May 30th, 2013
What an amazing run of shows across this beautiful country of ours. Castle River was a great opening act and they are completely ready for a tour of their own. Matt and Billy have been an awesome backup band, helping me bring new life to some old songs and really taking pride in the whole project. Enver Hampton gets the rock n roll Conn Smythe for “most valuable player” for the second tour in a row. I’m so thankful to the Saskatchewan Arts Board for the incredible support that they provided me with for this tour. We’ve got two shows to go this weekend. 1st we have the Artery in Edmonton on Friday and then we finish off the journey at the Palomino in Calgary on Saturday. Come join us for our last weekend of rock n roll or send some friends out to the shows. Highlights were definitely the Horseshoe in Toronto and the Railway in Vancouver, but all the shows were great. See you at NXNE, MOSO, Gateway, NESS, Woodlawn, and Music on the Mountain, all this summer! john
May 8th, 2013
The tour is off to a great start. We’ve had an amazing time at all the shows so far. There have been so many great crowds and such wonderful people working at the venues. Extra special thanks to The Artful Dodger in Regina, The Jam Space in Lemberg, and The Double Decker in Brandon for having us and helping hit the ground running. The turnouts have been amazing, and thanks to everyone for coming out early for Castle River. They have been playing so well and getting the people warmed up for more music. Really glad to have Matt and Billy on this tour. My good buddy, Enver Hampton, has been doing a fantastic job as usual on the bass. It’s always great to have Enver with me on the road. He’s been there since 2010, just before I lost my mom, and has been one of the best friends that you could ever have. Thanks dudes for all your support and believing in this album and the band. We’re on our way to Ottawa to play at the Rainbow tonight. Then the Ontario/Quebec portion of the tour takes us through to May 14 when we return to Toronto to play at the Cameron House! At that point we’ll be almost half way and heading back west. Check the shows tab for more details. Missing my lady, Jen Lane, on this tour. She’s always been with me on the road and it’s taking some getting used to. I hope she’s having a smooth recovery back home, from an ankle surgery earlier this year, and I’ll be home soon baby! J
April 27th, 2013
What a great month. Junofest was awesome. Thanks to all the volunteers and organizers for their efforts. We had a good time. Highlight for me was playing with my new band, featuring Matt and Billy from Castle River. The boys have learned over 20 of my songs for this upcoming tour and we are excited to hit the road on May 2nd. Check the shows tab for details. A close second, actually almost tied for best highlight, was playing the Spareparts Juno brunch at one of my favorite Regina venues, The Artful Dodger. It was nice to meet and share the stage with David Vertesi (Hey Ocean!), Andy Shauf, and Brian Warren. We’ll be back at the Dodger to kick off our tour on Thursday May 2nd! Picking up some new stickers on Monday and the new shirts are here and ready to be scooped up! The merch table is gonna be pretty good lookin. Never had shirts before. The video for “Holding On” will be out on Mother’s Day, and the video for “Break My Heart” should hit your screens sometime next week. See you soon! John
April 2nd, 2013
Last fall, we hit the road in Canada in support of my latest album, Always With You. Now that winter is over we are preparing to head out on tour once again, this time with Saskatoon rock duo Castle River.
The trip runs for a month from early May to the beginning of June. It finds us starting off in our home province and heading east into Ontario and Quebec. And then heading back across the Prairies all the way to the West Coast before concluding with a string of Alberta shows.
Castle River will act as my backing band, as well as the opener. See “shows” tab for the schedule.
ps. the video for “Holding On (for Marlene)” is finished. Huge thanks to Matt at SicaFilms for making it great. We’ll share it with you soon!
j
March 4th, 2013
Work on the music video for “Holding On” begins this week. Shouldn’t be too long before we have it ready to view. Booking the tour has been an adventure as usual. Should have a list of confirmed dates up soon. I’m playing a couple of solo shows this March with Madison Violet. Looking forward to seeing them play again. Some big news about the tour in May too, Castle River will be joining me as guitar and drums, and opening up all the shows. It’s going to be fun to have their youth and enthusiasm in the show. Don’t worry kids, Jen and Christian will be back this summer. Jen Lane recently underwent a second ankle reconstructive surgery and Christian is headed back to the Congo to continue his charity work there. Best of luck to him and a speedy recovery for Jen.
J
February 1st, 2013
Wow! Can you believe that January has come and gone! Sure snuck by me in a hurry. I did get a chance to slow down and have one of the best weekends of my life! Our good friend, Kevin Kane, from the Grapes of Wrath, came to Saskatoon and played with my band at the Broadway Theatre. Definitely one of my top 5 gigs EVER! Sasktel Local on Demand will be presenting the show on TV for the next month or so. Hope you get to see it if you didn’t make it to the show. I know I can’t wait to see it myself! We’ll be finishing up the video for “Holding On (for Marlene) this month and working on one for “Chicago”. We should be able to share them with you in March. My full band will be on tour in May, right across this great country of ours. Hope to see you at the shows! Also taking any suggestions for venues you’d like to see us at and House Concert bookings. Keep em coming and we’ll see you all very soon. Excited to show off some new material too!
