MIKE EDEL SHARES NEW PANDEMIC ERA ROADTRIP JAM, “SUNSHINE”

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MIKE EDEL’S NEW LP, EN MASSE, OUT NOVEMBER 20, 2020 VIA PENNANT

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Photo Credit: Brian Van Wyk // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Mike Edel’s new single, “Sunshine”, from his upcoming LP En Masse, is about an escape, a desire for experience; a perfect pandemic era road-trip jam. Co-written with Parker Bossley and Ian Smith, produced by Andy Park (The Head And The Heart, Noah Gundersen) and mixed by Marcus Paquin, Edel says, “I like to think of it as a ‘pandemic era roadtrip jam’ because everyone just needs a 'vacation' from reality and could use an escape and a drive into the sunset. 

This song came together quickly and embraced intuition, co-writing and openness. It ultimately passed through many hands and was a song that just kept getting better and better and better. I don't think I've ever written or recorded a song sonically, lyrically or rhythmically close like this one; I think creatively it's a breakthrough for me. I also loved that during the process we tried to make a different 90's reference every time I talked about it. Savage Garden, Third Eye Blind and a little (90's) Michael Jackson. I really wanted to take a modern approach and write something quickly in the studio and recorded it from the ground up in that way. That song is 'Sunshine’.”

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“Sunshine” Single Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Mixed by Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, The National) with additional production by Andy Park (Noah Gundersen, The Head And The Heart), En Masse is an item quest about discovery. The collective instincts, intuition and melody of a cast of collaborators. “The writing, recording and production were guided by the collective instincts, intuition and melody of a cast of collaborators,” says Edel. “With this project I wanted to bring in outside ideas and methods to help me formulate a new energy and because of this, En Masse has expanded my artistic capacities.”

WATCH AND SHARE “GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING” HERE

BUY / STREAM “GOOD ABOUT EVERYTHING” HERE

The new LP follows up Edel’s Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) produced 2019 record, THRESHOLDS. After THRESHOLDS, 4 million cumulative streams across major platforms, landing a song on ABC’s American Idol, in heavy rotation on CBC Music, AAA Radio across the United States, and on Sirius XM’s The Verge and North Americana; after playing hundreds of shows across North American and Europe including Rifflandia Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival, Regina Folk Festival, Victoria International Jazz Festival, and Upstream Music Festival; after sharing the stage with Serena Ryder, Foy Vance, Said The Whale and Josh Garrels; and after moving to Seattle, WA and getting married, Edel has established himself as a creative tour de force with plenty on the horizon.

BUY / STREAM “GIVING UP ON GIVING IN” HERE
WATCH AND SHARE “GIVING UP ON GIVING IN” HERE

WATCH AND SHARE “HELLO UNIVERSE” HERE
BUY / STREAM “HELLO UNIVERSE” HERE

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EN MASSE TRACKLIST
01 Hello Universe
02 Good About Everything
03 Sunshine
04 Lose You
05 Giving Up On Giving In
06 Still Thinking About You
07 Need You
08 Hockey Guy
09 Balcony
10 The Distance

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REUBEN AND THE DARK SHARES UN | LOVE B-SIDE “CHANGE”

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BUY / STREAM UN | LOVE HERE

“...there is no shortage of drama and dynamics to be found on un/love, particularly on anguished anthems such as Faultline and Weightlessness.” - Calgary Herald

“...it’s about opening up new spaces for emotions and letting those run free as a form of therapy — about the intersection of audience and music as liberation.“ - BeatRoute

“Compelling and evocative” – Exclaim!

“Bright Eyes meets Mumford & Sons” – American Songwriter

“Earnest, anthemic” – WXPN

Photo Credit : Joshua Spencer // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Today, Reuben and The Dark is sharing “Change”, a song that was intended for the band’s most recent LP, un | love, but almost seems more fitting for the present climate. “This song has been floating around for a while,” says frontman Reuben Bullock. “It was written to be included in un | love but the timing of it didn’t feel right. It’s a song about love. About process. And quite simply, change. We are in a strange place in time. All of us are going through transformations… transitions. Many of us feel like trees just trying to hold onto their leaves. But, it is a time for transformation. Embracing the seasons of the heart. We have been changed. We are still changing. The heart of this song is love… but those words feel much bigger.”

BUY / STREAM “CHANGE” HERE

“Change” Single Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

Anyone who has seen Reuben and the Dark perform knows that the bandmates share a palpable bond onstage, creating a heedless energy that reverberates with the audience. Now perhaps more than ever, even though they can’t perform for live audiences, the band hopes their music can bring a feeling of togetherness to fans.

