2020 ALUMNI
Scott Spicker
British Columbia
Scott Spicker
Music has always been a family affair for Scott Jacobs. At the age of 11, his grandfather gave him the best gift anyone could ask for: A 1941 “National” Archtop Electric Guitar. The guitar was played endlessly by Jacobsʼ grandfather. Decades later, upon seeing his grandchildʼs curiosity and love for music, he knew the guitar wouldn’t go unplayed any longer. From the second Jacobs plugged in that guitar and strummed his first chord, he was hooked.
When Jacobs left his hometown at the age of 18, there was no doubt in anyoneʼs mind that music is what he was born to do. A week after his 19th birthday, he was on the other side of the world, and working as a musician for a cruise line. He would go on to perform for various cruise lines for a few years. Although these early gigs would wet his appetite for performing, he quickly realized this is not what he wanted to do with his life. He wanted to return to his first love: Songwriting.
Jacobs would return to Vancouver Island and begin his career as a solo original folk musician, all while completing a diploma in Jazz performance at VIU. In the winter of 2018, Jacobs recorded his first Studio Album entitled “All of Your Everything”. Jacobs released it in 2019 and performed throughout NSW, Australia for 8 months as part of the albumʼs promotion. Jacobs has now begun recording his second studio album “Blue Electric Lights” which he plans to release in February 2020.
Muhammad Mneina
Manitoba
Muhammad Mneina
Muhammad Mneina, recognized as Kensho, is an accomplished Canadian songwriter and vocalist hailing from Winnipeg Manitoba. At 23 years of age, he’s amassed over 2.1 million streams on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube. His hit record, Breathe and Receive has also been used on the Quebec based tv show RÉVOLUTION that aired on TV, VOD, and internet streaming platforms, whilst also being used on large Youtube Channels such as World of Dance, and Majestic Casual.
Charles Lowe
Quebec
Charles Lowe
Originaire de Montréal, Dolly Blonde est un artiste indie pop qui crée de la musique pour les laissés pour compte qui sommeillent en chacun de nous. Après avoir obtenu son diplôme en chant jazz à l’université McGill University, Dolly Blonde a commencé à combiner de main de maître des éléments jazz, new wave et pop pour créer un hybride « queer » scintillant. Chanteur depuis la plus tendre enfance, Dolly a appris le piano et la guitare « à l’oreille » et il écrit des chansons entraînantes, mais aigres-douces depuis l’âge de 16 ans. Dès ses tout débuts, l’énoncé de mission de Dolly était l’amour de soi et l’amour de sa communauté. Année après année, Dolly est bénévole et donne des prestations dans le cadre d’événements organisés par Sida Bénévoles Montréal (Aids Community Care Montréal) afin de redonner et de demeurer fidèle à ses racines dans la communauté « queer ». La musique de Dolly aborde des thèmes comme la solitude, l’amour de soi et le pouvoir des femmes toujours sur un « groove » qui vous fera bouger le popotin. Ses influences sont notamment Lady Gaga, Rufus Wainwright et Elton John et ses prestations, tout comme ses prouesses vocales, vous éblouiront. « Une prestation de Dolly Blonde est toujours l’évènement de l’année, darling ! »
Prisca Pange
Alberta
Prisca Pange
Hello!
Born in Montreal, Prisca Bieni Pange-Ibinimion 22, known as “Priscila Bieni” is a Canadian singer and songwriter.
She gained interest in music when only 3 after receiving a piano as a birthday gift. Writing her first song at the young age of 8, she has never stopped since and today her songwriting skills reflect years of experience; a perfect union of striking messages, catchy melodies and intellectual wordplay. It wasn’t however until she was 19 that Priscila recorded her first songs, which she only released on Soundcloud: “Blackout” and “Want You to Know” which both invoked comparison to the likes of Rihanna due to the voice similarity. Priscila’s singing style however remains unique, and her sound a fresh combination of R&B, Dancehall-fusion, and Kizomba.
