YOUR 2022 ARTISTS
three days grace
Outsiders always leave enduring impressions. By veering away from the pack, these mavericks confidently lead the charge for others to follow. Since 2003, Three Days Grace has staked a spot amongst the hard rock vanguard, quietly breaking records, toppling charts, moving millions of units worldwide, and making history by holding the all-time record for “most #1 singles at Active Rock Radio ever” with 13. The Ontario, Canada quartet—Matt Walst [lead vocals], Barry Stock [lead guitar], Brad Walst [bass], and Neil Sanderson [drums, percussion, keyboards, programming]—continue to blaze that trail on their sixth full-length album, the aptly titled Outsider [RCA Records].
“To me, Outsider represents the journey to find your place,” says Brad. “The world feels crazy at times. We try to get away from that every once in a while. We do our own thing, and we’re comfortable doing it. We have always looked forward—and not backwards. That’s an ongoing theme for us here.”
“It’s what we’ve done in many ways by being on the outside,” agrees Neil. “This is all about taking a step back from life’s madness without destroying yourself, cutting everyone off, or going crazy. You get a break and find the space to create.”
That’s exactly what the musicians did in the fall of 2016. Instead of congregating in a downtown Toronto rehearsal space, they initially wrote in a converted garage behind Brad’s house located two hours from the city. Eventually, they retreated to Neil’s 90-acre farm to further hone ideas. Following daytime snowmobile trips, the guys often sat around bonfires with acoustic guitars, tapping into the wild spirit surrounding them.
“We grew up hanging out in the woods and building fires,” smiles Brad. “Home is where the heart is. This is where we’re most comfortable. We were able to focus on our craft. We spent more time writing this than any other project. It has a sense of seclusion to it. It’s like we naturally migrated back.”
As the songs took shape, the band packed up and headed to the remote Ontario’s Jukasa Studios. In order to capture that energy, they called upon longtime friends and collaborators. Producers Gavin Brown and Howard Benson returned to the fold, with Mike Plotnikoff engineering and Chris Lord-Alge on mixing duty.
“We put our ultimate dream team together,” smiles Barry. “These guys have all been a part of the family for a long time. It was amazing to have everybody onboard.”
Given its undeniable unpredictable sound, Outsider feels right at home alongside a catalog of fan favorites from Three Days Grace. In 2015, Human marked the group’s second straight bow at #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart as well as their fourth consecutive debut in Top 20 of the Top 200. It spawned two #1 singles “Painkiller” and “I Am Machine,” signaling their 13th overall and 5th consecutive number ones on the Active Rock Radio chart. Moreover, the four-piece consistently averaged a staggering 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify—remaining “one of the most listened to rock bands in the world.” In 2012, Transit of Venus soared to the Top 5 of the Top 200 and garnered a nod for “Best Rock Album of the Year” at the Juno Awards. The seminal One-X [2006] notched an RIAA triple-platinum certification as Three Days Grace [2003] was minted platinum and Life Starts Now went gold. To date, their veritable arsenal of number one includes “Chalk Outline,” “The High Road,” “Misery Loves My Company,” “World So Cold,” “Good Life,” “Break,” “Never Too Late,” “Animal I Have Become,” “Pain,” “Just Like You,” and “Home.”
tim hicks
Hicks continues to lead the way, defining a genre with his sure-footed everyman approach - expanding the songwriting and style that helped define today’s country music. The platinum selling entertainer is a “true star on the Canadian country music scene” (GoBe Weekly), “proving he knows how to tailor his songs to his ever-expanding audience” and commemorating his wide-open sound as one of the crucial influences on today’s Canadian County Music.
Most recently, Hicks announced the “Wreck This Town World Tour” along with the digital release of “Wreck” a 3-song EP featuring the brand new single “No Truck Song”. Produced by Jeff Coplan and co-written by Hicks, Jeff Coplan and Bruce Wallace, ‘No Truck Song’ follows Hicks’ #1 chart-topper “What A Song Should Do” and serves as an exciting first look at what’s to come in 2020.
