William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
band
Thrush Hermit
Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and unpredictable performances," as quoted by Vice News.
History
Thrush Hermit was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1992 by Jo ...
in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres, from blues and folk to hard rock, country, and pop.
Plaskett's songwriting frequently contains allusions to his home city, Halifax. With his band The Emergency, he has toured throughout North America and Europe with
The Tragically Hip
The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...
Bill Plaskett
Bill Plaskett is a British-Canadian folk, rock, Jazz and indie rock musician, best known as a founder of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
He is the father of Canadian folk rock musician and JUNO award winner Joel P ...
(his father), and
Kathleen Edwards
Kathleen Edwards (born July 11, 1978 ) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician. Her 2002 debut album, ''
Lunenburg, a small town on Nova Scotia's South Shore. His father,
Bill Plaskett
Bill Plaskett is a British-Canadian folk, rock, Jazz and indie rock musician, best known as a founder of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
He is the father of Canadian folk rock musician and JUNO award winner Joel P ...
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', March 13, 2015. Plaskett learned to play guitar and write songs while listening to an eclectic range of music, from singer-songwriters such as
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
and
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...
to rockers such as the
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
and the
Pixies
A pixie (also pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, and piskie in Cornwall and Devon, and pigsie or puggsy in the New Forest) is a mythical creature of British folklore. Pixies are considered to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas aro ...
.
Plaskett's family moved to Halifax when he was twelve; by the next year, he had formed his first band with friends Rob Benvie and
Ian McGettigan
Ian McGettigan is a Canadian rock musician and producer. He was the bassist and a singer and songwriter for Thrush Hermit.
Career
McGettigan toured through Canada and the United States with Thrush Hermit. The band released two EPs on Murdereco ...
. Initially, they called themselves Nabisco Fonzie. By 1992, they were a foursome called
Thrush Hermit
Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and unpredictable performances," as quoted by Vice News.
History
Thrush Hermit was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1992 by Jo ...
, with Michael Catano on drums.
Career
Thrush Hermit
Plaskett was the lead singer and guitarist for the Halifax-based band
Thrush Hermit
Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and unpredictable performances," as quoted by Vice News.
History
Thrush Hermit was formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1992 by Jo ...
. Catano was replaced by drummer Cliff Gibb in 1994, the same year the band was signed to Murderecords. After two EPs, the group went on to release its full-length debut on Elektra in 1997--''Sweet Homewrecker,'' which was recorded in Memphis with producer Doug Easley. The album did not do well commercially, and they were dropped by their label. The band would record one more album, ''Clayton Park'', for Sonic Unyon Records, before quitting in 1999.
Neuseiland
In late 1998, Neuseiland was formed by Plaskett of Thrush Hermit, as well as members of popular Halifax bands
The Super Friendz
The Super Friendz are a Canadian indie rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were initially active between 1994 and 1997, before reforming in 2003.
Contemporaries of Sloan, their early work was on Sloan's Murderecords label.
Career
The Su ...
and Coyote, the Euphonic, both of which had also recently broken up. Taking the name of the band from a Dutch children's book by
Annie Schmidt
Anna Maria Geertruida "Annie" Schmidt (20 May 1911 – 21 May 1995) was a Dutch writer. She is called the mother of the Dutch theatrical song, and the queen of Dutch children's literature, praised for her "delicious Dutch idiom," and considered o ...
called
The Island of Nose
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, the band consisted of Plaskett on drums, Charles Austin and Drew Yamada on guitar, Andrew Glencross on keyboard and Tim Stewart on bass. They cited
King Tubby
Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s.
Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...
,
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
,
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
as influences. The goal of the band was to mix conventional song structure with experimentation inspired by krautrock, stoogian protoplasm and the subtractive mixing techniques of "version" reggae. The band released one album, the self-titled ''Neuseiland'', recorded and released in 1999.
Solo work and the Emergency
After the breakup of Thrush Hermit and Neuseiland, Plaskett embarked on a solo career. His first release, ''
In Need of Medical Attention
''In Need of Medical Attention'' is the debut solo album by Joel Plaskett, released in 1999 concurrently with Thrush Hermit
Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and ...
'', consisted of leftover songs that were written near the end of his days in Thrush Hermit. It was well received by critics, but not until the release of 2001's ''
Down at the Khyber
''Down at the Khyber'' is the first album that Joel Plaskett recorded with his backing band The Emergency. The title was influenced by the many days and nights spent playing and recording at The Khyber.