john
January 7th, 2013
Well it’s a new year and we here at the smokekiller camp are back to work. Big show coming up at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon on Friday, January 25th! Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath) who played on my new album will be joining us for the smokekiller set as well as an opening set of his own. Also, our friends in Family Affair will be starting the night off. These kids came in 2nd place at the Duo Competition last year and really impressed Jen Lane and I. You don’t want to miss this. Did I mention Sasktel is coming to film the show for Video on Demand! Very cool. Thanks to CFCR and Ness Creek for helping me present the show, and to the Saskatchewan Arts Board and Rawlco Radio for making this project possible. Tickets are available online at Picatic, just search alwayswithyoucd, and at Unreal City and the Broadway Theatre. I will also be collecting photos for the “Holding On” video up until the show so keep em coming! send pics to alwayswithyouphotos@gmail.com.
talk to you soon, John
November 25th, 2012
That was a great trip! Jen and I had a really good time on tour in Ontario and Quebec. We met some great people and played some fantastic shows. It was truly a wonderful experience and we can’t wait to come back in Feb/March 2013. I also wanted to post here about my scrapbook video project that I want to do for a song on my new album. I’m hoping to collect pictures of people when they were babies with their mom, or moms with their new babies. Our friend Trigger at the Railway Club in Vancouver was the first person who told me that she had a picture of her with her mom that was almost exactly like my picture. Our new friend Miranda in Toronto also had one and suggested that I ask all of you to send in similar pictures. This led to our very good friend Shannon suggesting that we make a video from the photos. So that’s what I’m gonna do! send your pics and the who, where, and when to alwayswithyouphotos@gmail.com
Can’t wait to see all the pictures!
November 16th, 2012
2nd last show of the tour happening tonight at the Branch Restaurant in Kemptville, ON. It’s been a fantastic run. Jen and I are really looking forward to our big finale Saturday Nov 17th at the Cameron House! Jen starts at 8pm, and I’ll be on at 9pm. Come down and see us off. We head back to Saskatoon on Tuesday. Feeling completely inspired to write and play music. Have to give a big shout out to all the new fans, and all our friends who came out to support us on this tour. You have been the best audience ever and I can’t wait to come back in February to do it again.
john
November 13th, 2012
Having a great time out on tour. Today we are still in Montreal hanging with Jen’s brother and sister. We had a great show at Grumpy’s last night and I am super excited to play at Burritoville tonight. Jen starts at 7pm and I’m on at 8pm. Wish we could stick around for M for Montreal, but maybe next time. Off to Ottawa on Wednesday to play the Elmdale Tavern. We’ve had such a great time on tour. Stayed with some great friends and met lots of new fans. Even finding a few we never knew we had. Feels so good to be on tour and bringing the music to the people. I could get used to this.
john
October 29th, 2012
Happy Halloween!! Hope you are getting your fill of candy and spookyness.! Finishing up a full round of grants this week. whew. maybe i’ll get to work on some music and less music business soon. part of the job. Really excited about the upcoming tour in Ontario and Quebec. Hope we see you out at the shows. Been writing a little bit and working on some old tunes. Also been having a great time jamming the songs solo acoustic again. I had them just vocal and acoustic when I took them to Leeroy. Then we put a band in the mix. Now I’m taking them back to where they came from and they sound amazing. Been having fun with my harmonicas too. Reviews for the album are starting to come in, check out my facebook tab for details. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to listen. Really glad that you like the record.
See you soon
john
October 4th, 2012
We had an amazing time at Breakout West! Thanks to all the volunteers and coordinators that made it run so smoothly. The band had a couple of great showcases and I was able to network with many cool people. My mom would be proud of us. Today is 2 years since she past away, and although it seems like yesterday, we certainly have come a long way. The album is being well received at College Radio and everyone is very excited about the musical direction of this project. We’ll be planning a full band tour for March of 2013! Right now we are getting ready for the Eastern Canadian portion of the tour. Starting in London, ON at the London Music Club on Nov 9th and after whipping around Ontario and Quebec we’ll finish up at the Cameron House on Nov 17th. Check the shows tab for more details. See you soon!
john
September 21st, 2012
BREAKOUT WEST is next weekend! I am very excited to be showcasing at the festival this year. I will be performing in Regina with my 5 piece band Friday Sept 28th at McNally’s 11PM, and Saturday Sept 29th at O’Hanlon’s 8PM. Wristbands for the whole weekend available and there is a ton of great talent playing. We had an amazing tour of Western Canada and this will be our last full band show till Christmas! Make sure you come check it out Regina! The Eastern tour for Jen Lane and I starts in November. I’ll post up the dates soon.
john
September 17th, 2012
Hey Kids! Tonight we play our last show of the Western Canadian tour at the Slice in Lethbridge, AB. Kinda fitting that we are here tonight because I recorded the album here at the Rebeltone Ranch with Leeroy Stagger earlier this year. Speaking of whom, I was at the 54-40 show last night and Leeroy and his band opened the show. It was fantastic and inspiring. If you can catch them on the road, I highly recommend the show. The Smokekiller Band will be returning to Saskatoon in fine form this Thursday night at Lydia’s. Jen Lane will open the show at 1030 and we’ll hit the stage at 1130. If you were at, or missed, the Yukon Blonde show we really hope you can come and check us out! We are showcasing with the full band at Breakout West in Regina at the end of September. Check the shows tab for details. Thanks to all the radio stations that are playing the album. Your support is greatly appreciated. Talk to you soon!
