Halifax Artist Opening Space for Future Talent as NS’s Music Industry Grows – Halifax | The Canadian News

When people hear the name ‘HUGTAPES: Halifax Underground’, the curator / organizer of the platform Christoper toulany you want the words “uplifting, diverse, and honest” to come to mind.

Toulany said that as much as he loves uplifting vibes, he wants to give Halifax artists, who may have been through difficult experiences in life, a platform to express themselves honestly and intimately.

Toulany created HUGTAPES, with the help of musician Francis Desaux aka Frantik, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal of creating a medium for marginalized and marginalized artists to create and promote their work.

Toulany, who goes by the stage name Paollo 13, has been an artist and promoter on the local music scene for about 15 years, and noticed while making music that something was missing.

“There really wasn’t a place for emerging artists to network and be seen, either digitally or in shows, which is really what started this,” he said.

“I realized that artists who were on the same level as me were being overlooked, that there was nothing for us. And I wanted to fill that void … there are so many incredible talents in this city … and I want to be that person to heal what I felt was the atmosphere of our city, “he added.

In mid-September, the platform released their first track ‘Chips’ featuring MAJE, KXNG WOOZ, LXVNDR, Megz, Frantik and Paollo 13, produced by Dennis Lim-Sersan and recorded by Bucky Blanks.

In the first week, the single garnered more than 5,000 streams on Spotify, and the platform is working to release more.

According to Toulany, HUGTAPES will release “mixtapes” featuring a diverse range of local emerging artists on a quarterly basis, including Halifax’s Savage Tha God, who has been working with Toulany to produce some of his music.

He said it has been a very exciting time for emerging artists where the Halifax music scene is “resurrected” and that he wants to play a role in that, despite the challenges COVID-19 has brought.

“About three or five years ago … it was almost like the dark age of Halifax music where, again, you would have the same established people … and there really was nothing true, like the rise of young talents,” he said. Toulany.

He said that artists did not have the resources or the knowledge to create in a visible way.

“People started saying that no one was going to save us except ourselves,” Toulany said.

So now people are seeing brands like ‘Pineapple Express Media’ pop up, which is a media company that was founded in 2019 to support underground artists through multimedia, digital media, and print media, and of course there’s HUGTAPES.

Toulany said that COVID-19 was a “period of forced reflection” that contributed to the growth of the local music scene.

“It brought us together. We realized that no matter what genre or style of music you like to create, that we are really all in this together and that this music scene only works if we support and trust each other. And I think we were also excited to go out again. “

He said the artists had no choice but to sit back and reflect on themselves.

“I felt it was a good thing for me to get away from the music scene type of business and the fear of losing myself… it forced me to sit down and think about what I need to establish,” Toulany said.

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Music Nova Scotia Executive Producer Allegra Swanson said there has been tremendous growth in the industry.

“I think we’re in a really exciting time right now when it comes to emerging talent,” Swanson said.

“There are many emerging talents who, despite the pandemic, have been working incredibly hard and doing a great deal of digital content creation to make sure their music still reaches audiences not just within the province, but across the country. and internationally ”, he added. .

As a non-profit organization that focuses on the development and promotion of Nova Scotia’s music industry, it has initiated a concert series with future talent, as well as an artist-in-residence program.

The Artist in Residence Program will provide a local emerging musician or group with financial and professional support, as well as acting opportunities to help them develop their career. This year, the selected acting act will receive $ 20,000 in cash and prizes.

“We have five acts competing for the venue, so the talent is really incredible here. And that’s something the pandemic hasn’t stopped, ”Swanson said in an interview Thursday.

The Bombadils, Kids Losing Sleep, KXNG WOOZ, LXVNDR and Pillow Fite performed for the grand prize at the Grand Oasis Stage in Halifax on September 17, with KXNG WOOZ as the winner.

Swanson said the organization is now focusing on the recovery process, especially through grants, which have been made easier for artists to apply for.

He said a $ 3,000 grant can make a big difference in an artist’s career.

“Although I have been in the position for a year, it has obviously been a very different type of year than normal. I would have gone to see many more shows if it had been possible, ”he said. “But what I’ve been seeing is that I think there is a lot of misinformation or misconceptions about what we can offer and how we can help artists.”

She said that applying for a grant is for everyone, even if an artist is not a member, and that the organization is there to help artists navigate that process.

READ MORE: Halifax Musician Writes Song About Raising 5 Children, Including Triplets, During COVID-19

Grant money can be used for marketing, recording, or video creation.

“The biggest success we see from emerging talent tends to be people who use their community and try to support others and ask questions and reach out, because it can often be a lonely place when you’re alone.”

From applying for grants to entering contests or simply communicating with other artists, Toulany wants local musicians to know that support is available to them.

Toulany said that he feels very lucky to have been able to surround himself with people who are motivated and supportive of the platform.

“I have developed these relationships with people based on being trustworthy and people know it. They can count on me to represent their voice in a way that is beneficial to them, that they will be heard and that I will not alter anything or that I would never try to belittle anyone. “