''Down at the Khyber'' was named the 46t ...
'' did Plaskett begin to enjoy more widespread acclaim. ''Khyber'' was a harder-rocking album that featured a new backing band, The Emergency, consisting of Plaskett, drummer
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...
and bass player Tim Brennan. Together they called themselves Joel Plaskett Emergency. The album earned Plaskett a
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
nomination as best new artist.
The band's next album, '' Truthfully Truthfully'', in 2003, was Plaskett's first all-out commercial success. It was produced by his old Thrush Hermit bandmate McGettigan and was the band's debut release for
MapleMusic Recordings
Cadence Recordings, formerly MapleMusic, is a Canadian independent record label founded by Andy Maize, Jeff Maize, Mike Alkier, Evan Hu, Lorique Mindel and Grant Dexter in 1999 and based in Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include Gary Slaigh ...
. The album featured the song "Come On, teacher," which became a hit in Canada. The album later received an East Coast Music Award as best rock recording.
Plaskett's follow-up album was a solo effort, called '' La De Da'', on which he played most of the instruments himself (McGettigan, however, played bass). Plaskett consciously sought a different sound for ''La De Da'' than he did for his previous effort; he considered it a record more for himself than for commercial radio. The album was released in 2005 and earned two East Coast Music Awards in 2006, as Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year, for the song "Happen Now." He was also nominated for a Juno Award for songwriter of the year that year and was named male artist of the year and songwriter of the year at the East Coast Music Awards.
In March 2006, Joel Plaskett Emergency released their first DVD, '' Make a Little Noise''. It included an EP of three songs. The single "Nowhere with You" has received the most mainstream radio airplay of any Plaskett release to date, and was featured in a
Zellers
Zellers was a Canadian discount department retail chain and is currently a brand name owned by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). Founded in 1931 in London, Ontario, in later decades it was based in Brampton, Ontario. Zellers was acquired by HBC i ...
television commercial. ''Make a Little Noise'' had three wins at the 2007 East Coast Music Awards: DVD of the year, single of the year ("Nowhere with You"), and songwriter of the year (Joel Plaskett, for "Nowhere with You").
The band's next album was ''
Ashtray Rock
''Ashtray Rock'' is an album by Canadian indie rock band Joel Plaskett Emergency, released on April 17, 2007.
In interviews, band frontman Joel Plaskett has noted that Ashtray Rock is not a genre of music, but an actual location—in the forest ...
'', released in April 2007. A
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
Close to Paradise
''Close to Paradise'' is the second studio album by Patrick Watson, released on September 26, 2006. On September 24, 2007, the album won the Polaris Music Prize, after reaching the finals alongside such other albums as ''Neon Bible'' (Arcade Fire ...
''. The album's single "Fashionable People" was nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for pop/rock song of the year.
During the week of December 10, 2007, Plaskett and the Emergency played six consecutive shows at the
Horseshoe Tavern
The Horseshoe Tavern (known as ''The Horseshoe'', ''The 'Shoe'', The 'Toronto Tavern' and The 'Triple T' to Toronto locals) is a concert venue at 370 Queen Street West (northeast corner of Queen at Spadina) in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and ...
in Toronto as part of the music venue's 60th-anniversary celebrations. Each night, a different album was performed in its entirety, starting with ''In Need of Medical Attention'' on Monday and finishing with ''Ashtray Rock'' on Friday night and Saturday night.
Emergency was nominated for seven
East Coast Music Award
The East Coast Music Association is a non-profit association that hosts an annual awards ceremony based in Atlantic Canada for music appreciation on the East Coast of Canada. Its mission is to develop, advance and celebrate East Coast Canadian mus ...
s in 2008, more than any other act. They won six of those awards, tied with the previous record.
Another solo album came next: the album ''
Three
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
'', which was released on March 24, 2009. It consists of three discs each consisting of nine songs for a total of 27 songs. The first single from the album was "Through and Through and Through." The triple album was nominated for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize short list. In the same week that the Polaris shortlist was announced,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
announced that he had selected Plaskett and the band
Wintersleep
Wintersleep is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001.Heidi Ulrichsen"Wintersleep offers 'sneak peeks' of new album at Boreal" ''Sudbury Star'', June 30, 2014. The band's original lineup consisted of vocalist and gui ...
as the opening acts for his concert of July 11 at
Halifax Common
The Halifax Common, in local popular usage often referred to as the Commons, is a Canadian urban park in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is Canada’s oldest urban park.
