Heather Latter
Cornshed, a Vancouver-based band comprised of Marc Lovisa (drums), Andrew Mueller (guitars), and Alex Marusyk (mandolin/vocals), all of Fort Frances, along with Dave Wise (bass), are competing in CBC Music’s “Searchlight” contest for the best up-and-coming musicians.
“We decided to apply because the CBC has always played a big role in introducing us to solid Canadian talent,” said Marusyk.
“We all have fond memories of being in stitches during a broadcast of ‘The Vinyl Cafe’ and we have no doubt discovered Canadian bands we still love today through the CBC,” he noted.
“I guess you could say nostalgia has played a role,” Marusyk added.
“The CBC really has been a constant in our lives, and to be a part of its “Searchlight” contest seemed like a great opportunity to be a part of the CBC.”
Musicians from coast to coast will compete for the $50,000 grand prize, which includes $20,000 worth of equipment from Yamaha Canada, a performance slot at the 2016 CBCMusic.ca Festival in Toronto, and a Career Booster package from Canadian Musician magazine, including a studio session, mentorship, album production/distribution, and more (valued at $25,000).
Round one of the regional contest opened last Wednesday, with voting taking place until April 20.
Ten finalists from each region then will move on to the next round, with one of those based purely on votes and the other nine based on scores by CBC Music judges.
During Round 2, the industry panel will select the regional finalists.
As well, one artist with the most votes nationally will move on.
The top four finalists then will compete on a CBC-TV “Searchlight” special to become the 2016 winner.
“In order to apply, we had to submit a ‘radio-ready’ recording, no longer than five minutes, as well as a video,” Marusyk explained.
“The video portion is meant to showcase the band’s style and ability to perform live.”
He noted the rules stated you could submit a music video. But because Cornshed takes so much pride in its live performances, they opted to record themselves playing through the song in their rehearsal space.
“It just seemed like the most genuine way to showcase us,” Marusyk reasoned.
The song the band submitted is called “Minus Forty-Five,” and originally was an instrumental track written by Mueller.
“I was inspired by the melodies he had come up with and decided to write lyrics,” Marusyk recalled.
“The song is written about a record low temperature in Fort Frances, and a couple’s struggle to stay warm in their cabin via their fire.
“At times the lyrics are vague, but the overall feel was meant to pay homage to our hometown in a way that showcased both its blistering cold and beauty,” he remarked.
Marusyk said “Minus Forty-Five” is the first time the group has added vocals to its sound.
“The band has been fully instrumental up until the release of ‘Minus Forty-Five,’” he stressed.
“We decided to add vocals because we wanted to explore new sonic realms.
“Each album we’ve done has been quite different from the previous one, not just writing wise but sonically, as well,” he noted, adding they’ve changed from acoustic to playing through amplifiers, and from recording parts separately to recording them all together in one room.
“These things make a big difference in the overall sound,” Marusyk explained.
“So the newest, and seemingly most natural, progression was to try throwing vocals into the mix.
“We feel like we’ve stumbled across something unique, and we’re pretty excited about it,” he enthused.
Cornshed’s sound always has been unique and difficult to describe.
Vancouver Weekly, for instance, called it an “eccentric blend of Celtic, folk, bluegrass, funk, punk rock, and instrumental.”
“I’d say the goal we’re working towards is to find a sound that is truly unique, that represents us accurately, but that is also enjoyable for just about anyone to listen to,” Marusyk said.
He added Cornshed has found it has a really eclectic group of fans.
“It’s really apparent at our shows and we love that,” he remarked.
“It would be great to tour more and add to that eclectic group of fans.
“I’d say growing our fan base is the number-one goal, all the while staying true to ourselves and creating something we can all be proud of,” Marusyk added, saying that’s what the band hopes to achieve by competing in the 2016 “Searchlight” contest.
“It’s a great opportunity for our music to reach audiences abroad, which is great,” he reasoned.
“The fact that we are building up a community of folks that want to support us is the best part of it all—even if we don’t make it far within the contest, we’ve already gained a lot of new supporters.
“Those supporters are what drive us to do better, so the more we have, the better off we’ll be as a group,” he said.
Cornshed showcases its love of playing music during live shows.
“If a band is having fun on stage, it’s contagious,” Marusyk noted.
“We also take a fair amount of pride in our musicianship, as well, taking time to write music that challenges us.
“The combination of energetic live shows, us having a blast, and playing somewhat tricky tunes has people coming up to us after shows all the time and expressing their love for our music,” he said.
Meanwhile, Marusyk is hoping local residents will go online and vote for Cornshed in the “Searchlight” competition.
“We would, of course, love for everyone to vote for Cornshed, but there is quite a lot of great music on there right now that would be hard to come across if it weren’t for the contest,” he noted.
“If you’d like to vote for Cornshed, though, all you need to do is search our name on the CBC ‘Searchlight’ page, click on our submission, and click vote!”
People can vote every day until April 20.
Marusyk added district residents also might hear “Minus Forty-Five” on B93’s airwaves.
“[It’s] the best representation of what we’re up to right now, and a good example of what to expect from us in the near future,” he remarked.
To vote, visit www.cbcmusicsearchlight.ca or visit www.cornshed.bandcamp.com to download Cornshed’s music.