Building from local acclaim to a nationally recognized name, Hicks has cemented his reputation as an elite chart-topping act since making his country label debut in 2013. The platinum selling entertainer’s catalogue of highly praised releases including: “Throw Down”, “5:01”, “5:01+”, “Shake These Walls” and 2018’s “New Tattoo”, have earned the four-time JUNO Award nominee and CCMA Award winner, two PLATINUM selling singles, 7 GOLD singles, one GOLD album and thirteen Top 10 radio hits including the No. 1 chart-topper “What A Song Should Do” – all with his long-time label Open Road Recordings, in addition to multiple sold-out headlining dates and back to back national tours.
The first recipient of the Nielsen Compass Award, an honour that recognizes an artist for the most total content plays including streams, single and album sales as well as total social media following, Hicks released his fourth full-length studio album “New Tattoo” in June (2018) and followed with the national “Get Loud” headlining tour where he partnered with PLUS1 and donated $1 from every ticket to the Unison Fund and their work providing counseling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. The album’s first single “LOUD”, was licensed by the NHL in North America – adding to his collective 60+ million streams worldwide to date.
the beaches
Named appropriately after the Toronto neighbourhood they all hail and hang in, The Beaches are authentically rock ‘n’ roll. Their ‘70s aesthetic, unapologetic attitude and electrifying sound all fit harmoniously in a modern rock context. Comprised of sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller (on lead vocals/bass and guitar, respectively), Eliza Enman-McDaniel (on drums), and Leandra Earl (on keys and guitar), the band has a natural kismet that shines through on each track and in their live performances. The Beaches have become one of Canada’s top acts with a global reach, placing them in a modern and future context where rock prevails and marking them one of this generation’s most promising young rock groups.
Since their sizzling major label debut in 2017 with LP, Late Show, the quartet has accumulated an array of impressive highlights. The album's first single, “Money,” secured the No.1 spot for three consecutive weeks and the infectious track “T-Shirt,” which spent nine weeks on the Billboard Rock Chart, recently became Gold Certified in Canada. With five Top 5 Alt Radio singles, a JUNO Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year– this is just the beginning of what The Beaches have in store.
Their latest 5-track EP, Future Lovers, was released on May 14, 2021. Produced by long-time collaborator Jacknife Lee and written by all four band members, Lee and Coco Morier, Future Lovers was initially recorded in Los Angeles during sessions for the band’s 2019 release, The Professional. Future Lovers highlights the band’s impressive musicianship and song-writing skills, which are complemented, as always, by the killer vocals and whimsically acerbic lyrics that The Beaches are known and loved for. Garnering rave reviews from Toronto Star, Exclaim, CBC Music and many more, Future Lovers brims with the band’s wit and personality, which is heard loud and clear on each track – from the energetic bop-ready “Blow Up,” anthemic “Let’s Go,” the nostalgic guitar-driven “Bad Behaviour,” the cheeky infatuated synth-track “Slow Mo,” and the heavy and pensively powerful finale, “You Don’t Owe Me Anything.”
SAVING ABEL
Founded in 2005 by vocalist Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null, Saving Abel is a southern rock band with catchy hooks and heavy riffs. The Mississippi quintet broke onto the scene with their first single, “Addicted” from 2008’s self-titled Saving Abel, which climbed its way through the mainstream rock charts to the Billboard Hot 100 and Top 40. The group’s debut charted on Billboard’s Top 50 and became RIAA certified platinum, as well as delivering two more #1 singles in “18 days” and “Drowning (Face Down).”
Back in 2013, after non-stop touring and writing, Weeks made the decision to step back for a much-needed break and to pursue a solo career. But after seven years, the band has announced the return of original vocalist Jared Weeks and Shade of Grace - Twenty Year Songs, a new EP that revisits some of the group’s earliest material. The record is a stroll down a nostalgic road where it beautifully showcases how Shade of Grace became Saving Abel and how a small duo from Corinth, MS, could take their big dreams and turn them into big realities.
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Saving Abel has received multiple awards from MTV, VH1, Fuse, BMG and Music Choice. “Addicted” won most played song of the year and has hit over 105 million streams on Spotify and over 200 million as a band. Their tours have included some of the top grossing tours of all time with bands such as Nickelback, Papa Roach, Shinedown and Sevendust.