History
The Halifax Common was originally a lightly forested swampy area which fo ...
. ''Three'' won adult alternative album of the year at the 2010 Junos; Plaskett was also nominated for songwriter of the year.
In May 2011, he became the first artist ever to reach one million plays on
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 is a Canadian digital radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which plays a relatively freeform mix of indie rock, indie pop, alternative hip hop, folk, country and electronic music.
The service, which la ...
's online music streaming site, and released an exclusive acoustic version of "Nowhere with You" to the network for the occasion. In June, he released a B-sides and rarities compilation titled ''EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations''.
The band returned for the 2012 Joel Plaskett Emergency album '' Scrappy Happiness'', released in March. The album followed a unique release strategy, in which Plaskett and his band recorded one song each week for ten weeks, releasing each song to
iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
for sale as a single as soon as its recording and production were completed, and then rereleased the songs as a complete album once the project was concluded.
His album ''
The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
''The Park Avenue Sobriety Test'' is an album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett, released March 17, 2015 on Pheromone Recordings.Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
'', a collaboration with his father Bill, in 2017.
A "spiritual successor" to his album ''
Three
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
''. Retrieved on 2020-04-25. Plaskett recorded the 44-song collection across
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Dartmouth ( ) is an urban community and former city located in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia, Canada. Dartmouth is located on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour. Dartmouth has been nicknamed the City of Lakes, after the larg ...
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
''. Retrieved on 2020-04-25. Each of the four records in the album contains 11 songs, with their own title and theme. The first record (''41: Carried Away'') is centred around travelling, the second collection (''42: Just Passing Through'') turns to finding a homecoming unfamiliar, the third set (''43: If There's Another Road'') tackles transitioning from lost to found, and the last record (''44: The Window Inn'') deals with arriving at a personal destination.
Other collaborations
In recent years, Plaskett has embarked upon a number of projects. He has acted as record producer for a variety of Atlantic Canadian artists, including
Steve Poltz
Steve Poltz (born February 19, 1960) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band The Rugburns and collaborated on several songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single " You Were ...
Mo Kenney
Mo Kenney (born 1990) is a Canadian singer/songwriter based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Catching the ear of noted Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett while still in school, Kenney released their first album in 2012, which Plaskett produced. Kenney is kn ...
,
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress.
Career Major recordi ...
, and
Meredith Shaw
Meredith Shaw (born December 4, 1981) is a Canadian radio and television personality, model, body positivity activist, style expert, and singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. She is the co-host of CityTV's ''Breakfast Television''.
Bac ...
. As well, in 2004 he made his television debut as a rock coach on the
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
documentary series '' Rock Camp''. In 2008, Plaskett and his father Bill were featured in an episode of the
Bravo!
CTV Drama Channel (formerly known as Bravo) is a Canadian English language specialty channel owned by Bell Media.
The channel was founded as the Canadian version of the U.S. channel Bravo (which is now owned by NBCUniversal) on January 1, 1995 b ...
television concert series ''
The Berkeley Sessions
''The Berkeley Sessions'' is a six-episode HD Canadian television music program produced by Original Spin Media and was broadcast on Bravo! from 2008 to 2009. The Berkeley Sessions was initially created with an eye and ear toward original music, ...
''.
Plaskett also appeared as a busker in the film ''
One Week One Week may refer to:
* One Week (1920 film), ''One Week'' (1920 film), a short film starring and co-directed by Buster Keaton
* One Week (2008 film), ''One Week'' (2008 film), a Canadian feature film directed by Michael McGowan
* One Week (song), ...
'' and was a guest anchor on the March 5, 2013 episode of ''
This Hour Has 22 Minutes
''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' (commonly shortened to ''22 Minutes'' since 2009) is a weekly Canadian television comedy that airs on CBC Television. Launched in 1993 during Canada's 35th general election, the show focuses on Canadian politics w ...
''. A collaboration with
CBC Kids
''CBC Kids'' is a Television in Canada, Canadian children's television series, children's Block programming, block on CBC Television. The block was launched as Hodge Podge Lodge in 1987 and contains programming targeted at children. The block a ...
in 2012 resulted in a music video for an alternate rendition of Plaskett's "Fashionable People", recast from the original song's satirical portrait of hipsters into a song about how fun it is to play dress-up. Fellow East Coast Canadian musician Classified (Luke Boyd) featured Plaskett on his single "One Track Mind" from his 2009 release, ''Self Explanatory''.
