LaVance Colley blends the presence, range and fervor of a gospel singer with the versatility of jazz and the heart of R&B to develop a style uniquely his own. His talents have been seen on television shows, including Dancing With The Stars and The Voice, as well as on stage as the emcee and lead vocalist for musical collective Postmodern Jukebox.

His latest single, “On Top of the World”, talks about following one’s purpose in life, and was inspired by the legendary Nina Simone.

“We wanted to write a song about happiness, and loving life, and what better song to strive for than Nina,” Colley said. “In this strange time, I think it's important to find joy in anything we possibly can and that's my hope, and inspiration for this song.”

During the creation process of “On Top of the World”, he found the undertaking of stacking background vocals to be the most rewarding moment. He describes the feeling as magical, starting with one note and adding harmonies until it is fully formed.

“There's no feeling like creating something from nothing and it turns out amazing,” he said.

Colley was very lucky to have found his purpose at an early age. He grew up singing in church and the need to become a singer came naturally to him. He also attributes his love of music to his mother, who saw his gift and worked her hardest to help him hone in on and nurture his craft.

He realizes, however, that not everyone is lucky enough to find their purpose at such a young age. To those still searching, he encourages seeking out hobbies that spark joy and passion.

“I think doing whatever makes you happy is the key to finding your purpose in life,” he said. “It might take a while, but it is very much possible.”

Colley hopes that listeners feel inspired by “On Top of the World”. With its uplifting melody and lyrics, it’s hard not to. He wants listeners to know that it is more than acceptable to live their lives however they want, and staying in the moment is key to finding true happiness.

Sometimes taking a break and getting our own lives in check, or dealing with some of the things we have to deal with individually, can lead to a better place in the future of coming back to something when the time is right. We have to focus on ourselves because we have to reinvent ourselves and we have to establish ourselves as individuals so we can survive. It's about finding balance in where you are and what you are as a person in the moment, and I feel that sometimes it can clash with ideas that you have.

There’s a certain way we do things as New Politics. We all get together and write, but in the last five years it's become more challenging to be together in the same place. As a result, we each have had different experiences which has allowed us to try new things sonically.

We share everything equally, which is awesome because it's an honest-to-god brotherhood and there’s something thicker than blood in our experience of these last ten years, but at the same time it can be exhausting. Having the ability to experiment musically on our own is healthy and helps allow for greater creativity.

At the moment, we’re just doing our own thing and we’re almost reinventing ourselves.

We always had to compare ourselves to our last record or our last single, then you have the pressure from the label. I prefer we take a step back and then come back to it when it's right. The universe will let us know when. I prefer then to turn that energy into something that I understand, that comes naturally to me, that makes sense, that gives me a new challenge but I can be in the front seat 100%.

This time I'm writing and doing this solo project with none of that in mind. That doesn't mean that it ain't fun - don't get me wrong, there’s a challenge and a magic and all of that as well that I love and there’s a time and place for that - but I think right now where I am in my life I also have to realize the stakes or I'm not growing and learning ways that I can better myself or change my outlook on things or challenge myself in a healthy way. This project is the perfect thing for that. It touches all of those points for me and I want that to also show in my music. I want to release my music because I like the songs and I believe in them. In a way I'm back to my basics; I'm back to the core of who I am and I'm starting to find this different sense of enjoyment.

It is challenging knowing one thing and doing one thing for ten years but then at the same time me releasing these songs now in the last year I'm just like ‘what the fuck have I been waiting for’. I haven't had this much fun in so long and that's not to say New Politics hasn’t been fun. I will always be proud of that; it's some of the best memories and experiences that I could never replace and I hope I never have to. I wouldn't trade New Politics fans for anything. They’re part of that experience that is irreplaceable. I just don't want to force anything. I want it to come how New Politics naturally came. We didn't have answers, we didn't know what the fuck we were doing, we just did it out of passion and that's how it should be.

The magic that we have in New Politics is phenomenal but it's also incredible to have this experiment that I'm taking on now and I'm only getting started. I can't wait for my first limited edition of merchandise or going on a small tour or doing surprise shows. It's like I got a spark back, and it's not that I lost it, it's a different kind of spark. It's a spark that is personal for me.

At the moment I don't really have an answer. I don't really know what I'm releasing, I don't know what's going to relate to people and I'm also doing this with an independent budget. I have to use the cards that I'm dealt with and accept this is what reality is right now and I have to make the most of it. It's patience and persistence. I just have to love what I'm doing. That's the most important thing. I have a lot of experience which I'm really grateful for and I can really use that to my advantage moving forward and I'm just so excited.

