SHOW
CASE
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By Ken Kelley
What:
Indie Rock
Where:
Fredericton, NB
Visit:
www.motherhoodmusic.bandcamp.com
From TV and radio to animation, voice-over work, and
a number of professional stage productions across
Canada, Avery Raquel’s passion for performing began
at a young age. Those many years of experience shine
brightly on her latest release, My Heart Away, the artist’s
third and markedly mature full-length solo project
comprised of all original music. The record finds the
dynamic vocalist moving beyond her jazz roots into
more of a mainstream R&B/soul sound.
On the live scene, Raquel has performed in notable
venues such as New York City’s Birdland Jazz Club and
Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, among others, allowing
her the opportunity to share the stage with luminar-
ies including Canadian legend Holly Cole, Matt Dusk,
and more.
MICHAEL
TRUDGEN
What:
Instrumental
Where:
London, ON
Visit:
www.bigmtmusic.com
78 C A N A D I A N M U S I C I A N
London, ON is where percussive fingerstyle
guitarist Michael Trudgen calls home. His
latest release is last year’s full-length All the
Pretty Things, a 12-track album on which
Trudgen’s smooth style easily transcends a
number of genres, including folk, bluegrass,
and pop-infused rock. He also incorporates a
full band on many of the tracks, which brings
them into a new sonic dimension.
Where the bulk of today’s songwriters
and musicians rely upon words to help paint
effective pictures for the listener, crafting in-
strumental music that is both compelling and
captivating is no small feat, yet it’s something
that Trudgen has done remarkably well on his
latest collection.
AVERY RAQUEL
What:
Contemporary Soul/R&B/Jazz
Where:
Hamilton, ON
Visit:
www.averyraquel.com
MOTHERHOOD
Unquestionably one of New Brunswick’s
hardest-working bands, Fredericton indie-
rock trio Motherhood are ready to take the
world by storm with their latest full-length
release, Dear Bongo. The album arrives on
the heels of the group’s acclaimed 2016
effort, Baby Teeth, and its subsequent tour
cycle, which saw the band hit virtually all
corners of Canada and the U.S. The band
joyfully and thoughtfully incorporates
those experiences into the tracks compris-
ing Dear Bongo to great effect.
With appearances at noteworthy festi-
vals including Supercrawl in Hamilton, ON,
SappyFest in Sackville, NB, and more on the
schedule for the months ahead, Mother-
hood’s future looks incredibly bright.