SHOW CASE
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AGONY OF THE LEAVES
WHAT : Indie Rock WHERE : Yellowknife , NWT
Agony of the Leaves is the solo album project of the Juno-nominated ( 2021 MusiCounts Music Teacher of the Year award ) Stephen Richardson , guitarist and songwriter for Canadian indie rock band 3-Across- Dee-Eye . Richardson is from Nova Scotia and a graduate of the jazz studies program at St . Francis Xavier University . He now works in Yellowknife , NWT , as an elementary and high school band / music / guitar teacher .
Recently , the acoustic version of the Richardson ’ s song “ Where ’ s the Sleep ?” was nominated for Best New Single at the 2022 NWT Music Awards . Long-time Hollywood music supervisor Erin Dillon has added Agony of the Leaves ’ song “ White Clover ” to her “ heartbreak-themed playlist . Richardson hopes this song will interest filmmakers in need of a conflicted acoustic song for projects needing elements of love , loss , mistakes , and regret .
Ava Janzen , known onstage as velours , is an neo- ’ 90s alt-pop singer-songwriter who has made a name for herself in the music scenes of the prairies and beyond . Her desire to explore emotions through music , while not taking things too seriously , resonates with her audience . Janzen has been singing and writing music since she could jam to CDs in the car with her mom . Ranging from anti-establishment punk to indie pop to new wave , this artist has fallen in love with all kinds of music .
In her first couple of years as a professional musician , she ’ s received acclaim from press and industry figures alike , including being nominated for two Saskatchewan Music Awards : Rock / Pop Artist of the Year and Best Music Video for “ Summer Haze ” in 2021 , as well as for Rock / Pop Artist of the Year and Best Music Video for “ Whatever That Means ” in 2022 and for Pop Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards 2022 . More recently , velours released the original singles “ Miss You the Most ” and “ Flowers in a Wasteland ,” and is relocating from Saskatoon to Toronto to further her professional music career .
VELOURS
WHAT : Alt Pop
WHERE : Saskatoon , SK
MARTIN MAYER
Born in the Czech Republic and now based in Vancouver , Martin Mayer creates music that can be described as instrumental fusion — a combination of smooth jazz , classical , pop , and rock . Mayer ’ s European roots add a good share of thoughtful and longing soul , his North American education contributes a healthy dose of high-octane energy .
Mayer ’ s recordings include Destinations ( 1998 ); Live In Concert ( 2000 ), which was nominated for Outstanding Instrumental Album at the Prairie Music Awards ; This is Who I Am ( 2003 ), which was nominated for Outstanding Instrumental Album at the Western Canadian Music Awards ; the 2009 single “ The Orphan Boy ,” a year-long fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society ; and more . After Mayer realized his passion for music , he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music , pursued a major in piano performance at Grant MacEwan University , and won the Rachel McKeown Memorial Award for composition . Mayer ’ s first composition was featured in a CBC TV commercial when he was just 16 years old .
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