Photo courtesy of Kate Matthews

I've learned a lot of valuable lessons while earning my "degree" in the music industry. I also take a great deal of pride in having worked myself up from as bottom as it gets.

As a person of colour and a minority, playing gigs in my home country of Canada was literally all about survival in some hostile territories early on. So it was with great satisfaction that after a brutally tough few years, I found myself in the very fortunate situation of sharing many big stages around the world with many of my idols and legends of music. It felt like a dream that you don't ever want to wake up from, only for me it was really happening.

So here are a few of those important lessons I learned, along with some fun road stories, that have shaped not only the artist but also the person I have become.

Lesson 1 (from The Rolling Stones): There is Always More to Learn

The year was 1998 and it was springtime in my favourite party city of Montreal. My band at the time was a bluesy rock power trio called Wide Mouth Mason. We were known for putting on a great live show and were nearing the top of the charts in Canada. I mostly remember witnessing the full force of paparazzi as we arrived at the Molson Centre, where we would be playing the first of a five-show tour opening for... The Rolling freakin’ Stones! Strangely, I wasn't nervous at all and we played a very solid and confident set which was enough for not only a standing ovation from the crowd, but more importantly from their crew as we exited the stage. Apparently, the Stones' crew were notorious for being extra hard on the support acts, so that felt pretty awesome.

Then we went to Toronto’s SkyDome to play in front of 68,000 fans, which is easily the most people I've ever played for. My parents were at that show (RIP Dad) and I remember nearly getting vertigo during the set and trying not to fall over! After the shows, the only member of the band who would come into our dressing room to say hi was the ever dapper Mr. Charlie Watts. We eventually met the whole band. Mick would wear a disguise to watch our show from the soundboard in the crowd; Keith and Ron mostly played pool backstage and would let us watch their intense high stakes games; but Charlie, he was my dude. I would relish the opportunities to sit and chat with him mostly about music. Then one day in Milwaukee, he sat down and joined me for a coffee, while he had tea of course. He then asked me what new music I was listening to. I was a little bit taken aback, I mean why did this musical icon care to know what I was listening to? So I named a few artists like Ben Harper, Jeff Buckley, Me'shell Ndegeocello and whatever other new albums I was currently listening to. Mr. Watts then pulled out his reading glasses and a tiny notepad from his inside blazer pocket and started writing everything down. Huh? Then the very next day, I ran into him backstage and he thanked me for my suggestions. Apparently, he went to the record store and bought all of the albums I mentioned and he really enjoyed them. I was blown away.

The biggest takeaway for me was that no matter what you've accomplished in your career, there is always more to learn. And that willingness and open mindedness is what can help you become the best you can be. I shed tears the day of his passing last year, but those lessons will stay with me forever. Currently, I am the elder statesman in my band, The Steadies, and I am constantly absorbing new music from my young bandmates. I definitely feel like it has made me a better and more well-rounded musician with a finger always on the pulse of what's 'cool'. Thanks Charlie, and rest in peace legend.

Lesson 2 (from Alanis Morissette): Always Be Kind

I'm going to give some love to this particular powerhouse lady. As a youngling, I remember watching her on a goofy Canadian comedy show for kids called “You Can't Do That On Television”. Fast forward to summer of 1995, and my band showed up to play a club in Banff Alberta called Wild Bill's. I had heard Alanis Morissette just played there the night before to not very many people. I was like, "you mean that girl from that TV show"? Well a month later, she became the biggest star on the planet and had a #1 worldwide hit record in the now classic “Jagged Little Pill”.

Some of Pereira's tour laminate collection

When their winter 2020 headline tour came to a grinding halt that March, indie folk duo Tall Heights retreated back to their shared home, lovingly called The Tall House.

The Tall House included band members Paul Wright, Tim Harrington, their wives, Harrington’s one-year-old child, a dog and a cat. If that wasn’t enough to maintain during a global pandemic, the next five months consisted of major health crises, substance abuse, the loss of loved ones and pregnancy announcements. These two families were able to lean on each other through it all, which inspired the duo’s full-length album, Juniors.

Amanda C. Miller isn’t afraid to admit that her initial reaction to be invited to a comic convention was: that’s for nerds.