john
September 7th, 2012
Day 3 on the road and we are having a great time. Thanks to Yukon Blonde for letting me kick off the tour in fine form at Amigo’s. We had a great show in Olds, AB on Wednesday and kicked it up a notch at the Rockwater Grill in Golden on Thursday. Tonight we are bringing the show to the Last Drop in Revelstoke. Going to be a great show. Jen Lane will be starting the evening off with her band at about 10pm. Come on down and check it out. We’ll be in Kelowna on Saturday and Vancouver on Monday. Check the shows tab for details. Hope we see you soon!
john
August 16th, 2012
Having a great working vacation in Waskesiu at the Angry Taco. The Deep Dark Woods just came on the stereo in the restaurant and I’m reminded of just how great the music scene is in Saskatoon. DDW’s and The Sheepdogs are 2 of the biggest bands in Canada right now. It’s pretty cool to see them doing so well. We are home this weekend and have some rehearsals planned to get ready for September. The tour starts on September 4th at Amigo’s with Yukon Blonde, but first we play a show on September 1st to give the hometown fans the first chance to hear the new album live! Hope to see you at the shows. Eastern Canadian tour is coming together for November. Super big thanks to Rawlco Radio, Sask Arts Board, SaskMusic, and Rebeltone Records for all their support in the creation on this album. Marlene, I miss you everyday. Thank you for being everything to me and I will see you again someday! Love You Mom!
john
August 7th, 2012
Press release for the new album went out today! Thanks to Fritz Media for helping me out with publicity. I’m really excited for the release of this album and the tour. Thanks to Leeroy Stagger, Rawlco Radio, Sask Music and the Sask Arts Board for all their support in making this record happen. It was one of the most rewarding experiences that I’ve had making a record and I can’t wait for you to hear it. I’ll be posting the tour dates for the fall shortly but Jen and I are still on the road right now. We are in Vancouver after a nice break on Salt Spring Island. We play at the CBC (700 Hamilton St.) Wednesday August 8th from noon till 1pm. Come check it out if you get a chance. We’ll be back at the Railway in September with the band. We are in Kelowna, Kimberley and Fernie on our way home, and then a quick trip to Waskesiu for our summer sequel at the Angry Taco.
See you soon
john
July 22nd, 2012
Thank you Ness Creek. You sure run a pretty cool little festival. Saw some great bands and met some cool new peeps. Camped near Indigo Joseph from Regina, and survived the 90 min rainfall / flooding on Saturday night. Nothing brings people closer together faster than mini natural disasters! Great dudes. Check em out! We’ll be running into them again this weekend at The Gateway Festival in Bengough, SK. Jen Lane is playing all weekend long. I’ll post the info on my shows tab so you have it, or you can check out http://www.jenlane.com! Artwork for the new album has been finalized and we’ll be sending it out to get made this week. We’ll have them in plenty of time to hit the road in September. Jen and I will be out west at the beginning of August. A little anniversary time. Happy 5 years Jen! Then we’ll be playing at the CBC Plaza in Vancouver on August 8th to kick off a small tour home. (see the shows tab!)
talk soon
j
July 13th, 2012
It’s Friday the 13th. I usually celebrate this occasion, mostly because I was born on a Friday the 13th and I feel like it is my patriotic duty to do so. I had a nice dinner with Jen Lane and some friends and family tonight, and we have retired for the evening back to the house to possibly jam out a few new tunes, or maybe even watch a movie for once. I am playing at Taste of Sask Saturday July 14th at 330pm. It’s gonna be a full band thing, so be ready for it! I’m also playing with Jen Lane at Vangelis tomorrow night. We start at about 11pm. The new album artwork is very close to completion and the master of the album sounds amazing. Should be off to the printers by the end of next week. Looking forward to holding it in my hands. Jen and I will be heading west in August so keep an eye on the shows tab for all the details.
peace
j
June 8th, 2012
Well, sometimes life is like that. We are getting ready for the summer. A couple shows up in Waskesiu coming up. We’ll be partaking in Ness Creek, playing mostly around our campsite. All the while getting ready for the fall release of my new album. I’ve been taking a little too long with the little details, but i feel like we are almost finally ready to go. The next thing on the agenda is MOSOFEST on June 14th at 630pm. We are the first musical act that will play at the newest music festival in Western Canada featuring Damien Jurado, Ian Blurton, Eamon McGrath and many more, including tons of local awesomeness. Catch up with you soon.
