Jacob Philip Benning is a singer-songwriter from Northern California. His original music stems from a wide range of genres from Eagles to Led Zeppelin, and Tracy Chapman to Sublime. Jacob has been building his career as a full time musician in the San Francisco Bay Area and has expanded in recent months to the further reaches of California’s Central Coast and Central Valley. Benning’s vision is to perform music worldwide with his trio (simply titled under his name), to bring the enrichening vibrations of rock & roll to the hearts of all, and lyrically inspire the concepts of love for the earth, love for humanity, and induce the joy of dancing and singing. Outside of his musical career, Jacob is an avid homesteader, residing in a water tower converted to a tiny home surrounded by a regenerative garden, and is established in his community as a back-to-the-land educator, a entheogenic guide, and as an aspiring life coach.

Joziah Council is an emerging recording artist, musician, and model based in Pittsburgh, Pa. Drawing from his soulful gospel roots, he shapes a new genre-bending wave spanning vastly across R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, and Soul.

All girl pop group The Vanillas certainly have more than one flavour in their pocket and combine them all to deliver melodic pop music for the soul. Based in Germany but borne from diverse cultures, 2021 has been the year where they have really been making a statement in the music industry.

The Vanillas consist of four strong independent women, sisters Khay and Sorang, Dani and Stella, and are no made-for-TV pop amalgamation. The genesis of the group came together through a collaboration between Stella and Sorang, and as their body of work grew, they asked Dani and Khay to join the exciting concept. The resulting blend of four-part harmonies and soulful, infectious vocals is simply breath-taking, and the ear candy they create is a gift that keeps on giving.

They are all brilliantly talented singer songwriters in their own right, laying down original tracks with intoxicating harmonies that are creating instant memories for their audiences. Their combined cultural heritage of Cuba, Colombia, Thailand and Croatia adds spice to the group as they explore their influences to produce songs that are uniquely their own.

Their love of Lofi, 80s inspired synthesizers and disco as well as acts like Timbaland, Blondie, Selena Gomez, Conan Gray, Taylor Swift and even K-Pop artists have all made their way on to their sonic canvas. Individual, heartfelt, honest and true, The Vanillas are sharing the love in the only way they know how. Giving women the world over the strength to rise above their challenges and become the person they want to be.

Releasing three tracks in quick succession titled Pink Sunsets, Break Me and their latest Whatever Happens, The Vanillas are breaking new ground with everything they do. Starring in their own video for Whatever Happens, their obvious visual and vocal chemistry is a magical experience that is as fresh as it is entertaining. With a new single that just dropped called ‘So Vanilla’, the group are once again embarking on a musical adventure which will build on their brilliant career so far.

As the world wakes up from its enforced slumber, The Vanillas are heralding a new dawn of creativity taking us to places unimagined with every sublime note they sing. Join them on their journey and taste the sound within.

From a small town in upstate New York, shye. introduced himself to the world in 2018 with his debut single “Iconic.” Branded with a nickname given to him by his mother, he strives to create music that has tangible feeling to it, often using the statement “writing to heal with words you can feel” as a mission statement of sorts. After 14 singles, 2 EP’s, a short film, and a book, shye. is preparing the next era of his musical journey, which includes another EP, another book, and plenty more stories to tell.

