We’ve Got Our Eyes On…Arrows in the Air

Who they are:
Bruce White – guitar/vocals
Brady MacDonald – drums/vocals
Craig MacDonald – bass

Home Base:
Charlottetown

On the scene since:
2010. All three were former members of the Charlottetown rock band, Battery Point.

What you’ll hear them they play:
Good solid party rock ‘n’ roll music. “That’s not saying you won’t hear a ballad or a good acoustic number in our sets,” says bassist, Craig MacDonald, “but we take this very seriously and we try to fill that true rock ‘n’ roll void that seems to have faded away in recent years.”

Musical influences:
“We love that we’re a wild mix of Green Day and Mötley Crüe,” stated White in an interview with CBC Radio 3. “It’s a pretty wild comparison; we do have short pop/rock songs like Green Day, but Craig and Brady are big hair metal fans. Everything they do is influenced by that Crüe/Guns ‘N’ Roses era. It gives a little edge to what we’re doing.”

How Arrows in the Air got their name:
“Bruce came up with it at rehearsal one night,” says MacDonald. “We had thrown around a handful of names trying to find something we all liked. Bruce had said before that he was going for a name that evoked an “epic” image. Arrows in the Air is pretty visual and we’ve all seen movies with that image of hundreds of arrows flying through the air. You know when they land, something interesting will be going down.”

A Steady Climb:
No sooner than the power trio settled on their band name, Arrows in the Air released their first self-produced EP Shadows on the Skyline in early 2010. The album has been well received, earning Arrows a nomination for the 2010 Music PEI Rock/Loud Album of the Year. The first single “She’s An Avalanche” spent eight weeks on the East Coast Countdown peaking at #2. The guys have completed three tours, opened for some pretty high profile bands including Finger 11, Slowcoaster and Tim Chaisson and Morning Fold, and played in some of the countries top music venues.

Earlier this year, Arrows were awarded the MuchFACT grant to film their first professional music video for their second single “Love and Morals” shot and produced in Toronto, ON. Arrows debuted “Love and Morals” on the band’s Facebook page in October to much acclaim from their fans. The video got 300 hits online the first day alone.

“We have been staying so busy that sometimes we forget to look back and see how far things have come and see how much our hard work is paying off,” says MacDonald. “The nominations from Music PEI for Shadows on the Skyline and tons of gigs makes us see that we have making a steady climb in the industry.”

What it takes to be a success:
“Success is different depending on who you ask,” says MacDonald. “We have goals we would like to achieve but the road to those goals has many stops and checkpoints along the way. If we can continue to move forward, work towards these goals and keep making good music, that’s a step in the right direction and a success for the band.

Hard work does pay off and asking for and getting help is nothing to be ashamed of. There is always someone better than you and who has done it all before. Keep your eyes and ears open and make friends in the industry.”

Looking ahead to 2012:
The guys are currently in talks to record a new album in the upcoming year, which they say is shaping up very nicely. Arrows also plans on hitting the road to do some more touring with bigger acts and even bigger audiences. “We plan on refining every aspect of the band to make for an even tighter unit of three musicians,” says MacDonald. “The old fans will not be let down and for anyone that hasn’t see us yet, we plan on winning over.”

Where you can catch them next:
Arrows in the Air will be ringing in New Years Eve 2012 at Quality Inn on the Hill with The Meds.

Check ‘em out:
Myspace.com/arrowsintheair or ‘Like’ the Arrows in the Air Fan Page on Facebook.

Who they are: Bruce White – guitar/vocals Brady MacDonald – drums/vocals Craig MacDonald – bass Home Base: Charlottetown On the scene since: 2010. All three were former members of the Charlottetown rock band, Battery Point. What you’ll hear them they play: Good solid party rock ‘n’ roll music. “That’s not saying you won’t hear a [...]

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Home for a Rest

Award-winning singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan talks family, music & why it’s good to be back on the Island

By Meredith Morrison
Photography by Alanna Jankov

When I contacted singer/songwriter Catherine MacLellan to set up a time for a photo shoot and interview, she had just one request.

“Can we be done by 3?” she says. “I have to be home to pick up my daughter from school.”

MacLellan just returned from a two-week stretch in England where she was promoting her latest album, Silhouette, and she’s more than ready to get back into her role as doting mom to her six-year-old daughter, Isabel. I tell her it’s no problem and we agree on a mid-morning meeting.

