Canadian singers for Boyle's
Two Canadian singers, Peter Katz and Royal Wood, appear in Slane together next week when they play in Boyle's on 5th and 6th November.
Peter Katz is a 2012 JUNO nominee, Emerging Artist of the Year nominee at the Canadian Folk Music Awards and winner of the CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award. Katz captivates listeners with his unique brand of contemporary folk music. Playing over 150 dates a year all over the world, Katz’s remarkable grassroots efforts have resulted in him selling over 15,000 copies of his discs and sharing the stage with such notable artists as The Swell Season (Glen Hansard also singing on his record), Dan Mangan, The Good Lovelies, Joel Plaskett, Bahamas, Lucky Fonz III, Donovan Frankenreiter and the legendary Garth Hudson from The Band.
His 2010 studio record ‘First of the Last to Know’ debuted at number on the iTunes charts, featuring the heart breaking song ’The Fence’ composed for inclusion in the ‘The Laramie Project’, a series of plays curated and put on around America in the wake of Matthew Shepard’s murder. Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered, it’s believed because was gay. Shepard’s murder brought national and international attention to hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels (commonly the ‘Matthew Shepard Act’ for short), and in October 2009, President Barack Obama signed the legislation into law. As well as ‘The Laramie Project’, Sheppard’s mother Julie, continues to speak regularly and founded the ‘Matthew Shepard Foundation’, which supports diversity and tolerance in youth organisations. Peter Katz continues to play this song in his own live set, often acoustic in the middle of his audience.
Katz’s most recent Juno nominated album ‘Still Mind Still’ gets its European release this month. He is co-headlining a tour with fellow Canadian artist, Royal Wood, taking in dates in mainland Europe, the UK and Ireland, including Whelan’s, Dublin, on 4th November; Boyles of Slane, on Tuesday 5th; and Roisin Dubh, Galway, on 7th November.
Royal Wood has Royal County connections - he has recently returned to Canada after spending some months living just outside of Slane, to write his album which will be released in 2014.
Wood’s reasons for living in Meath reasons were simple – to reconnect to his family history. Born in Rathkenny, Royal’s great-grandfather later raised his family in Ballymena before moving them to Canada.
He is delighted to be releasing his single ‘I Want Your Love’ in Ireland. Wood’s career has been established with critical acclaim and impressive musical achievements in his native Canada and across Europe. His latest release ‘We Were Born To Glory’ debuted in the Top 25 charts in Canada and was recently nominated for Adult Alternative Album of the Year at the 2013 Juno Awards – his second Juno nomination. Wood’s first nomination was for Songwriter of the Year in 2011.
‘I Want Your Love’ reached No 1 on the Canada Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2 charts for three solid weeks, and remained in the Top 20 for 14 weeks straight. His music has been used in several TV and Film productions, including major TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Being Human and in 2010 Royal was named iTunes Songwriter of the Year.
Royal’s career has long been based in Ireland beginning with his 2008 release on Emm Gryner’s label, Dead Daisy. The album A Good Enough Day received critical acclaim which included a glowing review from the Irish Times.
‘I Want Your Love’ is a fantastic catchy pop track that you will undoubtedly find yourself nodding along to and turning up the volume when you hear it on the radio! The new single will be released in Ireland on 1st November.