JUNO

Americana, Canada, Folk, Grammy, Joni Mitchell, JUNO, LGBTQ, Nashville, Pop, Prince, Québec, Songwriter, Soul, United States, Voice September 10, 2023

Her first album was about escaping sexual abuse. Her second leans into the ongoing work of survival

“There are days when you feel the triumphant, nothing can bring you down. And then there are days when you struggle,” says Allison Russell. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but becoming acquainted with Joni Mitchell more than met the expectations of Allison Russell. The Montreal-born Americana singer-songwriter, who released her second solo album, The Returner, on Friday and plays Venus Fest…

Bass, Canada, Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, Country, Country Rock, Drums, Guitar, Indie, JUNO, Piano, Pop, Rock, Rock 'N Roll, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice August 24, 2023

A look back at Blue Rodeo’s ‘Five Days in July’ — ‘We had no idea that it would be as important as it ended up being’

As Blue Rodeo’s bestselling album celebrates 30 years, Jim Cuddy recalls how it was made on Greg Keelor’s farm and what it meant. by Nick Krewen Special to the Star Hard to believe that the classic Blue Rodeo album Five Days In July has accumulated three decades of memories. Recorded in 1993 on band co-founder Greg Keelor’s Clarington farm, the effort ended up becoming the group’s all-time bestseller, moving 600,000 copies…

Arranger, Canada, Cinema, Composer, Film Scores, JUNO, Piano, Producer, Québec, Songwriter July 26, 2023

Alexandra Stréliski: From ad agency to award-winning musician with a hand from Jean-Marc Vallée

Stréliski, who has a new album out, Neo-Romance, says the late director gave her a push to make music her career. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star When Montréal composer Alexandra Stréliski release her instrumental album of lush piano music, Inscape, back in 2018, a funny thing happened. It became not only a smash hit in her home province of Québec and the rest of Canada, selling over 160,000…

Aubrey "Drake" Graham, Canada, Engineer, Grammy, Hip-Hop, JUNO, Justin Bieber, Los Angeles, Marshall "Eminem" Mathers, Mixer, Nicki Minaj, Producer, Songwriter, Toronto, United States July 20, 2023

Boi-1da reflects on his career — from being a Toronto kid rushing out to buy an Eminem album to a Grammy nominated producer

Boi-1da has produced for music superstars, including a long association with Drake. On Sunday, he’s up for Non-Classical Producer of the Year for the second time By Nick Krewen Special to the Star When the 65th Grammy Awards are held Sunday in Los Angeles, all Canadian eyes will be on the Non-Classical Producer of the Year category. That’s because Toronto’s Matthew Samuels – better known publicly as Boi-1da – has…

Blues, Canada, JUNO, Pop, Rock, Rock 'N Roll, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice July 20, 2023

After 23 years out of the spotlight, a Canadian superstar returns with a new album: “Nobody was waiting for the record.”

Amanda Marshall is back with Heavy Lifting, her first album in two decades. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Music comeback story of the year? Well, that would belong to one Amanda Marshall,  the Toronto-born vocal powerhouse that is finally emerging from the mists of time following a 22-and-a-half-year hiatus between albums: Heavy Lifting, a 12-song opus featuring 11 Marshall originals and a cover of Floetry‘s “I Hope She Cheats”…