SaskMusic proudly returns to Brighton UK for The Great Escape music event. Following up on the collaborative success of last year’s Western Canadian Music Showcase held during TGE, SaskMusic and Alberta Music are this year being joined by Manitoba Music to co-present The Prairie BBQ at Canada House on May 18, in partnership with the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA).
Seven prairie artists have been invited by Great Escape organizers this year. The Prairie BBQ will represent a special, additional showcase opportunity where music industry insiders can catch our artists while they are attending TGE. These seven export-ready artists are Foam Lake and Shuyler Jansen from Saskatchewan, Lab Coast and Fist City from Alberta, and Royal Canoe, Del Barber, and Boats from Manitoba. SaskMusic is excited to support our artists with this opportunity by assisting with marketing and promotion of their performances, and networking with delegates from around the world, following up on connections cultivated during last year’s event. The Prairie BBQ will serve the UK’s growing appetite for Canadian music.
The Great Escape music festival, “Europe’s Leading Festival for New Music,” takes place May 16-18, 2013 in Brighton UK, and is firmly established as a leading international event for the showcasing of new music. Over 350 up-and-coming bands play in 30 venues, accessible on one wristband. TGE is attended by the general public, and music industry who are on the hunt for next big thing. It includes a convention featuring insightful panels, topical debates, keynote speeches and networking opportunities in abundance.
Foam Lake’s new hook-heavy album Force and Matter is being released in the UK and Europe on May 13. The four brothers in the band play as a seamlessly tight unit, paying close attention to the fine details of dynamics and complementary tones. Their songs balance raw explosive energy and disciplined control. Foam Lake’s deceptively minimal arrangements feature swirling vintage synth lines and jagged mountains of guitar. This is post-pop rock for audiophiles. They will be performing several other tour dates while in the UK.
In the last 2 years Shuyler Jansen was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award, released his third full length album (Voice from the Lake) and an EP (Water Wings), inked a publishing deal with Montreal’s Third Side Music, and showcased at NBC studios in Hollywood. Voice from the Lake charted in the Top 10 at Canadian Campus Radio and in the top 50 on US Americana Radio, which led to Jansen performing widely in the U.S. Jansen has recently begun work on solo album number 4 and has nearly completed the debut album of DIM=SUM, his new psychedelic guitar improv band with Chris Mason of The Deep Dark Woods and Mike Silverman of Old Reliable.
SaskMusic recognizes the financial assistance of the Saskatchewan Arts Board’s “Creative Industries Transition Fund”, The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR) and The Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport for this project.
