Canadian Musician Podcast

It’s essential these days as an artist or band to have merch available. Not only can t-shirts and other apparel generate income for musicians, they’re also a great way to advertise. Yet with production costs rising and other issues coming up in the world of merchandising, things can be difficult for artists at many levels these days.

MOD (Merch on Demand) is a platform designed specifically for music artists. Their mission is to revolutionize the way artists create, sell, and connect with their fans through merchandise. Here, founder Joseph Pinho takes us through the history of MOD, and the ways he hopes it will help musicians.

With BreakOut West only a few months away, we caught up with Programming Manager Liam Prost to chat about what’s going on this year at the music industry conference and showcase festival.

BreakOut West’s 2023 edition takes place October 11-15 in Kelowna, BC. We hope to see some of you out there!

Brighid Fry likes to describe her Toronto-based outfit Housewife as a project comprised of anyone who collaborates with her—in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York City-based recording studios, or on tour everywhere across North America.

Right now, Fry has her sights set on the future, with her volunteer work with the musician-led activism group Music Declares Emergency, as well as the writing and recording of new music.

This week, we're joined by Richard Todd, guitarist and vocalist of Toronto progressive rock trio Redpath Traffic.

Todd and his bandmates may range from their 50s to 70s, but they're out to prove that you can start a band at any point in life, and music isn't all about youth.

We have an interesting topic on today’s episode. As the label coordinator and artist manager at MDC Music, as well as production lead and showcase presenter for Breaking Sound, Tim Wilson’s life is fully immersed in music.

Wilson is also a trained luthier, and back in his school days, delved into the topic of sustainability in guitar manufacturing for a term project. Here, he discusses the steps the lutherie industry can take to make the craft of guitar building more environmentally beneficial.

Aphrose puts a modern spin on R&B and soul with relatable lyrics and glittery melodies. The Scarborough native was raised by Trinidadian parents who owned a record store on Toronto's West side, exposing her to the Soulful delights of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jackson. After Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk heard her on the radio, she reached out to Aphrose directly and invited her to open for her and husband Raine Maida's Moon vs. Sun tour. In addition to her own music, Aphrose has sung backup for Daniel Caesar, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jessie Reyez, and Charlotte Day Wilson.

Check out our interview with Aphrose, and listen to her new single, "YaYa," now.

For our most recent issue of Canadian Musician magazine, Editor Matt Bauer chatted with Grammy-nominated house music producer and DJ Jayda G to talk about her newest release, Guy.

Titled after her late father, Guy, is Jayda G’s most personal release to date. Known worldwide for her exuberant DJ sets, the Grand Forks, BC-born and London, UK-based writer, producer, DJ, environmental toxicologist, and broadcaster has crafted a vivid, danceable tapestry in tribute to her father Richard Guy who passed when Jayda was ten. Listen to the full interview here.

We're joined this week by HERDD, a Sudbury, ON-based electro-pop artist who is in the midst of perfecting his newest record. HERDD chats about the challenges of being sober in the music industry, what it takes to reinvent one's artist identity, being a perfectionist, and more.

This interview explores some heavy topics, so listener discretion is advised.

This week, our gusts are Wallace da Silve, the promoter behind Nitro Funk, and Toronto artist Nick Souza. The two are part of a wave of Baile Funk in Canada. The high-energy music originated in Brazil and is amking its way into the global market, with some major stars getting in on the action.

This week, our guest is Music Publishers Canada (MPC) CEO Margaret McGuffin. In addition to chatting about MPC's work and what it is that music publishers do, McGuffin gives us the details on this year's Women in the Studio National Accelerator program.

First launched the program regionally in 2019 and expanded nationally in 2020, this is the fifth cohort the Accelerator is supporting. It is designed to provide the group with opportunities for skills development and networking that they may otherwise be unable to access.