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Fly with your Shadow is back after an unexpectedly long absence with a bit of a broader focus to allow for some new guests and different types of conversations! Channelling pain into beauty, Ken Yates’ fourth album is a breathtaking triumph of the human spirit. The cool-hued Cerulean captures the artist’s intimate reckoning as he grieved his dying mother, giving listeners a vivid window into the rollercoaster of intense thoughts and emotions that accompany such a personal, yet universal experience. The result is a transcendent record that surges with tightly held energy and intimate moments. The listener hears the artist growing in real time, moving towards a space of acceptance and peace as he himself moved to the country, began therapy, and wrote the songs he needed to hear. Cerulean may be born from grief, but it is not musically grieving: its surefooted and softly radiant arrangements shine with the quiet hope of a soul put through the wringer. “This is the first time that I’ve made a record where I feel like the songs were going to be written whether I wanted to release an album or not,” Yates explains. “I was writing because I needed to. I never would have described songwriting as a cathartic process in the past; it was just something I liked to do.” (from the bio by Mitch Mosk) Music Credits: “The Big One” is from the album Cerulean, which is available on Bandcamp. “Honest Light” is from the album Cerulean, which is available on Bandcamp.

Melanie Brulée is a bilingual singer/songwriter originally from Cornwall, Ontario. She spent much of her 20s living in Australia, where she first picked up a guitar and developed an interest in singing and songwriting. She came back to Canada and quickly established herself on stages and at festivals across Canada and in the United States. She’s got two full-length albums out, a French-language album called Débridée, which came out in 2015, and an English language album, Fires, Floods, and Things We Leave Behind, which came out in 2018. As you’ll hear in our interview, after some intense touring and hard work promoting that album, Melanie found herself burned out and questioning the direction she was headed in. A step away from music allowed her to focus on other areas of interest, including mental illness and mental health, which took on new importance for her after she learned, long after the fact, that her estranged father had taken his own life. This led her to learn more about mental illness and deal with mental health issues of her own. In conjunction with Mental Illness Awareness Week 2020, Melanie organized a series of conversations about mental health on Instagram Live and released a powerful song and video called “The Mess,” which is a take on an all-too-familiar inner struggle: a showdown between Anxiety and Depression, each fighting for power over its host, leaving THE MESS in the wake. This year, she released another powerful song and video relating to the topic, this time in French, called “Crier.” More information, videos, and music credits: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-83

Today’s show features a story of trauma that is really difficult to hear. This might be the most intensely emotional episode of this show so far, and it’s one that many listeners might find difficult and disturbing. It is a story about a young boy who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest and the devastating effects that it had on the boy and his family. If these topics might be difficult for you, or you have a strong attachment to the Catholic church, this might not be the episode for you. This story came to light in a powerful new song and video by Madison Violet (madisonviolet.com) Brenley MacEachern's brother Stevie. On September 22, 2021, Brenley posted on social media: Fifteen years ago today, my brother Stevie was strangled to death in a stairwell, between the 12th and 14th floor of an apartment building on Alexander Street in Toronto. Of course, that was just a small part of the string of bad luck following Stevie around; unlucky 13 on the last day of his life just summed it all up, I suppose. … It’s been so hard and anxiety-inducing to decide to share Stevie’s story. This video has only been out in the world for a day so far. Already the support and the stories messaged to us have strengthened my conviction that telling the truth and ending the stigmas around abuse, can help set us free. The effect that the abuse had on Stevie led to his life unravelling and spiralling out of control, and leading to his murder. Although Stevie is the one who suffered through the abuse, his loving family members suffered a different kind of trauma, watching a beloved family member struggle so visibly. Rightly, Brenly is emotional telling this story. She also carries and conveys a lot of anger towards the perpetrator and an organization that seems rife with such stories. Again, this episode, especially the second half, may not be for everyone. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, there are many mental health professionals that may be able to help. There are links to many great organizations on the Mental Health Resources page of flywithyourshadow.com. music credits and more info: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-7R

