Backstage Pass

This week, JENN GRANT - Queen of the Strait

Her 2026 album, Queen of the Strait (2026), is her most personal work yet. Co-produced with Joshua Van Tassel and longtime collaborator Daniel Ledwell, it is a modern-day classic of country and Americana, elevated by Jenn’s unmistakable pop-infused charm.

The title draws its name from the MV Abegweit passenger ferry - Abegweit being an anglicized version of the Mi’kmaw word Epekwitk, meaning “cradled by the waves” - which carried Jenn and her brother as children between two parents after a tumultuous separation. That crossing becomes both a literal and metaphorical passage in her work, weaving together the Canadian landscapes of her childhood and universal stories into a profound reflection of the human condition; exploring life’s deepest thresholds: childhood wonder, love, abuse, aging, childbearing, loss, survival, and resilience.

To celebrate the album, Grant has created a groundbreaking live tour ‘Cradled by the Waves’ - The Live Experience, which will take place across Canada, beginning in Charlottetown, PEI, on March 5th. This tour will transform the album into a stunning multimedia performance blending music, film, theatre, and dance.

With Queen of the Strait, Grant affirms her place as one of Canada’s most compelling storytellers - an artist whose songs feel both timeless and urgently present, carrying us across waters both real and imagined.

https://www.jenngrant.com/

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, THE BURRITO BROTHERS / The Magic Time Machine of Love

“The idea will keep going. It’s not like it’s dead. Whether I do it or anybody else does, it’s got to keep going.” Gram Parsons 1972

Chis P James in converstation about the new album from The Burrito Brothers,The Magic Time Machine of Love, which was released in November through Think Like a Key Music. How can music that sounds so completely new and inventive sound so familiar at the same time? Well… it does. That’s The Burrito Brothers for you!

The legacy and experiences that inform the wonderful music of today’s BBs is so rich, so fertile, and so far-reaching that it sounds like an old friend even as your ears are treated to something quite unlike anything you’ve heard before. It’s an amazing alchemy. But being amazing is standard practice for The Burrito Brothers. Ever since two Byrds left the “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” mothership nearly 60 years ago, The Burrito Brothers have been ever evolving and putting out wonderful albums.

The musicians in today’s group, Chris P James, Tony Paoletta, Peter Young and Steve Allen, have performed and recorded numerous notable previous works of their own and with countless other artists. This is a fully realized, forward-looking group of masterful musicians and vocalists. Essentially, this current lineup of Burritos has been carrying the ball, Gram’s baby, for more than a decade now.

This cool album not only features the current lineup but has wonderful guest appearances from Gram Parsons himself, as well as Al Perkins, Ian Dunlop, Jon Corneal, Michael Curtis, Bob Hatter and others. The circle is complete.

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This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

GRAVEN - Geographics

Releasing two singles a week throughout February 2026 on Bandcamp, Graven has finally released his newest stellar album. Thoughtful and inventive, as always, Graven captures the mood of the times with this exception set of songs.

‘Geographics’ was sonically birthed in 6 days in Halifax, NS at Ocean Floor Recording with Matty McKechnie (Graven), Melissa Payne, Charles Austin, Jamie Kronick, Jordan Murphy and Franc Lopes. The album has a real travel theme to it, and spans across many real geographic locations, but it's also sort of a statement on the world at large today and a bit of a map of Matty's sometimes chaotic mind. It was an album that congealed quickly but it took a ton of time to form the cinematic shape and colour of these songs in the editing room. I've never had another vocalist on any Graven material so to see Melissa step up to the plate and hit melodic homers almost every time was a beautiful thing. She added so much to this record and I'm forever grateful.

GRAVEN (Matty McKechnie) is an independent folk-rock singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. An innovative Nepean-born songmaker with a key focus on cultivating joy and wonder in Canadian geography, Matty (Graven) is a wiley wordsmith whose passion is to create a highly accepting and inclusive community of music lovers. FIND GRAVEN ON BANCAMP.

https://www.graven.ca

https://graven.bandcamp.com/album/geographics

https://www.facebook.com/gravencanada

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, STEVE JENSEN – mrSTEVE and friends

From the opening track to its beautiful closing, Steve Jensen’s 2026 album, ‘mrSTEVE and friends’, is a gentle reminder of all that is good and loving in this tumultuous world. The gifted British Columbia songwriter has crafted a set of songs that in lyric and melody, span genres and musical approaches with an airy hopefulness and enthusiasm reminiscent of a time when music was meant for dancing in the streets and lifting our hearts and voices high in good faith and enduring acceptance.

