Ashleigh Eymann

Contest exposure gives local acts a leg up
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Tue Jun 7 2011
Page: C1 / Front
Section: Arts
Byline: Mike Devlin
Column: Mike Devlin
Source: Times Colonist

Getting exposed to music from all corners of the Earth is more difficult than ever, despite what fans of filesharing would have you believe.

More is not always better. With ample, often legal access to all the free music one could want, and only so many hours in the day, how do you choose what gets on your playlist and what doesn't? Therein lies the problem. Thankfully, there are answers.

A trio of Vancouver radio stations, 100.5 The Peak, 99.3 the Fox and Shore 104, have done most of the hard work for B.C. music fans. By selecting what the judges for their respective contests (Peak Performance Project, Shore Song Search, and Fox Vancouver Seeds) feel are the best undiscovered acts in the province, they sweat so we don't have to.

Despite being Vancouver-centric contests, a big chunk of the acts who made it near the top of the in-progress contests either live on Vancouver Island or have strong ties to the area. Think of that the next time you go surfing for something to stuff in your ears. Oftentimes the best stuff is in your backyard. Here's a rundown of the local acts who made the upper regions.

1 Acres of Lions. Contest: Peak Performance Project. Long considered one of the best rock bands in town, Acres of Lions have gone about their business the oldschool way: with a mixture of talent, connections and hard work. The group is almost finished a new record, songs from which they will debut on Aug. 16 at Club 9ONE9 during their opening set for platinum punks Sum 41.

2 Ryan McMahon and the Company Damn. Contest: Shore Song Search; Fox Vancouver Seeds. A rollicking singer-songwriter on the Mellencamp-Springsteen side of town, the Ladysmith-based McMahon came roaring out of the gates at 17 with his group Citizen Strange. He spent some time in Vancouver a few years back, but has returned to the Island and is making a successful go of it again. Making the finals for two contests proves you can make it from anywhere.

3 Mindil Beach Markets. Contest: Fox Vancouver Seeds. Any band with enough stylistic range to allow for gigs with both Nazareth and Del The Funky Homosapien is contest-worthy, indeed. Mindil Beach Markets' mix of reggae, ska, punk and funk has made the quartet a mustsee band on the local scene, and with a self-titled debut (2010) and scores of red-hot gigs on its resume don't look for them to cool off any time soon.

4 Ashleigh Eymann. Contest: Peak Performance Project. Eymann, 27, has been a sweet-singing standout in Victoria for close to a decade, first in the group Divinity with fellow Brentwood College grad Georgia Murray, then alongside the holy hip-hop trinity of Just B, DJ Murge, and Ishkan in The Current. Now a solo artist, Eymann is staking out the same soul-hop territory once mined around these parts by a young Nelly Furtado.

5 Avairis. Contest: Peak Performance Project. A weekly fixture at the Fernwood Inn, this rootsy trio has a sound perfectly suited to the west coast, as evidenced by their sundrenched driving song, Summertime Emotion. The band's unbelievable-buttrue back story (guitarist, a young pilot of 21, loses partial use of his hand in a plane crash, then learns to play guitar left-handed) is the first of many revelations about Avairis.

6 Steph Macpherson. Contest: Shore Song Search. This gifted Victoria native has been on the bubble for a few years now; in the eyes of many, it's only a matter of time until she breaks. Not only is she a fixture at local events, Macpherson has made some inroads on the mainland as well (Lilith Fair, Peak Performance Project 2010) and will be seen before tens of thousands of revelers on July 1 during the Canada Day celebrations on the lawn of the legislature.

7 Lindsay Bryan. Contest: Peak Performance Project. One needs only to watch YouTube footage of folk-pop dynamo Lindsay Bryan to understand why she made it to the Top 20 of the Peak Performance project. She can sing alone on acoustic guitar, or with friends (who happen to account for three-fifths of Tegan and Sara) in a rock setting - impressive range for a young talent just finding her feet.

8 Jean-Paul Maurice. Contest: Peak Performance Project. The former Maurice frontman has always been comfortable satisfying both sides of his musical personality. Whether alone or gigging with any one of his many collaborators, Maurice's talent and strong voice always shine through. He could be the sleeper favourite of the Peak Performance Project

9 Rococode. Contest: Peak Performance Project. The talented Vancouver group led by Victoria's Laura Smith and Vancouver's Andrew Braun, with expert support from Victoria products Johnny Andrews and Shaun Huberts, is prepping for its much-anticipated debut, Guns, Sex and Glory later this year. Rococode's buzzed-about indie rock is fast on - Victoria Times Colonist Newspaper

Seven Victoria acts make the Top 20 in showcase for emerging B.C. artists
Times Colonist (Victoria)
Thu Oct 27 2011
Page: C5
Section: Go!
Byline: Mike Devlin
Source: Times Colonist

This year's Peak Performance Project featured a healthy contingent of contestants from Victoria, with seven local acts among the Top 20 in the Vancouver-based competition.

The annual $5.29-million showcase for emerging B.C. artists announced its list of five finalists Wednesday, and true to form a pair of regional rock 'n' rollers succeeded in making the cut.

Victoria's Current Swell was named a top-three finalist alongside Vancouver acts the Boom Booms and the Matinee, who will compete live at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on Nov. 17 for a shot at the overall title.

Fourth place went to Maple Ridge singer-songwriter Hilary Grist and fifth place was awarded to Victoria quartet Acres of Lions, which received an additional $5,000 for making the finals.

Each act named to the Top 20 this year received $5,000 at the outset, to be put toward recording, marketing and promotion.

The first-place winner will receive $100,500, while runnerups will be awarded $75,000 and $50,000, respectively.

Other performers from Victoria who competed in the project were Ashleigh Eymann, Avairis, Lindsay Bryan, Maurice, and Rococode.



Edition: Final
Length: 170 words
Idnumber: 201110270088 - Victoria Times Colonist Newspaper

First Reviewed:
March 29, 2009
Status:
Selected
Updated On:
June 03, 2009
Response:
Top Ten Finalist Mike Pinder, the Judges, and staff at SONGWARS wish to thank you for your participation in the 2009 Second quarter competition. Your song was selected as a Top Ten Finalist. This selection means that your song was notable and deserving of high praise. Mike extends his best wishes for you and your promising music career. Congratulations! You can download your certificate at: http://www.songwars.net/Certificates Your critique is ready and can be downloaded by going to: http://www.songwars.net/Critiques Please let us know if you have any suggestions for ways in which we can make our critiques more helpful to develop your songwriting skills.
- Songwars.net

Ashleigh sang back up vocals on Vancouver artist Jeff Spec’s 'Rhythm and Blues' released in January 2006.

www.music-critic.com gave the album 5 out of 5 and said… 'All in Together', 'Home' and 'In the Air' feature infectious hooks by local songstress, Ashleigh Eymann.

- www.music-critic.com