Mike Plume is one of the most glaring examples of the unfair nature of the music industry. You’d like to think that if you have immense talent and appeal and work really, really hard, you’d become a major star. But it doesn’t always work that way. Sometimes, an artist just grinds away, developing a rabid following outside of the mainstream. Don’t get me wrong, Mike has been successful and is known and loved by many. But for my money, he has written some of the best songs and put out some of the best albums this country has ever produced. For years, he led one of the best live bands on the planet, and they were willing to play anywhere and everywhere, and they did. Mike, along with his oldest friend and drummer Ernie Basiliadas, along with guitar slinger phenom Dave Klym, and a couple of bass players, most notably Derek Mazurek, were and still are known as Mike Plume Band. In their most active years, from 1997-2002, they were fixtures in bars, theatres, and at festivals across Canada, into the U.S., and across Europe, performing, up to 250 shows in a year. Their shows and albums at the time, I believe, stand right alongside some of the biggest bands in Canada, like Blue Rodeo and The Tragically Hip. But Mike never got the big-scale audiences or the acclaim that Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, and Gord Downie did. He ran into just about every roadblock you can imagine. He had bad management, he got ripped off, had deals that never really panned out, and opportunities that, through no fault of his own, did not work out. The band released an album called Fools for the Radio, which should have catapulted them into the upper echelon of Canadian bands, but it had the unfortunate circumstance of being released on September 11, 2001. And there are countless, incredible stories, many of which you can read at Mike’s website, mikeplume.com. Eventually, he cut back on the touring, married the love of his life, another super-talented singer/songwriter named Jenny Orenstein, and kind of settled down into a quieter life. They have a daughter named Ruby who is blossoming into a major musical talent. Watch out for her. But the songs keep coming, the stories keep getting written, and the stage keeps calling, and Mike keeps churning out powerful recordings. His latest album, Lonesome Stretch of Highway, again, had the unfortunate circumstance of being released right at the beginning of a global pandemic. He took a day job to help pay the bills while he couldn’t tour, and the interview and training process helped him to realize and face that he’d been living with an undiagnosed learning disability since grade 5. Never one to just sit around, Mike became one of the bright lights of online streaming shows over the past year and a half, as he went live once or twice a week for nearly a year. Catch Mike in Winnipeg at the newly renovated Park Theatre on October 19. Tickets are available through Eventbrite HERE I’ve got a whole lot more of my chat with Mike and a bunch of music to share on my other show, Tell the Band to Go Home on the October 10 and 17 episodes. You can find and follow that show at tellthebandtogohome.com music credits and more info: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-7D

John Wort Hannam hails from Alberta, where he started out writing narrative story songs and character sketches and carved out a name for himself singing those songs and telling those stories all across Canada and beyond. He made a couple of albums independently, then a couple with the help and backing of influential and successful producer Steve Dawson, which were released on Steve’s Black Hen Music. In 2011, John and his wife Jenny welcomed a son, Charlie, and he started writing more personal songs, exposing more of his own feelings and experiences. That’s where he really found his stride as a songwriter and began to create his most meaningful work. Wanting to record closer to home, he made a couple of albums with Leeroy Stagger, who was my guest on the first episode of Fly with your Shadow. His latest release, 2019’s Acres of Elbow Room, came about after a particularly difficult period of dark depression for John which culminated in a physical manifestation of years of undiagnosed and untreated difficulty, when he lost his voice and couldn’t sing. In just a couple of weeks, on October 15, John will release a new album, again produced by Steve Dawson, called Long Haul. music credits and more information: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-7q

Meaghan Smith (meaghansmith.com) is a successful, award-winning, former major label recording artist, a talented painter and greeting card designer (meaghansmithart.com), a loving mother, adoring wife, and more. She and her husBand, Jason Mingo, run a custom-song business called "Our Song" (oursongmusic.com). She's also been very honest and open about her struggle with anxiety. More information and music credits: https://flywithyourshadow.com/meaghan-smith-episode-22/