While studying at the University of Maryland, her college boyfriend invited her to attend Otakon, an annual convention that celebrates Asian pop culture. Despite the immediate ‘nerds’ reaction, she found herself walking around the convention center genuinely enjoying herself.

That day, she attended a panel discussion with voice actress Maile Flanagan and got the opportunity to ask a question.

“How did you get into voice acting?”

In retrospect, Miller realizes that it is the number one most-asked question at voiceover panels. That didn’t stop Flanagan from responding, and it didn’t stop Miller from recounting the story several years later to Flanagan. In the most full-circle moment, Flanagan and Miller play parent and child in the English dub of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

She remembers the first time she attended a convention as a guest, a small college-run convention in Miami. Her resume at that point included voiceover work for video games Fire Emblem Awakening and Danganronpa, and jokes that all eight people who owned a PlayStation Vita met her that day.

“Danganronpa has had an interesting lifespan in that it keeps being resurrected with each platform it moves to,” she said.

These days, her convention experience has expanded beyond PlayStation Vita owners. Fans recognize her as Kate Bishop, Boruto Uzumaki and Sailor Jupiter in video games, anime and film. It’s a humbling and heartwarming experience to meet people who explain what the characters mean to them, and there’s one fan in particular that comes to mind.

A girl in full Sailor Moon cosplay approached the table in tears. It took her a moment to be able to speak, but the tears kept coming as she explained that she always watched the show with her twin sister who had since passed away. She said that whenever she watches the show now, she feels close to her.

“It’s the very touching encounters that make you realize the work you do isn’t just going out into the ether,” Miller said. “It’s actually touching and affecting people.”

When she isn’t acting, she’s writing. She writes English scripts for foreign live action or anime films, making the original version sync as well as possible. She also writes original content, such as her web series Ghosts ‘n Stuff Inc. She’s still trying to find a balance between the two, as she is typically the type of person who gets overwhelmed focusing entirely on one project at a time but is not the type of person to set aside time each day for each activity.

“It’s hard for me to do anything in moderation,” she said. “I’m extreme about everything. Moderation is going to be key for me to learn how to do a little bit of everything every day as opposed to one day a week you’re going to do all of it and then get burnt out.”

Like many creative individuals, her ideas and concepts are endless. She wants to share her sketch comedy. She wants to start a podcast. She wants to bring as much as she possibly can to a public space and see what sticks.

“I’m trying to trust whatever I’m doing, as long as I’m still authentic to me and I’m learning and not being afraid,” she said. “There’s a lot of things I want to write or put out. It’s just having the bandwidth or the time to do it but that you need money for so I might just become a hitman part time.”

Earlier in the day, she gave herself the nickname Amanda C. Killer, so she might be considering the hitman career. Either way, Amanda C. Miller has embraced her nerd side and brought her talents to many beloved characters. Interacting at comic conventions mean so much to her and her fans, so make sure to check out her upcoming appearances.

Photo courtesy of Hannah Cohen

It was only a few years ago that Blair West was thinking to herself, ‘I could have been something.’

Her lifelong love of music and pursuance of singing and songwriting took a turn she wasn’t expecting, leaving her feeling uninspired. She gave into the pressure of people telling her that her chances of a successful music career was low, and instead started a corporate career.

As she was thinking about how she could have been something, she realized an incredibly valuable detail: she was only in her mid-20s! There was absolutely nothing stopping her from performing. She started writing songs, cold-calling venues asking about opportunities to play and dabbling in various genres to find a sound that she best resonated with.

“It took a lot of getting myself to really [find] the confidence and chutzpah to go for it so I challenged myself to just start writing songs,” she said. “As time passed, I realized that it was exactly where I'm meant to be.”

Last spring, West found herself recording her debut EP. When she received the final mix, nothing about it felt authentic to her. She wrestled with whether or not she should release it regardless, but ultimately decided that she wanted her first musical release to be exactly as she envisioned it. She went back to the drawing board, finding a friend of a friend who understood her vision in a way that gave her the confidence to try again.

What came from that confidence is her first single, “All this to Say”. The inspiration stemmed from many, many songs about past lovers or jilted relationships and how her current, healthy relationship was nowhere in those. ‘All of that to say’ became a phrase she found herself using a lot - ‘all of that to say, I love you’ or ‘all of that to say, I’m happy we found each other.’ She knew that that phrase and those feelings needed to be at the forefront of her first single.