j
May 28th, 2012
Whew! We made it through round 4 of the duo competition. Jen and I will be performing at the Broadway Theatre on May 30th. Doors at at 630pm. Hope you can make it out. We head out to Alberta to Tracks Pub, Olds (June 1st) and a House Concert, Calgary (June 2nd). Message me if you need any details or would like to come out to the House Concert in Calgary. Be nice to get on the road and play some full sets of music for people. This one song at a time thing is stressful!! A bit more info on the contest. We can win the whole thing if we rank high with judges and high with the audience. Meaning we could be 2nd with the judges and 4th with the audience votes and still WIN!!! Don’t lose hope peoples. We are so close.
see you soon.
j
May 12th, 2012
We have made it through the 2nd round of the http://www.theduo.ca competition. Jen and I will be competing again on Thursday May 17th at Tusq. Come out from 7-9 if you can and throw us a few votes. Got a few festival announcements coming soon. Glad to be taking part in festival season this year. I am hoping that the artwork will be finished this weekend. Then I can get the album prepped for duplication. Exciting times. Keep an eye out on my friend Leeroy Stagger. As well as producing about 3 albums this year, mine included, he is releasing his own on May 15th called “Radiant Land”. Congrats. Put some new old songs up on the website. I’ll be posting some new new songs soon. peace dudes and dudettes. Keep on rocking.
john
April 28th, 2012
Well here we are at the end of April already. Looked like spring was just around the corner, but it’s still a little chilly out there. Got some news to share with you! Jen and I will be bringing our duo show to the Tusq Duo Competition Stage this Tuesday May 1st at 9pm. Come out if you can and support this event and all the artists that are participating. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We are also playing a set at the Rock Creek Lounge, a new restaurant in Stonebridge, on Wednesday night at 10pm. The new album is mastered and back in my hands. My good friend and brother in arms, Faisal Sethi, is putting together the artwork as we speak. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with. It’s always stellar. Looks like September for a release date, and you will be the first to know.
J
March 6th, 2012
Well the album is mixed and is off to mastering. It has been an amazing journey. I have to thank my partner in life, Jen Lane, for being everything I could’ve hoped for and all the things I never imagined. I couldn’t have done this without you. Thanks to my good friend and producer, Leeroy Stagger, for taking the time to come with me on this adventure. Looking forward to working with you on more things in the future. Some really big thank yous, to the Saskatchewan Arts Board for allowing me the opportunity to create my music without distraction, to Rawlco Radio for their support through the 10k20 program, which helped me make this a wicked studio recording and not an at home demo, and SaskMusic for their guidance from the very beginning. I’ve got a few shows coming up with the wonderful Samantha Savage (March 16th) Jen lane (March 22-26) and Northcote (April 11th) Check the shows tab for more details.
peace
January 17th, 2012
It’s a brand new year and it’s off to an amazing start! Since receiving a Rawlco 10k20 grant last September I’ve been working hard on putting together material for a new album. On a recent trip out west I took the time to visit with my friend Leeroy Stagger. One thing led to another and before you knew it we had cut a new Smokekiller track at the Rebeltone Ranch. We had been talking about working together on something for a while now and the timing could not have been more perfect. I would also like to thank the Saskatchewan Arts Board for their support in my artistic endeavors. Make sure you find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/smokekiller to stay on top of updates on the new album.
Talk soon
j
December 23rd, 2011
It’s a new beginning for smokekiller. Thank you for those of you who have stuck with me until now. Greatly appreciated. I’ve had an amazing year, from Canadian Music Week and North By Northeast, to Breakout West and Los Angeles. Thanks to my beautiful girl, Jen Lane, for taking me on such a great adventure. I’m pretty sure I’ve finally got my plan together to record a new album. Thanks to the Saskatchewan Arts Board I will be able to put a little extra effort into the material. The songs have been multiplying and growing for some time now, and I’m excited to get the chance to share some of them with you. It’s been a very good year, full of hard work and the rewards that come with it. The new year is shaping up to be the greatest adventure EVER! : ) Hope to see you on the road!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
John
November 21st, 2011
Well I’ve been to Los Angeles and back. What a treat. Thanks to Jen Lane for letting me tag along. It was a fun adventure. We got to perform at the W Hollywood Hotel, Genghis Cohen, and El Cid. Jen also got to perform at the NBC Universal offices for some music execs!!! Regina Beach was great this past weekend. Thanks to Noreen and Jody for having us. Jen and I will be playing at Songs For The Cure this Saturday November 26th at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. Lots of great artists out to support a great cause in the fight against cancer. Finally, I am happy to announce that the Ukrainian Jedi Council will reconvene for the 2nd Annual Pre Christmas School’s Out Bash at Lydia’s on December 2nd. Featuring full band sets by The Karpinka Brothers, Jen Lane, and Smokekiller. In other news, I’ve been writing lots lately, and working on plans for the new album. talk soon
j
October 25th, 2011
Congratulations to all our friends, and everyone who took home WCMA’s this weekend! Del, Romi, Little Miss Higgins, Don Amero, and The Sheepdogs. It was super cool to hang out with such great and talented company. Met some great peeps over the weekend, topped off by an old west gunslinger showdown with Matt Masters. And as incredible as that was, it was a close second to playing the awards show with the wonderful and talented Ms. Jen Lane. Thank you for sharing your spotlight with me. Working on songs, writing new songs, and having a grand ol’ time. It’s been a little over a year since my mom passed away, but I can sure tell that she’s watching over me. Thanks Marlene, love you, miss you, and always with you.
john
October 15th, 2011
Where does the time go? here we are into the middle of October already. It sure is beautiful out there, but a little chilly don’t you think? I’m kicking it in Regina this weekend with Ms. Jen Lane. We are showcasing for the Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) at the Regina Performing Arts Centre tonight. Soundcheck was awesome, although early this morning. About to go for lunch with the band. We are heading off to Whitehorse and the Western Canadian Music Awards next weekend. Congratulations to Jen on her nomination for Roots Solo Recording Album of the Year.
