Photo by Courtoisie

Phoque Off 2022 : The Metaverse Edition!

Story by Éric Parazelli | Friday February 18th, 2022

The alternative booking festival Le Phoque OFF will be held Feb. 21–25, 2022. And since the presenters of this Québec City-based event never do things like anyone else, this edition will take place in… the metaverse! That means all musical showcases will be presented online in 3-D immersive universes. As the event’s mission is to introduce the artists of tomorrow to the various players in today’s performing arts market, it;s be the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with emerging and alternative artists of all musical walks.

Don’t miss our “The Breakdown” video capsule featuring Yanick Capuano, Phoque OFF’s programmer, who explains what the metaverse is, and how his festival and the participating artists will benefit from it:

Click on the image to watch the video

Click on the image to watch the video

In addition to the musical showcases featuring, among others, Malika Tirolien, Seulement, La Fièvre, Zouz, Virginie B, Douance, Sara-Danielle, Hippie Hourrah, and Larynx, Le Phoque OFF will also host a series of panels, conferences, training sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities via its PRO platform. tackling issues that affect all actors in the cultural industry. SOCAN is once again a partner of this event, providing financial support, and will also present two panels hosted by Sara Dendane, SOCAN Creative and Partnerships Executive:

  • SOCAN 101 — Musical Eights and Royalties Explained. Feb. 24, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. Free. Book your online ticket here.
  • SOCAN Panel — Writing and Composing for Others: Challenges and Opportunities. Whether you sing your own songs or write for others, certain issues arise. How do you adapt to a given artist while retaining your own signature? How do you stay fresh and on top of the latest trends? How do you reach the higher echelons of the songwriting world? These and other questions will be answered by the girls of Heartbeat, a singer-songwriter duo from Montréal, who now covet nothing less than the top of the international pop world, along with Sara Dendane. Feb. 22, 2022, at 4 p.m. Restricted to attendees with PRO credentials.

The public is also invited to enjoy the musical showcases and performances through a variety of rates that you can find here.

SOCAN wishes you a great Phoque Off!

Apply now for $25,000 Top of the Country music competition

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday February 23rd, 2022

SOCAN members who make country music are invited to apply now for the $25,000 Top of the Country music competition, sponsored by the Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) and SiriusXM, and supported by SOCAN and SOCAN Foundation.

A jury of experts will choose eight semi-finalists to record their own original tracks and in-studio videos. The second stage of the competition will see those videos shared online for a country-wide vote, where Canadian music fans can choose their favourite artist. After the voting period, three finalists will appear onstage at one of Canada’s most recognized and praised country music festivals. Finalists will also take part in exclusive mentorship sessions with some of the industry’s best.

The top three will also perform during Country Music Week 2022 in Calgary this September, at the Top of the Country Finale – airing across North America on SiriusXM – where one winner will be chosen by an industry panel and fan votes. For the winner, prizes will include $25,000, an appearance on the CCMA Awards broadcast, and attendance at a SOCAN song camp.

Interested country music creators can register here, until 11:59 p.m. ET on Mar. 4, 2022.

SOCAN mourns the loss of The Sadies’ Dallas Good

Story by Howard Druckman | Friday February 18th, 2022

SOCAN is mourning the loss of Dallas Good, singer-songwriter and guitarist in the beloved Toronto roots-rock band The Sadies, who passed away suddenly at the age of 48, on Feb. 17, 2022. At press time, the cause of death had not yet been made public, but was quickly revealed to be natural causes, while under a doctor’s care for a coronary illness discovered the week of his passing.

The Sadies, formed in 1994, consisted of singer-songwriters and guitarists Dallas Good and his brother Travis Good, bassist Sean Dean, and drummer Mike Belitsky. Dallas and Travis are the sons of Margaret and Bruce Good, and nephews of Brian and Larry Good, who are members of longtime Canadian country/bluegrass group The Good Brothers.

The Sadies first burst onto the North American scene 28 years ago as an “alt-country” band, a term applied to artists playing traditional roots music with punk-rock attitude. Although the group fit into that description, their breadth of their skills and musical knowledge went far beyond it, and found them frequently being compared to legendary Canadian group The Band.

Their list of collaborators was musically rich and sonically adventurous, encompassing projects with country-roots chanteuse Neko Case, lascivious R&B singer Andre Williams, post-punk anarchists The Mekons’ Jon Langford, punky blues-rocker Jon Spencer, absurdist pop-rocker Robyn Hitchcock, former X frontman John Doe, the late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, and even legends like Buffy Sainte-Marie and Neil Young.

Known for musical eclecticism within their roots genre, for their deftly crafted songs, and for their brilliance as a live act, The Sadies were hand-picked to consistently play New Year’s Eve at Toronto’s famed Horseshoe Tavern, in what became a warmly received annual tradition for many years. Their album Darker Circles was short-listed for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize, and in 2012, the video their song “Rumbleseat” won a JUNO Award for Video of the Year. The  band released 19 albums, including collaborations with other artists, between 1998 and 2017. The Sadies had most recently performed at the Hillside Inside Festival in Guelph, in February of 2022.

SOCAN extends its deepest condolences to Dallas Good’s family, bandmates, music collaborators, friends, and fans at this difficult time.