Artist of the Day | THE CO-CONSPIRATORS
ARTIST OF THE DAY
16.02.2022
THE CO-CONSPIRATORS
LOCATION
Quebec but very transient, Canada
GENRE
Folk/ Singer-Songwriter
CURRENT MEMBERS
Will Richards and Katherine Simons
With the current pandemic, the state of the music and touring industry has dramatically changed. Where were you when everything was brought to a halt?
We had just finished a three month stint on the west coast in Feb of 2020 and were looking forward to a little time off at home. Little did we know it would turn into a lot of time off at home.
How has that affected your plans for the coming year? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
We have tried to not let it affect us as best we can. We had started the recording of our latest release - The Unreliable Narrators - and pushed ahead with that. We had planned a lot of small tours close to home for the summer of 2020. That still went ahead, but just fewer and smaller. Our winter 2020/2021 west coast run was completely wiped out. We went ahead with the the release of the album on Jan 5th 2022 and have been able to put together a smaller tour which we are on right now in support. With the help of publicist Eric Alper we have managed to get the word out and make it work. But no doubt the gigs are less and the venues smaller and the money diminished. But this is what we do, so we are pushing on.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home? How are you supporting your mental health through all of this?
We have been practising! As a vocal harmony duo we have used the time to really tighten up our singing; to really examine arrangements line by line and look at issues of intonation and sound. In that way Covid has helped us get better! Playing and creating music has always been the best thing for mental health. So we keep on, even if it is not in front of as many people it's still an act of creation feeds our souls and minds.
How are dealing with the Covid fifth wave? Have things locked down again in your region? Have you had to cancel gigs, tours, etc.? Are things reopening & restrictions are lifting in your region? Have you booked any new gigs, tours, etc.? What are your plans for 2022?
Things are locked down again in our home base of Quebec, but that region was never our main focus as a anglo folk duo. We had a tour of about 20 shows booked for the west coast in Jan/Feb 2022. We have lost some of those, a few rescheduled, a few moved location but for the main part they are going ahead and although the crowds are smaller we are sensing that those that are coming out are really keen for live entertainment. We already have several festival bookings for 2022 and are booking as if everything will be open up and hoping for the best.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
Our favourite Starlite Sessions moment was receiving the email saying we were selected as Starlite Session's artist of the day. Our favourite Starlite Room moment is still to come we hope!
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
Don't be afraid to get out a support live music. All the venues we have played at during the pandemic go to great lengths to protect their patrons. Plus it is really good for your mental health.
If you would like to be our next ARTIST OF THE DAY please fill out this FORM & send a high resolution photo to:
JEN@CONCERTWORKS.CA