As part of our ongoing strategy to help Saskatchewan artists succeed in worldwide markets, SaskMusic is set to undertake a series of overseas events. We are pleased to make our return to Wrexham, Wales for the Focus Wales festival. Continuing our longstanding partnership with Alberta Music, Manitoba Music, and Music BC, our associations will present two showcases under the “BreakOut West” brand. These events will feature Saskatchewan artists Megan Nash and respectfulchild, each of whom received an official showcase invitation from Focus Wales organizers. This year, 17 Canadian artists in total will be performing at FW.
Following Focus Wales, we will be in London UK to participate in business-to-business meetings and networking events presented by the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA).
We then head to Brighton UK for The Great Escape (TGE) festival, where we will continue our successful partnership, now several years deep, with these same organizations to co-present a showcase series under the BreakOut West brand May 17-19. Megan Nash, respectfulchild, and The Garrys will represent Saskatchewan at this event. 23 Canadian artists in all were invited by TGE 2018 organizers.
Following The Great Escape, the New Skool Rules festival takes place in Rotterdam NL. Saskatchewan artists LOA, Samurai Champs, and VBRTR will be performing at this event at the invite of its organizers, as part of a BreakOut West-Canadian Blast initiative, on May 20. The NSR lineup as thus far announced contains a strong contingent of Canadians, including 26 artists from across the country.
SHOWCASE DETAILS
Focus Wales
- Thursday May 10: Megan Nash 7:30PM – Old No. 7 Bar
- Thursday May 10: respectfulchild 7:40PM – UnDegUn
- Friday May 11: Megan Nash 10:30AM – TY PAWB, Café Stage
- Saturday May 12: Megan Nash 8:20PM – Atomic
- Saturday May 12: respectfulchild 9:10PM – Atomic
The Great Escape
- Thursday May 17: The Garrys 12:45PM – The Green Door Store (BreakOut West showcase)
- Thursday May 17: Megan Nash 8:30PM – Unitarian Church
- Thursday May 17: The Garrys 12:15AM – Walrus
- Friday May 18: respectfulchild 7:00PM – Unitarian Church
- Saturday May 19: Megan Nash 12:10PM – The Green Door Store (BreakOut West showcase)
- Saturday May 19: respectfulchild 1:55PM – The Green Door Store (BreakOut West showcase)
New Skool Rules
Sunday May 20 at Bird:
- LOA 22:43
- Samurai Champs 22:57
- VBRTR 23:11
Related shows for the artists
respectfulchild
- May 11: The Wheatsheaf w/ Radiator Hospital and Cooling Pearls - Oxford UK
- May 12: Daylight Music at Union Chapel - London UK
- May 15: The Old Hairdressers - Glasgow UK w/Birdstriking
- May 16: The Peer Hat - Manchester UK w/Birdstriking
The Garrys
- May 15: The Old Blue Last - London UK w/ Hello Delaware and more TBA
- May 18: The Moon - Cardiff Wales w/ Cult of Hands and Multitap
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About The Garrys The Garrys are a trio of sisters from Saskatoon who play garage surf pop doowop. Their harmonies are dreamy and precise, and their instrumentation stays true to the likes of Dick Dale and early Beatles. Formed in the spring of 2015, The Garrys pull a strong influence from early reverb rock ‘n roll and 1950s-era vocal harmonies. If Ed Sullivan went on a date with the Shangri-Las, they would eat ice cream sandwiches and dance to The Garrys. Like father, like daughters. The Garrys are Erica Maier, Julie Maier and Lenore Maier. |
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About LOA LOA is the feminine force behind the new-wave sound rising out from the prairies. In a land primarily known for its country singers and acoustic guitars, the Canadian electronic R&B/soul singer-songwriter aims to breathe new life and substance into the prairie sound. Within the past year alone, LOA has toured nationally, as well as internationally, performing at showcase festivals such as Canadian Music Week in Toronto ON, BreakOut West in Edmonton AB and FOCUS Wales in Wrexham UK. Following her recent UK tour, LOA was featured by renowned UK music news site, Drowned in Sound, in their festival recap article, DiS Does FOCUS Wales 2017. |
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About Megan Nash Megan Nash, whose song “Deer Head” was nominated for a 2016 Western Canadian Music Award, has been described by CBC Radio One’s Tom Allen as having “a powerful voice and an authoritative style.” Her one-of-a-kind voice, deeply personal songs, and unapologetically open personality leave an impression upon everyone who hears her. On her new album Seeker, Nash collaborates with ambient/alt-rock unit Bears In Hazenmore with brilliant results. In sharp contrast to the starkness of her previous acclaimed album Song Harvest Volume One, Seeker takes Nash’s roots-based songwriting into bold new sonic territory, displaying the undeniable chemistry she has forged with the group over the past year. As the concept of Seeker suggests, Megan Nash is in the midst of her personal quest for spiritual meaning on her own terms. Her chosen path is through music, and as an artistic statement, Seeker displays the breadth of Nash’s talents as a songwriter, vocalist and producer - the culmination of one stage of her journey while simultaneously beginning the next. |
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About respectfulchild respectfulchild (敬兒) is a solo instrumental project of experimental ambient soundscapes built through slow progressions of meticulous improvisation. With a sound that has been likened to artists such as Brian Eno, Nils Frahm, and Owen Pallett, the lone presence of respectfulchild is able to bring quiet to even the noisiest of rooms. The name respectfulchild is the literal translation of Gan’s Mandarin name 敬兒[jìng er]. This name was given to Gan by their grandmother when they were born, a name and a culture they’ve become estranged from having lived their whole life in the predominantly white world of the Canadian prairies. The music of respectfulchild is Gan’s quiet way of seeking meaning in 敬兒 again |