More big news coming up.
John
September 15th, 2011
I have to start this one off with a big THANK YOU to Rawlco Radio and Project 10k20. We’ve been working really hard to get this opportunity and I will make the most of it. I am very excited to be able to share new music with you. I also wanted to thank Curtis Anderson, Jay Neufeld and Stripped Down for having me on the show to kick off the 5th season! It’ll be on Shaw next Tuesday at 7pm, and then replays a few more times. I’ll have some clips on YouTube the week after. NEXT SHOW is at the Bassment on Friday September 23rd. Jen Lane and I will be tearing it up for the Bassment’s Friday Night Series. Hope to see you at a show soon!
j
August 30th, 2011
That was a great summer. And to top if off we are going to hit canmore and kelowna this weekend. Amazing. I’m feeling very fortunate right now. Thanks for listening and allowing me to play music right now. Jen Lane and I are playing at the Streaming Cafe in Kelowna, BC this Saturday September 3rd. You can watch the show online starting at 7pm (pst) but you can always sign in sooner at http://www.streamingcafe.net . Once you are logged in you can chat directly with us at the cafe. We are hoping that we get a lot of our friends from across the country to log in and watch the show. There’s no voting, or spam, no winning or losing, just some music to start off your Saturday night. Happy long weekend.
john
July 26th, 2011
It has been the busiest July ever. We had more shows than you could shake a stick at. We are up in Waskesiu right now playing at the Angry Taco for a few nights. The lake has been nice to us this year. Kenosee on Canada Day, Nesslin during the Ness Creek Festival, and now Waskesiu. There’s a chance that we will be back in August. All these shows have been kicking our butts into shape and we are very excited to play for our hometown at the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival main stage on Monday August 1st. We take over the set on the last day of the August long weekend. We’ll have some pics up from the first half of summer next week. And more show announcements in the near future. talk to you soon.
j
July 18th, 2011
Thank you Ness Creek!!! Good times, great music and the best of friends.
June 27th, 2011
What a great week! Congratulations and Thank you to Tim Vaughn! Tim had his cd release show last Thursday at the Broadway Theatre and Jen and I did an opening set. CBC was on hand to record the show, and it was well performed by the band, and even more well received by the audience! A special appearance by Wide Mouth Mason’s Shaun Verreault, who produced the record for Tim in Vancouver, made a great night complete. I finished off my weekend with the honor of performing at our good friend Kiron Datta’s wedding. He married his beautiful bride Sonja earlier this year in Toronto and had a reception in Saskatoon on Saturday. This morning I woke up to some new opportunities and I will be confirming some more shows this week so stay tuned. Until next time, Hope to see you at some shows!
j
June 20th, 2011
I had an amazing time at North By Northeast this year. Thank you so much for having me and giving me the opportunity to play at the Dakota Tavern. Also fantastic was getting to have dinner with Bob Hunka twice in three weeks. I feel very fortunate to be able to play music and write songs for my living right now. I am looking forward to playing this Thursday with Jen Lane opening up for Tim Vaughn’s CD release show at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. We will be on stage at 8pm. Doors are at 7. Hope you can make it out. I am also excited to be getting a break from performing to continue to work on demos for a new album. I think I’m getting very close to having the material that I want to have for a new studio album. I will keep you posted. Check out http://www.facebook.com/smokekiller for some pictures from NXNE this year. And thanks to Kiron Datta for taking them for me! TTYL
john
June 15th, 2011
Playing tonight at the Dakota Tavern in Toronto for NXNE! Very excited to be taking part in my 3rd NXNE showcase in 4 years. Thanks to all the hardworking volunteers and staff that put this thing on and keep it together till Sunday!! Also playing with the wonderful and talented Jen Lane at C’est What? on Saturday June 18th at 12am. My show tonight will be mostly solo with a little bit of vocals from Jen. Saturday, Jen will have a full band including Tim Vaughn, Kyle Krysa and Del Cowsill. Summer gigs keep coming in and I will post an update soon. Peace dudes.
ps. Good luck to my buddies the Sheepdogs!! They are representing for Saskatoon like no other before them. Couldn’t be happening to a nicer bunch of dudes!! If you haven’t voted, get on that shit.
