Producer

Americana, Arranger, Beatles, Bluegrass, Bob Dylan, Country, Country Rock, Grammy, Guitar, Jimi Hendrix, Nashville, Outlaw Country, Producer, Ron Sexsmith, Songwriter, Texas, Texas Blues, United States, Voice August 20, 2023

‘I just write, you know?’ Steve Earle has songwriting down pat. Next, a TV pilot, two books and a Broadway musical

The outspoken troubadour responsible for some of music’s most enduring Americana songs has a Massey Hall show Aug. 25. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Steve Earle, the outspoken troubadour responsible for some of music’s most enduring and sublime Americana songs, has a new goal in mind as he creeps toward the age of 70: a Broadway musical. “I’m writing a musical of Tender Mercies with Daisy Foote, whose…

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…

Arranger, Canada, Composer, Experimental, Guitar, Joni Mitchell, Pearl Jam, Prince, Producer, Rock, Songwriter, Toronto July 26, 2023

Donna Grantis, a former guitarist with Prince’s 3rdeyegirl, is putting her music to work for the planet, alongside Brian Eno’s EarthPercent initiative

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star It was initially a Prince of an idea. Toronto’s Donna Grantis, the ace guitarist who was a member of the Minnesota wunderkind’s 3rdEyeGirl before his tragic death in 2016, said it was a question that the iconic singer-songwriter posed to the band while they were in a Paisley Park studio that set her on the path to becoming a climate change activist. “Prince…

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…

Alt. Rock, Canada, Folk, Indie, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, Producer, Rock, Songwriter, Toronto May 26, 2023

Hayden’s first solo album since 2015, Are We Good, was worth the wait.

‘Packed with several gems of emotional nuance and sly wit and humour, the album doesn’t stray too far fromthe low-fi, grassroots charm that Hayden first established. By Nick Krewen Special to the Star Even when you enjoy a career as low key as Paul Hayden Desser and his music, eight years between albums is quite the delay. For the artist who plies his trade by his middle name –  Hayden –…