ECMA 2018...Colour Me Honoured!

HAPPY 30TH ECMA

Wow! What an amazing time we had at East Coast Music Week 2018! We all gathered in Halifax - where the ECMA was born 30 years ago this year - for a milestone conference...and it was by far the most exciting year of all for me! It's been almost a week already but I am only finding the time now to get a blog update done! As always happens at ECMA, I had so many wonderful reunions with artist friends, saw so much mind-blowing talent and gleaned lots of new insights from

industry pros and seminars.

I also had numerous showcases where I performed both solo and with the band. The ECMA does such a fantastic job developing 'export showcase' opportunities, where you get to play for important industry delegates that come from literally all over the world. Festival programmers, agents, music supervisors, etc - they come to see the music and meet with artists, and we have the chance to make our pitches and strive to grow opportunities. I had some super valuable interactions and I will be excited to reveal some of the new business that was started as the months go along...stay tuned!

'GO ALL IN' WINS 2018 'BLUES RECORDING OF THE YEAR'

Sooo...the icing on the cake...or the cherry on top (any dessert-related metaphor will do!) was being awarded the 2018 East Coast Music Award for 'Blues Recording of the Year' for my album Go All In! I was gobsmacked - that's right, I said it - gobsmacked, and entirely taken by surprise when my name was called at the Music and Industry Awards event on Sunday evening, our last night of the conference. In fact, I was left totally without words - something that doesn't much happen for me! In a rare happening, the Blues Recording of the Year category was a TIE this year, and I am proud as a peacock to say that the iconic Matt Minglewood also received an ECMA. Sharing a win with someone as storied and accomplished and darned fantastic as Matt is like an award all it's own!

There are so many people deserving of thanks for their support and help in my music career efforts...so I made a little video you can check out to try and say thanks!

SEE YA OUT THERE!

Lots of stuff upcoming, including my Spring 2018 Ontario Tour, Summer festivals, new music plans, and more! I can't say thank you enough to everyone who supports my music - from my record label Busted Flat Records, publicist Sarah French, industry partners, venues and festivals that book me, bandmates, co-writers...and anyone who comes to see me perform and helps to share my music - THANK YOU!

UPCOMING SHOWS:

May 26, 8pm: Whycocomagh Waterfront Centre, Whycocomagh NS

May 31, 8pm: The Black Irish - Vanier ON Jun 1, 8pm: Batstone's Northern Ramble - Renfrew ON Jun 2, 2pm: Gatineau Concert Series - Gatineau PQ Jun 3, 4pm: Blueberry Bistro - VanKleek ON Jun 5, 8pm: Rainbow Bistro - Ottawa ON Jun 8: Festivale de Folk et des Guitares - Aylmer PQ Jun 9, 8pm: Dominion Hotel - Minden ON Jun 10, 7pm: E C Mamas House Concert - Sarnia ON Jun 14: Corporate Event - Kingston ON Jun 15, 8pm: Stonewater Pub - Gananoque ON Jun 16, 8pm: The Embassy - Kingston ON