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Mike Rud caught up with us to share an acoustic solo version of “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” from his upcoming album, Salome’s Dance: The Mike Rud Trio Invites Peter Bernstein, and let us know what that recording process was like.

You can find Mike’s album on streaming services, CD, and vinyl starting May 12, 2020. In the mean time, check out his new single “Salome’s Dance” out now!

Tune in tonight and on April 30th at 7:00PM MST as we continue to check in on artists from the record label on Instagram Live!

We caught up with singer/songwriter Jemma Hicken of Jemma & the Good Thing at our first Artist Feature livestream on Instagram this past Tuesday, April, 21. She performed an acoustic version of her song “Lipstick Dreams” and let us know how she’s been keeping up with the online music scene.

We also checked in with Jemma and asked her to share with us what inspires her, her songwriting process, and how she balances gardening and practicing on a daily basis:

How has your schedule changed since isolation being imposed?
Hugely! I’m just completing the third year of my undergrad, so the fact that school is now online has shifted my everyday life pretty drastically. I’m working on curating a routine that keeps me practicing and songwriting often, and my family has started a big veggie garden—so I’m spending a lot of my days planting seeds and weeding and watering.

What music have you been listening to recently?
Fiona Apple’s new album Fetch the Bolt Cutters, lots of John Prine, William Prince, Chicano Batman—an eclectic mix!

What was a favourite part of the recording process with Bent River Records?
I loved all the new ideas that were incorporated into the two tunes we recorded. I sometimes feel a little too “close” to my own songs to come up with fitting ways to alter them, but when somebody else has a great idea, it can feel like magic. I appreciated all of the creative collaboration that happened in the studio.

Which song were you most excited to play at the Spotlight and why?
I wrote a song last year about the car my family had throughout my childhood—it was an old silver hatchback Volvo, and it was constantly breaking down. I’ve incorporated a singalong/clap-along section at the end, and it’s consistently my favourite song to play live. It’s a relatable song, I’m really proud of a few of the lyrics, and I love feel-good community singing and audience participation.

Have you been writing or composing during this time, and how so?
Yes! In the first two weeks of isolation I was on a creative roll! A song every couple of days—which was great. My mum’s been really sick, though, so since arriving back home I’ve put most of my focus into supporting her and my dad.

What themes do you find yourself writing about in your music?
Nature is the main theme I regularly find myself writing about. I moved to Edmonton from the West Coast, and I don’t think I realized how much my identity and view of the world has been shaped by my surroundings—until I was away from home. When I’m feeling disconnected from the Pacific Northwest, it’s metaphors and imagery tend to work their way into my songs.

Is there an artist you’d love to work with in the future?
Countless—but one of my idols has always been Kimya Dawson. Her songwriting is so stream-of-consciousness-y, and I really appreciate how simple, personal, and literal it all is. This amazing sense of eccentric community comes shining out of her music, and she always sounds like she’s having so much fun—even on recordings.

If you missed Jemma on last week’s show, be sure to catch our next two Artist Feature livestreams on April 28 & 30 @ 7:00PM featuring other guests from the record label on Instagram Live!

Grant Stovel, from CKUA’s Alberta Music, caught up with Mike Rud and the winning student designer for his album cover competition, Alan Ngo. Check out the full clip where they discuss the competition and Mike’s upcoming release for Salome’s Dance: The Mike Rud Trio Invites Peter Bernstein.

After the cancellation of the 2020 Artist Spotlight, we reached out to Mike Rud to hear how he is faring during these uncertain times. We also asked about how he writes his music and where he wants to take his project in the future:

How has COVID-19 affected you personally?
What was a very fluid scene with quite a few performance opportunities is now barren. What remains is online, and does not pay. I am doing okay for now. But many musicians I know are feeling the hurt.

What music have you been listening to during this time?
Been revisiting Mahler, Kurt Weill and Randy Newman.

Which tune were you most excited to play at the Spotlight? Why?
Really more about the relationships with the other musicians than individual tunes. It’s the players I was looking forward to reuniting with. The title track, “Salome’s Dance,” is quite evocative, and I really look forward to crowds hearing it.

What is your motivation to keep writing new music?
It is who I am. I learned to play guitar initially almost entirely for writing songs. I haven’t been writing consistently for a while now, so I’m really looking forward to being in that zone of getting excited about new material. That’s when it most feels like I’m really alive.

Is there a particular artist that you would want to work with? Why?
Peter Bernstein, our guest on this album, is someone I’ve always wanted to record with. I feel he is the guitarist on Earth who’s music is most fulfilling today. Also the great John Stowell, from Portland Oregon, is a fascinating and visionary guitarist
with whom I plan to record soon. My roommate, the incredible pianist David Restivo, and another virtuoso pianist from Toronto, David Braid. I’ve had the honour of working with each of them and the textures were in each case other-worldly, though they are very distinct from one another.