In March 2019, Priscila released her first R&B song “Excuses”.
Priscila often mixes her songs herself. She released “Right Now”, in April 2019, a song that she wrote, co-produced and mixed.
Later that year, she released “Summer Resolution”, a catchy summer-vibe song and released her Vevo debut video which was well received, making her reach the indie artists goal of over 5k streams and views on Spotify and Youtube in 3 months. All which she released and promoted alone.
To date, Priscila has performed in numerous shows, including the renowned TheIscream’s “Toronto R&B Sounds”.
Priscila’s music is inspired by her multicultural life experience, having lived in different countries, she fluently speaks French, Portuguese besides English, which she takes advantage of in her songwriting.
Lara Rawadi
Quebec
Lara Rawadi
Laraw ( Lara Rawadi) is a Montreal-born singer-songwriter of Moroccan and Lebanese origin. Initially on track for a career in the video game industry, she elected to pursue her musical aspiration after studying music production and sound design. Laraw’s words are as genuine and honest as it gets. They blend perfectly with the Indie Trap, Pop, and RnB concoctions of producer and collaborator Tim Buron, who took her under his wings late 2018. Not afraid to share her struggles, she released her first single “ I Should Call The Cops ” in 2019, discussing her encounter with a drug dealer at a party. She later released “ Pretty Necklace ”, a glimpse into her life as a young girl with immigrant parents. The singer took this opportunity to promote her dad’s garage in the music video.
Ending 2019 with her debut EP “ Mood AF ” and headline show in Montreal (le ministère), Laraw is starting 2020 with a feature in the January issue of ELLE Quebec Magazine, mentioning her as one of the artist to keep an eye on this year.
Michael Simard
Quebec
Michael Simard
Montreal-based singer-songwriter Miko produces songs that are poetically gritty, a blend of sleek pop and 90’s rugged vibes. His first single, “Crushes”, produced in collaboration with Connor Seidel (Charlotte Cardin, Matt Holubowski), is an ode to the fear of catching feelings.
A self-taught musician, Miko got into songwriting at the age of 18, after dropping out of college. He now regularly writes with rising Montreal artists such as Soran, Mike Clay (Clay & Friends), and Geoffroy. The charming artist has been compared to Dominic Fike, Omar Apollo, and Alexander 23, while always challenging rules and genres but just a little bit. Miko is a singer who has a way of instantly connecting with the public, taking pleasure in seducing his crowd and offering a striking musical performance.
Mikey Jose
British Columbia
Mikey Jose
Mikey Jose is a singer/songwriter from Vancouver, BC. Music has always been a driving force in Mikey’s life, who began piano lessons at the age of 6 and collected several awards through the Royal Conservatory of Music program. Over the years, Mikey picked up a passion for writing music; he composed, arranged, and orchestrated his first original musical, entitled “Right Here, Write Now!” at 15. The non-profit project, which was performed across five cities and two countries, raised over $250,000 for local and global charities. One of his compositions for the musical was selected as the recipient of a composition scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where Mikey was admitted in 2015. Currently pursuing a BSc at the University of British Columbia, Mikey has continued to create music of diverse genres (musical, RnB, soul, pop), and recently released his debut single on streaming services, which has racked over 180,000 streams since July 2019.
Nicholas Ramsahoye
Ontario
Nicholas Ramsahoye
Nicholas “Txpski” Ramsahoye is a rising urban pop producer from the east end of the Greater Toronto Area. He started producing and writing songs in Ajax, Ontario at the age of 15, drawing inspiration from local legends such as Boi-1da. In 2015 he began to turn heads in the R&B world after producing a single called “I Do” for Grammy nominated, Multi-platinum songwriter / producer Prince Chrishan. Txpski is most notable for his work on Chris Brown’s Heartbreak On A Full Moon – “Sip” & “Summer Breeze”. As an artist Txpski continues to push the boundaries in music simultaneously collobrating with songwriters, producers, and also developing a growing number of talent in Toronto. In 2018 Txpski attended Socan’s Kenekt Song Camp hosted by Melissa Cameron-Passley and Racquel Villagante on Pender Island, BC. What makes Txpski stand out from other producer’s is his ability to not only produce songs but contribute as a distinctive writer.
Babette Hayward
New Brunswick
Babette Hayward
Babette spent her youth in Saint John, New Brunswick, surrounded by Eastern pine forests, watching summer sunsets over the Belleisle Bay and writing songs about then, now, and how she feels now about then.
From Saint John she moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she co-founded the group Vogue Dots, an electronic duo that toured North America and Europe. With Vogue Dots Babette has written and released two EPs and a handful of singles.
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean in search of something new, she began writing from a bedroom in London – a far cry from the space and silence of the Maritimes. Babette has since returned to Canada, equipped with a new batch of songs about making up your mind and moving on.
Mariah Wheeler
Ontario
Mariah Wheeler
Mighloe is a Toronto Based RnB singer/ songwriter. She recently graduated from “The Remix Project” a music development program that has given rise to stars such as Jessie Reyes, DVSN and more. She has since been performing all over the city on major platforms including Manifesto at Nathan Philips Square and Toronto’s City Hall and, has opened up stages for some major label artists including Ari Lennox and Grammy Award winning PJ Morton. Mighloe often engages in all aspects of her works from creative direction to styling and acting. An all around artist, Mighloe is on her way to a promising career in the entertainment industry.
Claire Ridgely
Quebec
Claire Ridgley
Claire Ridgely is a Montreal-based singer/song-writer originally hailing from Northern Virginia. She had a quick stint in Switzerland on her way to Montreal, where she picked up French allowing her to connect more deeply to a Canadian audience. Claire has worked as a featured artist in the electronic music scene for several years doing vocals for Said the Sky, Robotaki and Pat Lok, among others. She has since turned her energy towards her solo career and has released five singles since September 2018, which have been enthusiastically received by the likes of Billboard and Spotify. Her solo sound sits somewhere between soulful and sweet, standing apart from bubblegum pop and expressing a more authentic and personal experience. Claire has a very unique, very Montreal, living situation in the southwest corner of the city, where she lives and makes music in the same space. She resides amongst a crew of talented musicians and artists. Claire is working hard from her collaborative home studio to complete her first EP, which will be released in April 2020. She’s excited to continue to build her solo career, bringing her alternative pop sound and engaging live show to larger audiences.
Caitlin Canning
British Columbia
Caitlin Canning
Cate kicked off her career writing and performing her original songs all around the greater Vancouver area. Her hypnotic lyrics and fear of growing up capture the innocence of a child’s mentality and gravitate an audience of young adults.
Her ability to bring an audience along on a parade of nostalgia has provided her with opportunities to tour throughout Canada and at showcases and events throughout North America, like NAMM in 2017. The singer-songwriter also took the stage at the 2018 Juno awards as a backup vocalist for fellow Canadian artist Daniel Caesar. This past year, Cate has been working on rebranding her image, taking everything she has learned thus far and turning it up a notch.
In addition to her recent rebranding, Cate has also been making waves with her new single release “Sad Song”. The single is a total revamp on your traditional break-up song, providing us with the ultimate soundtrack for summer. Her first release quickly gained momentum on Spotify with over 190,000 streams and has been featured on playlists such as “Indie Pop” and “Fresh Finds”. Cate has been working alongside producer’s from LA and London, and will be releasing more music this upcoming year.
T. Thomason
Nova Scotia
T. Thomason
T. Thomason is a pop artist living between Halifax and Toronto. T. has impressed fans with his emotional and highly energetic live performances throughout his 11 year music career at festivals like The Great Escape, FOCUS Wales, Parliament Hill’s Canada Day, POP Montreal, Halifax Pop Explosion, Pride Toronto, Canadian Music Week, Milwaukee Summerfest, and more.
The lead up to the release of T.’s self-titled album in September 2019 was a roller coaster. He was a winner on season 2 of CTV’s The Launch, which landed his launched single “Hope” on top 40 radio, Spotify Editorial playlists like New Music Friday Canada, and put T. on stage at the Bell Centre with Quebec’s reigning pop queen and his mentor, Marie-Mai.
T.’s recent album was described by Halifax’s The Coast as “equal parts scar tissue and sparkles”. Deeply vulnerable and honest, it is a must-hear for anyone who’s wondered who they are and what’s to come.
Charmie Deller
Ontario
Charmie Deller
Discover one of Toronto’s musical gems through the passionate R&B and pop-soul of 24 year old singer/songwriter Charmie. Born in Haiti, Charmie began exploring her musical talents at the young age of nine. As a self taught musician, she excels at playing guitar, piano, bass, drums and even beatboxing. Charmie was featured in the documentary Busk and has performed in front of audiences at City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square, Harbourfront Centre and other venues around Toronto. Currently working on her debut album ” In the Making” , her contemporary style of music is a unique fusion of Rhythm & Blues and Pop Soul. Known for fostering a deep connection with her audiences, Charmie’s words go straight from her heart to yours.
Idman Abdulkadir
Ontario
Idman Abdulkadir
Idman is a Somali-Canadian artist who hopes to create pockets of joy for an audience she sees herself in and of. Her art honours and explores her experiences in life, love and all that exists in-between, as a Black Muslim 1st gen kid. From her run-ins with the law to her relationship with the kind self-doubt only being in your 20’s can provide. She’s this decade’s answer to the girl-next-door.
While attending college Idman studied for a Degree in Communications with a Double Minor in Business Marketing & Africana Studies. Although her decision to discontinue her studies a semester before she delivered her thesis, a decision that could have caused friction within her family, it strongly shaped the songwriter she is today. As the eldest daughter of Somali refugee parents, Idman was expected to set an example for her younger siblings and graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree. Idman models what it is like to pursue your passion and defy expectations.
Idman is a REMIX Project 14.0 graduate, a competitive Toronto arts incubator. She received the Make It Happen award for her Round.
Idman, as an independent artist, is working toward the release of her very first EP set for 2020.
Emily Gifford
Ontario
Emily Gifford
GRAE is a 21 year old singer/songwriter currently living in Toronto, ON. After having experienced her first heartbreak in high school, GRAE dropped out and travelled to Australia, where she then performed a number of gigs across Melbourne. It was during this time she connected via socials with UK producer KYAN, and the two made plans to create her EP ‘New Girl’. Since then, GRAE has accumulated over 2 million streams across all platforms, won the SOCAN ‘Young Canadian Songwriters Award’, and has been sync’ed on major US TV show, such as ‘Nancy Drew’, ‘Queen Sugar’ and The Real World Atlanta’. The small town Elora, Ontario native saw a very impressive 2019 following the release of her EP ‘New Girl’ and has made quite the splash onto the music scene
Elsa Gebremichael
Saskatchewan
Elsa Gebremichael
Wild Black is a fully independent and self-managed creative entity and the solo-collaborative project of Ethiopian- Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and budding producer, Elsa Gebremichael. Born and raised in Saskatoon, SK, she grew up playing in bands that toured North American and Europe, opened for Janelle Monae, Tegan & Sara, and Metric, was nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award and has written, recorded and performed in various genres that range from psych rock to electro pop to Motown. All of these experiences allowed her to sharpen her teeth and explore many sides of the music industry and her creativity, bringing her to this culminating moment in her musical career as Wild Black. Her genre fluid style is accessible while eclectic and incorporates live instrumentation combined with electronic elements to create a dreamy yet upbeat and engaging soundscape that will surely make your body move. Currently based in Toronto, Wild Black is writing and recording songs for her debut album release due later this year. Stay close for new music and tour dates!