Jim Piddock is an actor, writer, and producer, who began his career on the stage in England, before emigrating to the U.S. in his early twenties. He made his theatrical debut in the U.S. in “The Boy’s Own Story”, a one-man show about a soccer goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco. The show was an instant success with critics and audiences, winning Jim the Bay Area Critics’ Best Actor Award. The show was then produced Off-Broadway and he quickly gained the attention of the New York theatre scene. That same year (1982), he was cast in Noel Coward’s “Present Laughter” by George C. Scott, who directed/starred in the revival, which also featured Nathan Lane, Christine Lahti, Dana Ivey, and Kate Burton. The show was a big hit on Broadway and Piddock soon found himself appearing in a string of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, including the original US production of “Noises Off”, “The Knack” at the Roundabout Theatre, and “Make and Break” with Peter Falk at the Kennedy Center. After replacing Frank Langella in “Design For Living” at the Circle-In-The-Square theatre, he moved to Los Angeles and has since appeared in a long succession of tv shows, such as “The Tracey Ullman Show”, “Coach”, “Max Headroom”, “The Twilight Zone”, “Murder She Wrote”, “Mad About You”, “Angel”, “ER”, “Friends”, “Crossing Jordan”, “The Drew Carey Show”, “Lost”, “Monk”, “Without A Trace”, “Dollhouse”, “Party Down”, “Law And Order: LA”, “Castle”, “Two And A Half Men”, “Children’s Hospital”, “Mom”, “The Royals”, and “The Grinder”. He has also starred in several notable tv movies and mini-series, like “From The Earth To The Moon”, “A Mom For Christmas”, “She Creature” on HBO, and “The Women Of Windsor”. He appeared in his first movie in the top-grossing film of 1989, “Lethal Weapon 2”, in which one of his lines, “But…you’re black” in answer to Danny Glover’s request to emigrate to South Africa, became a catchphrase for the film. Other feature film roles soon followed, including notable appearances in “Independence Day”, “Traces Of Red”, “Multiplicity”, “Burn Hollywood Burn”, “Austin Powers 3”, “A Different Loyalty”, “Love For Rent”, “See This Movie”, “Love For Rent”, “The Prestige”, “Epic Movie”, “Who’s Your Caddy?”, “The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising”, “Meet The Spartans”, Woody Allen’s “You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger”, “Get Him To The Greek”, “The Cold Light Of Day”, “The Five Year Engagement”, “1915”, “Think Like A Man Too”, and “Kill Your Friends”. But it is probably his diverse performances in the improvised Christopher Guest comedies “Best In Show” (as the Dog Show commentator with Fred Willard), “A Mighty Wind”, and “For Your Consideration” that he has gained the most attention as a chameleon-like character actor, barely recognizable from role to role. As a voice actor, he is most notable for providing the voice of Major Zero in the English version of the massively popular video game “Metal Gear Solid 3”, Bolero the Bull in the movie “Garfield 2”, and the fictional artistic director of Forever Young Films, Kenneth Loring, doing a hilarious commentary in the directors’ cut of the Coen Brothers’ “Blood Simple”. His voice work in animated tv series and in video games is extensive and includes “The Lion King”, “Extreme Ghostbusters”, “The New Batman Adventures”, “C-12: Final Resistance”, “Return To Castle Wolfenstein”, “The Lord Of The Rings”, “101 Dalmatians 2”, “The Bard’s Tale”, “Dead Space: Downfall”, “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien”, Alfred in “Batman: Under The Red Hood”, “Batman: The Brave And The Bold”, “Skylanders: SWAP Force”, “Turbo FAST”, and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”. He currently released his best-selling book, “Caught With My Pants Down and Other Tales From A Life in Hollywood.” We are so grateful to have him as a guest on, “Black Canvas.”

Ian Matthew is a Connecticut-based vocalist and songwriter who fuses pop, rock, country and R&B into his own unique sound and diverse catalog of music.

Delivering a mix of acoustic anthems, soulful pop-rock ballads and uptempo rhythmic vibes, Ian’s records parallel the true ups and downs of life and create a personal level of relatability for listeners. “Some days I’m like, “let’s rock!” and other days I want to hide under a rock. I think that’s just life, and I hope my catalog can be a safe place or escape to feel all of those things, as so many other

artists before myself have created for me.”

On his new release EP III, Nashville, TN songwriter Joseph Hunter Duncan crafts swirling, dreamy, shoegaze-tinged pop-folk. Charting the artists journey to sobriety, the vulnerable, yearning vocals glow with an internal warmth. At turns intimate and grandiose, the music is lifted by the sweet harmonies of Duncan’s fluttering falsetto. A soft-edged and gentle record, EP III is

the work of a songwriter coming fully into his creative maturity.

From the basement of his parent’s house to dingy dives across America, Joseph “Hunter” Duncan captures raw emotion and distills it into well-crafted songwriting. He has spent the better part of a decade touring and releasing albums under various monikers (The Lion In Winter, Yosef), nurturing and focusing his storytelling. Now releasing music under his own name, EP III follows 2019’s EP I and the 2020 release EP II. While all of the releases in this series were tracked with Tommy Carnes in Nashville at his home

studio, EP III is the first that was performed entirely by Duncan. “These songs mostly came along during late summer of 2020” says Duncan. “I was working through massive lifestyle

changes, reflecting on behaviors, relationships, and my overall perspective on the things that

were and are important to me. I was getting my life in order and mending a broken relationship. I had a rough go with alcohol abuse that affected my family, my work, and just about every

aspect of my life.”

