Calgary has its sights set on becoming Canada’s next major music hub.
That’s the ambition Alberta Premier Danielle Smith laid out following a recent trip to Nashville, where she met with Tennessee chamber of commerce and tourism industry leaders to learn more about the growth of Music City. Smith sees Nashville as a model Calgary could follow, arguing that the foundations that helped turn the Tennessee city into a music powerhouse already exist at home.
“There are a number of changes that they made 25 years ago in order to become what they are today,” Smith said in a recent news conference. “I want to find out a little bit about what that is and see if we can develop some excellent partnerships with the music industry so that we can do a transfer of talent and transfer of expertise.”
Calgary’s music industry continues to grow yearly with major events like the Calgary Stampede and Cowboys Music Festival, which draw around 1.4 million and 165,000 fans respectively, and Smith believes that its estimated $2.3 billion value can reach Nashville’s own $28.3 billion impact by taking the right steps.
Calgary is already scaling its musical infrastructure, notably with the addition of Scotia Place, a new arena and home for the Calgary Flames, which is currently being built and set to open in fall 2027, and will also host concerts. The province is also looking to expand on existing infrastructure, with Stampede Park aiming to become a year-round entertainment destination as part of its 20-year plan, which aligns with the premier’s vision for the province.
Read more here. — Stefano Rebuli
The Beaches Score Their First Gold-Certified Single in the U.S. With ‘Blame Brett’: ‘Beyond Humbled’
The Beaches have secured their first-ever gold-certified single in the U.S.
The Toronto rock act’s song “Blame Brett” received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). While the 2023 track officially went gold back in April this year, it wasn’t until over the weekend that the band — comprised of sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl and Eliza Enman-McDaniel — shared the news on social media.
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“Thank you everyone, we’ll forever be blaming Brett,” read the caption, accompanied by a video of Earl holding up the band’s RIAA plaque.
Released on their sophomore album, 2023’s Blame My Ex, “Blame Brett” has served as a breakthrough moment for the band. The punchy breakup song became a fan favourite and evidently reached listeners beyond their home country.
Much of its success is credited to a viral moment on TikTok, which helped the group land some major radio placements in the U.S.— their first charting song in the country.
On the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, it reached No. 27, remaining on the ranking for 20 weeks, while it peaked at No. 17 on the Alternative Airplay chart, spending 23 weeks there. On Pop Airplay, “Blame Brett” reached No. 33 with 10 weeks on the chart. Over three years later, the track is reaching another major music industry milestone.
Not to mention, its success brought The Beaches to bigger venues and higher placements on festival lineups.
Read more here. — Stefano Rebuli
Vancouver’s Reliant Music Signs Global Distribution Deal With Warner Music Group’s ADA Benelux
Vancouver-based A&R and song management company Reliant Music has embarked on a global partnership with ADA Benelux, the Western Europe distribution and artist services initiative of Warner Music Group.
Known for producing dance music tracks Reliant’s global distribution deal will focus on expanding its international presence in a region where the genre is quite popular.
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ADA Benelux is WMG’s independent distribution division for the Benelux region, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — the major music label expanded into the Western European market in 2020.
Recently, Reliant has worked with major acts like Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, Hardwell, Nicky Romero and Fedde Le Grand, among others.
Founded in 2012, Reliant creates “fire toplines for global DJs and electronic music artists,” per their website. Headquartered on the Canadian west coast, the company has a second office in Toronto, and A&R is led by John Dexter and Adrian Lock across North America. To foster local growth, the company newly opened a creative hub at Vancouver’s Armoury Studios.
Nearly a decade after its launch, Reliant expanded to Europe in 2021, hiring Mischa Daniëls, who leads A&R in Europe. Currently, they have two Europeans offices in Amsterdam and Berlin.
Read more here. — Heather Taylor-Singh
