Photo by Marie-Michèle Bouchard

Photo Gallery: Matt Holubowski

Story by Eric Parazelli | Wednesday March 11th, 2020

Go big or go home, as they say, and Matt Holubowski did just that when he played Montréal’s MTELUS on March 4, 2020, to mark the release of his new album Weird Ones, and kick off a spring tour that’ll take him all over Québec, Canada, the U.S., and France.

We had access to his soundcheck (B&W pictures) as well as the main event (colour pictures), and you can almost feel the quiet but intense energy of his stage presence.

Critics have been unanimous about Weird Ones: it’s his best album.

“Holubowski outdoes himself. Weird Ones’ songs are proof of the talent, musical intelligence and creativity of their creator… He’s delivered a simply sublime album.” – Marissa Groguhé, La Presse

“A weightless trip through beauty itself. Matt Hobulowski’s angelic voice swims in a sea of reverberation, his melodies follow a path only they know, strange sounds made by strange instruments paint landscapes that are just as strange, indescribable and incredibly beautiful. A delicious feeling of strangeness.” – Sylvain Cormier, Le Devoir

“In his move beyond the more traditional folk of his previous work, Holubowski has uncovered new dimensions in his music, striking that delicate balance between songcraft and newfangled shimmer.” – Kaelen Bell, Exclaim!

To download or listen to Weird Ones, and for tour dates, go here.

SOCAN COVID-19 update

Story by SOCAN | Friday March 13th, 2020

SOCAN’s operations during the COVID-19 situation continue.

We’re following guidelines and working with employees, members, and visitors to mitigate risk of spread of the virus.

While every situation is unique and fluid, we’ve prepared well in advance to work through a crisis like this. We’ve already halted non-essential travel, moved to online meetings, and all employees will work from home starting on Monday, March 16th.

We have every reason to believe that our operations will continue to run well. We will work to keep you informed on developments.

This situation affects all people and organizations. SOCAN has taken and is taking measures to ensure that our business runs as smoothly as possible.

We wish you good health and safety as we work through this challenging situation together.

In the Spotlight: Alex Ernewein

Story by Melody Lau | Wednesday March 11th, 2020

“I think musically, we’re the best in the world.”

Alex Ernewein has good reason to proclaim Toronto as a top destination for musical exports. He cites hip-hop superstar Drake as the biggest example of a successful artist putting the Canadian city on the global map, but that fortune runs all the way down to someone like Ernewein – a musician and producer who has also flourished in recent years, by making “the weirdest chord progressions and textures, and still have them slap and get streams.”

Most may recognize Ernewein as a touring member of R&B star Daniel Caesar’s band, but he’s also performed with Charlotte Day Wilson, co-produced records for both (Caesar’s Freudian and Wilson’s Stone Woman EP), and surrounded himself with some of the city’s most promising talent (Sean Leon, Liza Yohannes, Dylan Sinclair). Most recently, he took a massive step outside of his sphere, contributing samples to Kanye West’s album Jesus is King.

He also makes music under his own name, where he strives to go “even weirder” by exploring odd chord progressions. (He admittedly grew up on a lot of jazz music.) “People know me for R&B,” he acknowledges, “but I’ve worked on so many different projects now that it’s more diverse than that.

“I think in the next 10 years, the sound is just going to get even better, and more sophisticated,” Ernewein says of Toronto’s sonic identity. “There’s too many great minds for it not to.” While he may not have reached the upper echelon of the city’s most prominent acts just yet, Ernewein –  who says he’s still “showing and proving” his skills to others – is well on his way to becoming one of those great minds.