Plaskett and
Chris Murphy
Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States Hou ...
collaborated on the production of ''Prize for Writing'', a posthumous album by singer-songwriter
Matthew Grimson
Matthew George Grimson (March 9, 1968 – June 19, 2018) was a Canadian musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia.Brad Wheeler"Joel Plaskett and Sloan singer-bassist Chris Murphy bring songs of late Halifax musician Matthew Grimson back to life" ''The Gl ...
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', August 5, 2020.
Discography
Thrush Hermit
*1994: ''
Smart Bomb
Smart or SMART may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014
* Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com
* ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper
* ''SMart'', a children's television ser ...
'', EP
*1995: ''
The Great Pacific Ocean
''The Great Pacific Ocean'' is the second EP by Canadian rock band Thrush Hermit, released in 1995 on CD and 12" picture disc by Murderecords. The EP was recorded and mixed by Steve Albini
Steve Albini (pronounced ; born July 22, 1962) is ...
'', EP
*1997: ''
Rock and Roll Detective
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
In Need of Medical Attention
''In Need of Medical Attention'' is the debut solo album by Joel Plaskett, released in 1999 concurrently with Thrush Hermit
Thrush Hermit was a Canadian alternative rock band active in the 1990s, known for their "highly energetic, humorous, and ...
Three
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
''The Park Avenue Sobriety Test'' is an album by Canadian singer-songwriter Joel Plaskett, released March 17, 2015 on Pheromone Recordings.Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
'' (with Bill Plaskett)
*2020: '' 44''
*2022: ''The Window Inn Sessions''
Emergency
*2001: ''
Down at the Khyber
''Down at the Khyber'' is the first album that Joel Plaskett recorded with his backing band The Emergency. The title was influenced by the many days and nights spent playing and recording at The Khyber.
''Down at the Khyber'' was named the 46t ...
Ashtray Rock
''Ashtray Rock'' is an album by Canadian indie rock band Joel Plaskett Emergency, released on April 17, 2007.
In interviews, band frontman Joel Plaskett has noted that Ashtray Rock is not a genre of music, but an actual location—in the forest ...
''
*2011: ''EMERGENCYs, false alarms, shipwrecks, castaways, fragile creatures, special features, demons and demonstrations''
*2012: '' Scrappy Happiness''
*2021: ''Twenty Years Gone: The Joel Plaskett Emergency Revisits Down at the Khyber''
Singles
Producer credits
* Moving East (CD/LP)
Jimmy Rankin
James Kevin Rankin (born May 28, 1964) is a Canadian country and folk artist. A member of The Rankin Family, Rankin has also released seven solo albums: ''Song Dog'' (2001), '' Handmade'' (2003), ''Edge of Day'' (2007), ''Forget About the World' ...
(2018)
* Through the Long Night (Digital EP) Bend The River (2018)
* Things Change (CD/LP) Dennis Ellsworth (2018)
* The Details (CD/LP)
Mo Kenney
Mo Kenney (born 1990) is a Canadian singer/songwriter based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Catching the ear of noted Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett while still in school, Kenney released their first album in 2012, which Plaskett produced. Kenney is kn ...
(2017)
* Field of Trampolines (CD/LP)
Shotgun Jimmie
Shotgun Jimmie is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter.
The Brood
''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered b ...
(2015)
* You Know I Love You (CD) Sean McCann (2015)
* In My Dreams (CD/LP)
Mo Kenney
Mo Kenney (born 1990) is a Canadian singer/songwriter based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Catching the ear of noted Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett while still in school, Kenney released their first album in 2012, which Plaskett produced. Kenney is kn ...
(2014) 2016 JUNO Award Nominee
* The Old Silo (CD/LP) James Hill2015 JUNO Award Nominee
* "A Game Goin' On" (single)
Dave Gunning
Dave Gunning is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Gunning credits the first live concert he ever observed, a 1981 double bill of John Allan Cameron and Stan Rogers, to be a major driving force in shaping the ...
(2014)
* I Never Sang Before I Met You (EP)
Old Man Luedecke
Old Man Luedecke is the recording name of two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. He is most noted as a two-time Juno Award winner for Roots & Traditional Album of the Year ...
(2014)
* Help Yourself (CD) Sean McCann (2014)
* "Lead Me On" (single) Direction (CD)
Colleen Brown
Colleen Brown is a Canadian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Edmonton, Alberta.
