Excitements of the future...

You don't need to go 88 MPH to get excited for this stuff!

Come on, how good of a title is that?! :)

I figured I would post a few things I have my eye (or ear?) on coming up in the near future.

Island SoapBox favourite Steph Macpherson has some Toronto shows coming up.  For those of you living in the "Big Smoke", free up March 22 (Canadian Music Week Showcase show at Dakota Tavern), or March 24 (Canadian Music Week Showcase at Cadillac Lounge).  Get out and see her.  You won't be disappointed, I promise you!

Macpherson has an album release in the coming months, and she will be back here in Victoria for some shows before then.  You can get out and pre order the album while she is here in town.  It's an album I eagerly anticipate!

Steph will be playing Friday April 6th with another SoapBox favourite, Jeremy Fisher, at St Ann's.  Sounds like $18 well spent!

Some other albums people are eager to hear are streaming for us right now.  Said the Whale, Plants and Animals, and Yukon Blonde all have something to tickle your ear canals (?).

And one more album that I'm super pumped for, Zacharly Lucky has a new offering coming soon, and of course if you follow Lucky at all, you know he's touring.  No Victoria stop planned yet, but expect a review of his latest coming soon to Island SoapBox!

Sunshine at Solstice

Alli Sunshine plays to the Solstice Cafe

The Solstice Cafe in downtown Victoria hosted Trevor Davies album release show Friday night, and for the 60 or so people that attended, they were treated to a nice coffee house experience. Unfortunately for Trevor though, due to some technical difficulties that really slowed down his set, it was the two opening acts that really stood out.

Alex Hicks started the night with a beautiful set. Hicks, a member of Raw Hunnie, had a super strong voice that really dominated the cafe. She played the guitar quite nicely, and apart from one little slip-up during a song, she played lights out. She seemed comfortable for the most part, her interaction with the crowd was decent. She has a phenomenal voice, and I'll keep an eye out for her in the future.

Next up was Alli Sunshine, and filling in for the Blue Sparrows was Trevor Davies' band mates, Bassist Phil Albert, and drummer Dave Klasen. Sunshine was the reason we were at the show, and she didn't disappoint. She is a very personable performer on the stage, and you get a real sense of her enthusiasm. Even with band members who had never played with her, and on a borrowed keyboard, she had the cafe's full attention. I was very happy to find that her voice was even better in person, and I'm really curious to see her with her own band now (especially with some guitar!).

Trevor Davies closed up the night at the cafe. As I mentioned earlier, they had some problems with their gear, and the set never really had a flow. Those difficulties shortened their set, and it was really too bad. I'm not sure if it was the difficulties, but I don't think their stuff is for me. Not to say it isn't good, because the crowd that Davies brought in last night certainly seemed like they got what they wanted. All in all, it was a great Friday night.

Lyme Aid 5 a great night out

Well I know it was a few days ago now, but I'm on Island Time here :) Victoria Events Centre was the stage for a great fundraiser helping support Jean-Luc Giroux, a Victoria local, and his battle with Lyme Disease. The bands and the venue were both fantastic, and it was a night that did not disappoint.

Ellisa Hartman started off the night with her super catchy tune "Smitten". It was a good crowd right from the get go, and Hartman made everyone realize in a hurry they had made a great choice for their night out. It was good to see her play, as the day before I helped Cyler Parent out on a photo shoot with Ellisa. She was just playing a few songs for the camera, but she was so awesome that I couldn't wait for the show! She is a great act to get out and see, and a fantastic way to start the night.

Next up was Christopher Arruda. I was extremely excited to see the man play live, and he exceeded my expectations in a big way. He played his keyboard the same way a mad scientist would concoct some sort of test tube Armageddon. He really commands attention and has a great voice. The show was only half over and I think we were ready to call it a winner.

Here is a surprise, Steph Macpherson was on the bill (We just can't seem to get enough of her!).  Katie Schaan and Vince Vaccaro accompanied her on stage, as well as Flugelhorn (I most certainly had to ask what type of horn it was) player known simply as Olivier.  It was yet another fantastic performance. I don't know what to say any more to be honest. Schaan and Macpherson were absolutely brilliant throughout the set, and Vaccaro added that perfect touch. It was the set of the night for sure.

A 50/50 winner was announced before Lindsay Bryan closed the evening with her set. In the true spirit of the fundraiser, the winner of the $58 dollars was kind enough to donate it back to the cause. A class act.