What do you want to do in music going forward?
Sing more, write more lyrics.

How do you think the COVID-19 situation will impact on the music industry in the future?
Nobody knows. But it’s a chance, if you can stay safe, to focus on creation of new work, undistracted from live performance.

Have you been working on music or composing during this time? In what way?
Not yet. Our semester at Selkirk is ending, and I have been working hard to see that my students complete all their coursework. But the few months should give me a chance. As for the process…well…a good cook never reveals his or her secrets haha!

Tune in to our Bent River Records Artist Feature this Tuesday, April 21 @ 7pm on Instagram Live as we check in with Mike and other artists from the label!

After the cancellation of the 2020 Artist Spotlight, we reached out to Nisto to hear how he is faring during these uncertain times. We also asked about his experience recording with Russell Broom, how he writes his music, and where he wants to take his project in the future:

How has COVID-19 affected you personally?
I try not think about it. I’m fortunate enough to already come from an isolated life, so I’m used to it. Any plans to perform, working has had to be put on hold. I have family members with immune deficiencies and that scares me more than anything else. That being said I think it’s important that we do what we can to just relax—stay put—and be safe, until this blows over. I’ve been using the time to be with my family, dogs, enjoy music, laugh a lot, and reconnect with my roots a bit.

What music have you been listening to during this time?
Lightnin’ Hopkins, Stax Records stuff, John Prine, Guy Clark, The Strokes’ new album The New Abnormal and Dan Auerbach’s Waiting On A Song.

What was you favourite part of the recording process with Russell Broom?
My favourite part was performing the songs live in the studio with Russell and Dan Stadnicki, who each brought their own distinct sound to the songs. We kept it in the moment. That to me, is where most of the fun and magic happens. I’m not very calculated in the way I do things. I just hang on and let ‘er buck.

Which song were you most excited to play at the Spotlight? Why?
“Folk Song” The way you hear it on the EP is the first time I’ve played it like that. We sort of blended these different versions I’ve had into one, and then I got to crank my amp at the end, which is something I find my self wanting to do more often these days. I like noise.

What do you find yourself writing about in your songs?
In the past more so, it was living in a remote area, hopelessness, paranoia, and substance abuse. The songs were all written when I was younger and in a much darker place in my life, but they also lead me out of that lifestyle, so Little People is in some ways an execution of those thought patterns for me. These days I write more about the things I see around me,
rather than woe is me’s.

Is there a particular artist that you would want to work with? Why?
More than anything I like to rock, play blues and trip people out, so someone like Sturgill Simpson or Dan Auerbach, but that’s out of the ball park probably.

What do you want to do in music going forward?
Nisto was set out to be a rock band when I released my first single “Los Sin Dios”, but it never ended up happening, because I’m a recluse. I still want to tinker with that idea, create more rude, greasy, heavy sounds circulating around junkyard, backwoods blues, and Black Sabbath. Ultimately recording that band and playing some shows around the country would be a dream come true… I’ve still never left the province of Alberta.

Have you been working on music or composing during this time? In what way?
Yeah. Writing a lot of more than I’ve been able to in a long time. Just me, my guitar, my notebook, and the sound recorder on my phone, after everyone is sleeping. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

Tune in to our Bent River Records Artist Feature this Tuesday, April 21 @ 7pm on Instagram Live as we check in with Nisto and other artists from the label!

Do you find royalties mightily confusing? You’re not alone! To make a living as a recording artist, it’s essential to be properly registered to receive royalties generated by the performance, purchase, and broadcast of your music. Join Olivia Street, A&R Associate with Bent River Records, for a one hour lunch-time Zoom session on Wednesday, April 22, hosted by Alberta Music. She’ll give a guided tour through the SOCAN platform, as well as talk about the many other royalty streams that can generate income for artists, songwriters, composers, session musicians, and more. 

Music royalties are a complex bundle. As Vel Omazic of Canada’s Music Incubator has often explained, you have to think of a musical creation as being made up of two distinct parts: “The first is the sound recording of a musical work, which is performed by musicians. The second is the underlying musical work (or song) created by songwriters. There are four major groups of people involved in the making of recorded music. These groups are technically referred to as “rights holders” and they are each entitled to earn royalties for their role in the making of recorded music. In the case of an independent songwriter who performs on and funds his/her own recordings, they hold the rights of all four groups.”

These rights-holding groups are:
1. The performer. This could be a recording artist, band members, session players, someone who played the tambourine in the background… anyone who performs on a sound recording of a musical work.
2. The maker. This means the record label, or if you are self-released, it means you. You own your masters, so you’re the owner.
3. The songwriter/composer. The person or people who wrote the tune. Music, or lyrics, or both.
4. The music publisher. Don’t have a publisher? Then, you’re considered self-published, and you own this chunk.

There are royalty collection streams associated with all of these rights-holding groups. Learn more from 12 pm to 1 pm on April 22nd!  Click here to sign up for this free seminar.