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About Samurai Champs Consisting of new-wave rapper Jeah and dark-soul/R&B singer Merv xx Gotti, the duo draws influence from their Southeast Asian heritage while taking pride in their urban-Canadian identity. Blending Jeah’s versatile rap vocal delivery with Merv xx Gotti’s emotional R&B vocals, the duo create a smooth, yet dark coalescence of modern hip-hop/R&B. Samurai Champs have toured across Canada, as well as internationally, sharing the stage with international hip-hop heavyweights such as T.I., Flatbush Zombies, and k-os and showcasing in festivals including Canadian Music Week, BreakOut West, Reeperbahn, The Great Escape Festival, Liverpool Sound City, and Tallinn Music Week. Following TMW, Gigwise proclaimed “Jeah, who moved to Canada as a Cambodian refugee, has a tone and flow that make him easily one of the country’s most exciting new rappers. Gotti, meanwhile, brings in more neo-soul and R&B sonics with his falsetto, and is perhaps one of the most energetic frontmen on the showcase circuit.” UK’s The Line of Best Fit named the in their 2017 “20 Of The Most Exciting Bands On The Planet to See At The Great Escape,” with Gigwise including them in their “11 New Bands From The Great Escape 2017 That You Need In Your Life.” Samurai Champs also garnered a nomination for Urban Artist of the Year at the 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards. |
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About VBRTR A Future-R&B DJ/producer duo hailing from Saskatoon, VBRTR (pronounced Vibrator) aims to spread the music they love and create to those who are not familiar with it. VBRTR finds production inspiration in artists such as Mura Masa, Diplo and TroyBoi. As songwriters, they pull the stylistic charms that made ‘90s R&B instant classics. With this diverse combination, they bring their own feel-good touch to music. Jonathan Cruz and Leonard Chan have had residency in major nightclubs and bars in the local scene as well as gigs across Canada and internationally. Together, they use their dynamic, dual-style live show comprised of back-to-back DJ sets accompanied by vocally-driven live performances. VBRTR have captured fans with their unique, combinatory live presence. Most recently, they provided tour support as DJs for LOA at Canadian Music Week and FOCUS Wales. |
About Focus Wales
FOCUS Wales is a multi-venue festival taking place in Wrexham each Spring, which places the music industry spotlight firmly on the emerging talent that Wales has to offer the world. FOCUS Wales 2018 will mark the festival’s 8th edition, welcoming over 8,000 people to Wrexham, and showcasing 200+ bands from across the world on 20 stages, along with a full schedule of interactive industry sessions, stand-up comedy, arts events, and film screenings, throughout the festival. ‘One of the world’s leading showcase events’ - Drowned in Sound. ‘FOCUS Wales is a truly special event’ - BBC Radio Wales.
About The Great Escape
The Great Escape is the festival for new music, showcasing 450 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city of Brighton. It’s the first place to discover your new favourite artist and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages. TGE is attended by the music industry who are on the hunt for the next big thing. A convention runs alongside the gigs featuring insightful panels, topical debates, keynote speeches and networking opportunities in abundance. The Alternative Escape, Spotlight Shows, secret gigs, club nights and spontaneous collaborations all add to the festivities and make this weekend in Brighton one not to miss.
“If anyone had any doubts that The Great Escape is the most important UK music festival for new bands, new trends and making new friends then they most certainly got knocked out of the water this year. 10 years in, and TGE went harder than ever before.” - Crack
‘The Great Escape has established itself as the best place in Europe to discover new bands’ - The Times
‘The Cannes of the music world’ - Steve Lamacq, BBC Radio 6 Music
About New Skool Rules
A three-day international conference, with seminars, exchange programme, concerts, after parties, a fashion show and speed date sessions. All these aspects contribute to creating new business opportunities for delegates of New Skool Rules and giving an overview of the New Skool Culture worldwide. The annual event helps the New Skool sector develop and gives the audience an overview of what New Skool has to offer the world. New Skool Rules takes this industry to the next level worldwide by creating a forum where everyone can increase knowledge and expand their network at the artistic and business level.
About CIMA / Canadian Blast
Canadian Blast is the showcase and export brand coordinated and operated by CIMA (the Canadian Independent Music Association). Canadian Blast seeks to connect Canadian music professionals with other industry professionals around the world via showcases, meetings and events, from SXSW in Texas to Music Matters in Tokyo, featuring a diverse range of Canadian talent both up-and-coming and established. These international events provide global, collective, multi-faceted marketing opportunities which individual companies and artists would be unable to undertake on their own. In addition, Canadian Blast is an import/export tool for anyone interested in finding out about Canadian music. With representatives in Toronto, London, Singapore and Los Angeles, Canadian Blast is a one-stop music import/export portal, a blog to find the best new Canadian tastemakers, a listings site of every Canadian band touring Europe, the UK and soon the rest of the world, and the most comprehensive database of international business contacts.