It was my first time really hearing about Lindsay Bryan. She has a great voice, and she had some great support on stage. She was funny and dropped a few F-bombs, which I always find humourous. I would have liked to see Lindsay play somewhere else in the line-up. Not to take anything away from the Victoria talent, but after a set like Macpherson's, you could really see the experience gap in Bryan's. Definitely a raw talent to keep an eye on.

It was obviously a very successful event. It showcased a lot of local talent, and raised some funds for a good cause. Another shining Example of local music doing good in the community.

Girls with Guitars 2 a success!

Christina Maria owning the stage during "Girls with Guitars 2"
Photo Courtesy: Cyler Parent (his cell phone :)

Well the night finally came, and it was a great hit!  Katie Schaan, Ellisa Hartman and Christina Maria (who sat down with Island SoapBox and an interview is coming shortly!) played beautiful sets.  Lucky Bar was the perfect venue with great sound and service.  Surge Ahead can definitely count this event as another success.

Katie Schaan opened the night.  With a good crowd from the get go, and more spilling in as the set went along.  For a crowd busy buying drinks and finding their friends, they seemed to pay attention to Schaan.  She had some good banter and recovered quickly from a broken string incident, going back stage and emerging with Christina Maria's feathered guitar (we're still not sure if Christina knows this).  Ellisa Hartman held the crowd over with some stand up comedy.

Luckily Ellisa stuck with her musical set and didn't take the stand-up any further when she took the stage next.  She's a really great act to listen to.  Her guitar playing was captivating and her voice is smooth.  The only thing we noticed was her slower stuff in the middle was so soothing it kind of tired us out.  There is no doubt that Hartman's talent will have her playing many shows in the future.

A woman who is playing a ton of shows right now, whether they be here or abroad is Christina Maria.  The Victoria crowd spilled out as the two local singer/songwriter's acts had finished up, which was probably the biggest mistake they could have made.  It's no knock to the other two acts, but Maria owned the Lucky Bar stage like we had not witnessed all night.  She may have had the smallest crowd, but she had the most people paying attention.  It was a pure "Rockstar" performance, super fun to watch and over before you know it.

The best news all night was from Surge Ahead's Richelle Newson, who said there is already a third "Girls with Guitars" planned early in the New Year.  They are doing a great job getting talented artists and great sponsors, and there is no reason to think that will change next time around.

You can check out some video of the concert over at Magmazing Music, run by my friend Adam Lee.

Girls with Guitars 2, it's here! (Well basically :)

Island SoapBox is proud to be covering "Girls with Guitars 2" at Lucky Bar, coming Tuesday October 19. Three incredibly talented singer/songwriters will take the stage that evening, and Island SoapBox wants you to know a bit more about them before you come out and see them!

So this is the final preview piece, as the show gets underway tomorrow night!  Lucky Bar downtown Victoria will be the place to be for any fan of the singer/songwriter.  You’ve already had a chance to learn about Ellisa Hartman and Katie Schaan, and I’m sure you’re looking forward to learning about Christina Maria! Well lucky for you all, that piece is coming soon, as Christina has been kind enough to sit down with Island SoapBox before the show.  

That of course brings me to the point of today’s post.  I want you all to have the chance to ask Christina anything you would like to know!  You can leave a message at the bottom of this post, you can also send me an email, or hit me up on twitter!

Both Ellisa and Katie both mentioned being excited about playing with Christina, and I myself am very excited for both the show and the interview.  She’s a very talented artist, who calls many places on the globe “home”.  She is currently involved in the Peak FM Performance Project (the one I keep telling you all to vote in, you can until Midnight Monday!).

"Girls with Guitars 2" promises to be an excellent night out.  Sponsors will be giving out prizes, the bar itself is a great venue, and the talent on stage is first rate.  Come out, grab a beer and watch some live music.  How often does that disappoint? 

Island SoapBox would like you to meet Katie Schaan

Island SoapBox is proud to be covering "Girls with Guitars 2" at Lucky Bar, coming Tuesday October 19. Three incredibly talented singer/songwriters will take the stage that evening, and Island SoapBox wants you to know a bit more about them before you come out and see them!

You know when you meet someone, and it's clear from the get go that they have an abundance of energy? That's my first impression of Katie Schaan. She was more than happy to meet with me in the morning of Thanksgiving Monday. She seemed genuinely excited about everything, and I'm sure she puts this enthusiasm to her show as well, I can not wait!