It only took one listen at his producer’s house in 2003 to convince me that JP Hoe had something special. He’s got a big, powerful, one-of-a-kind voice, and knows how to craft a memorable melody. I knew he was headed for great things and couldn’t wait to share his music with people. And I’ve been doing it steadily for 18 years now. In that time, he’s put out an early EP, 4 full-length albums, kick-started the creation of one of my favourite live music venues, and created a perennially successful and popular Christmas-time concert, The Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday Show, and a related collection of original and classic Christmas songs. He is one of the most popular live acts in Winnipeg, always performing to sold-out crowds and is a regular at local festivals and major events. He was part of a local supergroup called Middle of Nowhere, which was made up of JP, Rusty Matyas (now known as Rusty Robot), Alexa Dirks (now doing big things as Begonia), Grant Davidson (aka Slow Leaves) and Keri Latimer (leader of Leaf Rapids and Nathan.) He’s extensively toured Canada, The USA, Australia, Iceland, and Europe. Needless to say, the guy’s been busy! JP has been one of the most played artists on my radio shows and has stopped by the studio to chat and sing at least a dozen times, but somehow, it’s always fresh and fun and interesting. JP Hoe lives in Winnipeg with his wife and two kids. You can find him online at JPHoe.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. He’s hard at work on a long-awaited new album. I’ve got more from our conversation that I’ll share on the September 5 episode of my show Tell the Band to Go Home, which you can find at tellthebandtogohome.com. Music credits and more info: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-6U

Jim White (jimwhitemusic.net) is a fascinating character who has lived an almost unbelievable life up to this point. It’s his music that got my attention and has brought him the most renown and acclaim, but he didn’t come seriously to music until later in life. Before a rather serendipitous start to that career, he was a professional model, professional surfer, New York University film student, and a New York City taxi driver. During those early years, Jim was deeply depressed and suicidal and struggling with some dark demons in his soul. Eventually, as you’ll hear in our interview, Jim retreated to his sister’s house in Florida where he withdrew from society almost entirely, but started writing his way through his depression by creating the dark, strange, almost mythological songs that he’s become known for. An early tape of those songs found its way into the hands of David Byrne, the legendary former leader of Talking Heads. Byrne is one of the most influential artists of his generation, and he guided Jim to a record deal, which he signed before ever performing on stage. Those magical coincidences kind of follow Jim around. His career has received major boosts when his music was included in several the hugely successful show Breaking Bad, and the subsequent film El Camino, which were headed up by Jim’s former classmate Vince Gilligan, who got his big break working on another big TV series, The X Files. Jim White has now released 8 full-length albums of his own, as well as a couple of EPs and numerous collaborations with other artists. His 2004 album Drill a Hole in that Substrate and Tell Me what you See includes contributions from Suzie Ungerleider, who appeared on episode 16 of this show. He’s currently producing an album for Ben de la Cour, who was my guest on episode 5. I’ve got a lot of great stuff left over from this interview that I’ll share on the August 1 episode of my other show, Tell the Band to Go Home, which you can find at tellthebandtogohome.com For music credits and more info, visit https://wp.me/pdcjXL-6b

Music credits and more information can be found here: https://wp.me/pdcjXL-6b Shawna Caspi's biography describes her as, “a singer, a poet, a painter, a fingerstyle guitar player,” and explains: After touring her last album relentlessly, Shawna took a break to rest, reflect, and focus on songwriting. It was in those moments of stillness and solitude that she confronted her own experience of burnout, anxiety, and struggle with self-worth. In working through the shadowy parts of herself, Shawna discovered more ways to practice gratitude and appreciate little victories. This process of slowing down and looking inward resulted in her most raw, honest, and personal writing. She strives to tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, to empower listeners to come to terms with the parts of themselves and the world that they might find scary, and to look for hope in the dark. Shawna’s album comes out on August 27, but you can preorder the CD or the postcards with her beautiful artwork at shawnacaspi.com or through Bandcamp. Again, I’ve got a little left over from my chat with Shawna that I’ll share on the July 18 episode of my other show, Tell the Band to Go Home. Check that out at tellthebandtogohome.com Anxiety, like other mental illnesses, can be scary and isolating. These illnesses can be severely detrimental to a person’s wellbeing and quality of life, and can even be deadly. Luckily, there are a lot of treatments available, so these illnesses are manageable and you can make life a lot better by getting help. I always recommend starting with a visit to a doctor, but if your doctor isn’t being as helpful as you’d like or just gives you that list of strangers that you could call, find another doctor or reach out to an organization like The Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.ca) or here in Manitoba we have a great organization called Anxiety Disorders Association of Manitoba (adam.mb.ca) but there are similar organizations in most areas.

