Story by Nick Krewen | March 16, 2017 Decades before Jenson Vaughan became known as a hit maker for Madonna, Britney Spears and currently, High Valley, the Dartmouth, NS, native was in the dark about the artistry it took to write a song. So he plucked one out of the air. “I formed a little a capella group,” says Vaughan, recalling his high-school years. “And because of my jazz background,…
Story by Nick Krewen | September 1, 2016 For SOCAN Words and Music. Billy Talent was ready. The album had been written, the songs had been rehearsed and the veteran hard rock Toronto quartet – 23 years and four original studio albums deep into their career – was preparing to hit the studio to record what was to become long player No. 5, Afraid of Heights. Then tragedy stuck….
Story by Nick Krewen | July 5, 2016 FOR SOCAN Words And Music. Canadian artists and SOCAN members like Dear Rouge and Coeur de Pirate have an unexpected and relatively new champion when it comes to promoting their wares, both at home and internationally: Spotify Canada. The global streaming service, which opened shop in this country in November 2014 after years of anticipation, has been doing its utmost to…
Story by Nick Krewen | March 30, 2016 For SOCAN Words and Music. After 15 years and a business that in 2012 enjoyed $20 million in revenues, multi-faceted MapleMusic has entered a new phase of evolution. At a lavish bash held at Toronto’s Velvet Underground on March 1, 2016, MapleMusic was re-christened the Cadence Music Group and a promising future was set in motion. “It’s a re-focus,” says Iain…
Story by Nick Krewen | December 16, 2014 For SOCAN’s Words & Music. Welcome to Entrepreneurs, a new series in Words + Music. As the music industry undergoes disruptive technological shifts and constant change, the role of the entrepreneur has become one of its main driving engines. Canadian music entrepreneurs invest in and nurture the careers of our music creators – a feat that, now more than ever, requires courage,…
