Archives for May 2017

If you were asked to describe the music of Chad Price in three words, those words might just be, “grown folk music”.  It is evident that the guitar-toting, velvety-voiced singer-songwriter has evolved out of his artistic adolescence and flourished into musical maturity.

Price’s trademark soul-stirring and honest songwriting that has a cunning ability to cut to the core of its listeners almost surgically. Price also shows off his highly-developed penchant for guitar playing, as he shines just as brightly on the electric guitar, pulling off simmering solos in “Rise & Fall” and “Ragged Bones”, as he does on his more traditionally wielded acoustic. Price has proven on this album that he is not an artist that is content to sit still and continue to do the same old thing. As both artist and co-producer on the self-titled album, Price has evolved into a musical powerhouse who has brought his own concoction of r&b, soul, blues, and folk to the party that is yet to be heard,  “…and I must say it suits him well”, in the words of music journalist and Canadian Beats creator Jenna Melanson.

Since 2011, Price has been carefully honing his craft on stages throughout Canada and the US earning a reputation as an ‘artist to watch’. He’s played hundreds of shows, received multiple featured song placements on national TV, recorded radio charting songs, won and been nominated for multiple music awards, and has shared the stage with the likes of Walk Off The Earth, Lights, Tyler Shaw, Jocelyn Alice, and many others. During this time of growth, Price tirelessly refined his songwriting skills and slowly penned the songs that would eventually culminate in his second full-length album “Chad Price”.

“Chad is a lyrical ninja. He somehow breaks down your inner walls and kicks you right in the soul with his words
before you even have a chance to figure out what happened. Even when you’re ready for it, it still happens.”
~ Da-Rell Clifton ~

On his second full-length effort, this soulful crooner gets up close and personal in order to successfully transport the listener through a mosaic of musical worlds with sincerity and soul. Whether it’s a deeply introspective and hard-hitting song like “Ragged Bones”, or a jaunty southern-soul track like “Old Fashioned”, as a listener, you find yourself completely disarmed by the emotional transparency and unconventionally raw musical aesthetic as you willingly take this musical journey with Price. This album backs away from the illusory studio-made lustre and instead prides itself on the sometimes imperfect, yet beautifully real and often forgotten act of musicians playing their instruments and playing them well. Authenticity is something that is written into the DNA of this album and lives in each and every song.

“His lyrics, voice and instruments feel mere feet away and his emotions are almost tangible”
~ Samah Ali – The Western Gazette ~

Now that these songs are forever crystallized on the album, Price is taking them with him on the road in 2017: “They finally need to go have a life on their own outside of my own head. Once they are out in the world, they belong to everyone, not me anymore. That’s one of the greatest gifts and privileges that artists get to have”. Price’s only aim now is to share the music he has so carefully created with whoever will listen, “…and listen you must” (Phil Regalado, Ohestee).

Check out his sound Here.

You can catch this amazing performance at the Spirits of the Earth Festival on Saturday evening.

Carly Thomas is the epitome of a worldly person: she’s lived everywhere from Argentina and France to Thailand and Canada. Aside from her powerful lyrics, Thomas’ music is characteristic of various sub-genres including modern folk, rock, and country. And it shows. Thomas brings her experience to all of her songs, offering listeners her words of wisdom through heartfelt lyrics and beautiful acoustic guitar lines.

Thomas grabs listeners’ attention with gutsy stories of love and witty onstage banter. Her earthy undertones and honest lyrics, will likely have you wanting more. A welcome change from the typical, but with a voice which is easy to relate to, she has that something which makes folk-ish music interesting and intelligent. Her live performances are known for being dynamic and ever-evolving.

Her strong, clear voice is always thick with emotion, which adds to both the sincerity and beauty of her soft indie folk songs. Her tunes drip with truthfulness, as she isn’t afraid to expose her heart in order to help her listeners mend theirs.

Having played everywhere from street festivals in Paris to the folk circuit in Manhattan, Thomas is a seasoned performer with 3 studio releases under her belt. Her albums to date include Distance (2003), Up This High (2009), and Explode (2014).

Spending almost a decade on Canada’s west coast, Thomas has recently returned to familial roots in London, Ontario where she received the 2015 Jack Richardson Music Award for Contemporary Singer/Songwriter. The return to Ontario’s music scene has been a welcome homecoming. Explode, was nominated for EP of the Year by CHRW radio. She has shared the stage with countless artists such as Matt Barber, Trent Severn, and Jenn Grant, and has also performed at several festivals including Home County and NXNE.

As an independent artist, Carly Thomas continues to enjoy success and creating an impact in the Canadian music scene. She has also gone on to participate in various outreach projects and released a single in 2014 “I Remember You” in support of world suicide prevention day with all sales going directly to The Canadian Mental Health Association.

Check out her sound Here.

You can catch this amazing performance at the Spirits of the Earth Festival on Friday evening.