“Sometimes writing love songs and expressing happy emotions can be the more difficult task, because I sometimes would feel like writing a song about being in a happy relationship would sound cliche or ambiguous or it wouldn't sound as original as a heartbreak song or it just didn't come as naturally,” she said. “I really wanted to push myself because at the end of the day that's where I was in my life; I'm in this really happy relationship and I want to be able to express that through song, so I started to think about how specifically I wanted to do that. I started to think about the most amazing experience of what real, stable, secure love is for me - just being really at peace and being super happy and relieved and joyful and feeling so good all around.”

The goal of her first single was to end up with a simple, timeless song that gave an understanding of who she is as an artist. She wanted to deliver something that she could look back on and still feel that it is an accurate representation of what she brings to the table musically and still makes listeners feel something.

Blair West understands the probability of success and how demoralizing that can be for artists. She gave into that probability, letting it discourage her from giving it a proper try. With age comes perspective, and now she realizes that just because she won’t realistically be selling out Madison Square Garden or winning a Grammy in her lifetime, that shouldn’t stop her from enjoying every part of being a performer.

“I won't be able to look back and say I didn't face my fears and put myself out there,” she said.

All of that to say, she is no longer afraid of the unknown.

Photo courtesy of Dana Gorab

Dreams really do come true.

This story begins in 1985, when 9-year-old me was blasting the newest album (on cassette) called Synchronicity by the biggest band in the world and my all-time fave, The Police. Being the youngest of five kids in my family, I relied heavily on my big brothers for new music I could steal – I mean, borrow from them. Little did I know that months later while sitting at #1 on the charts for a goddamn year (no exaggeration), this massive group would do the unexpected and… break up?!

Along with millions of other fans, I was absolutely devastated. It was the first time I ever felt so empty, almost like what it would feel like if my parents got divorced. I wasn't born when The Beatles broke up but now I could understand the massive impact that must have had on the world and my father, Efren Pereira Sr., who was a super fan. It was he who sparked my love for music with a vinyl collection that included The Fab Four, Motown, Sly and the Family Stone, the Bee Gees, Elton John and basically nothing but the greats. I would spend the rest of my adolescent years dreaming of the day when my band would reunite, because all bands do that eventually right? Wrong.

Fast forward to 1995.

I was inspired to start my own power trio we called Wide Mouth Mason, which featured yours truly on bass and vocals like my idol, Sting. We played our first sold-out show at our legendary campus bar Louis' Pub on the University of Saskatchewan campus (go Huskies!), where every huge Canadian act at the time had also played on their come up. It was no surprise the biggest hit of the night was none other than our cover of The Police's lesser-known 1978 soft single, “So Lonely”. It felt so satisfying to live vicariously through my heroes, but nothing was ever going to fill my nostalgic appetite more than them getting back together.

A few years later, I got click-baited into purchasing a copy of Rolling Stone magazine with the lads on the cover and titled, 'The Police Reunion'. Could it be true? Well unfortunately, that was a hard NOPE. They merely reunited for an interview which ended up feeling like a couples therapy session. Sting apologized to Stewart, who apologized to Andy, all due to a big miscommunication and years of living on the road in close quarters with your brothers. I believe, however, that this played a key factor in what was to happen in 10 more years.

Super fast forward to 2007.

At the prestigious Grammy Awards, a mystery band was to be kicking off the show, and low and behold when the lights came on it was like they had never left. The crowd and millions of people watching around the world went berserk, including myself obviously. And just like that, with no warning the unthinkable happened - they were BACK!

I had all but given up hope of a reunion until this historically shocking moment. I mean, it had been 22 years after all. And to the pure happiness of every fan, they announced a worldwide reunion tour that would be starting in wait what... CANADA?!

I wasted no time in joining the online fan clubs to give me the best shot at buying tickets to a concert. I snagged a pair to the Montreal show for two reasons:

1. It was taking place towards the end of their Canadian tour so they will have shaken off any rust by then.

2. Montreal had been a place where they had spent a lot of time making records and forming close friendships, so I knew they would be treating it like a hometown show.

I was right!

So here we go.

In the scorching heat of July in 2007 at a packed Molson Centre (now known as the Bell Centre), home of the famous Les Habitants hockey team, my partner at the time and I were sitting 15 rows up on the bass player’s side of the stage with nothing but their iconic gear laid out in a perfect triangle. There was a buzz unlike anything I had ever felt before, and I realized my dream was about to become a reality.

