On today’s episode of Hard Folk, Graven (aka Matty McKechnie) and I have a lot in common to the point where I’ve been mistaken for him a few times. We’re both Ottawa based singer songwriters & podcasters, we’re both releasing new albums this year (Graven’s latest is called “Geographics”), we’re both devoted dads and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he’s as big of a baseball nut as I am.

We also discussed how challenging Ottawa’s music scene can be for performers. We zeroed in a couple of factors, but it’s a city whose formula is hard to crack. It’s kind of a teetering triangle between venues, artists and music fans that despite our best efforts can’t always connect.

Be sure to connect with the first single off Graven’s album “Geographics” on Jan. 26th. Visit graven.ca to give it a listen.