Music: Then and Now

New album Save Our Hearts by Indigenous artist Madisyn Whajne has been released!  Save Our Hearts recorded live to tape in Montreal at Hotel2Tango with engineers Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire) and Shae Brossard (Bahamas, The Dears) who she met singing backups for Canadian indie-folk star Basia Bulat. The album is imbued with a visceral sense of loneliness and longing, a burning desire for connection and companionship that propels it endlessly forward in pursuit of something perpetually out of reach. https://www.madisynwhajne.com/ Photographer Jen Squires Cover Art Design by Tania Willems

Tafari Anthony is a Toronto based artist blending Pop, R&B and Soul. Exploring his own personal soundscape, Tafari returned with pop anthems, “Centerfold” and “Live in a Dream.” Now he unveils the emotional “No Good,” produced by Alexander Flockhart. Tafari has been featured in PAPER Magazine, Gay Times, MTV, was nominated for a Toronto Independent Music Award, and receives regular airplay on CBC Radio, his single being named one of CBC’s Most Influential Songs of 2016. Tafari performed alongside Shangela (RuPauls Drag Race) as well as at Dundas Square and Massey Hall. Cover Art Design by Tania Willems Tafari is now releasing his new EP The Way You See Me. https://tafarianthony.com/

This live interview was recorded as part of Indie Week 2020 with host of Music: Then and Now Jordan B. Wright interviewing Shawnee Kish. Award Winning Two Spirit artist, proud Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River on her mother’s side, Shawnee is the first Indigenous winner in CBC Searchlight’s 12 year history. Shawnee performed alongside powerful women on TedWomen, is a role model featured on Kids Help Phone, is featured on a new television series on APTN, as well as the Edmonton Regional Finalist for the Canadian Music Week Talent Search. Special Thanks to Darryl Hurs who asked Jordan B. Wright to interview a celebrity for Indie Week to highlight someone within the community. Grave Digger written by Shawnee and Jordan B. Wright, recorded at Metal Works while in the band She King which consisted of Shawnee vocals, Jordan bass, Azur guitar, and Cathy Marchese on drums. Cover Art Design by Tania Willems Warrior Heart by Shawnee

Award Winning Two Spirit artist, proud Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River on her mother’s side, Shawnee is the first Indigenous winner in CBC Searchlight’s 12 year history. Shawnee performed alongside powerful women on TedWomen, is a role model featured on Kids Help Phone, is featured on a new television series on APTN, as well as the Edmonton Regional Finalist for the Canadian Music Week Talent Search. This live interview was held on Friday November 13th as part of Indie Week thanks to Darryl Hurs who invited Jordan to interview a celebrity. Jordan reached out to Shawnee as they played and wrote together in a band called She King back in the day. Shawnee discusses her journey coming out, coming into herself as Two Spirit, personal struggles with family, growing up, and overcoming suicidal thoughts as a young person. Jordan shares his personal experiences coming into himself as a trans guy after being in the closet for so long. Shawnee talks about the process of being the winner of CBC Searchlight 2020 with her song submitted Building A Wall. Shawnee discusses her experience writing Wild Woman for the voting rights album produced by Gengger Shankar and William Stanbro And She Could Be Next encouraging cultural women’s voices in America to stand up and be heard while we now have Kamala Harris being voted in as the first woman of color VP; a time to celebrate! Part 2 coming soon! Stay tuned Cover Art Design by Tania Willems Music: Building A Wall clips - Shawnee Warrior Heart clips - Shawnee https://www.shawneekish.com/

Darryl Hurs runs one of Canada’s largest emerging artist showcase festivals and conference, Indie Week Canada. Indie Week is an online international conference this year focused on education from Tuesday November 10th until Saturday November 14th. Music: Then and Now host Jordan B. Wright will be interviewing talented Two Spirit artist Shawnee on Friday November 13th 5:00 PM EST as part of Indie Week. Cover Art Design by Tania Willems Tickets and info: https://www.indieweek.com/

Indigenous artist Madisyn Whajne has spent most of her life searching: for her purpose, her family, and herself. She was taken from her family, like tens of thousands of other native children, before the age of two by the Canadian government in the Sixties Scoop. Save Our Hearts recorded live to tape in Montreal at Hotel2Tango with engineers Howard Bilerman (Arcade Fire) and Shae Brossard (Bahamas, The Dears) who she met singing backups for Canadian indie-folk star Basia Bulat. The album is imbued with a visceral sense of loneliness and longing, a burning desire for connection and companionship that propels it endlessly forward in pursuit of something perpetually out of reach. Madisyn is releasing her first album Save Our Hearts this December 11th which you can preorder on her website. https://www.madisynwhajne.com/ Photographer Jen Squires Cover Art Design by Tania Willems

Darryl Hurs recently hired by CD Baby for market development in Canada has a 25+ year history in the music business including launching and running one of Canada’s largest emerging artist showcase festivals and conference, Indie Week Canada. Past positions include graphic design/branding for Live Nation as a freelancer (corporate branding, event marketing assets, including work for known artists such as U2, Nickelback, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Dave Matthews and the launching of VIPNATION.com website), retail buyer at HMV, booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues (The Rivoli), and performing in various musical acts. Indie Week is an online conference this year focused on education from Tuesday November 10th until Saturday November 14th. Banda Trampa - Você clip Cover Art Design by Tania Willems https://www.indieweek.com/

Morgan Doctor is a Juno and Dora nominated performer and creator. She currently plays with Andy Kim, Jill Barber, Amanda Rheaume, and Fefe Dobson. She performed on Letterman, sold out theatres and arenas, music videos, and countless full length albums. Morgan performed and won at MTV LOGO’s “Artist on the Brink” Award for 2008 with The Cliks. Morgan’s session drumming can be heard on CBC Metro Morning, The L Word, and Grey’s Anatomy. She received a Dora nomination for her sound design for Between Us Goddess in 2005 and earned a Juno and Dora nomination with her work with The Toronto Tabla Ensemble in 2001. Morgan is a big advocate of music education and teaches at Girls Rock Camp Toronto as a drum instructor and band coach. In 2006 Morgan signed with Aporia Records and has released . Her most recent release, Strangers explores the actions of connecting and disconnecting, and the fragile boundary between intimacy and estrangement. “… it is a rare musician who can make an instrumental album that seems confessional” – Toronto Star Cover art design by Tania Willems

Emm Gryner is a successful Filipino-Irish pop singer-songwriter based in Canada who started her own label Dead Daisy Records. Emm was signed to Mercury Records for two years, and then continued to release albums on Dead Daisy, signed In Flight Safety & Royal Wood, toured extensively in David Bowies backup band as well as Swedish band The Cardigans. Emm played in Hot One with Nathan Larson of Guided By Voices, collaborated with astronaut Chris Hadfield, was in the documentary Lennon or McCartney and is now releasing a jazz album Just For You. Emm Gryner Photo by Cynthia Moore Cover Art Design by Tania Willems https://www.emmgryner.com/

Emm Gryner is a successful Filipino-Irish pop singer-songwriter based in Canada who started her own label Dead Daisy Records. Emm played in Hot One with Nathan Larson of Shudder to Think, collaborated with astronaut Chris Hadfield, toured extensively in David Bowies backup band as well as Swedish band The Cardigans. Emm was in the documentary Lennon or McCartney and is now releasing a jazz album Just For You. Photo of Emm Gryner by Cynthia Moore Cover Art Design by Tania Willems https://www.emmgryner.com/