SaskMusic is pleased to announce, in partnership and with funding support from Creative Saskatchewan, a further series of export missions for our artists. These events are produced with the goal of attracting commercial market interest in the showcase artists, as well as providing opportunities for SaskMusic to network with industry professionals in attendance, promoting the Saskatchewan music industry as a whole.
Trade Mission New York City, November 11-15 2014
We will present an official showcase of Close Talker, Young Benjamins and The Dead South on November 12 at Pianos as part of an international trade mission to New York. This free concert will be proceeded by a VIP music industry mixer. The trade mission will also feature an extensive art gallery installation at Lightbox, a VIP welcome reception and special events with NYC’s arts and business community. This is the largest contingent of arts and culture from the region to ever feature in NYC. Artists performing for this mission were selected by Creative Saskatchewan with assistance from a New York-based consulting firm.
New York is a key music centre for North America. Several Saskatchewan artists have participated in official showcases at CMJ New Music Marathon in the past (including We Were Lovers this October 2014), however this event will provide an opportunity to present our artists in a dedicated, “exclusively Saskatchewan” format.
The Saskie Showcase, Toronto, November 15 2014
In conjunction with the above event, the three artists plus Slow Down Molasses will then travel to Toronto to participate in a dedicated, VIP-only event presented by Corner Gas: The Movie and CTV. Many of our artists perform regularly in Toronto on tour or as part of showcase events, however this stand-alone event will enable us to curate an exclusive music industry invitation list. Artists performing for this mission were selected by Creative Saskatchewan.
About Close TalkerThis exalted young indie-rock quartet from Saskatoon released their highly anticipated second full-length album, Flux, on November 4 via Nevado Music, immediately charting in the Top 10 for Alternative on iTunes Canada. Their 2013 debut Timbers was widely raved for its edgy vocals, gentle piano lines and orchestral ambition. The band went on to become finalists in the national CBC Music “Searchlight” competition seeking Canada’s Best New Artist. They have received substantial airplay across the nation, including spins on CBC R2’s The Drive. Their single, The West Was Won spent seven weeks in the top 10 of the national CBC Radio 3 charts.
About The Dead SouthWith gritty vocals and aggressive guitar strumming, soaring harmonies and mandolin chops, blazing banjo licks, steady kick drum, and prominent cello melodies, TDS blends elements of folk, bluegrass, classical, and rock which results in a unique, modern, and authentic blend of boot-stompin’ acoustic music. The Regina-based quartet has played many notable shows including Canadian Music Week 2014, Regina Folk Festival, Ness Creek Music Festival, Gateway Music Festival, JUNOfest, and Grey Cup 2013. Their latest album Good Company was released in the summer of 2014 and TDS recently signed with DevilDuckRecords, Germany.
Saskatoon’s Slow Down Molasses is a four-piece indie rock collective that feature a rotating cast of collaborating musicians joining them on stage and in the studio. Called “the Broken Social Scene of the prairies” by Toronto’s Exclaim! Magazine, the group takes cues from the wide open spaces of their home, crafting expansive, texture-heavy pop songs that are prone to breaking into storm squalls of drone, delay and feedback. Working with producer Jace Lasek of Besnard Lakes for their yet-to-be-titled upcoming album, Slow Down Molasses have taken the dreamy-vocal arrangements of their sophomore full-length album Walk Into The Sea and sharpened the songwriting into concise blasts of synth-melodies and full-on rock choruses.
About Young Benjamins
Fronted by UK-born Neusha Mofazzali on lead guitar and vocals, with Fransaskois multi-instrumentalist, Veronique Poulin on violin, glockenspiel, keys and vocals, Brynn Krysa on bass and Kuba Szmigielsky on percussion. Their new album Less Argue combines folk and rock with a subtle but effective dose of pop and a focused use of minor chords, creating a sound that is infectious and refreshing; it was mastered by John Keane (Cowboy Junkies, REM, Indigo Girls). They have played key events including the Regina Folk Festival, Hillside Festival, Sled Island, Ness Creek, Mosofest, Saskatchewan Jazz Festival and many more, with rising acclaim in their home country.