To be so excited makes sense. "Girls with Guitars" was her creation. Finding it tough to get the same sort of attention that other bands were getting, Katie saw the potential in having a night featuring strong local female talent.

"It was something I had been thinking of doing. Richelle (Newson) started working with Surge Ahead right around when we did the first "Girls with Guitars". I had been wanting to put together a show that showcased female performers. It looked like a good opportunity to be like "Hey Richelle, this would be some good practice for you, do you want to do this together?" and she just jumped right on board, which is really, really cool. It’s just really exciting. It's something that's always been really important to me. I've had a hard time being a girl, especially in Victoria, being a musician. Not that people aren’t supporting or encouraging, but there just aren’t really as many of us as compared to the boys, and we all play acoustic guitars and keyboards. You can’t really put us on a bill with a lot of the guys cause we're all sorta mellow and sing songy. So I wanted to do something that was "Everybody take a look and see what the girls can do, cause we can play too". So I'm excited to be doing another one. And Christina Maria, who is one of the top 20 Peak Performance Project members, is coming over to play, which I am so excited about, she’s amazing. And Ellisa Hartman is just the sweetest little girl, she’s super endearing and wonderful to watch, so it'll be good."

Besides "Girls with Guitars", Schaan also has a tour and an album release coming up. It's funny, because as music fans, I think we enjoy when an artist shows they can play within different genres. But at the same time it seems more difficult for the artist to sell themselves, if they don't belong to a certain genre.

"There was some debate as to whether or not I was going to release it until the New Year. I kind of live in this limbo land between Indie music and pop music and it's kind of hard to fit in either side. There was some debate as to whether I would add a few more tracks before I released it, but I’ve decided to just release it and maybe record a new EP in the New Year that’s closer to one side or the other. I’m hoping to have it before I go on tour in November, but we'll see.

It was a long process, I started working on it, I guess almost 3 years ago now, and my ex bf was producing it.  So when we broke up that obviously wasn't going to work anymore. So I had to find a new producer and it ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me. It’s been a really positive experience having worked with Adam Sutherland producing it. He was just so encouraging and so fun to be in the studio with. It's gonna feel good to have it in my hands for sure."

It may be her first tour, but the Victoria artist has put her own twist on her merch table. "Katie-made hats and scarves knit from Vancouver Island Cowichan Wool".

"It'll be my first tour, so that’s very exciting. Steph Macpherson is going to be coming with me for some of the dates on the mainland, and I'll be doing some of them with other artists, some of which I know, some of which I don’t know. I’m playing at the Duncan Garage with two artists I had never heard of before, and who are nothing like me, so we'll see how that goes. I’m sure it'll be fun, and playing at the garage is always fun.

It's a little bit scary but I'm really excited. And because it’s my first tour I’m only really playing in cities where I know people, or have friends and family and stuff who I know will come out. These are the people that have been like "When are you coming to play music for us?" so it’ll be really good.

Knitting is coming along slowly but surely. I was over in Vancouver for the last week playing for the last Peak showcase (with Macpherson), so there hasn’t been a lot of time for knitting in the last few weeks. Yesterday I had to play a little bit of catch up, but I think it'll be good, it’ll get done... I hope."

Her enthusiasm shines through the entire interview. You can feel the jitters and the excitement as she talks about them. Schaans' passion for music is evident the whole time, it's clear this is what she wants to do whether it's her own, or along side someone like Macpherson.

"Honestly I would take any excuse to play music. I don’t care who it’s with, or what genre we're playing or what instrument I’m playing, I just want to be making music. So it's extra exciting to be playing with someone like Steph who is seeing a certain amount of success these days.  Yeah I love it. I love it almost as much as singing my own stuff."

That full fledged love will shine through Tuesday October 19, when Katie hits the stage again for "Girls with Guitars" at Lucky Bar.

She's all Hart...man

Island SoapBox is proud to be covering "Girls with Guitars" at Lucky Bar, coming Tuesday October 19.  Three incredibly talented singer/songwriters will take the stage that evening, and Island SoapBox wants you to know a bit more about them before you come out and see them!

Ellisa Hartman is one of those fine acts.  The 23 year old is a whole lot of talent.  Although she is in the beginning stages of her musical career, she certainly doesn't lack musical experience.  A self-described "band geek" in high school, Hartman has learned all sorts of instruments ranging from Stand-up bass to Saxophone. The guitar though, not surprisingly, is home sweet home for Hartman. 

