Movie scored by Andrew Lockington hits No. 1 at box office

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday April 16th, 2018

SOCAN congratulates our Andrew Lockington, one of our most successful #ComposersWhoScore, for his work on the movie Rampage, which reached No. 1 in the North American box office on April 13-15, 2018, grossing $34.5 million in its opening weekend.

The film, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and directed by Lockington’s fellow Canadian Brad Peyton, is the second top-grossing North American movie for Lockington; the first was San Andreas – also starring Johnson and directed by Peyton – which achieved the feat in May 2015, and for which we presented him with a No. 1 Award during a SOCAN Session and interview.

In Rampage, a giant ape runs amok, so Lockington recorded howler monkeys in Costa Rica and ran their howls through some modular synthesizers to achieve unique simian sounds. To create the sound for the opening space station sequence, he recorded The African Children’s Choir – an organization started in Uganda to benefit young children, some of whom have lost their parents – then sonically manipulated their singing to get a space-like sound.

Lockington has previously won 10 SOCAN Film Awards – in the categories of Achievement in Feature Film, Domestic Film Music, and International Film Music – for his scores to Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D; the sequel, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island; Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters; and San Andreas.

Tenille Townes signs with Columbia Nashville in the U.S.

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday April 17th, 2018

Sony Music Nashville has signed SOCAN member and emerging singer-songwriter Tenille Townes with the release of her major label debut, the four-song Living Room Worktapes EP.

Produced by co-writer Daniel Tashian (who worked on Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour album), the recording showcases the lyrical strength and soulful vocals that Townes has been cultivating since she first began singing at age five, in her hometown of Grande Prairie, Alberta.

She learned to read by studying album liner notes, and penned her first song by age 14. As a teenager, Townes toured throughout Canada and made frequent visits to Nashville to write and co-write songs. She moved there in 2013, and immersed herself in the heart of the city’s songwriting community. She’s since emerged as a dynamic, genre-defying artist, and signed a publishing deal with Big Yellow Dog Music.

Townes recently made her Sundance Film Festival and SXSW debuts, and will join Maren Morris and others for select tour dates this Spring. She’s also been tapped by Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town for their co-headlining Bandwagon Tour, which starts in July of 2018.

SOCAN congratulates Tenille Townes on this great achievement!

Song created at SOCAN BC song camp released on Sony Music Canada

Story by Howard Druckman | Friday April 13th, 2018

Kevvy Maher

Kevvy Maher

SOCAN is pleased and proud that one of the songs created at the second annual “SOCAN on the Island” Song Camp in British Columbia in 2017 is being released today as the debut single for laye, a Quebec-based singer-songwriter signed to Sony Music Canada. The song, “likefck,” was co-written by laye; BC-based Kevvy Maher, whose band Fake Shark is signed to Light Organ Records; and Ontario’s Joel Stouffer, himself signed to Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada.

The three co-writers created the song together at “SOCAN on the Island,” held Oct. 11-18, 2017, at a remote estate acreage on Pender Island, BC, where 17 participating songwriters and producers created a record 45 songs in one week of collaborative songwriting. This second annual SOCAN invitational West Coast song camp fostered strong collaborative opportunities, not only during the week, but for many future co-writing relationships.

“laye has one of those voices that only comes around once in a blue moon,” says her “likefck” co-writer Joel Stouffer. “On top of that, she’s a super-talented songwriter. “likefck” was one of those songs where the stars aligned, the inspiration was flowing, and everyone in the room was on the same page. I’m super-proud that it’s her first-ever release. Thanks to SOCAN for connecting us, and creating the environment for this song to be created.”

 

Joel Stouffer

Joel Stouffer

“My favourite element in an artist is mystique, and as I got to write more with laye at SOCAN on the Island, I started to realize how layered a person and an artist she is,” says co-writer Kevvy Maher. “She doesn’t show every side of herself right away, because you have to earn it, and when you see it, it’s hard not to fall in love with it. She’s an old soul with a future quality. Young and dangerous.”

SOCAN congratulates laye, Kevvy Maher, and Joel Stouffer on this great accomplishment!