Ottawa’s Nayana debuts her new single April 16th!

 Photo: Sean Sisk @siskphoto By Jason Wilkinson We caught up with Ottawa singer/songwriter Nayana ahead of the April 16th launch party for her new single Hellbound. In 2020, Nayana’s debut feel-good single Pretty Good To Be Here was added to Sirius XM CBC Country on the day it was released and jumped

Folk rock singer/songwriter Jasmyn Gulyas comes of age on her own terms

 Photo credit: Ryan Parent We caught up with Ottawa folk rock singer/songwriter Jasmyn Gulyas on the release for her Debut Single “23” Ottawa Life: Jasmyn, thank you for joining us! We appreciate you sitting down with us today. Let’s get right to it! When did you discover your love for your craft and

Jason Wilkinson on a global livestream event and an industry in need

 PHOTO: SEAN SISK Ottawa Life Magazine sat down with Jason Wilkinson, a local music entrepreneur and owner of Canadian artist development company and studio, The Artist Alliance, and also lead vocalist/songwriter for rock/pop band Beyond The Fall. Ottawa Life: Jason, thank you for joining us! Tell us about the new endeavour taking

Ottawa country rocker Joe Robert: “Open Field 92” — where it all started

 Joe Roberts' single, Open Field 92, drops February 12th. We sat down with him to talk all things family, music and where he wants country music to take him. Ottawa Life: Hi Joe! Thank you so much for sitting down with us today! So tell me about your background, how you got into music

Ottawa country star Nayana: Pretty Good To Be Here

 Ottawa Life had the pleasure to chat with Ottawa's up and coming country star Nayana about her ONE Artist contest win and her debut single "Pretty Good To Be Here".  Ottawa Life: Hi Nayana! So good to have you here! How did it feel winning the Ontario wide ONE Artist

Are You The ONE? Ontario’s New Emerging Artist Competition Launches

 In the last 10 years on television has seen a lot of big budget singing competitions, which inevitably created many great local contests. While it’s a great way of helping fledgling artists gain confidence and win some prizes along the way, it’s hard to get the same buzz surrounding them

Ottawa’s ambient R&B artist “Neekoe” bares her soul

 Photo credit: Kaya florczak When Neekoe first walked into the Artist Alliance studio, there was something very compelling about her. She was only there as a visitor with another artist. When she messaged me a couple months later about helping her get her music done next level, I was excited

Rising country music star, “B”, releases her new single “Too Little Too Late”

 Photo credit: Sean Sisk I had the pleasure to sit down with local country vocal powerhouse “B”, to talk about her upcoming release and plans for the future. Ottawa Life: Hello B! Tell us a little about your artist background and when you decided to do country music as a

ELLE G releases new single, Darkhorse

 Photo credit: Sean Sisk Dubbed as overly ambitious, ELLE G’s debut launch is ambitious yes, but even more so, it’s achievable. No matter what your career is, if you work harder than everyone else around you, you inevitably will get further ahead. As long as you have the talent, the

The Top Four Things You Need To Do To Get To The Next Level Of Your Music Career

 Ok. You’ve written a song, a good song. Now what? Well, first things first if you’re about to embark on a proper release of your music. Make sure, absolutely sure, that it’s a hit song. Show as many industry people as you can that aren’t tied to the music in

What is a Hit Song Anyway?

 As an artist myself, it took a long time for me to realize what a great song of mine was compared to what a good or mediocre song was.  We all have an ego that gets in the way.   As artists, when we create something our first reaction to criticism

Where Has The Mystery Gone In The Music Industry?

 Anyone under the age of twenty generally only knows the world of the internet and the advantages of getting information right when we need it. As great as the internet is, it also has its downsides. It’s sad knowing that kids in this day and age don’t get to line up

The Teenage Years And The Music That Defined Us

 Over the years, I’d often wondered why we are so attached to the music from our youth. We always question why our parents didn’t like our music growing up, but now that I’m older with kids of my own, I find I’m doing exactly the same thing.  Growing up in

The Relevance of the Record Label

 As we all know, record labels are still a big part of the music industry. There is a reason they’ve been around for so many years, because they are smart. In this day and age, they have figured out new and very interesting ideas to help them evolve, utilize the

The Importance of Touring as an Indie Artist

 If you are an indie artist reading this then you’ll remember this moment: you get your first single or album in your hands and you think to yourself, now what? In reality the list of the next step is massive. Today we will tackle a very tough but important part

New Industry Life in the World of Music Streaming

 As we reflect on the past year, it’s hard to deny that change is inevitable. As hard as we struggle to hold onto the past, it’s going to change and leave us in it’s wake if we don’t adapt. As a music artist my whole life, I’ve been around to

To Write Or Not To Write? A Christmas Song Conundrum For Modern Times

 Over the last few years, I’ve had a number of artists ask me if it’s worth it to write a new Christmas song. The first few times I said “Sure! Why not?” The more times I was asked the question, it got me thinking, why is this so hard? Every decade or

Rachael Jewell Sets Her Sights on the Big Show

 One of Ottawa’s hidden gems, Rachael Jewell, reflects on her roots and reveals her newest endeavour into the more commercial side of the music industry. Ottawa Life Magazine: Tell us a bit a bit your back ground, how you got into music and how the classical side came to be.

Ottawa Teenage Rock Band Five+None Are Far Beyond Their Years

 Photo credit: Sean Sisk When you think of teenage bands you generally don’t think professional or ready for the big time. Heck, I was once one of those teenage bands that thought we were the be all end all when we weren’t anywhere close. You can’t say the same for

Default’s bassist Dave Benedict reflects on resurgence of rock and reunion tour

 Photo credit: Karen Cottrell/RedTie Productions Dave signed with the band Default in 2000. They’ve released four albums and have sold over four million records worldwide.  Dave, along with his wife Cynthia, also own their own photography and styling business called Square Egg Visions in Vancouver. OLM: Tell us about the

An interview with Manicdown Music Writer/Producer/Musician Dan Swinimer

 Photo credit: Rebecca Ross Jason Wilkinson sits down with CCMA Country Producer of the year nominee Dan Swinimer and gets some inspiring insights on today's music industry and what aspiring artists need to do to stand out in today’s musical climate. What are your thoughts on the state of the industry?

Multi-faceted music studio Artist Alliance opens downtown

 Photo credit: Laura Collins Elvis Presley once said, “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.” In other words, you can dream all you want but unless you’ve got the ambition to see that dream through it won’t come true. With 25 years of experience in songwriting, performing and production,

Neighbourhood Spotlight: Westboro

 With Light Rail on the horizon, here at Ottawa Life we’ve decided to start a series where we break down each of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods. We’re profiling each area by price, transportation, and lifestyle. Whether you’re a young professional or a family-making nest-builder, we’re giving you the details on every corner