On this episode, a conversation I had with one of the most respected and acclaimed contemporary Canadian songwriters. He’s able to write songs that convey simple thoughts and ideas in beautiful, poetic ways. He’s written about love and sorrow and joy powerfully and perfectly. David Francey (www.davidfrancey.com) was born in Scotland, but his family moved to Canada when he was 12. The value and importance of hard work was instilled in him early. Until the release of his debut album, Torn Screen Door, which was released in 1999 when Francey was already in his 40s, he was a carpenter and construction worker, working on job sites, rail yards, and far flung places across Canada. All the while, he would make up melodies and words in his head, content to sing them to himself and maybe a few close friends. At the urging of his wife, artist Beth Girdler (bethgirdler.smugmug.com or www.bethgirdlerbees.com), he started performing and made an album of some of the best songs he’d come up with. Since Francey wasn’t much of a guitar player at the time, he hooked up with Quebec acoustic guitar master Dave Clarke (daveclarke.ca), who provided tasteful, melodic, and interesting instrumentation. The reaction was immediate. Within a year, he was in demand at the biggest folk festivals in Canada. After three strong albums, Dave Clarke stepped back to dedicate himself to his solo albums and his band Steel Rail. Francey went on to make an album with Nashville heavyweights Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, and Fats Kaplin. That was all within the first 5 years of his recording career, when Francey was on the road far more than he was home, as he was touring the world and taking his songs and stories all over the world. Prior to the release of his 2013 album, So Say We All, Francey fell into a deep depression, brought on by the death of one of his closest friends. It was writing, and the love of his family that pulled him out, and he’s been honest about his struggles with depression since then in songs, poems, paintings, and conversation. The wear and tear of nearly 20 years of constant touring finally caught up with Francey around the time of his 2018 album, The Broken Heart of Everything. He’d been struggling with his voice, but being the dedicated worker that he is, he just pushed through. It really started to fail him during a Canadian east coast tour and he knew that he’d pushed it too far. He drove straight home and resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn’t be able to sing for quite some time. He dedicated himself to his other hobby, painting. The terrible irony is that he was just preparing to resume some of his tour dates in early 2020, before COVID-19 put a stop to those plans. For the meantime, David Francey remains at home with his family, where he paints and writes songs and poetry until he can get back up on stage and do what he does best once again. Tune in to the July 4th edition of Tell the Band to Go Home, where David will talk about the new material that he's been working on, as well as introduce us to some of his favourite songwriters at the moment, including Terra Spencer and Chris Coole. Music Credits: David's albums are available at his website and on iTunes. "Lonely Road" is from the album The Broken Heart of Everything. "Harm" is from the album So Say We All. "Paper Boy" is from the album Far End of Summer. "Broken Glass" is from the album Skating Rink.