"My father was a musician, he was a guitar player, bass player. You know when you're a kid you look up to your parents, and my dad was my hero. I'd sneak dad’s acoustic guitar out of the bedroom and try and play it when I was a kid. I taught myself how to play.  I think musicians can generally play more than one instrument, but we all have one we can play the best. It's the one I actually feel I can play with confidence."

Although Ellisa has recorded an album (Arbutus), and played with some great acts, she is still breaking into "the industry".  The music takes care of it self, writing songs are a "piece of cake" when compared to the business side and getting those songs out there. 

"It’s hard to find the line between being confident and being arrogant. I think you need a little bit of ego to do certain things, like get up on stage and sell your soul.  It’s definitely a game, you gotta play your cards right for sure.
It's hard cause you are your own promoter, and for me that’s tough. "Hi, my name is Ellisa and I'm a really awesome guitar player and you should let me play in your bar". It's a really uncomfortable thing for me to do, and I’m sure I'm not the only one.
I’m having a hard time trying to reach out to other musicians, it’s definitely not always quite as welcoming as I would like it to be. I think if we all did form a strong community, everyone would benefit from it."

Well perhaps Girls with Guitars is just what Hartman needs at this point.  Surge Ahead is showcasing just what this province has to offer, extremely talented female musicians who deserve the stage as much as anyone else.  With a talent pool so deep, the Vancouver Island talent is thrilled at the opportunity.

"There are so many talented girls all over the island, it's humbling for sure. There is a lot of great talent out there.  I think it’s a great idea. Surge has been really awesome and good to work with.  It's great that people are looking out for the small local musicians that are out there. And Lucky Bar is a really nice venue as well. Definitely looking forward to it."

Away from music, she is an accomplished diver, having strapped on the Oxygen and dove into the ocean depths in several continents.  It may be surprising to some, but Hartman says although the waters here may be colder and murkier than other places, it's some of the best in the world.

"The diving here is probably the best I've seen and I've been to Asia and Central America. The life here is unbelievable, it's just amazing."

The Scuba Diving here may be some of the best in the world, and I'm willing to bet our music scene isn't far behind.  Tuesday October 19 will be an opportunity to see the great talent that is developing right here in our own backyard on full display.

"It's the only thing I'm really good at, you know what I mean?  Everyone has that one thing. That's music for me.  I want to be a musician."

When Hartman takes the stage and strikes that first chord, cheer loud and let her know she's already there.

Kuba Oms...Get used to that name

Kuba Oms is a pro. Flat out. The man has been making music for well over a decade, and like any musician who’s been around that long, has had his ups and downs.

The good news here is Oms is a success story. Battling everything from heartbreak to drug addiction, the past decade has been an eventful one. Needless to say, a clean Oms is very excited about the present.

“I feel blessed actually. 10 years ago I had every major label in the US on our case down in New York. I was a different guy back then, a lot more of a control freak. It’s interesting because 10 years later, I’m 10 years better. The music industry has sort of gone sideways, but for me the music has kinda evolved a lot since then.

“I’m really enjoying playing music. I love the guys that I play with. I’m really excited about the future. The last trip down to LA. We shot a music video. I played a bunch of shows and really realized there’s a huge market for what I do down in the states.” Oms said recently before a “Velvet” show at Darcy’s Pub in Victoria.

That music video was for the single Beautiful Uncertainty, from his full length “How Much Time” released this past September. The 15 song effort is truly a fantastic album, never tempting your “skip” finger into action. Although less than a year old, Oms and the boys recorded their set recently at Shore Fest, confident enough in that batch of live songs to lay it down.

“We’re just mixing that right now. We’re going to put out a little E.P. of that. Anybody that joins the mailing list can just get it, get a free download of it. So that’ll be kind of a gift to the fans, and an invitation to new people to join us.

“It’s a good way to archive these last couple years and this batch of songs. I’ve got a lot of new songs that I’m really excited to record. We’re actually going to the studio next month, pretty intensely to do some recording, so we’re really excited about that. It felt appropriate to archive, a little E.P. as a way of moving on.”

Kuba is also in the Peak FM Performance Project this year. A 2nd time finalist, Oms admits last years result wasn’t exactly what they had hoped for, but the experience gained will be put to use this year.

