“Don’t underestimate the power of a lifetime ahead”
I was born in a teensy town in England; my family immigrated to Vancouver, Canada when I was a baby and that’s where I grew up.
I recall my parents having a lot of vinyl. Both my parents had worked in news radio, so there was cool equipment around our house, like a reel-to-reel recording device. I had a Fisher Price record player when I was really little and when I got older, a red Sanyo cassette player. Of course, I remember watching MuchMusic. I was really into Cyndi Lauper, Wilson Phillips, and The Bangles. My childhood best friend and I created our own radio station, which we called WOW 600 – even then I knew the power of radio. We would write songs on her piano and record them on cassette to “play” on our show.
“I thought, ‘this is art.’”
I hung out at the original AB Sound on Seymour Street (and later worked there), where I found my musical taste transforming from Madonna and Guns n’ Roses to Nirvana. Nirvana changed my brain at 12. I thought, ‘this is art.’ I am so old I had Nevermind on cassette and was lucky enough to see Nirvana in concert. Kurt Cobain helped me find punk and riot grrl and discover a whole new world of what music could be. Hole, Babes in Toyland, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill. I would obsessively read free local Canadian music rags like Discorder and Exclaim! and pour over glossy music magazines like Spin, Creem, NME, and Rolling Stone.
My first love had been acting and I had an agent by age 11. While I did a few commercials, I never booked the one thing that could have taken me to the next level. I got a guitar with SEGA commercial money and went all in. I would rent a four track recording machine from a local music store and record the songs I was writing. In high school I managed a band made up of a bunch of guys I had crushes on. In fact, I planned to give their cassette to Nardwuar at CITR and he actually called me back, but I was so nervous that I forgot why I contacted him!! Regardless, at that point I knew I wanted to both make music and also, support musicians.
“There is Always Room at the Top”
I wrote concert reviews for a column called ‘Being There’ in the North Shore News, in my early 20s while I played in bands and baked pies. My first band got a video in medium rotation on Much Music and an interview on Going Coastal. Later my band Junior Major got a music video on MuchMusic’s coveted “The Wedge with Sook-Yin Lee”. We also had a single chart at #2 on Montreal’s CISM.
When I was 28 I quit music and went to school and took the Advanced Arts & Entertainment Management program at Capilano University on the advice of Jonathan Simkin. Then, I interned as an assistant music supervisor with Sarah Webster – and got the job! I also got to work with Natasha Duprey – which was so cool. I was very fortunate to learn from those two incredible women, who are both top music supervisors today. Next I worked at 604 Records, Simkin Artist Management and Light Organ Records. Then I had my kiddo, got back into acting (commercials and small TV roles) and started doing stand-up comedy.
A few years later I went back to 604 Records to help launch their comedy division Comedy Here Often. I ended up getting into two car accidents within 6 months of each other so my life took a bit of a detour. I ended up at Play MPE when an intern I’d worked with at 604 recommended me. Now I’ve been in the marketing department for almost 6 years and started making my own music again. And, for the record, I always use Play MPE’s Caster to promote my own releases. I wish it had existed when I played in my old bands! Now it’s my personal mission to share it with indies so they know how to get airplay too.
“Come as you are, as you were”
I am a major introvert, so it doesn’t come easily for me to put myself out there and I put my very-limited personal time toward my music. I started a DIY record label called Aura Aurora Records with Gillian who is my bestie and plays bass in CHALCEDONY, which is my current project. If you want to do music. It takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it. We work on photo shoot/music video/album art mood boards, pre-production, rehearsals, recording, mixing, mastering, DSP distribution, PR, one-sheets, bio updates, songwriting splits and master rights registrations, merch, radio promo, sync – you name it.
A collaborator whose vision I trust is my friend and producer Felix Fung. He helps take my bedroom demos and turn them into recordings that get spins on the radio. He’s always challenging me to push myself further which I love. Recording with him at his studio Little Red Sounds is like music boot camp, but in the best way. We are currently working together on a 5-song solo EP for my new project m.o..