Madison Olds
Colombie-Britannique
Madison Olds
Madison Olds is a singer songwriter with strong vibrant vocals, breathy accents and an emotive delivery often compared to Ellie Goulding. Her single, “Moments in the Mountains”, played to a crowd of 5000, and was written for the Kamloops’ 2018 BC Winter Games and is the soundtrack to the Pacific Rim Life with the Fairmont Pacific (Vancouver). “Thank You”, launched to Canadian radio 2018, landed her on Hot AC charts and placed her in the CBC Searchlight2019 top 10. Awarded first place with Unsigned Only 2019 in the AC category, other career highlights include opening for Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves, Tyler Shaw, Scott Helman and performing in the 2019 Music Matters festival in Singapore. With cumulatively more than 1 million streams on Spotify, her 2019 debut album, BLUE, highlights her acoustic roots. Madison is currently working on her EP for 2020 and fans can expect an edgier pop sound to connect them with her artistry.
Manuela Wuthrich
Alberta
Wuthrich Manuela
2x JUNO-Award nominated Nuela Charles is an alternative/soul singer-songwriter known for her soulful vocals and captivating stage presence. With the release of her latestEPs“Distant Danger”and “Melt”–Nuelaissolidifying herself as a Canadian music staple. Her singles “Do it Right”“Danger” and “Known Better”maintained steady ground on the CBC Radio Music charts, collectively spending over 14 weeks in the Top 20, and had “Do it Right” named as one of 2018’s Top 100 Canadian songs.Nuela has brought her distinct voice to various stages over the last several years and recently performed at Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, and made her UK debut in London this last September. With a nod from uber-coveted tastemaker FADER, a placement on the hit show “Jane the Virgin”and some comfortable real estate on the CBC Music (Radio 2) charts, Charles is ready to release more of her fiery brand of cinematic soul.
2019 ALUMNI
Julie Austin
“jaycouldneverdie”
Ontario
Julie Austin
Although I live in Toronto now, I spent the majority of my life growing up in rural Ontario. I’ve been songwriting since a young age, but I was only able to start working on actual music in my late teens after I met my current partner and producer, Sascha Andor.
Earlier this year, I began releasing music under the name ‘jaycouldneverdie’. Although I’ve released three singles so far, none of them will appear on the EP I have planned for release this November. All new music.
In terms of the bigger picture, I view my sound as a darker reflection of my emotional state and things I’ve experienced in my life, so making that world – the one where jaycouldneverdie exists – as detailed and vibrant as possible is a big goal for me. I want my audience to feel like they’re watching an opera unfold.
Laura Babin Rioux
“Laura Babin”
Québec
Laura Babin Rioux
Le dernier EP de Laura Babin, Water Buffalo (2016), est une œuvre assumée, épanouie, celle d’une ACI étonnante.
Originaire de Rimouski, Laura parfait sa formation musicale à l’École nationale de la chanson. Elle s’est hissée jusqu’aux demi-finales des Francouvertes (2018), où elle a remporté plusieurs prix, dont la première partie de Martha Wainwright au Saint-Jérôme Folk. Lors de la dernière édition du Festival Vue sur la relève (2018), Laura a raflé une dizaine de prix Coup de pouce, dont plusieurs spectacles aux au Québec. À l’été 2017, elle a été sélectionnée parmi les chansonneurs de Destination Chanson-Fleuve, où elle a remporté le Prix audace Desjardins et le Prix Révèle la relève.
Entourée de musiciens talentueux, l’accompagnant dans un son rock atmosphérique frôlant le grunge, elle ose plus que jamais et crée des univers planants, envoûtants. Elle travaille présentement sur un nouvel album, à paraître en 2019, réalisé par Dany Placard.