It’s an unusually sunny, albeit crisp November morning when I meet the award-winning singer/songwriter. We get to know each other as we stand outside Zion Presbyterian Church, the site of the tribute concert that will honour the music and life of her dad, Gene MacLellan, taking place January 14 during Music PEI Week. We make small talk about the weather, Isabel’s fascination with princesses and about how not ready either one of us is ready for Christmas. She’s quiet, but she’s got a sense of humour. I like her already.

The two of us zip around the corner to grab a cup of tea and talk shop. The ‘Just Biding My Time: A Tribute to Gene MacLellan’ concert is coming up and MacLellan, along with a host of Island musicians, some who knew Gene personally and others who have been inspired by the late singer’s work, will be performing songs penned by her father, including such famous hits such as ‘Snowbird’ and ‘Put Your Hand in the Hand’. The concert, which will be televised on CBC, promises to be a night of celebration and fantastic, not-to-be-missed performances. Funny enough, if Gene MacLellan were still alive, he probably wouldn’t be there.

“He’d hate it because he was just a really shy guy so he’d feel overwhelmed by all of this attention on him,” says MacLellan as she sips her tea. “But at the same time, he was always working really hard for his music. Life, for him, was about his music, his family. He’d be more excited from afar.”

She describes her dad as a man who was extremely passionate about his music and spirituality. He had a great sense of humour, was generous and humble, “almost to a negative point,” she says. “He was just always doing things for other people and I think, for him, his music was the same. He would do things for his music more than he would for himself. There’s a lot for me to live up to.”

It’s fair to say that MacLellan has been following in her father’s footsteps very closely. Her singing and songwriting has earned her multiple Music PEI and ECMA awards and she is known the world over for her soft voice and emotionally charged lyrics. Her previous albums have collectively hit #1 on the iTunes Canada Roots charts. Her list of accomplishments goes on and on but as she would tell you herself, when you grow up around music as much as she did, you start to pick up the craft as if by osmosis. “It was just a normal part of life,” she says about her musical upbringing.

Her fourth album, Silhouette, has been getting rave reviews across Canada, the United States and England. The album, released in July 2011, which MacLellan herself says is “kind of all over the map,” is filled with songs about relationships and watching her friends go through hard times. She credits her daughter for changing her perspective on life and giving greater scope to this record than her past ones.

“I just realized life isn’t about me. In fact, it probably has nothing to do with me,” she laughs. “She just kind of opened my eyes to so many things.”

One notable track on the Silhouette is her rendition of ‘Snowbird’, one of her father’s most recognizable songs. As to why she chose to include the track, which she often performs live, on this album as opposed to her earlier releases, MacLellan says she wanted to give her fans their own copy.

“The other side to that is this the first record that I’ve made without a song about my dad on it that I had written, so it felt kind of nice to tie him still into the music and keep him connected in it,” she says. “In every album, there’s at least one song that’s about him and, you know, losing him and that kind of trying to deal with it so every record is like I reached a new step of being ok with that. And so, this time, I think I’m ok. Now I can do one of his songs.”

With her touring schedule clear for at least a few more weeks, MacLellan is spending her days at home writing songs, watching the Food Network and, like a lot of us, de-cluttering. She and Isabel are catching up on arts and crafts, dancing to silly songs and watching princess movies. It’s quiet around the MacLellan homestead these days but with Music PEI Week just around the corner, she’s looking forward to catching up with friends and getting her fill of music, both on and off the stage. She’s also ready to pay tribute to the man whose timeless work continues to inspire her, her dad.

“This is another chance to celebrate his music,” she smiles, “and, yeah, I think it’s wonderful.”

Award-winning singer-songwriter Catherine MacLellan talks family, music & why it’s good to be back on the Island By Meredith Morrison Photography by Alanna Jankov When I contacted singer/songwriter Catherine MacLellan to set up a time for a photo shoot and interview, she had just one request. “Can we be done by 3?” she says. “I [...]

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A Modern Day Maria: April Cook in The Sound of Music

Not only is actress April Cook on the cover of the November/December issue of G!, but she’s also starring in The Sound of Music, playing now through Saturday at the Confederation Centre of the Arts!