History
Brown spent her childhood in Lloydminster, on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where she studied ballet, visual art, classical piano ...
(2013)
* "Soap and Denim" (single) Direction (CD)
Colleen Brown
Colleen Brown is a Canadian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Edmonton, Alberta.
History
Brown spent her childhood in Lloydminster, on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where she studied ballet, visual art, classical piano ...
(2013)
* "Randy Newman" (single) Direction (CD)
Colleen Brown
Colleen Brown is a Canadian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Edmonton, Alberta.
History
Brown spent her childhood in Lloydminster, on the border of Saskatchewan and Alberta, where she studied ballet, visual art, classical piano ...
(2013)
* "Let You Down Again" (single)
Gloryhound
Gloryhound is a Canadian rock band based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The band is from Fall River, Nova Scotia. Gloryhound were signed by Entertainment One Canada in 2012. Their album, '' Loaded Gun'', produced by Garth Richardson (Rage Agains ...
(2013)
* Trouble (EP)
Meredith Shaw
Meredith Shaw (born December 4, 1981) is a Canadian radio and television personality, model, body positivity activist, style expert, and singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. She is the co-host of CityTV's ''Breakfast Television''.
Bac ...
(2013)
* Mo Kenney (CD)
Mo Kenney
Mo Kenney (born 1990) is a Canadian singer/songwriter based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Catching the ear of noted Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett while still in school, Kenney released their first album in 2012, which Plaskett produced. Kenney is kn ...
(2012)
* Land (of Land & Sea) (CD/LP)
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, composer and musician. She has released eleven albums to date (including EPs and live albums). She is also a poet, visual artist, and occasional actress.
Career Major recordi ...
(2011)
* Turn Time Off (CD) David Myles (2011)
* Dreamhouse (CD/LP)
Steve Poltz
Steve Poltz (born February 19, 1960) is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is a founding member of the indie-rock band The Rugburns and collaborated on several songs with singer Jewel, including the 1996 single " You Were ...
(2010)
* The True Love Rules (CD)
Dave Marsh
Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...
(2010)
* Territory (CD)
Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic was a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s ''Romeo and Juliet''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band Big Star ( ...
(2009)
* Little Jabs (CD)
Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic was a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s ''Romeo and Juliet''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band Big Star ( ...
(2007) Polaris Music Prize Short-list
* Two Hours Traffic (CD)
Two Hours Traffic
Two Hours Traffic was a Canadian indie rock band, based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. They are named after a line in the prologue to Shakespeare’s ''Romeo and Juliet''. Critics have drawn comparisons to 1970s power pop band Big Star ( ...
(2006)
Self-Produced
* 44 Joel Plaskett (2020)
* Solidarity
Bill Plaskett
Bill Plaskett is a British-Canadian folk, rock, Jazz and indie rock musician, best known as a founder of the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
He is the father of Canadian folk rock musician and JUNO award winner Joel P ...
& Joel Plaskett (2017)
* The Park Avenue Sobriety Test Joel Plaskett (2015) 2016 JUNO Nominee
* Scrappy Happiness Joel Plaskett (2012)
* Three Joel Plaskett (2009)
* La De Da Joel Plaskett (2005)
* Truthfully, Truthfully Joel Plaskett (2003)
* Down at The Khyber Joel Plaskett (2001)
* In Need Of Medical Attention Joel Plaskett (1999)
Vinyl Singles Produced
* “Eden” b/w “The Great Escape”
Mo Kenney
Mo Kenney (born 1990) is a Canadian singer/songwriter based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Catching the ear of noted Canadian rocker Joel Plaskett while still in school, Kenney released their first album in 2012, which Plaskett produced. Kenney is kn ...
* “When You Come Around” b/w “Paper Crowns” Joel Plaskett
Jeremy Fisher
Jeremy Fisher (born Jeremy Binns; December 15, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Fisher is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and was previously based on Vancouver Island, B.C., Montreal, Quebec, and in Seattle, Washington, US. Fisher's work is hea ...
* “Jimmie’s Still Jimmie” b/w “That’s Not Joel” Joel Plaskett
Shotgun Jimmie
Shotgun Jimmie is the stage name of Jim Kilpatrick, a Canadian singer-songwriter.
