On Thursday July 25th, a celebration of Canadian folk talent will take place at The Victoria Events Centre for the Live n’ Unsigned Summer Folk Showcase. The talented Emily Spiller, Steph Macpherson, Royal Canadians and Washboard Union are set to take the stage in just two days, highlighting incredible artistry all in one venue.
Steph Macpherson:
My parents once told me that as a small child I would yell and squeal for no other reason than just the sheer joy of using my voice. I loved creating sounds. Nothing has changed (well, not nothing) but I have learned a more pleasant way of expressing myself using the same tools.
– Steph Macpherson
After more than a decade of voice instruction, several years of piano and guitar lessons, Steph set out to take a real crack at the bat, armed with an E.P. and absolutely no idea what to expect.
In the fall of 2009, she embarked on her first tour of Canada with folk musician Zachary Lucky. The tour was an ambitious endeavor of 30 shows in 33 days. Shortly thereafter, fueled by the success of the trip, she relocated from her home in Victoria, British Columbia, to Vancouver, where she applied for as many musical competitions as she could find.
In what felt like the same breath, Steph was selected through an online “talent search” to play Lilith Fair 2010, opening for huge acts like Sarah McLachlan, Colbie Caillat, Erykah Badu, and Sheryl Crow, as well as being selected to participate in Vancouver’s Peak Performance Project, where she competed for $100,500 in grant funding. While she did not receive a cash prize, the Peak Performance Project included a music industry boot camp, which proved to be an invaluable experience for her. Steph came out of the competition armed with advice from numerous successful music industry professionals, though she admits, “I had no idea, going into it, how much I had to learn, the people I needed to meet, and the growth and vision I needed to work toward.”
Steph took 2011 to tour, play a few key festivals, and write and record a full-length album that reflected her personal and musical growth. She released Bells & Whistles in Canada on April 17, 2012 with Cordova Bay Records. Just prior to the album’s release The Zone 91.3 FM named her their April Band of the Month and in August 2012 Shore 104.3 FM named her the ‘Best of BC’. She received radio and social media support from both stations, and Shore 104.3 awarded her a cash prize of $10,000. Just two weeks later, Steph placed 3rd in the Music BC and Cellar Nightclub’s “Voice of the Cellar” Songwriting program.
Amongst all of this outpouring of support, Steph toured across Canada in 2012 and was featured at showcase performances at Canadian Music Week 2012 in Toronto. She added opening for Hannah Georgas, Jon and Roy, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, and Jeremy Fisher to her repertoire of performances that already included the likes of Jesse Winchester, Leeroy Stagger, Yukon Blonde, and many more. When asked about her experiences so far, Steph says, “I still can’t believe how lucky I am and how much support I receive from so many different sources, in so many different ways. People are continually placing their time, energy, and funding behind me in my efforts, and I am incredibly grateful. That support allows me to keep doing what I love, so life is pretty sweet.“
Steph’s music can now be heard all across CBC Radio 1, 2 and 3, Galaxie Channel, Canadian Indie, and CBC Digital Channels – Adult Alternative & Canadian Songwriter. Her single is being played on a variety of commercial, community, and college stations around Canada and has been receiving attention from American AAA Radio since the release of Bells & Whistles in the US on January 15, 2013 with Cordova Bay Records/Burnside Distribution.
Emily Spiller:
Emily Spiller is making a name for herself as an independent live looping solo artist. Winning “Female Vocalist of the Year” at the 2011 Vancouver Island Music Awards, she barely caught her breath from an Australian tour, and a showcase at Canadian Music Fest in Toronto. With three releases on her own label (Beacon Hill Records), songs licensed to films and an iPad app, as well as radio play on two continents – Em keeps herself busy!
She’s a hint of Zap Mama & Feist-meets-Amy Winehouse. The room falls silent when Emily sings. Armed with a loop machine, laptop and microphones she creates live layers on stage. Blending elements of jazz, blues, and soulful vocal harmonies (and a little beat box thrown in the mix), she travels the globe as a one woman show, spreading a message of love.
Extensive touring of BC and Alberta included sharing the stage with violinist extremist Kytami, where she opened for DubFX and ZedsDead as well as jumping on the Rock Pit Stage at Shambhala in 2012. Other appearances include the Komasket Music Fest, The Big Time Out, Diversity Festival, The Kulth, Australian Blues Music Festival, and opening for Australian artists Kim Churchill, Ash Grunwald and OKA.
Emily Spiller has toured in Canada, China, Australia, & New Zealand. She was awarded a FACTOR grant for her EP “The Wonderbro Remixes” (2010), her third release. She is currently writing her next album, and will release a live recording in 2013.
The Washboard Union:
Who knew after purchasing the last Best of Willie Nelson cassette at the Falkland General Store that “The Washboard Union” would be born out of the wilds of British Columbia.
In the fall of 2010 the band met one of Canada’s top producers, GGGarth Richardson. After hearing the band for the first time Gggarth decided that what the UNION was doing was so different from what he was used to that he signed on to produce The WASHBOARD UNION’s album on the spot. Recorded at THE FARM studio in Gibson B.C. it would become Gggarth’s first country album and the debut album for THE WASHBOARD UNION. Gggarth then reached out to Bob Ezrin who produced the song “Half Cree” for the new album as well. With 4 distinct voices, The Washboard Union is a songwriting collective with one of the most captivating live shows on the road today.
The Royal Canadians:
The Royal Canadians are an indie/folk/rock band made by some teenagers in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. What once started as duo has now transformed into an intricate quintet consisting of folk instruments and a rock background. These 16-18 year old kids have a vision already and won’t stop till they’re past it, and they hope you like the sound of that.
