New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ RAS Creative) Northern Ontario foursome Midnight
Shine is turning heads with a self-titled debut featuring a sound that seamlessly mixes roots, classic and modern rock.
Anchored by the melodic vocals and eloquent lyrics of charismatic singer/songwriter Adrian Sutherland, Midnight
Shine was recorded at Toronto's Noble Street Studios with award-winning producer
Douglas Romanow. The result is a top-quality radio-friendly recording given depth by Sutherland's perceptive exploration of his First Nations' culture in the remote community of Attawapiskat.
RADIO SINGLE
The first single is Since You Been Gone, released in August. The three-minute tune penned by Sutherland has 'rock radio' written all over it. It's sure to be a sweet surprise to music directors across Canada when they hear it for the first time. It's a song they can take a real shine to.
ABOUT MIDNIGHT SHINE
When Canadian rock legends
Trooper invited singer/songwriter Adrian Sutherland to open their Timmins concert in 2011, there was one condition: that he performs with a band. So Sutherland pulled together Zach Tomatuk (guitar), Stan Louttit (bass), and
George Gillies (drums), and Midnight
Shine came to be.
"We gelled really fast," recalls Adrian. "We played in front of 1,000 people the very first show, and they were blown away. After that, we just had to keep it going."
Their fresh sound has been captured on Midnight Shine, their just-released debut that is already garnering solid sales and positive reviews. The disc was recorded at Toronto's elite Noble Street Studios with acclaimed award-winning producer
Douglas Romanow (Michael Pickett, The Satellites). His production expertise and keyboard work gave the emerging Midnight
Shine sound a thorough polish, as Adrian explains. "Doug did a wonderful job of bringing a lighter 'ear candy' quality out of the music."
A strong sense of melody is at the heart of all Midnight Shine's material, partially attributable to Sutherland's background as a solo singer/songwriter who is used to crafting songs on acoustic guitar. The nine tracks on Midnight
Shine range from the radio-friendly Since You Been Gone and resonating rock ballad Small Town Girl, through the hook-laden riffs of Indian In Disguise and Worth The Fight, to the rootsy
James Bay and Neil Young-like Mooshum (Grandfather).
Helping set Midnight
Shine apart from other Canadian rock bands is Adrian Sutherland's lyrical explorations of his First Nations' identity. He hails from the northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat (with bandmates from other First Nations in the region) and draws upon his experiences in his songs.
"Some of the music is about who I am and where I come from," he explains. "I've always wanted to share some of my background and beliefs through the platform of music. Everybody has a story and I think it's important for First Nations people to shed positive light on our culture and values."
In addition to making contemporary rock music, Sutherland sings in a traditional drum group, takes part in ceremonies, and is a genuine example of someone who lives and pays homage to his culture. He cares about his people of the north, figuratively as well as literally, through his work as a paramedic, and his job as Chief Operations Officer for economic development in his community. He is proud of who he is, and where he comes from.
While Sutherland's home has been the subject of a flood of negative media attention in recent years, he for one would like to change those perceptions: "There are good stories to be told from Attawapiskat, and I hope we're one of them."
Indeed they are. In fact, the name Midnight
Shine is highly appropriate, given that the band and their music shine a bright and positive light on a place too often depicted as dark and troubled.
They're a band you'll take a real shine to.