“It was a good experience. I mean it was disappointing in a lot of respects. And if you look at a lot of the acts that were in the top 20 last year, you look around at who’s really still relevant, and who’s still playing, even some of the bands that won, it just shows that the Peak Performance Project is an opportunity, it’s an opportunity to do something. You don’t win it and you’ve “made it”. It's an opportunity to receive help, and opportunities like that are far and few between. So it’s something that you have to respect and feel blessed that you have it.

“The most exciting part is the community and the new friends to make. I learned a lot from last year, I learned a lot about pushing too hard, and trying too hard. It’s like anything, if you try too hard, you don’t really get what you want. You just kinda gotta go with the flow and let it happen.

“For me I haven’t had much of a chance to think about it because I’m so busy. You know I have it blocked off, I’m committed to it, and then I’ll just go there and have some fun, learn some tricks and meet some peeps.”

Being so busy certainly isn’t a bad thing. With show after show piling up this summer (including headlining a stage at the upcoming Live at Squamish, on Labour Day Weekend), it’s a wonder that Oms has been able to do anything other than live shows. Yet the Victoria native has been busy with a variety of things this sunny season.

“We were fortunate enough to get a MuchFact grant, which is a foundation to assist artists from MuchMusic. We went down and shot with a big name Canadian director in LA with a full Canadian Crew. We went down to LA to do something different, and get out of our comfort zone. The video is wrapping tomorrow, the final edit. So that’s coming out in a couple weeks. Its actually turned out really good. So that’s one thing we are really excited about. And the other thing is just the new material and getting in the studio. I know this record (How Much Time) only came out about 9 months ago, and we’re still gonna you know “work the record” from a labels perspective, but I’m excited to get in and enter this new era of my sort of evolution, and our evolution as a band. The last album was kinda ADD, I’m proud of it and I’m stoked about it, but it crossed a lot of genres, and in a lot of ways it falls in between the cracks in Canadian and US radio. Not that I’m going for radio like that, don’t get me wrong, I’m not like catering to anybody, but this next record is just gonna be a lot more focused.

“I’m going into pre production next Tuesday and Wednesday in a studio. We’re just negotiating that for next month. It’s expensive, but it’s worth it. I want it to represent me, so its relaxed and a little bit lo-fi but I want it to sound as good as any record that you hear, so that requires working with the best so were talking with the top people.”

Seeking out nothing but the best is just the way Oms does his business (that’s of course why he said yes to this Island SoapBox interview ;). Surely this album will be another example of the hard work Kuba and this group have put forth. With “no filler” guuarentees, Kuba Oms is a polished act that is set to explode.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Vince Vaccaro

Vince Vaccaro is loving life right now. It’s evident upon meeting the man, and why wouldn’t he be? He just finished playing the inaugural Tall Tree Festival in Port Renfrew, has shows lined up for the summer, and is a finalist in the Peak FM Performance Project. More important than all of that though, is how he got there.
Music has always been a big part of Vaccaros’ life, until about five and a half years ago, when he stopped chasing that dream, and took off for Australia. Who knew that’s all it would take? Spending only months in the Southern Hemisphere, Vince headed back to the Provincial Capital with fire.

“The day I came back, I had come back from a place of not wanting to continue, you know? I mean when you try for so long on something, it is discouraging, you take little steps, but then you also take so many steps back, you know time holds you up, or something doesn’t work out, or whatever it is.
When I came home, it was like “Go, go, go, this is what we’re doing, and this is how I’m gonna do it” just like go, go, go really hard, that was the only thing I had going on. Where as now I’m doing various things, and it’s a little more manageable, a little less stressful.
It’s been 5 years since I’ve come home, so in a way, I feel like this is a completely different place I’m in now where I’m just happy to be. I make music at home, I record in my living room, and I’m happy to be doing that right now again, it feels more like a balanced equation.” Vaccaro told me recently on a hike at Thetis Lake.

Vaccaros’ songs are performed as well as they are written. The live show being such an important part of any musician’s career, Vaccaro has a simple approach.

“People want to connect man, there is so much disconnect. So for me, without getting stupid deep, it’s just a human connection, and the show is the same way. With the show, I lose myself in the songs, like completely. Sometimes there’s some videos out there, where I’m just, eyes closed, hands in the air, just in the moment. You see it later, and you go “I don’t even remember that” cause you’re so lost in it, and I think people crave that, that real connection that musicians have. I love seeing bands that I would call almost spiritual music. You know Ben Harper? When I see him perform, I’ve seen him three times now, all three times it was just, almost like watching Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley mixed up together. You know when you get that real soulful thing? Just really intense, I like that. I like connecting with music like that. That’s where I think the live show is. You can’t download that.”