Diagnosed with Bi-polar 2 disorder in early 2017, EP III reflects that dichotomy in its production. The first half of the record is a touch loud and brash, while the second half is relaxed and

stripped down. “I wanted to capture some of the frustration that comes along with having this condition” explains Duncan. “The line in “Rabbit Hole” that goes “I can’t, I won’t” is really the focus of telling myself to stay on track and don’t let the past take you back into the spiral of chaos.”

What Duncan has crafted with EP III is a record that eloquently captures the essence of heartbreak, and the realization that ultimately, it’s okay to care about yourself. “The record is a

plea to my past self not to go back to my old ways, habits, and behaviors” says Duncan. “To remind myself that I can stay on track, with my family, my loved ones and myself. My hope for

anyone who listens is that they find a little comfort knowing that you’re not alone in those hardships. We are all a little screwed up. Songwriting – and music itself - helps get through it.”

Carter Windham is a Charleston-based singer/songwriter known for his honest lyrics, soulful rasp, and rooted sound. Steeped in the rich storytelling of classic Texas Country & Americana, Carter’s music draws inspiration from artists such as the great Robert Earl Keen and modern western icon Ryan Bingham. A native of Bossier City, Louisiana, Carter’s musical allure began early. Once an aspiring country star herself, his mother instilled a deep love for music in him as a child. His older brother William, a trained acapella vocalist and life-long musician, taught him his first notes on the guitar, which sparked his desire to one day pursue a career as a songwriter. 

At age 24, Carter is now manifesting that dream. He returned to Shreveport’s Foxtrot Studios earlier this year to record his debut EP, which is set to release later this Summer.

From the early days of childhood, Tyler Chase has had an eye for his future and an ear for what that sounded like. With the solid foundation of his country upbringing, Tyler learned to express the values of a small town in a big world through his writing and performing. As the son of a preacher, his exposure ranged from tent revivals to international crusades. Over the past several years, there have been many paths but one focus for Tyler Chase— to write and sing the songs his life created.

Tyler’s roots in the format run deep. In the early 60s, his Grandfather drove from Texas to Tennessee to seek an opportunity in country music as a singer songwriter. Unable to afford a room, he camped on the Harpeth River in preparation for a meeting with the famed Chet Atkins. But it wouldn’t be Tyler’s lineage without equal portions of dreamer and rebel. When Atkins told Grandpa, he’d buy his songs only if he could sing them, Grandpa told him to “kiss it” and hauled it back to Texas. Like his

Grandfather, Tyler has always stayed locked in on a vision of what he wants.

His forthcoming EP, “Tyler Chase,” presents a collection of songs written by Tyler and a few of his friends. Produced by Evan Sieling, the energy and soul of this up and coming entertainer is evident in every note and word.

Life has taught Tyler Chase many lessons that have culminated in a unique style of storytelling. Those sounds are the heartbeat of his simple approach to writing and singing.

Nil Pereira Ribeiro Cardoso is a singer/songwriter/producer born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Surrounded by music his entire childhood, Nil spent a lot of time observing his dad, a professional bass player and successful songwriter. It didn’t take long for Nil to figure out what he wanted to do for a living. At the age of 16, two years after moving to the United States with his family, Nil joined his first of many local bands, playing Emo/Post Hardcore/Punk Rock music. For the next 6 years, he gained a lot of experience performing live and establishing himself in the south Florida music scene. In 2007, Nil enrolled at Broward College as a Music Performance major, gaining the knowledge necessary to grow as a professional. In 2009, at the age of 21, Nil fell in love with the studio life after spending a week recording at Carrington House, a studio in Atlanta, GA owned by RnB artist Ne-Yo. From that moment on, Nil spent several years learning the crafts of Pop songwriting and production, collaborating with different writers and artists. In 2020, he decided to give birth to his new solo project, Nil Cazale. In that same year, Nil was invited by certified Platinum DJ Bruno Martini to feature on his album “Original”, out now. The album also includes artists such as Timbaland, Iza, Luísa Sonza, Becky Hill, and Zeeba. With almost 2 decades of experience under his belt, and 2 singles released under his new name, the sky is the limit for Nil Cazale.