* “Destructive” b/w “High Road” Ben Gunning
* “Police Cops”, “Ayatollah” b/w “Boom! Boom!” Myles Deck & The Fuzz
* “Out of Love” b/w “Wrong So Wrong” David Myles
* “Matthew Doesn’t Live Here Anymore” b/w “For A Song”
Matthew Grimson
Matthew George Grimson (March 9, 1968 – June 19, 2018) was a Canadian musician from Halifax, Nova Scotia.Brad Wheeler"Joel Plaskett and Sloan singer-bassist Chris Murphy bring songs of late Halifax musician Matthew Grimson back to life" ''The Gl ...
* "Three More" Joel Plaskett
* “Half Lit Through the Leaves” b/w “The Scotsman” Tyler Messick
* “Storm Comin'” b/w “Farmer’s Daughter”
Ana Egge
Ana G. Egge (born September 20, 1976, in Estevan, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a Canadian/American musician and songwriter.
Egge grew up the daughter of a teacher and a wheat farmer in Ambrose, North Dakota, and later moved to Silver City, New ...
* “Becoming a Silhouette” b/w “Holding Ghosts” Yellow Jacket Avenger
* “Poor Young Things” b/w “Repeat Offender”
Peter Elkas
Peter Elkas (born July 24, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, signed to MapleMusic Recordings. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Elkas spent twelve years as part of the Montreal band Local Rabbits, with whom he started playing as a teenager. He rel ...
Awards and achievements
*2018
**The Coast voted "Best Songwriter"
**The Coast voted "Best Solo Artist"
**The Coast voted "Best Producer"
**ECMA Winner Songwriter of the Year – Joel Plaskett
**ECMA Nomination Album of the Year – Bill & Joel Plaskett, ''Solidarity''
**ECMA Nomination Folk Recording of the Year – Bill & Joel Plaskett, ''Solidarity''
**ECMA Nomination Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year
*2017
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Folk Recording of the Year – Bill & Joel Plaskett, ''Solidarity''
*2016
** The Coast voted "Best Songwriter"
** The Coast voted "Best Producer"
** The Coast voted "Best Male Solo Artist"
** JUNO Award Nomination Adult Alternative Album of the Year – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
** ECMA Award Winner Producer of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Fans’ Choice Entertainer of the Year
*2015
** CBC's "50 Best Canadian Albums of 2015" – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
** Dave Hodge's Annual Best of Albums 2015 – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test (#3)
** CBC Music's Top Songs of 2015 – "The Park Avenue Sobriety Test"
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Producer of the Year
** The Coast voted "Best Songwriter"
** The Coast voted "Best Producer"
** The Coast voted "Best Merch By An Artist/Band"
** Polaris Music Prize Long List Nominee – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
** ECMA Award Winner Producer of the Year
*2014
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Producer of the Year
*2013
** CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award Lifetime Achievement
** ECMA Award Winner Rock Recording of the Year – Scrappy Happiness
** ECMA Award Nomination Entertainer of the Year
*2012
** Polaris Music Prize Long List – Scrappy Happiness
** CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award Winner for The Golden Bucky – "Lightning Bolt"
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – "You’re Mine"
** Music Nova Scotia Award Nomination Entertainer of the Year
** Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
*2011
** The Coast voted "Best Songwriter"
*2010
** Juno Award Winner Adult Alternative Album of the Year – Three
** Juno Award Nomination Songwriter of the Year – "Through & Through & Through"
** Finalist International Songwriting Contest "Through & Through & Through" Performance Category
** CMW Indie Award Winner Favourite Solo Artist
** CMW Indie Award Nomination Favourite Album – Three
** ECMA Award Winner Male Solo Recording of the Year – Three
** ECMA Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – "Through & Through & Through"
** ECMA Award Winner FACTOR Recording of the Year – Three
** ECMA Award Winner Single of the Year – "Through & Through & Through"
** ECMA Award Winner Pop Recording of the Year – Three
** ECMA Award Nomination Single of the Year – "You Let Me Down"
** ECMA Award Nomination Video of the Year – "Through & Through & Through"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Solo Male"
** The Coast voted "Best Vinyl" – Three
** The Coast voted "Best Local Album" – Three
*2009
** Polaris Music Prize Nomination – Three
** Canadian Folk Music Award Winner Contemporary Album of the Year - Three
** Canadian Folk Music Award Winner Producer of the Year
** Canadian Folk Music Award Nomination Solo Artist of the Year
** Canadian Folk Music Award Nomination Pushing The Boundaries Recording of the Year – Three
** ECHO Songwriting Prize Nomination – "Through & Through & Through"
** First Place Winner Great American Song Contest – "Face of the Earth"
** ECMA Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Single of the Year – "Face of the Earth"
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Album of the Year – Three
