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This article was published 25/01/2018 (3137 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ensign Broderick

For a new artist, Ensign Broderick is certainly off to a good start.

The Toronto-based singer-songwriter made his live solo debut last year as an interlude artist at both the Winnipeg and Edmonton iterations of the Interstellar Rodeo festivals before opening a trio of shows for Canadian rock icons the Rheostatics at Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern.

Not bad for a guy whose debut solo record, the nine-song Feast of Panthers, doesn’t drop until March 9 on Six Shooter Records. The album is comprised of songs written over many decades, tipping the hat to the flair and melodrama of 1970s glam rock while retaining a timeless, more personal feel driven by Broderick’s poignant vocals and lyrics, as well as a healthy dose of strings.

“I know some of it is challenging — I wanted to make it challenging,” says Broderick by phone (in his first interview ever) in advance of tonight’s show called In the Key of X at the Park Theatre. “I probably make things as complicated as I can because I write really directly, but it reflects the machinations of what’s going on inside of me emotionally.”

Tonight’s show at the Park Theatre is a lead-up to the official kickoff of the Winnipeg New Music Festival. Broderick will be joined by a string quintet on stage (including Bret Higgins of the Great Lake Swimmers) before making way for a set by Björk keyboardist Jónas Sen. Then those in attendance will be treated to an advance screening of Accidence, the latest short film by Guy Maddin and Evan and Galen Johnson, based on three variations of Broderick’s song of the same name.

“They really have such an incredible vision,” Broderick says of the filmmakers. “To be able to convey what they’ve done in around 10 minutes is phenomenal. It’s very beautiful and graceful; I hope people will just love it.”

Rather than have Maddin and company simply make a music video for the song Accidence, Broderick and Shauna de Cartier of Six Shooter approached Maddin with a different idea. “I said to Guy that I really didn’t want him to feel compelled to make a traditional video — that I didn’t even have to be in it. I said ‘Why don’t you just make a beautiful film and the music can be supportive of the film, as opposed to making a video?’ Why else would I want to work with Guy Maddin unless I wanted his vision? I just wanted something beautiful that would be associated with my song forever.”

Broderick’s musical chops began with a childhood of classical piano and composition, while he grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll music and wanting to play drums in rock bands. While he cut his teeth in a number of Toronto bands over the course of many decades — most notably a stint in Toronto synth/new wave group Blue Peter — Broderick kept quietly writing and squirrelling away his own songs.

“Everything that passed through my brain comes out of my fingers,” Broderick says while describing the creative process. “The music is a true representation of what’s going on in my head. The most I can say is that it’s totally authentic… I want people to love the music obviously, but I’d rather they hate it than just not care about it.”

After Winnipeg, Broderick heads to Tokyo for a show at the Canadian Embassy before trekking to Europe for the Berlin Film Festival, where Accidence will be screened. Also on tap this year is a jaunt to Texas for SXSW, as well as the Junos.

For the modest Broderick, his solo venture and the subsequent whirlwind developments still seem a bit surreal, but he appreciates every moment. “When I get feedback from people about the songs and what they like, it’s like jewels to me. I like to keep them, cherish them, think about them always.”

— Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson

 

Olivia Lunny

Local singer-songwriter Olivia Lunny may be just 18 years old, but already she’s becoming a constant in the Winnipeg music scene.

She participated in the Stingray Young Performers Program at the Winnipeg Folk Festival four times, has snatched some notable opening slots for artists such as Polaris Prize shortlisted artist Leif Vollebekk last year and tonight (Jan. 25) with Daniel Champagne — an Australian-born, Nashville-based folk artist who is known for his acoustic guitar chops — and is also preparing to release her debut self-titled EP on Feb. 6.

Lunny worked with beloved local producer Murray Pulver, as well as Roman Clarke from yacht-rock band the Middle Coast, to craft her brief three-song collection of indie-pop and says it was a humbling experience to work with the talented musicians.

“We actually wrote one of the songs I ended up recording,” Lunny explains.

“The first time we met, we sat down to get to know each other a bit before we were going to go into the studio, and then we’re like, ‘Let’s try writing together,’ and in three hours we had the song written.”

On the EP, Lunny plays with a full band, and though she typically performs solo in a live setting, she’d like to introduce that fuller sound to her performances.

“I primarily play solo but with this EP, I’d like to start playing with the band live more. I feel like it’s kind of false advertising, like, ‘Hey listen to me on my EP, I’m all upbeat!’ and they come see me and it’s just me singing sad songs alone,” Lunny laughs.

Right now, Lunny has no plans to tour this EP, but is spending time developing a fanbase outside the city, so that when she does hit the road, it’ll be worth the trek. Ultimately, her goal is to turn music into a full-time career.

“That’s my end goal, to make music a full-time career, whether that’s actually being able to perform and record my music — that would be a luxury — but even just a career in the industry on the business side, music is my passion and I can’t see doing anything other than that,” she says.

Lunny plays an opening set at the West End Cultural Centre tonight (Jan. 25) at 8 p.m. Tickets are $17, available online at Ticketfly.

— Erin Lebar

 

Country music triple-header

Three of Canada’s rising country stars team up for a triple-header on Friday, Jan. 26 at the Club Regent Event Centre.

The James Barker Band, who garnered five nominations at last September’s Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA); and Meghan Patrick, who won the CCMA’s female artist of the year and the rising star at the same ceremony in Saskatoon, take the stage at the Transcona casino.

Opening up the evening is Regina-born singer Jojo Mason.

Barker found chart success in 2017 in a similar way to so many contemporary country artists — singing about relaxing in the summertime. His hit was Lawn Chair Lazy, where he sings about hot weather, cold beer and the football game on the radio. Put it all together, and the song earned a CCMA nomination for single of the year, and another one for Barker’s album, Game On.

Meanwhile, there’s been little time for relaxing for the energetic Patrick since releasing her album Grace & Grit in 2016. Energetic concerts across North America — including a coveted set right before Keith Urban at Dauphin’s Countryfest last July, built her popularity and eventually led to her two CCMA wins. She brings a new album, Country Music Made Me Do It, which came out earlier this month, to the Club Regent show.

A handful of tickets are still available at Ticketmaster, and range in price from $26.25 to $31.50 plus fees. Patrick and the James Barker Band also play the 40 nightclub in Brandon on Saturday, Jan. 27.

— Alan Small