‘We’re very proud’: Four groups with Kings County roots nab 2019 ECMA award nominations

KINGS COUNTY, N.S. – Four groups with Kings County connections are up for awards at the 2019 East Coast Music Awards this May.

The show, running from May 1-5 in Charlottetown, celebrates nominees from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The four groups with Kings County roots are: PINEO&LOEB, the Charke-Cormier Duo, BALCO, with a song featuring Acadia University graduate Malia Rogers, and the Sound of Pop management company.

Here is what each had to say about news of the nomination, their past year and what’s ahead:

Nominee: Charke-Cormier Duo (Eugene Cormier and Derek Charke)

Category: Classical Composition of the Year and Classical Recording of the Year, both for 'Ex Tempore'

Website: http://charkecormierduo.com

1. What went through your head when you were nominated?

We were thrilled, and are very proud! Ex Tempore was a true collaborative effort – we recorded each track in Derek’s Wolfville studio. Eugene arranged two album tracks, and Derek wrote the title/nominated track, Ex Tempore. We’re excited this project has been recognized.

2. What was the highlight of your past year?

It was probably performing "Ex Tempore” at the National Flute Convention in Orlando in August. Our CD release concerts in Wolfville, Mahone Bay and Halifax were great. Two tracks were also published as sheet music with Doberman-Yppan – quite a thrill. It’s been a very busy year.

3. What is one thing people should know about you?

We both have performed many different instrument combinations, but realized early on the flute and classical guitar create a very special sound - especially the bass flute and guitar, which is something quite unique about us.

4. What’s coming up next for you?

We’re working on our second album, which includes another original work called "The Equation of Time,” and are also working on another big piece using computers and electronics (both of us are computer savvy) called "Bathymetric Terrains” that will premiere this summer in Ottawa.

Nominee: BALCO (Andrew Anthony featuring Malia Rogers)

Category: Dance Recording of the Year for 'Real You'

Website: https://www.facebook.com/maliarogersmusic/, https://andrewanthony.bandcamp.com/music

1. What went through your head when you were nominated?

I was completely taken by surprise – I didn’t have any idea how ECMA nominations work, so I suppose my first question was “How?” Turns out, Andrew had been asked to submit, and I’m so glad he did. I think we were both pleasantly surprised.

2. What was the highlight of your past year?

This past summer, I was part of a cast of four multi-instrumentalists onstage at Neptune Theatre for the Argyle Street Kitchen Party. It was an absolute blast and a dream come true to get to spend the whole summer playing East Coast music in my hometown.

3. What is one thing people should know about you?

I’m a professional juggler! By that I mean I’m an actor, a musician, a singer-songwriter and currently a master’s student in Toronto with four jobs. I look forward to the next time I can spend really focusing on solo music and in collaborative projects like “Real You.”

4. What’s coming up next for you?

I’ve got new songs in the works and am hoping to follow up my 2015 release “NOMAD” with a new EP in 2019. I feel like I’ve grown a lot between then and now and am looking forward to discovering how this impacts my songwriting and sound.

Nominee: Sound of Pop (Glenn McMullen and Tim Hardy)

Category: Company of the Year

Website: www.soundofpop.com

1. What went through your head when you were nominated?

I was actually disappointed at first since the initial nominations tweet didn’t include us! But then my business partner and I figured out around 20 minutes later that we’d been nominated – so we went from disappointment to elated.

2. What was the highlight of your last year?

Signing great new talent is always exciting. We also had a song we are a music publisher (for) hit a national Top 25 radio chart – a big first for us. And after working solo at the Sound of Pop, I found Tim Hardy, someone with loads of experience who’s now partner and co-owner.

3. What is one thing people should know about you?

I work way too much. Haha.

4. What’s coming up next for you?

It’s a secret but we’ll let you know when we can share it.

Nominee: PINEO & LOEB

Category: Dance Recording of the Year for  'Bump in the Road'

Website: http://www.pineoandloeb.com/

          1. What was the highlight of your past year?

This is one of our favourite songs we’ve worked on and it’s so fun to play live so we were so happy to see it get recognition from the ECMAs. This is our fifth ECMA nomination!

2. What was the highlight of your past year?

Winning Nova Scotian Electronic Artist of the year and touring all across Canada were dreams come true for us. We made so many friends on the road and hearing our music being enjoyed by people across the country is the best feeling.

3. What is one thing that people should know about you guys?

We really enjoy and listen to all types of music and try to incorporate that into our own songs. Classic rock, hip-hop, soul, funk, blues and pop etc. Electronic music is the perfect medium for us to combine all our influences.

4. What’s coming up next for you?

Our new album of cover songs, ‘ELEVATION,’ is coming out February 8 and we’re embarking on a huge 22-date tour. It was made with collaborators including many childhood friends from Kings County like Bowen, Jessie Johnson and Christiana Armstrong. It includes covers of artists like Led Zeppelin, Prince, Michael Jackson, U2 and more.

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RELATED:

• TUNING IN: ‘Music makes sense’ for ECMA-nominated soundman Kory Bayer
• PINEO & LOEB win Music Nova Scotia Electronic Artist of the Year

For a full list of the 2019 East Coast Music Award nominees, view the list here.