James Bailey
Ontario
James Bailey
Carving out an alternative and personal voice for himself, James Baley is a unique and multi-talented vocalist who’s high energy performance magnetizes audiences. Performing with the likes of FALANA, After Funk, Dinamo Azari and July Talk, to make a few, James is exploring and creating a space for himself in the Toronto arts community.
In November, James released his sophomore EP, ‘ROADS’ a personal and unapologetic expression of moments in his life. Six sensual and experimental dream pop and soul tracks that take you on a psychedelic and poppy journey through dreams, moments, and memories.
Justin Boissonault
“BOISSINOVA”
Ontario
Justin Boissonault
Hello!
My name is Justin “”Nova”” Boissonnault and I began composing music for an independent rap project under the name “”Boissinova”” (pronounced bwa-sa-nova) in 2015. I have recorded in studios when I had the money and often at at home with my own equipment when funds were not available. I was born in Kelowna, then moved to Vancouver, and eventually moved all the way across Canada to Toronto to pursue music as a serIous way of paying my bills.
Right now, I am working on my anticipated 7-song EP called, “”SOFT BOY”” and it features beats produced by myself, Big Joe From the Coast, and M3Shyneboi. My sound could be described as a mix between Death Cab For Cutie and Lil Uzi Vert or Playboi Carti. I mix all of my vocals myself in my room on my Macbook. I really could use a big break and some financial help.
Marvin Chan
“Samurai Champs”
Saskatchewan
Marvin Chan
Marvin Chan, better known by his stage alter-ego Merv xx Gotti, is the singer of WCMA-nominated Canadian hip-hop/R&B duo Samurai Champs, and Artistic Director of TRIFECTA, a SK-based arts & cultural festival and artist collective.
He holds a BASc in Software Systems Engineering and is currently completing a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies, researching agile software development methodologies in application to the independent arts.
His pursuits in community building have received coverage from Noisey, Gigwise, Exclaim!, and The Line of Best Fit. He continues to work to establish “The New Sound Of the Prairies”.
Kassandra Clack
British Columbia
Kassandra Clack
Kassandra Clack is a 22 year old high energy country artist with a sweet soulful voice that you can actually feel. With a fresh upbeat sound and outgoing personality, this singer/songwriter loves to perform on stage.
After returning from Nashville, Tennessee, Kassandra is now collaborating with writers near and far to bring you a fresh country sound. With Kassandra’s voice, talent and drive, she is determined to make some noise in the country music scene. With her latest single “Are You with Me” hitting radio Kassandra is excited to bring you even more tunes!
Desiree Dawson
British Columbia
Desiree Dawson
Desirée Dawson is well known as the love spreading human who won the CBC Searchlight Competition in May 2016. Desirée currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, the unceded, ancestral, and occupied, traditional lands of the Coast Salish peoples. Desirée’s single “Hide” helped her win the title of CBC searchlight winner and is her first single on iTunes, Spotify, to play on CBC radio and to garner 1 million streams on Spotify. Her second released single, and title track to her album, Wild Heart, spent many weeks on the CBC Top 20 and was remixed by over 2000 producers from all corners of the globe. Desirée’s debut album, Wild Heart, came out February 2017 and has been added to many prominent playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Stingray music, and many more stations. Her latest single, “Just Fine,” is was released July 20th, 2018.
Domanique Grant
Ontario
Domanique Grant
A rare combination of talent and whimsical fierceness, Domanique Grant is an Indie-Pop Singer/ Songwriter, whose vocal tone has been compared to a fusion of SIA meets Sade and whose songwriting abilities are known for reminding audiences that its okay to feel something real again.
You might ask how a young artist from Toronto who is only gearing up to release her first EP Album PLAYHOUSE (FACTOR – JSR- October 2018), has sold out TEDx Talks, been invited to appear in the opening ceremonies for Canada’s largest sporting games to 1m + people and has been invited to perform in Argentina, Uganda, Cuba and more. Domanique’s resume speaks for itself.