Through the darkness, you could see three figures appearing from backstage. As the crowd roared into a frenzy, there came the blistering intro guitar riff of their classic smash hit, “Message In A Bottle”. And there they were – Stewart Copeland's lanky frame smashing his drums with surgical precision, Andy Summers hammering those add nine chords, and of course, their fearless frontman Gordon Sumner aka Sting, smacking his gorgeous 1959 Fender Jazz with most of the paint having worn down to the wood from the thousands of shows he had performed with it. And there was me, a grown man bawling his eyes out, completely overwhelmed with an emotion and joy I didn't think was possible to experience. Suffice to say, it was the best concert I have ever seen and probably will ever see in my lifetime. At one point I snuck my way within a few rows, and as they did the real version of “So Lonely” as their encore, I swear to god Sting looked over as I belted out the harmonies to his verse lyrics.

What.. A... Night!

The next morning, the power in our hotel room serendipitously went down so my fiance and I strolled over to my fave breakfast place called Eggspectations. By the time I sat down to order, I kid you not, in walks drummer Stewart Copeland with a stylish lady. I waited until they ordered and then we approached them. I got to tell him how much of an influence he has been on my music career. He then offered to sign the concert swag we didn't realize we were still wearing. A legendary moment with a legendary performer.

Photo courtesy of Dana Gorab

Growing up in foster care, the closest thing I had to a father was my Children's Aid worker, Ron. He was my rock and although it took me years to trust him, once that trust was solidified, he became my greatest confidant and role model. He helped me through some catastrophic experiences, even at the expense of his job. He was the kind of man who always did his best to do the right thing and do right by those he worked with. If it weren't for him, I genuinely don't know where I would be today.

Ron introduced me to a band called Supertramp and we'd blare it in his car while drinking coffee. He gave me life advice, spoke of his own experiences in the foster care system and told me all the ways I should be getting my life together - and let me tell you, he wasn't wrong.

In my early 20s, just shortly after realizing that he was a safe person, I found out Ron had terminal cancer. I found out early in the week, and he was gone by the weekend. Heartbroken and riddled with grief, I went out and bought all of his favourite albums. I don't think a day went by that I didn't play them on full blast, choking down tears in total disbelief that he was no longer here and that I never got the opportunity to say goodbye. These albums became the soundtrack of our unusual bond and always made me feel a little less alone in the world.

One day, a few years after his death, I was scrolling online. I discovered that Roger Hodgson (one of the founding members of Supertramp) would be in Ottawa in the coming months. I had to go! My partner at the time and I instantly purchased the best tickets we could afford, which included the opportunity to watch him and the band soundcheck. We got our plans together, and I was over the moon!

When we showed up the night of the show, we unfortunately missed the soundcheck. I never received the email regarding soundcheck times, and we missed it by an hour or so. Little did I know that the universe had bigger plans for me that night. Suddenly, someone approached me and asked me if I had missed the soundcheck and explained that some people unfortunately never received the email. They said they were the touring manager and that they'd like to make it up to me by allowing me to meet Roger himself. I was absolutely gobsmacked! As I gathered myself together, they turned to me and said, "Just go over to that table over there and ask for Ron; he'll set you up."

Needless to say, I cried at that moment and cried the entire duration of the show. I was so overwhelmed with joy knowing that my father figure managed to be there with me in spirit. Call it fate, or whatever you wish, but I truly felt his presence and know he was there with me that evening.

This experience just further solidified that Ron will always be with me. His legacy lives on in those he's influenced over the years, the music he loved, his stories and his beautiful family. Ron will be involved in every major life event I have moving forward, and I know he will continue to throw little curve balls at me to lead me down the right path. Though I wish he were here, I can assure you that whenever I'm feeling low, it isn't uncommon for me to hear someone blaring Supertramp with their system up and their windows down. Thanks for always sticking with me, Ron.

Graphic created by Lucas Seidel Design

I simply love Christmas! To me, it’s truly the best time of the year. There’s something extra special about singing carols, seeing the bright lights and coming together with friends and family that give me an overall sense of good cheer.

As a performer, it brings me great joy to sing in concert during the Christmas holiday. A few years ago, I was privileged to present a program of Christmas classics at the White House. What an awesome experience! It was a thrill for me to perform some of my most favorite music during my most favorite season in such a historical landmark. It is a cherished memory that will stay with me always.