John
June 2nd, 2011
Getting ready for a summer tour out west with a lot of house concerts along the way. Still time to book a house concert if you are interested. Send me a message to smokekiller@gmail.com! We are even booking house concerts locally in and around Saskatoon. Next up is a solo spot at Avocado on June 9th, then the Bridge City Boogie. Jen and I play at 11am to kick off the festivities on Sunday June 12th. I am also returning to NXNE in Toronto with an official showcase on Wednesday June 15th, 2011 at the Dakota Tavern at 11pm. I also showcase with Jen Lane at C’est What on Saturday June 18th. Also having a great time working on material for a new album. Been doing lots of pre-production at home and the songs are really coming together. New website design coming up soon. : )
May 2nd, 2011
I would like to start with a super Thanks to all of the Prairie Scene volunteers and organizers for an incredibly wonderful time. I am so glad that you appreciated my music and helped me share that with the people of Ottawa. I very much enjoyed sharing a stage with the talented Colin James and the Roots Lunch Hour show was fantastic. Looking forward to getting back home and finishing up our schedule for the summer.
February 28th, 2011
Baby, it’s cold outside. Some of the chilliest weather we’ve ever had in Saskatoon lately. Not that I’m complaining. It’s made for some great afternoon sessions at home in the studio. I have been working on some of my unrecorded songs, and thankfully finding a few gems in the bunch. This has also inspired me, and I find myself balancing out the revisiting with a couple of new hits. I am very fortunate to have had opportunity to be working on this right now. I am going to do my best to not take this moment for granted, and I am looking forward to being able to share the results of the process. I hope to be able to re-connect with my good friend Efren Pereira Jr., Starlab Studios in Saskatoon, when I am ready to hit record. We have recently been talking about working together on this project. , : ) Looking forward to CMW. Maybe see you there!
January 1st, 2010
Well can you believe it. Another decade has just whipped by. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody. Thanks for listening, and for supporting my musical endeavors. Looking forward to the new year. Been working really hard on smokekiller “seasides” and Chiba “HD”, as well as spending time in Vancouver with Mr. Steven Drake working on the new Jen Lane album. The recording with Jen and Steven went extremely well and i can’t wait to share it with you all. Hope you had a great 2009 and I hope that 2010 will bring you all joy and happiness.
peace
john
February 18th, 2009
Well it’s been a bit of a crazy year so far. I’ve been in the studio with my new project, “Chiba”. you can check out a song at http://www.myspace.com/chibarock
Gonna mix it a little more thoroughly this week sometime. Pretty good so far. Off to Vancouver next week to play with Jen Lane at the 2009 Cultural Olympiad. Jen plays at the Waterfront Theater on Thursday Feb. 26th, 2009 at 7pm. Also on the bill is Rebekah Higgs, and Nathan Wiley. Gonna spend a few days in Vancouver, and hopefully kick it with Mr. Steven Drake. Miss that guy lots. He did a killer mixing job on “13” for me. i will never go back to the days of mixing it myself. Get a pro dude dudes. it’s worth it. After Vancouver, Jen and i are off to Toronto for Canadian Music Week March 12-14th. I showcase “out there” at the Library Bar in the Fairmont Royal York Hotel at 8pm on Fri. 13th. (pretty cool hey!) and Jen is showcasing on Sat 14th at 10pm at the Global Village Backpackers. Gonna be a good time. But no rest for the wicked, and we are off to Austin for SXSW straight after. More to come on all this news. peace out dudes . have a great week .
john
January 9th, 2009
Wow!! cool news kids. i won the local radio star songwriting competition with “out there”. that makes me a regional finalist. And that comes with some cool stuff, (guitar, mic, strings) but most cool, is a trip for two to Canadian Music Week, and delegate badges, and a show!!! Gonna be a busy March with SXSW the week after. Been making some cool Austin friends lately, really looking forward to the show in Texas. Don’t forget the ukrainian new years party on FRIDAY JANUARY 16TH, 2009 at AMIGO’S. Jen Lane is gonna start off the night, and i’m gonna play with Barrett Ross live for the first time. Got some new songs, and maybe a new project on the go. so why not play. gonna be sneaking into the studio to lay down some tracks before Texas, maybe a CHIBA ep. that’s all for now. thanks rawlco and rock 102 in saskatoon for liking my song!!!
peace
j
December 17th, 2008
hey dudes, great news. !! Smokekiller is showcasing at SXSW in Austin, TX this march. I had the opportunity to go down there last year with Jen Lane. It was a fantastic time, and i am really looking forward to it. We get to see our good friend Hammans again. and Aksel. Playing a show this friday Dec 19th at lydia’s. An old friend of mine asked if we would come down and play a show with his band Johnny Don’t. I haven’t had a chance to see them live, so it will be a good opportunity for me and for you to check it out. slowly but surely folks, i am getting the new website together slowly but surely. although i might have a new album out by the time it gets done. That’s how she goes sometimes. Hope everyone is well, and has a great time at christmas this year. i know that all i want for christmas is a little calm before the storm. and i think i just might get it.
peace out dudes and dudettes. have a great week.
