Mandy Ringdal released her third EP “Fight the Fight” on June 29, 2015. The first single, “Nostalgic,” reached #2 on DMDS downloads its first day. Mandy played festivals (Hillbilly Boogie, Moose Jaw Exhibition), fundraisers, and numerous other events to promote her new EP and single throughout the summer and fall. She also performed at the “Diamonds in the Rough” showcase at the 2015 CCMAs in Halifax NS. As well, her song “Love Knows What To Do” (co-written with David Leask) made it to the semi-finals in the International Songwriting competition last summer.
Glenn Sutter released album “Let the Dog Run” on November 21, a folk-rock gem featuring a collection of songs chock full of hope, optimism, and honesty. Regina scientist by day and musician by night, Glenn often writes about the human condition and nature/environmental issues. The Regina release concert at The Artful Dodger featured Richie Pollack (harmonica), Mark Schmidt (guitar), Jeremy Sauer (piano), surprise guests, with an opening set by Poor Nameless Boy. Glenn heads north and west on tour in March, then into Manitoba in April. Visit www.glennsutter.com for his latest videos and press.
Chris Atkinson and Paul Runalls, creators of Ty the T-REX music cartoons, have released their second album called “Taking Tyme.” Their new album features many great Saskatchewan musicians and singers including Andrew Walls as Ty and Rudy, Cam Zoller as Mo, Sherry Sansom as Steffy, Sheldon Corbett, Glenn Ens, Don Griffith, Kevin Marsh, and many more. Ty the T-REX music employs many different musical genres (blues, disco, rock, country, and even zydeco) that colourful dinosaur cartoon characters sing. Their first album had 2 songs recognized as finalists in the prestigious International Song Competition, and they recently learned that “I Am Who I Am” from the new album has received a Commended Entry Award in the prestigious UK Songwriting Competition - Open Category. Sung by Cam Zoller as “Mo Mosasaur,” the song is about liking who you are even though you may have some different or unique personal traits. A unique Saskatchewan animation project saw four songs from their first album made into music cartoons, and Chris and Paul ran a successful crowdfunding campaign in December to raise funds to hire a Saskatchewan animator to create a brand new Ty the T-REX music cartoon from Taking Tyme (www.tythetrex.com).
Jackie Guy released album “My Red Guitar,” her sophomore full-length independent album of 11 originals, in January 2015. With encouragement from Nashville producer Dean Miller and the boost of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign, Guy was able to make a Nashville dream a reality: she headed to the country music mecca in August to create a video for single “Bridges” with Miller and Emmy Award-winning videographer, Joel Evans. The video (released October 5) captures the emotion and meaning behind the song and shows off the mystique and beauty of Nashville; ‘the perfect souvenir.’ To top it off, Guy returned home to appear as the supporting act for Sawyer Brown during the Saskatchewan leg of their tour (www.jackieguy.com).
Jen Lane releases “This Life of Mine” on February 26 with shows in Regina and Saskatoon. John MacArthur Ellis, who produced the album, and drummer Nick Stecz will be flying in from Vancouver to play in the Jen Lane Band. SaskTel Max Video on Demand is filming the Saskatoon show. A full Canadian tour begins in Vancouver April 8 and ends in Toronto on May 31. She’s released two singles and videos already from the project: “Movin’ On” and “Shoe” (www.jenlane.com).
Soulful Regina singer-songwriter Poor Nameless Boy comes in strong with his pensive sophomore album “Bravery,” released January 15 through Chronograph Records. Bravery speaks to embracing change, cultivating resilience, and stepping into moments that are deemed difficult, with much of the songwriting inspired by Joel’s reflections and recollections of his career in outreach work. When discussing his career, he reflects on goals of doing good work within his community, planting seeds, developing relationships, and assisting with transitions. Bravery is an album about life transitions told through stories that are either personal or of others met along the way. PNB has performed at Folk Alliance International, Canadian Country Music Week, Ness Cress Music Festival, and Cathedral Arts Festival. News and tour dates available at www.poornamelessboy.com.
