Some amazing contests are in the works in conjunction with Luke Nicholson’s shows at Waupoos Winery in Picton, Ontario on Sept. 19, and at Nineteen On The Park in Stouffville, Ontario on Oct. 29 (which is also a benefit for Toronto’s Sick Children’s Hospital).
More details to come soon, but in the meantime check out Luke’s new lyric video HERE for his current single “Maggie’s Song” from his album Frantic City. [Get from iTunes]
The new official video for Christina Martin’s “Take Me Back In A Dream” has exclusively premiered exclusively at Exclaim.ca. Watch it here.
The song is the second single from Martin’s acclaimed current album It’ll Be Alright, produced by Dale Murray (Cuff The Duke) and released earlier this year on her own Come Undone Records, distributed through Fontana North.
The video, directed by Jason Levangie, also features choreography by Cory Bowles. Martin had been eager to incorporate her love of modern dance into the overall artistic evolution displayed on It’ll Be Alright, and found the perfect vehicle in “Take Me Back In A Dream,” one of the album’s most powerful tracks. As she says, “Apart from recollecting difficult memories, the video brings light to empowering tones of resilience.”
Martin’s previously announced Canadian tour has been expanded, giving further opportunities for fans to get the full experience of her new sound. She recently spent three months touring in Europe and the United Kingdom, and represented Canada as Artist in Residence in the City of Dachau, Germany.
Christina Martin Tour Dates:
August 22 / Woodlawn Public Library / Dartmouth NS
August 28 / Market Square Boardwalk / Saint John NB
(Full Band)
August 29 / Whirligigs Cafe / Wallace NS
September 5 / The Flying Apron / Kempt Shore NS
September 11 / Trailside Café / Mount Stewart PEI
September 18 / The Mack Theatre / Contact East
(Full Band)
September 19 / Sackville Fall Fair / Sackville NB
(Full Band)
September 26 / Kings Theatre / Annapolis Royal NS
October 3 / Josh Vineyards / Malagash NS
October 7 / Sunrise International Film Festival / Pugwash NS
October 10 / Patchworks Concert / Bedford NS
October 16 / Glasgow Square Greenroom / New Glasgow NS
October 24 / Petite Rivere Vineyard / Petite Riviere NS
Christina Martin WITH BAND
November 13 / The Capital / Fredericton NB
*
November 14 / The Seahorse Tavern / Halifax NS
*
November 17 / Petit Campus / Montreal QC
*
November 19 / The Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto ON
**
November 20 / Irene’s Pub / Ottawa ON
*
*With Taylor Knox
**With Taylor Knox and LCON
Everything begins with a spark, whether in the fiery literal sense, or in the flash of creativity that spawns a lasting work of art. It’s entirely appropriate, then, that “Spark” is the first release by ABNA BON, a collaboration between two musicians—one Canadian, and one American—born out of a mutual desire to push their individual styles to their furthest limits.
The fact that Bob Guido and Anna Donahoo met at all is a testament to the forward-thinking attitude at the heart of their partnership. In late 2013, Donahoo posted a bare-bones performance video made in her bedroom in Houston, Texas to an ambient music Facebook group that both belonged to. It was one of her early experiments with ambient sounds, after several years of playing with various Houston pop and rock acts. Guido, a southern Ontario-based writer/producer who had been working closely with veteran British producer Warne Livesey, found Donahoo’s video and immediately recognized a kindred soul, despite the geographical distance separating them.
After establishing communication, arrangements were made for a formal meeting in Houston in the spring of 2014. They found a room containing a grand piano, and with Donahoo playing her electric guitar through an assemblage of effects pedals, they composed the foundation of what would become “Spark” within 15 minutes. The song was later recorded back in Ontario with drummer Jonny Sauder and cellist Bruce Morritt. The final mix was handled by longtime Sigur Rós producer Ken Thomas, and mastered by Grammy Award-winning (for Gotye) engineer William Bowden at his Tasmanian studio.
Now set for release on August 20, 2015 as the first taste of their forthcoming EP, “Spark” is an intricate, yet thoroughly intoxicating piece that indeed comes across as the first indication of a potentially long and fruitful partnership. Although under three-and-a-half minutes, the song interweaves a treasure trove of melodic ideas, driven by ethereal guitar textures and Guido’s violin, building to a heart-swelling crescendo of voices and percussion.
ABNA BON has lit the spark. Be prepared to alter your perception.