Guitarist and songwriter, Steve Jensen released his third full length studio album in early 2026. Backstage Pass took the opportunity to talk to the journeyman musician about its creation and his current situation as a working musician in the Vancouver / Burnaby area. Steve talked about the musicians who helped bring the songs alive including the guests and friends who made the album possible. Notable for some inspiring music, ‘mrSTEVE and friends’ is filled with delightful performances, witty and truly catchy tunes that pay homage to his influences but also showcase his continued grace and power as a pop-rock song master. A man of wry humour and social conscience, Jensen cover themes of home, love, attraction and appreciation for each other, channelled through anthemic and deeply personal reflections. A must have album for 2026.

Featured: All Around the World/ City Girl Steve Jensen Productions.

https://stevejensenmusic.com/

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, BOB D'EITH – ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’

“You make your own luck” Bob D'Eith

Highly accomplished musician, lawyer, author and consultant, Bob D’Eith shares details and foundational advice from his book, ‘A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success’, a master class in developing a solid, universal approach to achieving success in real terms in every changing and evolving music business. With insightful lessons from songwriting to social media presence, Bob outlines a path to establishing and maintaining a viable, sustainable and life long career as a working musician.

Bob D'Eith has worked in the music industry for 30 years as a lawyer, musician, author and consultant. He was appointed King's Counsel in 2021.

Bob was the CEO of Music BC, the trade organization for the BC music industry for 14 years. He was the co-creator of the award-winning PEAK Performance Project. Bob was also the executive chair of the 2009 Vancouver JUNO Awards Host Committee.

As a musician, Bob started his career in Rymes with Orange and is celebrating 25 years with the group Mythos. Bob has been nominated for two JUNO Awards.

Bob is the author of A Career in Music: 10 Steps to Success (text book) and The Displaced (novel).

Bob was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia representing Maple Ridge - Mission from 2017-2024 serving as Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film. He served as the Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, and sat on Treasury Board (cabinet committee) and the Legislative Review Committee (cabinet committee).

https://www.adagiomedia.ca

https://www.bobdeith.com

https://www.facebook.com/adagiomedia?pnref=lhc

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, WILLIAM 'GRIT’ LASKIN - THE STRADIVARI FORMULA

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This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, CARMEN TOTH. ‘Fix the World’

On October 7, 2025, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Carmen Toth released ‘Fix the World’, her most personal and politically charged album to date. Anchored by its searing title track - written in a single burst of inspiration - the record blends raw honesty with lush, guitar-driven instrumentation to deliver a message that is both intimate and universal: break free from prescribed roles, embrace authenticity, and reclaim power.

Toth wrote Fix the World after attending a women’s gathering where she felt alienated by performative femininity, inspiring her to examine deeply ingrained expectations placed on women. “I feel like from birth, my generation of women was collectively brainwashed to put others first, cater to men, compete with each other, and obsess over beauty and having a perfect home and family,” she shares. “We need to hold ourselves accountable for enabling the patriarchy and start rebelling against it. The only way we’re going to fix the world is by supporting each other fiercely and stepping fully into our power.”

The album’s tarot-inspired artwork, illustrated by Peter Guidon (also behind Toth’s Pretty Dresses animated video), reflects that message of liberation. It reimagines the World tarot card, depicting Toth with both acoustic and electric guitars, drumsticks in place of batons, and her two late cats - Snowshoe and Fritzy - as spirit guides. “The woman on the card is liberated and joyful, dancing without caring what others think,” Toth says. “That’s what my music and art represent for me. We must not be afraid to be who we really are and express ourselves authentically. Only by doing that can we fix the world.”

Produced by Joel Wasson (The Discarded) and John Critchley (Lowest of the Low), the 11-track album features Wasson on drums, Drew Atkins on bass, Michael McKenzie (Lowest of the Low) adding guitar textures, and Lee Rose (Ace of Wands) on viola for the haunting ballad Ghost. The record was mixed by Critchley and mastered by Grammy-nominated engineer João Carvalho, reflecting a team effort rooted in Toronto’s indie community.

Carmen Toth is a Toronto-based singer-songwriter known for her hook-driven power pop, heartfelt storytelling, and retro-influenced sound. Drawing inspiration from artists like Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, and Sheryl Crow, her music blends vulnerability with classic pop-rock grit.

