RSSJuno sidenote: my heart was stolen with a six shooter
Apr 24
Albums, Of Interest, Show reviews amelia curran, elliott brood, fred's records, jenn grant, junos, luke doucet, melissa mclelland, nq arbuckle, six shooter records No Comments
“You are beautiful. You are trouble.” – Elliott Brood, Mincing Words
Alright, I’ll admit. It wasn’t a sudden wrenching of my heart that happened at the Junos. Perhaps maybe something closer to the last straw that broke the camel’s heart. As I look back over the past few years, I can’t pick a single moment where I could say “Six Shooter, you had me at X”, but I can certainly think of several notable points.
One thing I can say for sure is that it started at Sam the Record Man, which I hope is the place many people recall first hearing the siren song of at least one musical addiction. As for the artist, it started with Luke Doucet. Luke was the gateway drug, and subsequently the only musician whose performance one night honestly saved my life. After far too many hits on Broken (and other rogue states), I probably should have called in sick the day that Six Shooter held an in-store during the Junos in Halifax.
Instead, I slipped deeper into my addiction as I sat trying to do sound for NQ Arbuckle, Elliott Brood and Luke (damaged rental amp and all). After that I should have looked for help, I should have sought out an institution or a drop-in program, but instead I bought albums.
In many cases it would have levelled out there. I should have grown accustomed to the songwriting and music of these three acts and moved on for something a little different. Of course, like any good heartbreaker or pusher, Six Shooter kept getting better. They even moved into my neighbourhood by signing Halifax local Jenn Grant, and that’s when I should have warned the other labels that I might soon be off the market for good.
Surprisingly, it didn’t end there though. Like any good temptress, Six Shooter was not happy with just my admiration and the odd bit of cash. No, Six Shooter wanted the kind of love from me that led to a country song when it fell apart. So they snapped up one of the best songwriters I know and finally got her the attention she deserved. It was then, when they plucked Amelia Curran out of the bars of Halifax and put her on stages across North America and Europe, that I started writing the deed to my heart.
Follow that with seeing Melissa McClelland open for Amelia in Halifax, Amelia’s Juno nomination and win, another great record store in-store by NQ Arbuckle, and a ridiculously good show in downtown St. John’s with NQ Arbuckle and Carolyn Mark, and I signed the deed to them without a second thought.
Life is too short to listen to shitty music is their selling point, and after several years of listening to the music Six Shooter has been pushing, I’m starting to think that life is too short to not listen to their music. So, Six Shooter, you have my heart. Please be kind, and keep in mind that if you break it I want one of your artists to write the song about it.
Ryan