Domanique’s debut EP album PLAYHOUSE is her first songwriting debut, produced by KUYA (Alessia Cara, Little Mix) and co-produced by Grant. PLAYHOUSE explores the meaning of home when navigating life in large urban cities.
Aliah Guerra
Québec
Aliah Guerra
My name is Aliah Guerra and i am 21 years old. I am a Neo-Soul/ Jazz artist in Montreal,QC Canada. I’m a vocalist, songwriter, a (self-taught) electric guitarist, multi instrumentalist (guitar, bass, piano, and clarinet), producer, and audio engineer. I have independently released my first body of music entitled “Sounds of a Seed” EP, on May 11th 2018. On this record, I wrote, arranged, produced, and performed all of the songs. I am an independent artist, which has required me to wear many hats. I have been performing since the age of 5, from stages at the Montreal Bell Center in 2008, to Manhattan NYC in 2017, West Island Blues Fest 2016 & 2017, and Montreal Global News, in 2018 to name a few. When I began teaching myself to play jazz tunes by Amy Winehouse on the guitar (2010), I posted the covers on YouTube and developed a following.
Madmoud Ismail
“Mah Moud”
Ontario
Madmoud Ismail
Mah Moud, A Toronto-based artist, displays brilliantly the beauty in brevity with his art. With such an incredible ability to tell stories combined with his versatility with regards to production, instrumentation, and vocal capability, Mah Moud is poised to take the appropriate steps to become a powerhouse in music.
Bella Krys
Ontario
Bella Krys
Bella Krys is a 20-year-old singer songwriter from Toronto, ON. Her musical training began with violin at the age of 3, and she has since learned to play a total of 6 different instruments. While she’s been singing and writing songs since the age of 12, Bella didn’t get serious until 3 years ago: In grade 11 she received the opportunity to record with Stephan Moccio for her high school’s 150th anniversary song. She co-wrote it, and was chosen by Stephan to be featured on it as a soloist. Since high school she has released two songs (available on all streaming platforms), and more recently embarked on a year long project entitled “Project 365”. Since January 1, 2018, she has written, recorded and uploaded a song every single day. Her dream to is create and share music that will positively affect people’s lives, as it has hers.
Dante Leon
Ontario
Dante Leon
Although many see music as a way to escape the world and reality, for Dante Leon, music is actually the anchor which grounds him and the fuel that propels him to explore the world and his craft to even greater extents. From attending arts school from the age of 8, as well as having recognized reggae musician as a father and another as an uncle, music has always been a central focal point in Dante’s life.
While still in high school in Toronto, Dante quickly established himself in the growing music scene that is now generating some of the top artists, producers and songwriters in the world. While Dante continues to lend his songwriting and production services to many renowned artists, the 24 year old creator has simultaneously been able to master a sound not yet tamed by any other young artists in the industry today.
Madeline Ritter
“MADDEE”
Ontario
Madeline Ritter
At just 20 years old and two releases under her belt, MADDEE has already performed for CMW, the AGO Massive, NXNE, Bestival, SXSW, and most recently Field Trip Festival. She has shared the stage with the likes of Willow Smith, Lil’ Yatchy, Basecamp, Tennyson, and many more. MADDEE first gained traction as the key feature on Harrison’s EP Colors released on Last Gang Records. Not only have her vocals been called soulful, captivating and dreamy on various reviews, but also her abilities with composition, lyric, guitar and keyboard are key to her future success as a multifaceted artist. In 2017, MADDEE released her first two solo singles, which were produced by Toronto’s Birthday Boy and Shagabond. The songs were extremely well streamed and resulted in her being selected by Red Bull Sound Select as one of their newest artists. She now sets her sights on releasing her first solo EP.