Over the past two decades, Toth has evolved from solo acoustic sets and her early duo Social Potion into a fully realized indie artist, performing in both band and solo formats and building a loyal following through regular livestreaming. Her 2018 EP Safety Net, produced by Derek Downham, marked a shift toward a modern pop sensibility.

https://socialpotion.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CarmenToth111/

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, LLOYD SPIEGEL. CANADIAN MINI-TOUR

On his way to NAMM in California, 2026; Lloyd Spiegel took time before his mini-tour in Ontario to talk to Backstage Pass.

Bakehouse Dozen (2023) is a masterclass in tone and soul. Band is cooking and Llyod is in fine form with incredible guitar mastery and deep soul blues vocals. Great album with a baker’s dozen of powerhouse songs.

Melbourne Blues artist Lloyd Spiegel has been touring the globe for 30 of his 40 years.

The 14-time Australian Blues Award Winner has one of the most interesting stories in music, having grown up on stage, learning from and touring with the founding fathers of modern Blues.

Spiegel’s guitar wizardry, powerful lyrics and knack for humorous story telling delivers a truly unique performance that reinvents the genre and dispels the cliches associated with the Blues.

https://www.lloydspiegel.com

https://www.facebook.com/lloydspiegelmusic

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, CLELA ERRINGTON - ‘Walkin’ Each Other Home’

Comprised mainly of newly arranged blues and country material and two originals, this album stands out for its authentic, resonate connection, that singer- guitarist, Errington makes with the material. She embodies the essence of blues-soul singing with song choices, some of which date back to the earliest of recorded music. In a voice, filled commanding authority, Clela plumbs the depths and intricacies of blues songs written long before her own time, making them sound as vital and prescient as if they were composed this year. More importantly, she has chosen to present tunes that are synchronized with the mood and sorrow of our times in a poignant, clear vocal that makes you proud to be human, moreover proud to be a courageous, self-defined woman.

Produced by Jimmy Bowskill of Blue Rodeo and Brooks and Bowskill, with a collection of meritorious studio musicians, Clela and band recorded straight to tape as it were, the mood and feeling she drew out of the songs. It more than amply demonstrates the power that music holds in our life and the emotional revelations that they bring. Thematically, the songs are about standing up, standing tall and standing firm in your faith and love and out stretching a helping hand to bring us all back home safe and out of harm’s way.

Born in Montreal and raised on the St Lawrence River in Brockville, ON, in the 1000 Islands region, Errington followed the river to Prince Edward Island on Canada’s East coast. There, she was first introduced to blues, folk, country and Celtic music. She lived in PEI and performed throughout the Maritimes in a duo with Island vocalist Dawne Fraser. Eventually returning to Ontario and settling in Toronto, Errington is now part of the city’s rich music scene – as a featured performer and a backup vocalist, often collaborating with other artists, both onstage and in the studio.

Most recently, Errington’s composition “White Dove” was arranged for choir by Toronto musicologist Mike Daley, and was performed in March 2025 by the University of Toronto Hart House Chorus under the direction of Daniel Norman.

https://clelaerrington.com/

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/

This week, LAYNE NEGRIN - Gurdjieff in Tibet

In an extensively researched and detailed study into the background training and inspiration for the teachings of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, Layne Negrin takes the reader on a profound journey of one man’s path to self-discovery, against seemingly impossible odds, to become one of the most influential thinkers and teachers of the twentieth century.

Layne Negrin is a writer, publisher and musician. Layne began his spiritual path in 1988, practicing the Gurdjieff tradition exclusively for 19 years, then Mahayana Buddhism (primarily the Soto Zen of Shunryu Suzuki but also the Shambhalian Buddhism of Trungpa Rinpoche) exclusively for the next 13 years, and since 2020, after having realized that the two ideologies are the same in essence, practices both.

Gurdjieff in Tibet is divided into three parts: Part One, looks at the evidence of Gurdjieff's presence in Tibet; Part Two, researches the direct students of Gurdjieff who explored Tibetan or other Buddhist sects to one degree or another; and Part Three is a collection of comparative studies showing the influence of Tibetan Buddhism upon Gurdjieff's teaching. Interspersed with the author's writing on the individuals discussed in Parts One and Two are relevant texts by them, many of which were previously unavailable in English.

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was a philosopher, mystic, spiritual teacher, composer, and movements teacher. He taught students throughout Europe and America from 1913 to 1949. His approach to inner development influenced many scholars and artists during his lifetime and continues to impact many seeking solutions to the conundrum of human existence today.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561963072520

https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/gurdjieff-in-tibet/9780974107905.html

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC:

This podcast is hosted by Canoe FM. https://backstage-pass.zencast.website/