j
November 24th, 2008
everytime i get on here, i am reminded about how long it has been since i was last on here. NEW SONGS are now up on the good old web site. i kept a couple of the website exclusive tracks up here and added a few from the new album. the new album is doing great. a lot of you out there have it already and that’s wicked. from the reviews that i’ve been getting back, it sounds like you all like the album a lot too!! even more wicked. faisal is hard at work on the new look for the website. sorry that it’s taking so long. but you know how these things go. i’ve got new wheels, so there is nothing stoppong me from setting up that acoustic tour i keep talking about. gonna be heading to winnipeg in january, and then to calgary and edmonton and vancouver in february. looking forward to the holidays. not a lot of work planned, just some well deserved rest. hope you all are keeping well.
peace
j
October 23rd, 2008
Holy bejesus’. Has it been that long already. Sorry dudes and dudettes that i haven’t been as on top of the website as i should be. I’ve certainly been spending to much time on myspace. I will put some songs from the new record up here pretty soon. Plus we are looking at developing a store for this site. Featuring free song downloads and all kinds of other merchandise. Also, Faisal and Leigh are gearing up for the new website look. I’m looking forward to that. Had a great time at the WCMA’s this year. I went to support my producer, David J Taylor. He was nominated for Producer of the year for the second year in a row. Congrats to Steve Dawson for the victory in that category. and congrats to all my peeps who had nominations this year including maybe smith, and the deep dark woods. By the way , right now i’m in ottawa at the OCFF with the lovely and talented Jen Lane. She is showcasing on the sask music stage for the second year in a row. We play at the Richeleau Room, Crowne Plaza Hotel at 10pm. That’s all for now., talk to you kids soon. Peace
September 4th, 2008
I can’t believe that once again, summer has come and gone. What a crazy year it has been.!! I’ve been to Austin, TX for SXSW, Toronto, ON for NXNE, and we toured to vancouver as you may have read about in my news and or myspace blog. Whew!! Congratulations to David J. Taylor on his WCMA nomination for Producer of the Year 2008. As you may know, David won Producer of the Year 2007, and then worked on my new album with me. Way to go David. ! Faisal is working on an upgrade for the new website as i’m typing. We’ll have the new design up in the next 60 days. Got to apply for wonderful funding first, and keep my fingers crossed for a little bit of financial assistance. This starving artist thing is a long road i tell you. We had a great festival season in august, for example Regina Folk Fest with the Jen Lane Band, W.e A.re M.any eco-awareness Festival, and the Fireworks Festival. Got some stuff happening at the U of S this week for their welcome week festivities. Should be a good ol’ time. That’s all for now, talk to you soon
j
August 9th,2008
Just got into regina, sk. Playing with the Jen Lane Band sunday at the Regina Folk Festival. We play at 1130am on stage three and jen does a workshop on stage three at 430pm. hope you can make it out if you’re in the area. Looking forward to the show tomorrow. gonna be a good time. got a few shows coming up at the end of august. on the 23rd the smokekiller band is playing at the W.e A.re M.any festival in saskatoon at diefenbaker park. check the shows tab for start time. then the fireworks festival on August 31st. Jen Lane Band and Smokekiller band rocking out to some fireworks, that should be a grand ole’ time. Talk to you soon peeps.
peace
j
July 10th, 2008
When you are driving from place to place in a van you sure do find a lot of time for typing away on the ole’ mac making notes like this. Well, we ran into a little van trouble! But that’s ok. We got ourselves a quick rental ride and are back on the road. Looking forward to Vancouver and catching up with leeroy and coby, and his band. There’s the possiblilty that we’re playing later now at the railway then first expected, but I will update this info as soon as I’ve confirmed it. Jon Mckiel had van trouble along his route, but said that the shows themselves were wicked. Well I can say the same for us, the shows have been stellar fun, and the van only gave us a little bit of trouble. Just that the trouble takes till end of the day Friday, and that’s just a little too late. But no worries, like I said we are on the way, and really , you couldn’t stop me from making it to play at the railway. Peace dudes, play safe
j
July 10th, 2008
On the road again. We just passed Golden, BC, and are approaching Kamloops. The Rose and Crown in Banff was a heck of a lot of fun. The show was fantastic, the audience was highly receptive, and the staff was great. We’re gonna be in Vancouver this evening,. Gonna get settled in and rested for our big show on Friday with leeroy. We’re all warmed up now, so watch out. Gonna be a a good one. Jen Lane was just superb for the second night in a row. I wonder if that girl ever has an off night. The smokekiller band was solid, thanks again to Josh, Brian, Silviu, and Jen. Just listening to some tunes and cruising along the ole’ highway. That’s our plan for the rest of the afternoon., Beautiful country we’ve got here.
Peace
J
July 9th , 2008
The tour has gone extremely well so far . We started last Friday in Saskatoon at lydia’s. We were opening for the Jon McKiel band. Jon’s from Halifax, and I just got to see him play when we were out at NXNE. We had a great connection and will be doing more shows together in the future. He will be able to help us connect with an east coast tour.
