Artist of the Day | THE NEW CUSTOM
ARTIST OF THE DAY
29.11.2020
THE NEW CUSTOM
LOCATION
Winnipeg, MB
GENRE
Folk
CURRENT MEMBERS
Emma Cloney
Dale Brown
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?
Thankfully we were at home and not on the road! A few weeks prior, we were just returning from the Folk Alliance conference in New Orleans when the news just started to trickle in and we were seeing masks in the airports, so we were thankful to not be stranded anywhere.
How has that affected your plans for the coming months? Did you have a tour planned, upcoming album release?
We had our biggest year as a band ahead of us; we had just released an album in October of 2019, and we had big festivals lined up in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, PEI, and the U.S. So obviously those were put on the back burner, and we've got our fingers crossed that next summer we can play those stages.
What have you been doing to fill/make the most of your new-found free time at home?
Well, we changed where home was. We were a family of 4 living in a 2 bedroom apartment, which we had entirely outgrown, so we ended up buying and entirely renovating a 3 storey house. The renos are nearly complete (I'm hearing a nailgun in the background as I type this), and then the next priority will be setting up our studio space.
The reality is that the free time wasn't really free time at all. Emma has been working full-time as a nurse throughout the pandemic, and the kids were schooling from home from March onwards, and are now on a reduced schedule, so there's very little time to just kick back and relax. But we do what we must in these strange days.
What was the first thing you did/place you went to now the country is starting to slowly re-open?
Probably the music store to buy some home studio equipment.
Favourite Starlite Room Moment?
Being asked to be featured as Artist of the Day! Thanks so much :)
Do you have a message for everyone at home reading this?
Be kind to each other, thank a teacher or a nurse, call your loved ones, keep washing your hands properly, and smile twice as big when you wear a mask so people can see your eyes crinkle!
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