BUY / STREAM UN | LOVE HERE

Known for vulnerability, and penchant for creating uplifting cinematic intensity in their songs, Reuben and the Dark have been featured in a variety of television shows and movies. Most recently, a cover of R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People” set the stage for a very critical moment of Grey’s Anatomy. Earlier this year, their song “Hold Your Head High” was included in the new CBS dramedy All Rise, the track “Black Water” was featured in the long-anticipated trailer for Netflix’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and Bullock lent his voice to the trailer for Dolittle with a rendition of the classic “What A Wonderful World”.

Though unfortunately, the coronavirus caused Reuben and the Dark’s tour to be cut short this spring, the band hopes to be back on the road soon and in the meantime fans can be sure to connect with Reuben on social media. For artist updates, visit reubenandthedark.com.

BUY / STREAM / SHARE “WE WILL GET THERE” HERE

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BEGONIA SHARES VIDEO FOR TITLE TRACK FROM ACCLAIMED LP, FEAR

WATCH AND SHARE “FEAR” HERE

FEAR, OUT NOW VIA REX BABY RECORDS / THE ORCHARD

BUY / STREAM FEAR HERE

“With its twin-helix bind of sharp pop and warm soul, Fear positions Winnipeg's Begonia (Alexa Dirks) as a powerhouse on the Prairies.” - Exclaim!

“Fear is the opposite of all its name implies: confident, bold, and blossoming with subtlety and intelligence.” - Dominionated

“...Fear still manages to make you feel like you've been let in on pop's best-kept secret. But, not for long. 2019 might have refreshed our memory of Dirks' vast capabilities, but 2020 will hopefully deliver her the global recognition she deserves.” - CBC Music

“Fear” Video Still

Today, Begonia (Alexa Dirks) is sharing the eerie new video for the title track from her Polaris Music Prize long-listed album, Fear (Rex Baby Records / The Orchard). Director Ryan Steel, who also directed “Hanging On A Line”, says, “Alexa and I met to discuss the song and she brought up the idea that she would be in a dark theatre with spotlights turning on. I spent a week watching Twin Peaks and in between each episode I would listen to the song around ten times when the rest came to me.”

“I didn't want to make a video that was just like things popping out and me and me being afraid of the things exactly as I had listed them in the song. I wanted something that was more mysterious, open ended, and a bit uncomfortable so as to match the energy of how I was feeling when I wrote it.”

WATCH AND SHARE “FEAR” HERE

MORE ABOUT FEAR

Fear, was chosen as one of Exclaim!’s Most Underrated Albums of the Year, made end of the year lists from CBC Music and Dominionated, saw both “Beats” and “Hanging On A Line” named as CBC Music Top 20 Fan Favourites of the year, and spent 10 straight weeks as the #1 album in the country on Earshot’s Top 50 chart.

WATCH AND SHARE “HANGING ON A LINE” HERE

As Begonia, Alexa Dirks is bold, brazen with her florid, surprising pop that is tempered with sensitivity and wisdom. On the LP, Begonia leans hard into a sense of arrival. She wrote and co-produced the record with a familiar team of Matt Schellenberg (Royal Canoe) and Matt Peters (Royal Canoe) along with Marcus Paquin (The National, Arcade Fire, Local Natives).

Whether it’s learning to come into her own or processing a brutal heartbreak, Dirks’ intimate lyrics and audacious sound allows for her audience to relate to the messiness of life with an honesty that is refreshing.

Dirks' first solo EP, Lady in Mind, was well-received, being listed on NPR’s 10 Artists You Need To Know in 2017 and single “Juniper” reached #1 on the CBC Radio 2 Top 20. Noisey wrote that, “Begonia has one of Canada’s most extraordinary voices, and thankfully she uses it to obliterate the misery from this world one live performance at a time.” NPR wrote that Begonia is “the place where where synth-pop meets old soul and scrappy meets sexy."

WATCH CBC’S FIRST PLAY LIVE HERE

BUY / STREAM FEAR HERE

Photo Credit : Maya Fuhr // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES

MORE PRAISE FOR BEGONIA

“...searing and dignified” - NPR Music

"...a complex, powerhouse synth-soul that hangs on one of Canada’s most extraordinary voices." - Line Of Best Fit

“The woman has, you would say, presence to spare. When she opens her mouth to sing it's like, ‘What just happened?’” - Exclaim!

"an audacious adventure in modern soul, with gospel inspirations and updated takes on finger-snapping Motown pop and late 20th-century R&B.‎" - Globe & Mail

“With her showstopping voice, Dirks blends acoustics and synths for her own brand of gospel.” - CBC Music

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