CBC Searchlight 2017 Special Edition
THE LONG WAR
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CBC Searchlight 2017 Special Edition
Finalists :
By Ken Kelley
After more than 1,200 entries spanning virtually every genre of music came in from across Canada , Vancouver band The Long War were crowned the winners of CBC ’ s 2017 Searchlight Competition , taking home the grand prize that includes the $ 25,000 Canadian Musician Career Booster prize package .
Celebrity judges Ruth B ., Dan Kanter , and Jarvis Church made the selection from a very strong final four that also included Toronto ’ s Jaryd Stanley and WILL and Saskatchewan trio The Wolfe . Congratulations to all of the finliasts .
The Winner :
Jaryd Stanley
Originally from New Brunswick , Jaryd Stanley relocated to Toronto in late 2015 with the hopes of furthering his promising music career . Although he didn ’ t emerge victorious in the Searchlight competition , Stanley was the lucky winner of the fan vote , which proves that his music is reaching eager ears across the country . The acoustic singer-songwriter released his debut EP , Sixteen Ten , this past March , and , thanks to Searchlight , has undoubtedly garnered the greatest national exposure of his career .
THE LONG WAR
Drawing obvious influence from the wealth of celebrated Canadian folk , rock , and country artists that have come before them , Vancouver ’ s The Long War have come a long way in a short amount of time . When you consider that the group formed just over one year ago and has only four live shows under its belt , the accomplishment becomes that much more impressive .
The song “ Breathe In , Breathe Out ” is a passionate rallying cry from a band whose stature as an act to watch will only be strengthened over the next few years .
“[ The song ] is about a friend who was going through some hard times ,” The Long War ’ s Jarrett Lee told CBC . “ The riff was always under my fingers when I picked up a guitar so I started writing the song but could never finish it … It has a really powerful meaning to me and brought me back to life in a way . It ’ s very cathartic . I think it transcends and takes different meanings for different people . I wrote it for a friend and it ended up being for me .”
With the praise and opportunities coming within such a relatively short time span , there ’ s no telling where The Long War will end up by this time in 2018 .
The Wolfe
With an average age of just 17 years old , Saskatchewan all-girl trio The Wolfe were one of four finalists in the CBC Searchlight Competition . Inspired by the likes of Blondie , Madonna , and Joan Jett , the ladies describe their band ’ s sound as “ risk-taking , sometimes cheeky , yet stuck-in-your-head catchy tunes by three girls you can relate to .” It ’ s an apt description , as proven by the group ’ s self-titled EP released in June 2016 .
WILL
Describing her sound as “ an authentic blend of pop and R & B vocals on top of … hip-hop / trap percussion … layered with melody ,” Toronto artist WILL saw her song “ Palisades ” connect with Searchlight listeners from coast-to-coast . She is looking to add to her already impressive skill set by playing more guitar and piano . “ For now , when I listen to music , I like to get lost in the artists ’ instrumentals and lyrics ,” she told the CBC . “ I always try to dissect the meaning and thought behind a song to find out what emotion and story the artist was trying to convey ” – and that ’ s a rewarding exercise when applied to WILL ’ s own output .
78 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN