An Orillia musician and his band have been nominated for two Maple Blues Awards.
Lance Anderson, who founded Matchedash Parish with Matt Weidinger, said it was an honour to have the band nominated for New Artist or Group of the Year and Recording/Producer of the Year.
“For a debut release, that’s a big honour,” he said. “It’s up against some good competition, but it’s a great record, so you never know.”
It’s been a whirlwind experience for Matchedash Parish.
Its first live performance was on the main stage at the Mariposa Folk Festival in 2018. The band had only one rehearsal as a group before heading into the studio, where it recorded its debut album, Saturday Night, over two days.
“From the first time we rehearsed, it felt great, just locked in, and we knew it was going to work,” Anderson said.
Matchedash Parish had a few festivals under its belt before releasing Saturday Night in September 2018. Despite the audience not having the chance to hear the album before taking in the performances, “people really responded to it,” Anderson said.
“It was quite gratifying.”
Matchedash Parish is a complex musical machine. Led by Anderson, Weidinger and Quisha Wint, the band includes nine other musicians or singers: Shamakah Ali, Ben Rolo, Art Avalos, Gene Hardy, William Sperendei, Mackenzie Jordan, Mark Mcintyre, Michelle White and Jill Zahdeh.
“When they all get going, it’s like a freight train,” Anderson said.
He is no stranger to the Maple Blues Awards, which recognize the top Canadian talent in the genre. Anderson joked he felt like “the Susan Lucci of the Maple Blues Awards,” having been nominated eight times for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year before winning it in 2014.
Winning is great, but even a nomination goes a long way in raising an artist’s profile.
“It makes it so much easier to get booked at festivals across the country,” Anderson said. “To win New Artist of the Year would mean 12 festivals as opposed to four.”
Fans have the opportunity to help make that happen. They can vote on the Maple Blues Awards website after registering here.
“That they can participate is really important,” Anderson said.
However, regardless of how they vote, Anderson encourages people to check out some of the best blues artists in Canada who have been nominated for various awards.
“Go in and listen to the artists. The Canadian blues scene has a lot of hard-working artists,” he said.
Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1.
The Maple Blues Awards will be handed out during a ceremony Feb. 3 at Koerner Hall in Toronto. Matchedash Parish will perform during the event.
Find out more about Matchedash Parish here.
Nominees for New Artist or Group of the Year
Bywater Call
Durham County Poets
Matchedash Parish
Miss Emily
Robert Connely Farr
Nominees for Recording/Producer of the Year
Amour
Artist: Colin Linden and Luther Dickinson
Producers: Colin Linden
Mad Love
Artist: Dawn Tyler Watson
Producer: François Thiffault and Dawn Tyler Watson
For Love and Money
Artist: Harpdog Brown
Producer: Steve Dawson
Saturday Night
Artist: Matchedash Parish
Producer: Lance Anderson
Halfway Home by Morning
Artist: Matt Andersen
Producer: Steve Dawson