Paul MacLeod was a super talented singer/songwriter from Kitchener, Ontario. He built his reputation locally and regionally as a captivating solo performer who mixed great original songs alongside a vast and diverse repertoire of covers. He was first introduced to many of us nationally and internationally when he joined legendary, long-standing roots-rock band Skydiggers in the mid-90s. He had the difficult task of replacing founding and high-profile and much-loved member Peter Cash in the band, but he did so admirably, more than holding his own alongside the accomplished band. He brought a new edge, his acclaimed skill on the guitar, and powerful vocals. He would often open for the band, then join them for the headlining set. In addition to two Skydiggers studio albums and one live release, Paul released a great rock album with a band called Hibakusha, and four albums of his own. I took the name of his first CD for my campus and community radio show, Tell the Band to Go Home, which debuted in September, 2002. Paul was a guest on the show, and I got to know him a bit at shows and occasional correspondence. His music, wit, and energy inspired and amazed me. His albums are among my very favourites. Five years ago today, June 18, 2016, Paul took his own life. I was devastated. His music has been a mainstay on my radio show for almost 19 years. Along with John Bottomley, who I talked a lot about in episode 2 and episode 3 of this show, Paul's struggles and death contributed to my desire to further conversations about mental illness, and motivated me to create this show. I wanted to talk to some of his closest friends and get them to tell stories and remember Paul for the brilliant, creative, hilarious individual that he was. I wanted it to be honest and paint the full picture of what it was like to know Paul. It was a treat to speak to others who loved him and who miss him like I do. You'll hear more memories from my guests, and their favourite Paul MacLeod songs, and some of the songs that he covered, on the June 20 episode of Tell the Band to Go Home. Guests: Lynn Jackson - Kitchener singer/songwriter and close friend of Paul's. Find out more about her and find her music at https://lynnjackson.net/ Mark Logan - owner of Encore Records in Kitchener and of Busted Flat Records, the label that released Paul's last two albums, Bright Eyes Fade and Gauge. Mark was instrumental in Paul's career, as well as the careers of Shannon Lyon, Brock Zeman, Matt Andersen, and many more. He's an unsung hero of the Canadian music industry. Jason Schneider - these days, an in-demand publicist through his busy public relations agency, Jason Schneider Media, but a longtime music journalist and an accomplished author and musician. He was one of three musicians responsible for one of my favourite books of all time, and one that I refer to often, Have Not Been The Same: The CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995.  Andy Maize - founding member and lead singer of Skydiggers, one of the most popular, accomplished, and longest-lasting bands in Canada. Their friends, colleagues, and contemporaries include Blue Rodeo, The Tragically Hip, and episode 16 guest Suzie Ungerleider.    music credits and more info: https://flywithyourshadow.com/tribute-to-paul-macleod-w-andy-maize-skydiggers-jason-schneider-mark-logan-and-lynn-jackson-episode-17

Suzie Ungerleider (suzieungerleider.com) is best known as Oh Susanna, a moniker that she chose to take on when she started performing her own songs in the mid-1990s. In the beginning, she was writing and performing songs that were often dark and sad, with murder ballads and difficult tales being a common theme. Her songs and subject matter expanded over the course of 5 albums made with a few different record labels. When it came time for the sixth, she reconnected with old friend Jim Bryson (who’s known for being a producer and band member alongside Kathleen Edwards) and began a musical partnership that continues to this day. Together they planned for an album that would eventually be called Namedropper, where Suzie reached out to some talented and pretty famous friends to write original songs specifically for the album. It includes submissions from Ron Sexsmith, Joel Plaskett, Jim Cuddy, and our episode 11 guest, Amelia Curran. Also included was Winnipeg’s own Keri Latimer, who is known for her bands Nathan and Leaf Rapids. In the middle of a crowdfunding campaign for the album, Suzie was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to delay the project. Luckily, she overcame her cancer and is healthy and strong today. After re-releasing her first two Oh Susanna albums, as she made and prepared for the release of a new album, again made with Jim Bryson and featuring contributions from Keri Latimer, Bazil Donovan of Blue Rodeo, and others, Suzie made the difficult but right decision to drop the Oh Susanna name. It turns out that the folk song that we all have known all of our lives, was originally written with some very racist lyrics, sung in a fake African American accent, in the “minstrel show” style, which was based on racist characterizations of black people. (You can read those lyrics HERE, but they are offensive) After years of being based in Ontario, Suzie, along with her husband and drummer Cam Giroux, and their son and dog Willow (who got pretty hungry during our interview and made her presence known), moved to Vancouver, where Suzie was raised. Music credits and more information can be found at:  https://flywithyourshadow.com/episode-16-suzie…merly-oh-susanna/