With an abundance of talent and experience, Vaccaro has to be a favourite in the Peak FM Performance Project. Great songwriting, along with an excellent stage presence make Vince a tough act to go up against, though he’s trying not to look at it that way.

“It is a crazy thing. My truest feeling is, I'm almost uncomfortable what I would say, going up against some of my best friends. I don’t want to compete against Steph, she's like my sister, you know? So you gotta switch your perspective from going up against, to doing the best you can.
But the air of competition is still out here, it’s around. We all want the top prize. We did an orientation, it was the first commitment we had. I just attended the workshop with Tom Jackson, he’s a performance coach, he’s actually the number one performance coach in the world. He coached us on some stuff, and everything he said made complete sense. And I’m the kinda person that doesn’t wanna be told what to do. If someone tells me what to do, right away my defense is up cause I feel like they're changing me. Even if they want the best of out me, or they're suggesting something out of genuine care, I still have my back up. I don’t know what that is, but I’ve always been that way. I don’t want to change for anything, or I don’t want to change my music for anybody at all. Watching him work with bands, he was awesome. He didn’t change them for his liking, he changed them so that he took the best out of them. Like a music producer in the recording studio gets the best take out of the artist, he’s just getting the best live take out of a performing situation. So that was good for me to see.”

It’s been more than a year since his self-titled full length came out, but that doesn’t mean Vince hasn’t been busy writing and recording. In an ever changing industry, artists are looking for new ways to connect with fans. A lighter approach to recorded goods, and more of a push to the live show seems to be the way these days. The Montreal born musician understands this trend and embraces it fully.

“I’ve been recording some new stuff, I’ve spent the last 6 months or more, just writing, writing, writing. Just being really open to anything that I hear. That’s how I feel music comes to me. It’s not like I sit there and go “I wanna write a song about how beautiful I think this is”.  I just hear music in my head. I don’t even know how to explain it, but I just sorta hear everything. I hear all the parts, it’s like a feeling that comes over you or something. Like when your mood changes, you’re just suddenly super happy.  That’s how music comes to me, suddenly I hear music. So I’ve been open to that, I’ve been writing a ton, I have over 50 songs right now, It’s insane. I picked my favourite four. I put them down last week, and I wanted to be able to tell friends and people, not to spread the word, just share what I’m up to. Like a cool photo I’ve taken. I'm not trying to make it the next thing. If you check it out at http://www.fireandsun.com/, there is an explanation of what it is. Those 4 songs, I’ve been focusing a lot on that. I want to release something for free on the internet. That’s kinda what I want to do, because honestly people don’t really buy music anymore man.  I don’t want to create any more garbage in the world, so I’m gonna do a little bit of free download action. It doesn’t cost me anything to write them, they come to me freely. So who am I to say “pay me this for that.”, it’s like no. If I’m gonna be like the person in between whatever’s out there and music, then cool, you can have it all for free you know. Hopefully they come to the live show, and that’s how I can make a living. That’s sort of my vision right now for my future.”

I feel like a broken record sometimes, but it’s that sort of attitude that makes you want success for the man. When an artist puts his fans up front like that, you can’t help but be impressed. The four tracks available at http://www.fireandsun.com/are solid, my personal favourite being “Coco”, where Vaccaro shows off his bi-lingual skills. With a musical style that is “instant classic rock”, Vaccaro is another kick ass Canadian musician with plenty to offer. With all the momentum he has been gaining, there is no better time to show your support. An easy feat for a musician who wants nothing more than to just share his music and his moments.

Here are a few other sites of interest:
http://www.vincevaccaro.com/
http://www.fireandsun.com/
www.myspace.com/vincevaccaro
www.twitter.com/vincevaccaro

A name you should know now... Steph Macpherson

It's amazing how things have a way of falling into place isn't it? For Steph Macpherson (@stephmacpherson on twitter), the pieces are falling quite nicely.
Fresh off the heels of her top 20 inclusion in the Peak FM Performance Project (http://p3.fm @thepeak), Steph has been announced the winning "Ourstage Artist" at Vancouver's Lilith Fair, on Canada Day. Not a bad spring so far.
"It feels very good, and especially rewarding when you feel like there is a lot happening." she told me recently at a show at The Fort St. Cafe in Victoria.