By Meredith Morrison

 

I’ve often wondered about the connection between The Sound of Music and Christmas.

Ever since I was a kid, the two have just always gone together like candy canes on Christmas trees. My grandmother and I would search the channels on Christmas Day to make sure we weren’t missing the opening sequence where Maria stands in the field belting her heart out about how the hills are very much alive with the sound of music. It’s still on my “must watch” list of Christmas classics, but for the life of me, I could never figure out what made it so other than it never failed to air on Christmas Day. There’s no Santa, no reindeer, no talking snowmen – none of the usual holiday suspects that make their way into regularly scheduled programming. So what’s the deal?

I thought I’d stump April Cook, who takes on the role of Maria when the Confederation Centre of the Arts presents The Sound of Music December 14 – 17, with my holiday query. I feel pretty confident that I’ll have her with this doozy of a question no one I’ve asked can seem to answer.

I should’ve known better than to test the star of the upcoming musical. She had the mystery solved as soon as the question had left my lips.

“It’s totally family-oriented. It’s a feel good musical,” she replied. “It has really nice music, it has young kids in it which, let’s face it, Christmas would be pretty boring if you didn’t have little kids excited about it.”

Cook, along with an ensemble cast comprised of professional actors and students of the School of Performing Arts, will have Islanders young and old brimming with the excitement of the season when The Sound of Music opens December 14 on the Homburg Theatre stage.

It’s a challenging role for Cook, who portrays the nun-turned-governess who sings (and sews) her way into the heart of Captain Georg Von Trapp (played by Rick Hughes) and his seven children. But it’s a role she’s looking forward to playing.

“She’s one of those fun characters to play,” says the actress. “She goes through this whole change and for me, I think it’ll be a blast to work with the kids because I love kids. There’ll be tons of laughing going on for sure.”

Starting out as a child actress herself as one of the children of Avonlea in Anne of Green Gables: The Musical, Cook brings a wealth of experience to her cast mates who are just getting their start in the business. She has performed in numerous Christmas productions, was a member of the Confederation Centre’s Young Company and has gone on to wow audiences in a number of the Charlottetown Festival’s hit shows including Anne of Green Gables: The Musical and as Tracy Turnblad for three shows during Hairspray.

After finishing high school, she attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City where she endured rigorous 12-hour days training to hone her craft. The program was intense, but Cook certainly has no regrets. “It was a lot of work, but I’m glad I did it,” she says. “It only made me stronger.”

She’s got the looks, the smarts and obviously the talent to take on this iconic role made famous by Julie Andrews, but I wanted to know – is April Cook the modern day Maria Von Trapp?

While her favourite things may not have included whiskers on kittens or brown paper packages tied up in string, she did have a few items that are more in line with the times.

“My favourite colour is pink; I love travelling and shopping. My favourite food… (she has to stop and think about that one for a moment)…probably pizza. I’m not very picky. I love my Mom’s homemade pizza – that is my favourite thing to eat. Besides that, my favourite thing to do is to be busy. I like to be active. I guess my favourite thing is to be in rehearsals, getting paid to do what I love,” she laughs.

Ok, I’ll give her that. But could she handle being in charge of the care of seven mischievous children? “I’ve never tried before,” she ponders. “I’d be up for the challenge, maybe for a few days. I don’t think I’d want to do it my whole life.”

Fair enough. Last question – can she make a dress from curtains and more importantly, would she wear it in public?

“Can I make a dress? No, definitely not. I’m not that domestic yet, “she laughs. “Would I wear a dress made of curtains? Probably not. I think it’d be pretty hot in there.”

She may not be crafty with curtains, but Cook tells me she does identify with Maria’s ability to stand up for what she believes in, her big heart and tendency to be a dreamer. “She’s a pretty well-rounded character,” says Cook, whose own charismatic and bubbly persona will no doubt win the hearts of audiences, much like Julie Andrews’ performance never fails to capture ours each holiday season.

Catch The Sound of Music at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on the Homburg Theatre stage December 14 – 17 at 7:00pm. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without it!

Not only is actress April Cook on the cover of the November/December issue of G!, but she’s also starring in The Sound of Music, playing now through Saturday at the Confederation Centre of the Arts! By Meredith Morrison   I’ve often wondered about the connection between The Sound of Music and Christmas. Ever since I [...]

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