Contemporary Christian
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
singer-songwriter from the hamlet of Dapp, Alberta, Canada. His live performances have been described as innovative, engaging, funny and surprising. Musically his work is eclectic, combining acoustic guitar and hip-hop rhythms, with layers of sound supported by sampling and programmed loops. A few of his notable songs are "Sleep", ">" (Greater Than), "What I Found", and "The Only".
Musical career
Riley Armstrong moved to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
at the age of 18 to pursue a career in music. He earned a degree in
sound recording
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...
and soon became the sound engineer for the Christian rock band
Hokus Pick
Hokus Pick (or Hokus Pick ) was a Christian rock band that was together from 1989 to 1999. Armstrong was the engineer on the 1997 Hokus Pick album ''Snappy''. A year later he released his own independent effort ''Novel Reason'' under the pseudonym Plain Edson.
Riley persuaded the members of Hokus Pick to let him be their opening act, as well as being their sound engineer. While in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
on a Hokus Pick tour he befriended the members of the Christian rock band
Audio Adrenaline
Audio Adrenaline was an American Christian rock band that formed in 1986 at Kentucky Christian University in Grayson, Kentucky. The band gained recognition during the 1990s and received two Grammy Awards and multiple Dove Awards. Audio Adren ...
. Soon thereafter three members of Audio Adrenaline founded a new record company. Riley was invited to be the first performer to release on their
Flicker Records
Flicker Records is a Christian music record label based in Franklin, Tennessee. It was founded by members of Christian rock group Audio Adrenaline. The label mainly focuses on rock/pop rock artists, though it also created a subsidiary, Big House ...
label.
He then moved from Vancouver to Nashville, where he spent the next five years. Riley Armstrong became the opening act for Audio Adrenaline. During this period he released a follow up album, ''Whatever the Weather''. Armstrong then asked to be released from Flicker Records and returned to Canada. Marriage followed, with the couple settling in Calgary. Riley and his wife Shannon have one son, Zeffren, who was born in 2005. Also that year Riley released the album ''La Loop'' on the 7 Spin Music
indie
Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Gaming
*Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies
*Indie game, any game (board ...
label. His band members were Rick Enns on bass, Dan Kim on guitar and Jared Falk on drums.
During 2010 Riley Armstrong toured in the U.S. during which time he also opened for Starfield during their "The Saving One" tour.
;Shai Awards (formerly The Vibe Awards)
* 2003 nominee, Male Vocalist of the Year
* 2004 nominee, Male Vocalist of the Year
Collaborations and other credits
* engineer: ''Snappy'' by
Hokus Pick
Hokus Pick (or Hokus Pick ) was a Christian rock band that was together from 1989 to 1999.)
* background vocals: ''This Much I Understand'' by
Carolyn Arends
Carolyn Arends is a Canadian contemporary Christian musician, songwriter, and author. She is based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.
Musical career
Arends began her career as a songwriter at Benson Music Publishing. In 1995, Carolyn began tou ...
(1999)
* producer and engineer: ''The Late Show'' by Toby Penner (2003)