INsiders Guide: Givēon, Sara Diamond, Friends from Church, The Ruddy Ruckus, KVNE, Natalie Nicole Gilbert….

Hi Neill,

 My new track, “Hollywood (U & Me),” is a thank you to the supportive partners that I’ve had in my life.

I wrote this song to capture the strength of love through tumultuous times.

True connection isn’t severed by the beauty and allure of something beautiful.

Listen to “Hollywood (U & Me)” on your preferred streaming platform.

Enter into the world of “Hollywood (U & Me)” through the official video on YouTube.

When you’re with someone who believes in your dream, no amount of glitter and allure can pull you away from them.

Thank you for spending time with this song,

Sara Diamond

Friends from Church is an evolving one-man sonic project and live show by Paul Rivard, who has been emitting from a rural Ontario basement studio since forever.

The Ruddy Ruckus knows a thing or two about paying dues, taking licks and earning street cred in the game of rock n’ roll.

Starting out as a folk-punk alter ego for frontman Rob Brown, the Ruckus has evolved into an alt-rock phenom with the gradual additions of lead guitar player Jackson Dorie, bassist Giordano Modesto and drummer Patrick Brown. Drawing from influences such as Green Day and Big Wreck their sound could be described as a refreshing take on garage rock, the kind of sound you’d want to hear in dingy dive bars as much as sold out stadiums.

KVNE returns on August 25, 2021 with his new solo project Lay Me Down, to be released on all streaming platforms via Higher Reign Music Group (Sony Canada). Born in Hamilton, Ontario, the Canadian artist known for his extreme versatility has already charmed many with his smooth r&b melodies and rumbling 808 trap percussions, inspired by the likes of Tory Lanez, Post Malone and blackbear. Alongside his eclectic collaborations, his signature urban pop crossover sound led him to be featured on media outlets like Rolling Stone, Hip Hop Canada, We Rave You and Ed the Sock’s New Music Nation, while also being played on BBC Radio 1 and supported by both Spotify (Cardio, Fresh Finds, Mood Ring, Northern Bars…) and Topsify. With its upbeat instrumental, playful melodies and exciting vocal chops, his brand new single Lay Me Down produced by Conors Conors and co-written with Vincent Xavier is about to become another playlist favourite. “This is an energetic, colourful song about the importance of staying true to your roots, while discussing the difficulty to navigate both old and new relationships, and the distance between them”, KVNE reveals. Adding a humorous layer of interpretation to the track, a music video directed by Teagan Walker will be unveiled on September 3, soon to be followed by some live performances that KVNE – used to sharing the stage with artists like Rich the Kid, Lil Tecca, Lil Windex, Virginia to Vegas & Madchild – has been eagerly looking forward to.

The road to recovery is rarely straightforward, and is sometimes arduous and hard-fought. Los Angeles-based producer, vocalist, and songwriter Natalie Nicole Gilbert uncovers songs of honesty, vulnerability and resilience in her latest album, Recovery. This genre-bending artist reveals a music project born out of Gilbert’s own personal experiences with physical recovery and trauma, reflecting on the universality of the process of recovery as everyone faces change and loss. The 12-track album consists of eight covers and four original songs by the artist. Featured on the album are GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter/arranger Jarrett Johnson (Michael Bublé, David Foster, Alicia Keys) and songwriter David Blair (The Voice, Germany).

Produced and engineered by Latin-GRAMMY nominee Robert Eibach, Gilbert’s Recovery album is available now on Spotify and all other music-streaming and download platforms. The album is currently being considered for a GRAMMY in the Pop Vocal Album category.

 indie-pop singer, songwriter and producer Mark Ambor releases his new single, “The Long Way.” Ahead of the wide release, “The Long Way” has already seen an impressive amount of success with 19K+ pre-saves, 2.9M+ TikTok impressions, 10K+ Shazams, and an exclusive Hollywood Life premiere.

Buoyed by steadfast determination and undeniable talent, Mark Ambor is emerging as one of this year’s most exciting new artists. The 23-year-old New York native is a self-taught guitarist, producer and vocalist, and has been playing piano since the age of 7. While music has been a constant throughout his life, this past year has been the most defining for Ambor as an artist. By sharing a variety of demos and covers on social media, he has rapidly captured the hearts of fans who are eager to hear more from him. In October 2020, he had just 2000 Instagram followers and has now grown his audience to 238K on Instagram and 236K on TikTok.

His first single since his viral success, “The Long Way” is Ambor’s third release and follows “Fever” and “It’s Us Again,” both of which performed impressive streaming numbers. On “The Long Way,” catchy guitar riffs and propulsive percussion form the perfect foundation for Ambor’s polished vocals to flourish. His positive take on life glows from within the track as he shares a message about patience and how “truly good things take a long time” but are “worth it in the end.”

Swinging back into the alt-pop scene, rising star LONA unveils his latest sensational release ‘Darkest Days’.

Laced with softly melancholic guitar riffs, LONA’s gravely rock-edged vocal performance punches through to reflect the rawness of the song’s deeply personal core message. Contrasting with the captivating pop-infused melody, the heartfelt and vulnerable lyricism sees LONA speak from first-hand experience about looking to the light at the end of the tunnel to pull you through life’s tests. Reflecting this idea of battling through the tunnel, the track’s video sees a spot lit LONA focus on the light to overcome life’s darker moments.

noelle

neillfrazer@hotmail.com