationally and the work it took to set up his own tours in Australia and China, and then we finish up our conversation talking about his latest single Life on Shore (Carry me away) that will be released on August 13 2021, just days…
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Aug 4, 2021
Kari Zalik - Why Hire a Publicist?
My guest for episode 25 is publicist Kari Zalik - founder, owner and operator of Bad Parade PR - a music publicity firm focused on bringing musical talent to every corner of Canada.If you are a musician listening to this episode and you have heard of a publicist but unsure of what they do - this episode is going to lay it all out for you. If you’re a musician and you know about PR, but you’ve been reluctant to hire a publicist - perhaps this is the conversation you need to hear to push you in one direction or the other. And if you’re just listening to this podcast not as a musician but for the sheer joy of just listening to the stories we have to share...thank you.We talk about the role a publicist plays on your team, when it’s the right time to hire one, and the impacts working with a Publicist like Kari can have on your release.Kari's clients have included: Steve Earle, Alex Cuba, Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Jocelyn Alice, JD McPherson and have appeared in top media includ…
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Jul 14, 2021
Twin Flames - Ultimate Fan Engagement & Canada's journey to Reconciliation
Today we are revisiting a conversation I had for our video series with the award winning Indigenous rock duo Twin Flames. I sat down with Chelsey June and Jaaji on September 21st, 2020 to discuss their timely, and absolutely incredible album ”Omen”, which was released August 28th, 2020. Twin Flames had one of the most engaging, and entertaining ways of taking their fans on a journey behind the making of their music leading up to the release of their album. We discuss how they went about creating what they called the 12 days of Omen, the story behind creating their phenomenal version of Grace Too by the Tragically Hip, and progress our country has been making towards reconciliation, and recognizing the history of our first nations people.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Relea…
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Jun 30, 2021
Electric Gas - How their fans played a key roll in the release of their music
On episode 23, we're joined by Chris Dallan and Jay Carraro - aka the folk-rock duo Electric Gas - based out of Guelph & Kitchener Ontario. On June 4th, 2021 - Chris and Jay released their first full length album “The Scars Stay”. With the majority of the album recorded live off the floor, the record showcases the immense professionalism, musicality, and years of experience the two have writing and performing. We have a great discussion about the writing process and relationship Chris and Jay have that allow them to work together effectively as a duo, why they chose to release the album during the pandemic, the success of the album’s virtual listening party prior to it’s release, and how they presented their fans with the opportunity to determine their lead single.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for…
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Jun 23, 2021
James Clark Institute - The importance of working with people you trust
On episode 22 we're joined by James Clark of the James Clark Institute to talk about his great power-pop album “The Colour of Happy”, released on May 7th, 2021. James and I talk about his journey to becoming the musician and songwriter he is today, working with producer Moe Berg from the iconic band The Pursuit of Happiness to create his distinctive sound, and how James has surrounded himself with creative professionals that he can trust to help bring his vision to life, and in the ears of the listeners around the world.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:James Clark Institute website: https://www.clarkinstitute.com/Clartoons: https://www.clarkinstitute.com/clartoonsDecolonial Clothing Company: https://decolonialcl…
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Jun 16, 2021
Ken Tizzard - How the musician remotely produced an album with over 44 musicians during the pandemic
On this week’s episode we’re joined by folk singer songwriter Ken Tizzard as we dive into the production of his latest album “All Together Now” that was released on May 18th, 2021. The album is a collection of 13 cover songs with Ken’s own personal spin that make it’s an incredibly unique listening experience. The epic project involved some 44 guest musicians contributing parts from all over the continent from bands like Nickelback, Hedley, The Lowest of the Low and Ken’s old band The Watchmen.We talk about how Ken and producer Mike Turner worked remotely to bring the instrumentation together for every song to piece each track together, and how his livestream Wednesday night, know as Whiskey Wednesday, has evolved from being broadcast on a single phone, to a high-end multi-camera operation for one of the best produced, weekly livestream shows.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an ema…
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Jun 9, 2021
Justine Tyrell - How the RnB Singer/Songwriter created & marketed her debut EP
Our guest today is the incredible RnB Singer/songwriter Justine Tyrell to talk about her debut EP “While You Were Sleeping” that she released on April 23rd, 2021.Justine’s infectious personality and creative energy is a driving force behind this conversation. We talk about the importance of working with a PR company (Bad Parade) that truly loves your music, what benefits can be had when working with the right publicist, personally writing her own grant applications and securing money through FACTOR and the province of Alberta, and how the BLM movement of 2020 had an impact on how she visually interpreted her song "Worthy".If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Justine Tyrell's website: https://www.justinetyrell.com/…
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Jun 2, 2021
Kristen Martell - How a mentorship program led to her single "Photograph of Secrets"
Today on the podcast Alex is joined by singer/songwriter Kristen Martell. On Thursday April 29th, Kristen released her new single “Photograph of Secrets” following up the song’s release with a behind-the-scenes music video on May 13th.The song is a collaborative effort between Martell and award-winning artist Gabrielle Papillon, along with award-winning Producer Dan Ledwell. We talk about the mentorship program Kristen enrolled herself in to make recording with the award-winning pair possible, her 10 years hiatus from the music world, and what brought her back to recording her ECMA nominated album “Coming Home”.We also take a moment to recognize the colonial history of Canada following the discovery of a mass grave containing the bodies of 215 indigenous children beneath a former residential school. Please see links below for we can better educate and take action towards reconciliation. We have a VERY long way to go.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great…