“The pursuit of art is 24/7”
I honestly think of myself more as a songwriter than a singer or musician. I have like 30 voice memo demos of songs on the drive, waiting to be recorded. Some on baritone guitar, some synth. It might take me 15 years to get those songs out, but I am going to do it!
One day I would love to collaborate and write with pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo. Even if you’re not a fan of pop, you can’t deny an amazingly crafted pop song (see Britney Spears’ “Toxic”). This dream was inspired by Linda Perry. She had a massive hit in the 90s and then went on to write huge songs for pop artists. I would love to bridge those two worlds. Take a scrappy song I wrote on my bed and have it produced with a bangin’ pop producer team like Bloodshy and Avant voiced by a major pop singer. Or workshop a burgeoning songwriter’s melody and help shape them into a fully fledged song. I am actually doing that in the studio on Boxing Day! The pursuit of art is 24/7.
“You are everything, and everything is you”
Saturation has made the music industry different. In a sense, it’s amazing that it’s so much easier to make and release music. However, trying to stand out is so much harder. This is why I keep coming back to radio, and not because I work at Play MPE. Radio is real. A radio station plays a song because a human being decides they like it. You can’t deny radio. I think people want things that are real and tangible – like vinyl or a song on the airwaves. TikTok trends are fleeting and streaming platforms do no favours for indies.
When I was young, I wanted to be signed to a label with a manager to guide me. But, being in control of your art, career and mental health is so important. And if you educate yourself, you will know just as much as the people at labels do. Don’t wait to be discovered – just go DO things! If you believe in your talent, invest in yourself. Build relationships, be nice to people. Find friends who will tell you if your song is any good or if it still needs more work. Look for people who want to help you and help them back when they need it. My good friend Sally Dige and I have been supporting one another for decades even though she is now based in Berlin.
I’ve been doing this for a LOOOONG time and have worked in so many different segments of the music industry. I think I have earned my 10,000 hours and therefore, have some useful info to pass along:
- If you’re sending your music to the media, reach out to people early. 6 weeks is a good lead time for you to send out a private Soundcloud preview link. They are more likely to care about an ep or a full length, like Range did, or sometimes you can get a music video premiere like we did with Georgia Straight. Send singles to blogs and playlisters.
- Network. I am not social, but I do connect with people in a genuine way and sometimes new paths open because I made the effort.
- If your music gets love from anywhere, say thank you. Be grateful and share your good news in a humble way! I unfollow artists that are too spammy. I also don’t dig when artists dm and beg for attention. If your visuals are engaging and the music is good. It should find people.
- Sure, social media matters, but my band has more radio spins than social media followers. I care more about the music than trying to be popular.
- Start singing in the first 10-15 seconds of your singles. Trim a long song down to under 4 minutes for your radio edit. From my music supervision, record label and artist management “hat”. Make sure you have instrumentals and cleans. And all versions need to be mastered. In other words, be prepared to send out your music to whomever wants it. Save the 8 minute long opus for the album.
- Production advice: stop swearing in songs you intend to be singles or plan to send to radio. It’s annoying to bleep or do radio friendly edits. Save the cursing for your live show or album-only tracks.
- Try to release a single every 3 to 4 months and make a music video to go with it (videos can be DIY and don’t have to cost a lot!). Stay consistent. Slowly build with one single, then another single, then another and follow up with an ep or album. It shows fans and the industry that you’re invested for the long term.
- Take time off if you need to. Mental health, emotional health and physical health is #1. Being an independent artist lets you prioritize yourself. I took a whole DECADE off because I thought if I hadn’t made it by 28, I wouldn’t make it at all.
- Don’t fall for ageism. I quit music because I thought I was over the hill. At 41, became a lead singer, and am more creative and refined as a songwriter than I ever was.
“Energy can’t be destroyed”
In 2026, I am going to keep putting out music, see who is listening (by checking Reporting in Caster and radio spins in MTR – had to plug!), lean into the journey and see where it takes me.
When you put your energy into something, it keeps building.(^^science factoid: energy can’t be destroyed, only transferred or transformed from one form.)
By the way, there’s a bopping music scene in Vancouver, BC where I live. If I could sign ten bands out of this city I would. Maybe I will get funding for my label one day.