Jon Saldanha
British Columbia
Dave Sampson
Nova Scotia
Dave Sampson
Dave Sampson writes heart-on-your-sleeve folk/pop songs, delivered with a captivating and authentic voice that could blow down a brick house. His knack for crafting simple ear-worms and his high-energy shows have been winning him fans across Canada. Collaborating and sharing the stage with some of Canada’s top exports such as Classified, Gordie Sampson, Neon Dreams, Alan Doyle & Donovan Woods as well as being chosen as one of Canada’s Top 5 emerging artists by Canada’s Walk of Fame, Dave is sure to make waves with his anticipated 2018 Nashville recorded release.
Connor Seidel
Québec
Connor Seidel
Based in Montreal, Canada – Connor Seidel spent the last decade searching for and producing emerging artists. His focus today is in pop & indie but he has had the chance to dive deep in the franco-quebec music scene.
At only 24 years old, Connor thrives to find real intimacy in his recordings – focusing on the message, emotion, and feel of the music he works on. A vibrant energy in the studio and a background in jazz guitar give Connor an edge in writing sessions and production situations. He loves to be in both the writer and producers seat and always innovates with a hybrid sound – blending live instrumentation with digital production to make true modern music.
The recent success of “”Solitudes”” by Matt Holubowski has catapulted Connor into the Quebec & Canadian music industry.
Linnea Siggelkow
“Ellis”
Ontario
Linnea Siggelkow
A faint voice and a fervent guitar make their match in a cluttered bedroom, each song finding itself in a growing folder of recordings stamped by initials “L.S”. Ellis is the music project of Linnea Siggelkow. Daughter to a travelling book salesman and a piano teacher, Ellis flips the words from the books she once read, intertwining vulnerable with bold into the songs that she now sings. Having already made her mark as a solo performer in the Toronto DIY scene, the project has evolved into a 4-piece band, inspiring a grittier take on the same solemn refrain.
After cultivating a following opening for the likes of Soccer Mommy, Palehound, Casper Skulls and Young Galaxy, Ellis is releasing her first official single The Drain off her upcoming debut EP (expected out in fall 2018).
Annie Sumi
Ontario
Annie Sumi
Annie Sumi is a critically-acclaimed, ethereal-folk artist from Southern Ontario. Since the release of her debut-album, “Reflections”, in 2015, she has received nominations for “Best Singer-Songwriter” (TIMAs, 2015), “Contemporary Roots Album of the Year” (Hidden Roots Collective, CFMAs, 2017), and more. With the release of her latest album, “In the Unknown”, this songwriter has brought colour and vision to the Canadian music scene. Her live performance is vulnerable; she consistently gives her heart to the stage, and inspires the audience to feel something. With over 300 live performances across Canada, the United States of America, and Continental Europe, this old-soul has shared her songs and stories with audiences around the world!
Vincent Turcotte
Québec
Vincent Turcotte
Vincent Turcotte is a composer, guitarist, music teacher and sound engineer in audiovisual post-production. He has accompanied touring artists throughout Quebec as a guitarist. He has also written for corporate videos, commercials, short films and television. After a DEC in jazz / popular guitar from the Collège d’Alma, he applied for a Bachelor’s degree in Popular Music from the University of Quebec at Montréal then at the DESS in Music of films of the same establishment. Since the spring of 2013, he has toured Quebec with author and composer Clément Jacques.
In 2017 he finished second in the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Emerging Audio-Visual Composers.
Joanna Worthington
“Jo Jo Worthington”
Ontario
Joanna Worthington
Kitchener-Waterloo artist, JoJo Worthington, has won numerous awards + accolades, yet hasn’t stopped pushing her work to uncomfortable boundaries. Forging ahead with Epoch producer Connory Ballantyne + engineer William Crann, Worthington’s latest work ’\’ or ‘Two Lines’ is a surge into new territory. Her vocalizations reminisce of Kate Bush, her ingenuity with looping techniques remind one of the omnipresent Canadian force of Owen Pallet, and her completely refreshing take on the [often blasé] ukulele is pushing the experimental-folk musician to create some of the most forward-thinking music of her generation.