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May 28, 2021
Craig Cardiff - 100M+ Streams, 100% Fan Powered
On today’s episode I am joined by JUNO Nominated singer/songwriter Craig Cardiff, who on Friday, May 14th 2021 released his album “All This Time Running” - his first album of new songs in six years, and his debut on the iconic Canadian label, True North Records.Craig and Alex talk about the writing process for the album, the virtual concert he and his team organized for the release of the album that includes 100+ cities in support of local venues and music arts groups, and what he believes is one of the best songs he’s ever written.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Craig Cardiff's website - https://www.craigcardiff.com/All This Time Running Music Video - https://youtu.be/iqj5WrAezm8True North Records - https…
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May 19, 2021
Queens & Kings - DIY Royalty
On March 26th Queens & Kings - aka Alissa Klug & Brendan Albert released "Going Through Hell", the third single from their forthcoming album. The song not only feels timely in a sense that - thanks to the pandemic, we have all felt like we’re going through hell - but it paints a vivid image of the ups and downs that any kind of relationship may bring with it. Accompanied with the song is the music video, edited by Alissa - her first kick at editing a music video of any kind - that brilliantly takes you on the rollercoaster journey that she and Brendan have been through over the 10+ years they’ve known each other. We talk about the process of creating the video, and how the true team effort between the two of them has led to developing an unmistakable visual, and sonic identity.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so…
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Apr 27, 2021
Justin Rutledge - The Journey to his 9th Album "Islands"
On March 26th, 2021, Juno award winning singer-songwriter Justin Rutledge released his 9th studio album Islands (via Outside Music) - a retrospective album where Rutledge not only revisits songs but moreover the process that brought them to life. We talk about what went into selecting the songs for the album and how they were recorded, how his covers of The Tragically Hip songs introduced the iconic band to his listeners, and what it’s like to be backed up on vocals by Jim Cuddy.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Justin Rutledge Website - https://ffm.bio/justinrutledgeOutside Music - https://www.outside-music.com/Allan Slaight Juno Master Class - https://www.junomasterclass.ca/No Sleep Til Sudbury Podcast - https://…
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Apr 21, 2021
Bad Buddy - How to Plan A Music Video & YouTube Marketing Success
On July 17th 2020, Bad Buddy released their debut, self-titled album, hitting #1 on !earshot distro, and is a collection of songs that has an energy and honesty to it that leads me to believe their live show is absolutely incredible. We have an extremely fun, and lively conversation about how the album came to life, the serious narrative behind the peppy riff-laden surf punk sound, and how their recently released music video for their song Fine Hunniez went from 10k views, to 90k views in a month.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Bad Buddy Website - https://www.badbuddy.band/Fine Hunniez Music Video - https://youtu.be/Qm2b-fiiGacEarshot Distro - https://www.earshot-online.com/Breakout West - https://breakoutwest.ca/C…
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Apr 14, 2021
Alex Southey - How to Invest In Your Music & Calling Attention to Previous Releases
Joining us today on episode 14 is singer/songwriter Alex Southey. On March 31, 2021 Alex released his third album ...And the Country Stirred. Alex utilized email campaigns to connect with his audience during the release process, not only giving them the opportunity to hear his songs first, but asking them to help him determine what his next single should be leading up to the album’s release.We talk about results of that approach, and why he’ll continue to let his listeners in on that process with musical releases going forward, and why it was the right time to hire a PR company to assist in the album’s promotion. Alex also has a really great idea for bringing attention to older releases in the form of B-Sides to new releases.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!The…
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Apr 7, 2021
LambLion - How to Embrace the Moment
LambLion is the indie folk/Americana project of husband and wife duo Oliver and Danka Pigott. Over the course of 2020, LambLion released 5 singles that would make up their debut EP - Only The Brave - released in February of 2021. The order of tracks on the E.P. reflects the order they were released throughout the year and depicts their journey through the changing tides of 2020.We talk about producing their songs with Thomas McKay, & Marc Copely, recording in Lukas Rossi’s home studio, how they determine the visuals behind their music videos, and creating in a time of COVID while raising twin boys.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:LambLion Website - https://lamblionmusic.com/homeMarc Copley (producer) - https://www…
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Mar 31, 2021
Brent Jensen - Surpassing 200 Podcast Episodes
On episode 12, we're joined by Brent Jensen; author, music critic, radio personality & host/creator of his podcast "No Sleep Til Sudbury." Discussing the "music that makes your skin vibrate" Brent's guests have included musicians like Kim Mitchell, Julian Taylor & Kevin Comeau of Crownlands, as well as a handful of original MuchMusic VJs in Erica Ehm, Christopher Ward and Tom Jokic. We discuss how the show came to be, his preparation prior to each episode, and his production process. He also shares how Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" is an emotional sweet spot for Hockey Night In Canada's Ron Maclean.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Brent's Website - www.brentjensenmusic.comCo.Lab Sessions - https://open.spotify.com…
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Mar 24, 2021
Peach Luffe - Building loyal/dedicated followers & Daniel Ek was right...
