Andy Plews

Andy Plews is a songwriter based in Brooklyn who is creating a body of work that makes him happy and reflects a journey that's taken him from Scottish roots and early years in the North of England to New York City. His first album, The Macclesfield Years reflects his broad influences and tells a range of diverse stories, real and imagined. Growing up in, and leaving behind his hometown; an ode to a friend who experienced a broken neck; Return Ticket, the true story of a suffragette; a Japanese Fable that is just that and no more; and 10-Advil Day, a cautionary tale of love, loss and Ibuprofen. Andy collaborates with a range of artists including his old friend in Scotland Pete Rawlinson, and the emerging NYC producer Marco Lamas. Andy takes a meticulous approach to his song arrangements and works with some of the most talented young session musicians in New York. 

In its review of 10 Advil Day, the music blog Expansion Radial notes: “It’s like reading a personal journal filled with pages of pain, regret and acceptance. He has managed to capture those difficult moments in life with an honesty that is moving. If you are looking for a song that combines rock with a touch of country and blues, press play and let this story envelop you” Andy is currently crafting a follow-up album and plans to release a new single early in 2025.

Jazz/Blues Performer Tanya Wills Hopeful With "Someone To Love" From Forthcoming Album She

The global pandemic was costly in terms of lives, misery and missed opportunities for all ages. For some in the early chapters of their lives, it was a lost attempt at having a crush during junior high, the excitement emanating from high school dances and proms or finding romance in university. But Toronto-based blues/jazz chanteuse Tanya Wills has encapsulated that feeling of youthful optimism for finding love in such hard, challenging times with her latest single, the serene and stylish "Someone To Love" from her forthcoming solo album She.

 
Wills says "Someone To Love" originated while, like most of the world, she was isolated and went for a run near her home of Brighton, Ontario in the midst of the angst, turmoil and continual public restrictions. "'Someone To Love' is a song that began its life during the pandemic," she says. "I thought about the impact this would have on the young people, missing out on the important social moments. We all experienced the loneliness of that time, not knowing how it would end, but for the young lovers - or those wanting to fall in love - it might have seemed particularly bleak. And so, this song is about holding on to the hope and a dream...of love."

 
Like most strong jazz ballads, Wills' light and delicate delivery works tremendously well with guitarist Bill Bridges' sparse but inviting accompaniment. Bridges, who Wills describes as her "constant touchstone and mentor," helps fuel the mood and atmosphere instantly. It's a lovely, hushed and heartwarming blueprint for an enjoyable listen. Meanwhile, drummer/percussionist Kevin Coady and bassist Ron Johnston keep things gliding alongside Wills' earnest approach. "Someone To Love" would fall in line with material by the likes of Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson and Joni Mitchell.

 
The song epitomizes the dreams of a woman finding her perfect partner who offers her a night on the town and figuratively sweeps her off her feet. She isn't sure who that man is, or when she will meet that man of her dreams. But she's steadfast in believing he's out there somewhere.
 
Somehow her heart knows the answer -- when destiny and chance meet one moonlight night
Before her a wondrous sight -- her someone to love.
'Til then her dreams are her own, but she's not alone --
She hopes he's watching the stars above...
Her someone to love.
 
Wills, who is extremely busy fronting the Tanya Wills Quartet featuring Bridges, Coady and Johnston, also performs as part of the Wintergarten Orchestra who regularly play in and around the Greater Toronto Area, a Cabaret-ish show featuring material from the 1920's and 1930's. It's a far cry from one of her previous occupations as an Ontario Provincial Police officer for a decade. But judging by "Someone To Love" musical creations and not police investigations seemed more in line with her destiny.

 
The performer, who released the singles "Rewind" in 2023 and "Ça s'est arrangé" in April, 2024, now looks to grow her blossoming fan base even more with her new single "Someone To Love." The performer's music, to steal a word from the latest single, is simply wondrous.

Calgary Soul/Blues Powerhouse OLLEE OWENS New Album ‘Nowhere to Hide’ Is Out Now

 

Canadian soul/blues powerhouse singer Ollee Owens releases her new album, Nowhere to Hide, today through her Ollee Owens Music label imprint.

 

Produced by Bobby Blazier, the music on Nowhere to Hide is also graced by the presence of Muscle Shoals all-star guitarist Will McFarlane on eight of the album’s eleven tracks.  