That was before the Lilith Fair announcement, so that rewarding feeling can only grow. Of course if you've had the opportunity to see her live, this was only a matter of time. She's another very talented West Coast Singer/Songwriter and it's truly a treat to see her play. Her combination of keeping the audience involved, and pure musical talent leads to a memorable set time and again.

"Your live show is so, so important. Especially now. You can have great songs, you can have great songs on the radio, but if people come to see you play and don't feel like they connected with you in some way, and they don't feel like they wanna come back to your show, you're kinda dead in the water."
"A Strong "hometown following" is really important. People need to know what you are doing, and who you are at home. I love playing at home, because I get all of my friends and family out at my shows as well and I'm always seeing new faces too which is pretty exciting. Especially in Victoria which is fairly small, where I grew up and I never really expect so see new faces."

It's this attitude that makes you want her to succeed. Speak to anyone around her about her, and you realize she's just extremely likeable.

"I love Steph Macpherson. I have encountered her in person a bunch of times in Victoria, around the city, the odd house party or live venue dive. She is always friendly, humble and sweet. I think right away one of her strengths is her personability. If you meet Steph, you like her." Zone 91.3 host and owner of "The Morning After" blog (http://spintheblackdisc.com/) Jeremy Baker (@Jeremy_Baker) said.

"Stephs great, she's a really great musican and a great writer. Just a really nice person in general you know? I have a lot of fun touring with her, we always end up doing songs together, it always turns out being real fun." added Saskatoon Musician Zachary Lucky (@zacharylucky) at the Fort St. Cafe.

With her talent being recognized more and more by the day, we can look forward to hearing more of her in the future. The Peak FM Performance Project is an excellent opportunity for finalists to learn and expand each and every area of their musical careers. Cash prizes are awarded to the top 5, and a lot of loot is up for grabs (the winner receiving 6 figures). For starving musicians, cash is king, but this competition serves more purpose than just giving up money.

"I can tell you that the experience last year was wonderful for the artists and created a real sense of community that has survived the program. The goal is to help each of the Top 20 reach their potential. The artists who work the hardest in all areas of the program and show that they have not only the talent, but also the business sense and marketing drive will reach the program summit." that from the Executive Director of Music BC Industry Association, Bob D'Eith.

With this mega-talented group (including Said the Whale, Vince Vaccaro, Aidan Knight, Debra-Jean amongst others), Macpherson undoubtedly belongs, but will certainly be in tough. As for what she has to do?

"Steph is an artist and she works hard perfecting her craft and writing beautiful songs. To be a top 5 contender on The Peak, Steph Macpherson needs to write a great pop song that caputures the Peak audiences' imagination in the first listen and demands a repeat listen. I think she has done that with a couple of her cuts (already)." says Baker.

"I think she just needs to stay calm to be honest. She gets really worked up over things, and they are things she often doesn't have to worry about, I think she'll be just fine." Lucky said with confidence.

Macphersons' eyes light up at the mention of the competition. It's clear that she is extremely excited, and humbled about the opportunity.

"Everyone is saying (other artists in the competition) is as much as it is a competition, it's also so great to be devolpoing such a community with each other, and I think we will create some really great things as a group as well as individually for ourselves and each other."

"To You" her debut E.P. was released last year. She says she has been working on new material, and another E.P. is likely.

"EP's are great, cause it's not too much music. I know it's weird to say too much music, but it sort of leaves people with "that was great, I'm ready for more" feeling."

Well Steph, I think it's safe to say that everyone is ready for more. As for how she comes up with her songs?

"Most things inspire me in some way. The way it is, I don't even really know where a song comes from. Sometimes I like the sound of words together and it'll go from there, sometimes I have a melody in my head and I'll go on that, sometimes Im just strumming on a guitar or recording on a piano or something and magic will happen and I'll just have it flow out, and its just an indescrribingly beautiful experience."
It certainly is...

You can check out her myspace (http://www.myspace.com/stephmacphersonmusic) for music and up to date tour information. Almost unbelievably you can still catch Macpherson at a "coffee house" venue for as little as five bucks. Do yourself a favour and get out to a show soon, the chance to see this act at a cafe around the corner may soon be replaced by the theatre downtown.