On this week’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jong Lee, the founding member of Peach Luffe, about how he leverages the power of social media to gain loyal followers and dedicated listeners by interacting with anyone who leaves a comment or sends him direct messages. Not only does Jong understand the importance social media plays in connecting with his fan base, but he also recognizes the times we’re living in when it comes to attention spans...and if you need me to tell you...they’re short. Very short. Jong is playing the Spotify game as well as an indie artist I know, constantly producing and releasing music to feed the algorithm.To give you an idea of how well his method has worked - following the surprise release of his song “Tangled” on March 4th, Peach Luffe has jumped from 30,000 to 50,000 monthly Spotify listeners, while tacking on an additional 3,000 followers on instagram in the same 3-week time period to take him to over 13,000 followers...If you have…
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Mar 17, 2021
Mountain Head - Creating a visual identity & Ideas on how to brand your next release
On episode 10 of the Release Day Series Podcast, we revisit our conversation with Electro pop duo Mountain Head from April 2020. The brothers caught our attention because of the level of attention and detail they put into each of their releases.From album artwork and music videos to merch, each single release has been treated as if it were an album launch. We talk about the creative process behind their singles only approach, working with world famous tattoo artist David Peyote, their award winning music video "Soul Stain" and how a shaman experience helped to create their visual identity.Catch our short video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/jo6lBD1HA8kIf you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference Links:Mountain Head…
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Mar 10, 2021
Small Sins - Emerging from a 10-Year Hiatus
On episode 9 of the Release Day Series Podcast, Alex Huard speaks with JUNO Nominated producer/engineer Thomas D'Arcy as he returns to the music world as an artist with his project, Small Sins, following a 10-year hiatus.We discuss his reasons for shelving the project with no intention of bringing it back, why he did, quarter/mid life crises, and the importance of the artists visual identity.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Reference links:https://www.smallsinsmusic.com/ - Website (Small Sins)http://thomasdarcymusic.com/ - Website (Thomas' projects)https://youtu.be/o3-7omQeja0 - Full album lyric videohttp://indieweek.ca/ - indie101https://www.ecma.com/ - ECMAshttps://dropoutentertainment.ca/ - Dropout CIMVAswww.releasedayseries.com…
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Mar 3, 2021
The Motorleague - Dischordia, Finding your sound & 17 different band members
This week on the Release Day Series Podcast, we're joined by Don Levandier of New Brunswick based Rock and Roll band "The Motorleague" to talk about their latest single "Dischordia" (Jan 2021) featuring Brian Byrne, formerly of I Mother Earth.Don and Alex talk about where the song came from, the recording process and how the project was funded (it's a wild story) as well as the experiences that have helped to shape the band and their sound over 15+ years they've been in the business - this includes cycling through band members in the double digits and working with JUNO & Grammy award winning producer Eric Ratz.We were also lucky enough to score the original demo of the song that we'll play a clip of after the interview.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music com…
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Feb 17, 2021
Julian Taylor - Releasing Independently, It's all Rock and Roll, A Post-Pandemic Music Industry
Today we revisit an interview we did in May of 2020 with Julian Taylor for our Release Day video series. If you haven’t heard it by now, Julian’s latest solo record “The Ridge” is one of the greatest folk/Americana records to be released in 2020. We talk about the benefits of releasing this record independently, how release day has changed over the decades, and his thoughts on how the music industry could evolve post-pandemic.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Resource links:Julian's Websitehttps://juliantaylormusic.ca/Indie 101: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/screenxscreen/484304#Unisonhttps://unisonfund.ca/SHINEhttp://shineconcert.ca/Follow our Spotify playlist!https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GbiC5YorhQObK1n3FndhJ?s…
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Feb 10, 2021
Julie Neff - A Strong Message, Radio Airplay, Artist Branding