 

“The writing of ‘Some Days’ came out of a desire to acknowledge the ups and downs of our day-to-day experiences and at the same time call out the resilience of the human spirit no matter what we come up against,” Owens says. “Sonically, we imagined it as a blues-infused song that leaves the listener feeling happy. It was recorded in Nashville with some of the best session musicians in Music City: Chris Rodriguez, Craig Young, Bobby Blazier, and DeMarco Johnson. The energy in the room that day was palpable as the song began to take shape, capturing exactly what I heard in my head when we wrote the song, resulting in a soulful and hope-filled anthem.”

 

After returning to music a decade ago and releasing 2022's Cannot Be Unheard, the Calgary-based blues/rock singer is better than ever with her latest dazzling, down-to-earth studio album Nowhere to Hide. It's one teeming with stylish, sophisticated jewels mined from blues, rock, and soul.

 

Nowhere to Hide features eight co-writing credits by Owens and a few covers, including Bob Dylan's "Lord Protect My Child." Whether it's Owens' confident delivery fueling the driving title track, the infectious "Some Days," or the deliciously well-crafted "Shivers and Butterflies," Owens is as dynamic as the eleven-track album is flawless.

 

"I learned so much," Owens says of the creative process, "especially, vocally, as there was real opportunity to dig deeper and embody the lyrics."

 

Nowhere to Hide, recorded at Nashville's Sweetbriar Studio and Gnome Studios, shines with help from a who's who of acclaimed Nashville session musicians Blazier brought to the album. "Bobby has an incredible ability to bring people together," Owens says of Blazier. "We all got in the studio together, gave it everything we got, and made some great music."

 

That great music derives from Owens' backstory in the farming community of New Bothwell, Manitoba. As a teen, she gravitated toward Dylan, Delta Blues, The Staple Singers, and Etta James. "When I came back to creating music, I really realized the depth and influence that particular style of music had on me," Owens says of her early listening habits.

 

Owens and her husband started their family early and had three daughters, one of whom has a cognitive disability. After some soul-searching, and realizing her daughter had exceptional needs, she took a hiatus from music. "I focused on being present and engaged for my daughters," she says.

 

As a result, "Lord Protect My Child" strikes an emotional chord as Owens pours her soul into it. "That song has really become close to my heart," she says. "My daughter is twenty-three now, but there's still a lot of vulnerability there. The desire for protecting and taking care of her will never go away."

 

Owens will be playing a Canadian concert in October celebrating the release of Nowhere to Hide and has plans for further touring in the spring. She's also performed at the Roots Blues and BBQ Festival in Drumheller, Alberta, and Calgary's National Music Centre, among several other venues.

 

Now with Nowhere to Hide, Owens will have a larger fan base thanks to an amazing album you would be wise to experience wherever you get your music.

Toronto Blues Rock Artist Frank Cosentino Releases Powerful, Groove-Soaked Single "Making The Rounds"

 

A musician's life can sometimes be glamorous but often involves a lot of time away from family, the rigors of the industry, and trying to keep a stiff upper lip often in the face of doors being closed or slammed shut. The temptations touring and the road offer can also destroy many physically, emotionally, and mentally as an artist tries to survive for the original love of creating one's art. For Toronto blues rock musician Frank Cosentino, the challenges of being a songwriter and performer are starkly captured in his latest weighty single, "Making The Rounds." It's a song Cosentino sounds like he's lived through and persevered.

 

"It's the story of every songwriter, performer, and artist," Cosentino says of "Making The Rounds." "The struggles, the loss, the countless rejections that come to an artist trying to get his art out to the people. It truly is the nature of the beast. The result was a gritty song about the truth of the life of the artist."

Cosentino, a longtime blues rock musician who has over four decades of experience in the business, says the origins of "Making The Rounds" emerged from working in Studio Cardinal Toronto recording with JUNO Award-winning producer Derek Downham. Downham said to Cosentino it was "time to write a song from scratch." With a clean slate, Cosentino says "the riff was born, and the song literally wrote itself."

 

"After dedicating four decades to touring, writing, and producing new music, I arrived at a personal crossroads and realized the need for a change in lifestyle," Cosentino says. "I overcame the challenges of addiction and got sober seven years ago. With renewed inspiration, I returned to songwriting with increased focus and energy. The story of 'Making The Rounds' symbolizes my journey. Throughout the process, my progress was evident, and I emerged as a stronger writer, player, and human."