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Male Solo Artist of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Pop/Rock Recording of the Year – Three
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Nomination Entertainer of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Nomination Video of The Year – "Through & Through & Through"
*2008
** Juno Award Nomination Songwriter of the Year – Ashtray Rock
** First Place Winner Billboard World Song Contest Pop Category – "Fashionable People"
** First Place Winner Great American Song Contest – "Fashionable People"
** CMW Indie Award Nomination Favourite Rock Artist/Group of the Year
** CMW Indie Award Nomination Galaxie Rising Star
** COCA Mainstage Artist Award
** ECMA Award Winner Recording of the Year – Ashtray Rock
** ECMA Award Winner Group Recording of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner Rock Recording of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner SOCAN Songwriter of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner Single of the Year – "Fashionable People"
** ECMA Award Winner Video of the Year – "Fashionable People"
** ECMA Award Nomination Entertainer of the Year
** The Coast voted "Best Local Solo Male"
*2007
** Polaris Music Prize Nomination – Ashtray Rock
** CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award Winner "Song Most Likely to be a Future Classic"- "Nowhere With You"
** CBC Radio 3 Bucky Award Nomination "Best Falsetto" – "Fashionable People"
** ECMA Award Winner SOCAN Songwriter of the Year – "Nowhere With You"
** ECMA Award Winner Single of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner DVD of the Year – Make A Little Noise
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Album of the Year – Ashtray Rock
**Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Pop Rock Recording of the Year – Ashtray Rock
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Group of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Songwriter of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Video of the Year – "Fashionable People"
** The Coast voted "Top 50 CDs of the Year Award" – Ashtray Rock
** The Coast voted "Best Canadian Male Musician"
** The Coast voted "Best Canadian Solo Artist"
*2006
** Juno Award Nomination Songwriter of the Year – La De Da
** First Place Great American Song Contest – "Nowhere With You"
** Verge Award Winner – Album of the Year Award
** Chart Magazine The Golden Toque Award Nomination – Best Canadian Album
** Canadian Radio Music Award Nomination – Best New Solo Artist Hot AC
** CBC Radio 3 voted #1 Top 94 list – "Nowhere With You"
** ECMA Award Winner Male Artist of the Year – La De Da
** ECMA Award Winner Songwriter of the Year Award – "Happen Now"
** ECMA Award Nomination Album of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner Single of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner Video the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Songwriter of the Year – "Nowhere With You"
** Music Nova Scotia Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** Music Nova Scotia Award Nomination Single of the Year
** The Coast voted "Best Canadian Male Musician"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Male Musician"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Album" – La De Da
*2005
** MIANS Award Winner Male Artist of the Year
** MIANS Award Winner Album of the Year – La De Da
** MIANS Award Winner Pop/Rock Recording of the Year
** ECMA Award Winner Rock Recording of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Album of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Group of the Year
** The Coast voted "Best Canadian Male Musician"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Male Musician"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Song"
*2004
** Juno Award Nomination Best Alternative Album of the Year
** MIANS Award Winner Group of the Year – Truthfully, Truthfully
** MIANS Award Winner Alternative Recording of the Year
** MIANS Award Winner Entertainer of the Year
** The Coast voted "Best Local Band"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Album" – Truthfully, Truthfully
*2003
** The Coast voted "Best Local Band"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Live Act"
*2002
** Juno Award Nomination Best Alternative Album of the Year – Down at The Khyber
** ECMA Award Nomination Rock Recording of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Best New Artist of the Year
** ECMA Award Nomination Video of the Year – "Maybe We Should Just Go Home"
** The Coast voted "Best Local Album" – Down at The Khyber
** The Coast voted "Best Video" – "Maybe We Should Just Go Home"
** The Coast voted "Best Male Solo Artist"
See also
*
Music of Canada
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been ...
*
Canadian rock
Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada, beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern po ...
*
List of Canadian musicians
This is a list of Canadian musicians. Only notable individuals appear here; bands are listed at List of bands from Canada.
0-9
*347aidan - rapper
A
* Lee Aaron – jazz and rock singer-songwriter, also known as "Metal Queen"
*Abdominal – hi ...