On January 27th, 2021, Indie-Pop artist Julie Neff released “Over It”, a 6-song EP she describes as a “project that shines a light on the open heart needed for vulnerability while planting one’s feet firmly on the ground to create the healthy boundaries we need in our lives.” We have a great conversation about music, the design process of branding the project, and how her experiences and exposure to different cultures from living abroad have had an influence on her music promotional strategy.But we also get into some pretty tough conversations about dealing with toxic co-workers, toxic environments, and the continued existence of sexism in the music industry. Julie’s first hand experience with these encounters are a driving narrative within the songs on her beautifully constructed EP.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.…
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Feb 3, 2021
Terra Spencer - Writing what you love, Government Funding
On November 13th, 2020, Nova Scotian Artist Terra Spencer released her album "Chasing Rabbits". This album is as warm and comforting as a fireplace on a winter’s day. Described as “a collection of songs set against the backdrop of the Canadian winter”, there really is no better way to put it. Terra and I talk about how she began writing this project, acquiring funding through Music Nova Scotia, and the intricacies of co-producing an album through the pandemic in time for it’s winter release.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley.Resource links:https://terraspencer.ca/https://www.factor.ca/https://www.indieweek.com/https://gem.cbc.cahttps://friends.ca/explore/article/black-history-month-2021/https://www.cbc.ca/music/events/searchl…
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Jan 27, 2021
ROOKS - Branding, Virtual/In-Person Release Shows, Power of Community
On this week's episode it was a pleasure to speak with Jay Bowcott of the Calgary based rock and roll band ROOKS about the release of their debut album “The High Road” on November 6th.These guys took just about every facet of this release into their own hands, from producing the record in their home studio, to creating the music videos, album artwork and setting up their combined live with virtual release show. Jay and Alex dive into the details of how everything came together to help promote their debut album during the pandemic. Listen to ROOKS' debut album on: https://www.wearerooks.com/Tickets to the SCREEN X SCREEN Festival: www.indieweek,comTickets to the Million Dollar Unicorn Show: https://sidedooraccess.com/shows/NRzZhWP8lI9mdpdyPXUPRead the latest edition of Canadian Musician Magazine: https://www.canadianmusician.com/ If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and rel…
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Jan 20, 2021
Justin Fancy - Remote Production, COVID Safe Release Show, Years of Hard work
On episode 3 of the Release Day Series Podcast, Alex Huard speaks with Newfoundland Country artist Justin Fancy about his debut album "Sure Beats a Good Time". We talk about how the album was produced remotely, and the increased planning and decision making that went in to hosting a release party under strict government public gathering guidelines during the COVID pandemic.Listen to Justin's debut album on his website: https://justinfancymusic.ca/If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley
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Jan 13, 2021
Stephen Stanley - Releasing a live album
In 2020, Stephen Stanley released his live album "Live Static Roots", recorded in Germany in 2018. We discuss why it was the right time for it's release, and how an album of this nature can serve as a rich addition to an artists discography.Watch Stephen's video interview on our website www.releasedayseries.com.If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley
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Jan 6, 2021
Meet The Team - Release Day Series Podcast
In our inaugural episode, series creators Alex Huard and Graham Bieri introduce themselves and how they met through the Toronto music industry, how Release Day came to fruition, and what to expect from the series.As always, you can find all of our short form video interviews and links to our social media channels on our website: www.releasedayseries.com. If you have music you would like us to hear, or have a great release day rollout plan you want the world to know about, send an email with your EPK and release plan to: contactreleaseday@gmail.comThank you so much for listening, and Welcome to Release Day!Theme music composed by Evan Denley
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Oct 4, 2020
Release Day Series Podcast Trailer
Welcome to the Release Day Series Podcast!Behind every release there is a story, and with more than 50million tracks now available on Spotify, and growing by close to 40,000 daily, having a release strategy and a plan for your music is absolutely essential in giving an artist the best chance to be seen and heard. “Release Day” sits down with Canadian musicians of all genres to discuss their latest releases, and the efforts that go into making release day a reality.Theme music by Evan Denley
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