 

"Making The Rounds," composed by Cosentino and Downham (who also produced the song) starts with a thick, infectious riff courtesy of Cosentino, who sings, plays lead guitar, with Downham on the well-crafted treasure. Teeming with confidence and knowing this is a groove that could go on forever, Cosentino has help from Downham, who plays the second bass guitar in addition to keyboards and drums. It's a track that brings to mind the work of Gary Clark Jr., Robert Cray, Buddy Guy and The Fabulous Thunderbirds among others.

 

A lyric video for "Making The Rounds" was recently released. The song, mastered by Mariana Hutton at The Lacquer Channel Toronto, is the latest track for Cosentino, who has performed throughout Canada at major festivals and clubs. Inspired after seeing the Jimi Hendrix Experience at Toronto's CNE Coliseum on February 24, 1968, Cosentino has released four full-length albums leading The Frank Cosentino Band. He has also shared the stage with artists including Cowboy Junkies, Sue Foley, Buddy Guy, the late James Cotton, the late Jeff Healey, and Duke Robillard among others.

 

Having played routinely for over 40 years, Cosentino still tours while his music has received airplay and North American radio as well as internationally. He has also gotten a figurative turbo boost of sorts after having been loaned a 1955 Guild CE 100 guitar by Frank Troiano, a guitar that was used by the late Canadian guitar great Domenic Troiano.

 

Having released previous singles "Vibin'" and "You Can't Call Back" earlier this year, Frank Cosentino is riding a momentous 2024 higher with the delectable "Making The Rounds." Judging from this excellent effort, it's apparent Frank Cosentino will be making the rounds in blues rock circles the world over.

Toronto Jazz/Blues Singer Tanya Wills Steps Out of the Dating Game with "That's Love" from New ‘She’ Album

Stepping back into the realm of dating can be an intriguing or irksome conundrum for those who have recently separated, split up, or divorced. With the commitment to your former partner now just a memory, some simply appreciate the joys of dating from afar. That is to say not dating at all. It's this idea that planted the creative kernel for Toronto-area jazz/blues singer Tanya Wills' latest Latin-infused single "That's Love" from her new album She, out now.
 
Wills says "That's Love," the follow up single to "Someone To Love," was inspired in part by the culmination of her own marriage and wondering how difficult navigating dating waters nowadays could be. She knew it might not be for her at this time but realized it could be the germ of a fine song.
 
The single opens with Latin sonic flavors that could recall Santana's classic "Oye Como Va." From there Wills relays the huge series of questions running sporadically through a person's mind. Is this date going good or not so good? Is there a connection? Will it last? What am I even doing here with this person?
 
Guitarist Bill Bridges provides some breezy instrumental work in the bridge as drummer Kevin Coady and bassist Ron Johnston are locked into the airy yet sensuous groove. The narrative In some respects recalls the classic Latin song "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás," better known in English circles as "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" made famous by Doris Day, Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole.
 
"'That's Love' is from a slightly different outlook on love," Wills says. "I was reflecting on how grateful I am to NOT be in the dating game, and how it could cause one to develop a bit of a cynical attitude toward the 'relationship.' I have several friends who are finding themselves newly single again, and they have stories about their experiences in having to dive into the dating pool."
 
Because this might really be love...or isn't
And you might have givin' me your heart...or didn't
Flip a coin, douse the flame, turn the page, or change the game
Roll the dice, it's all the same
That's love
 
The single is one of the songs from Wills' forthcoming album She set for an Oct. 4 release. Wills, who performs in the Wintergarten Orchestra in Toronto as well as leading the Tanya Wills Quartet, says the material was written over a 15-year period. Wills worked with her quartet as well as Jordan Klapman and Rob Korb. Unfortunately, the album's recording at Toronto's Inception Sound studio was shelved due to the pandemic. But Wills and her bandmates kept working on it by sending files and ideas back and forth through the internet. A second phase of recording post-pandemic at Toronto's Revolution Recording completed She.
 
Now with her latest single "That's Love," Tanya Wills should see a huge boost to her career with this lovely Latin-tinged nugget. In short, and to steal a lyric from the single, "That's Love" should be on a loop and leave you ten feet off the ground.