His band was great.! Mike, Josh, Corey, and of course Zo, without who they wouldn’t have made it to town. Their van broke down in Calgary, and she got them a car to come to Saskatoon. Hope your finger is ok josh.? No need to go into that, let’s just say there was a hammock involved. This has been the year of connecting with other bands. Dan Mangan (Vancouver, BC) at SXSW, then opening for Dan at Lydia’s on his way out to Toronto for NXNE. Lisa Stewart from File: Under Music (Vancouver, BC), who saw a smokekiller song in Austin at SXSW and began looking for liscensing deals for my songs ie: hbo (L.A.), and reconnected with Lisa at NXNE where she came to my showcase at the Cameron House. Now we’ll see Lisa one more time when we play with Leeroy Stagger at the Railway Club in Vancouver. Ken Beatty is a musician/publicist from Vancouver who is interested in helping smokekiller out in the near future, and will be attending the show at the Railway. Heather Kitching(publicist/Vancouver) will also be in attendence at the show to discuss future publicity plans for the new album. We will be doing a major radio mailout and tracking in September 2008, and heather will be able to provide publicity support nationally. During the mixing of the new album in January I was able to develop a good relationship with Steven Drake. I’ll be getting together with Steven in Vancouver to discuss the recording of the next Jen Lane album. Steven has expressed great interest in producing and mixing jen’s next album. Steven will also be out at the show.
July 9, 2008
Thank you Rose and Crown. Wow. That was a good show. Jen Lane kicked off the night in hard-act-to-follow fashion. Always a pleasure to watch Jen. She played quite a few new songs that hopefully will appear on record sometime in the near future. Silviu was fantastic on bass. With the stage relationship that we have, mixed in with the relationship between Josh and Sil, it was an amazing show. Super excited about tonight, cause we get to do it all over again. Playing a place like Banff you realize that you may have not traveled the farthest to get to the gig. There were dudes from Australia losing there minds.!! We met a dude from Cape Breton. Some dudes from Ottawa.! Feels like we’re playing an international festival. It’s noon now, and the goal of the day is to find some wireless internet so that I can get this up on the site. If you are in Vancouver, make sure to come and check out Smokekiller with Leeroy Stagger at the Railway Club. Kevin Kane is playing, and we may even get to do some Jen Lane. Have a great day, wear sunscreen and bug spray. It’s gonna be one of those days.
J
July 8th, 2008
On the road again.
Well here we go. The smokekiller band is heading out west to Vancouver. This is our third time out west , and it just keeps getting better. First stop is the rose and crown in Banff, ab. Haven’t played there before, so we are really looking forward to it. Join me in the band are some of the usual suspects and a new face. Silviu Moldovan is taking over the bass guitar duties from mr. Jeremy Lane. Jeremy is off to the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year and won’t be joining us. We’ll miss him, but I’m sure that he is gonna have a good time. Silviu plays with josh on a regular basis in the Rebellion, and since josh is a full time member of smokekiller, having him along has been an easy transition. Other than bass, the band is as it is on the album. Josh Palmer on lead guitar and vocals, Brian Hankewich on drums, and Ms. Jen Lane (who appears a few times on the record) will be singing with us all night long. We’re playing in Banff and then heading out to Vancouver to play with Leeroy Stagger at the Railway Club (579 Dunsmuir). Should be some good times! I will keep y’all posted
J
July 2nd, 2008
Well it’s that time of year again. Tour season that is. And this year we’re going out with the band for a short stint out west. check the tour schedule for dates in your area. We’ll be opening up for Jon McKiel from halifax, this friday night (july 4th) at lydia’s. looking forward to seeing jon mckiel play again. caught them at the cameron house in toronto during nxne. which was a great time. thanks to my blood lines, paul and barrett, for helping me kick up a storm at my showcase. paul played so hard he blew up the bass amp. wow. what a show. and a great show was had with jen lane as well. always a pleasure. extra special thanks to my new music compadre, Rebel Lion, aka kiron datta. we had a great time catching up and jamming on some of kiron’s songs. Looking forward to kicking it in vancouver with leeroy and his posse, also hoping to run into Mr. Steven Drake. to once again thank him for mixing my album, and talk about the next jen lane album. thats all for now, got to go call the agent and see if we’re playing in kelowna.
peace, j
June 8th, 2008
I’m off to Toronto for NXNE this week. I get to showcase in the Jen Lane Band and with my Smokekiller project too! I’ve got some friends backing me up at the Cameron House 408 Queen St.W Toronto, ON, on Thursday night at 1am. Barrett Ross (drums) and Paul Ross (bass) from “The Blood Lines” will be filling in as the smokekiller band. Also with the lovely and talented Ms. Jen Lane on back up vocals. I get to play with Jen on Friday for her showcase as well. It’s at the Free Times Cafe, 320 College Toronto, ON at 1am on the 13th (fri). Hope to see all my t.o. friends out at the show. I told you one day i’d come out there to play for you. It’s going to be a great couple of shows. Been super busy with life lately. sorry about the intermittent updates. I’m getting better all the time. I’m looking forward to the new website, should be very soon. my buddy fais is on it. and leigh is ready to put it all into place. Congrats to SASKMUSIC for getting a satellite office opened in Saskatoon. Now i don’t have to bug you guys in regina so much., i’ll save on some long distance. well that’s all for now, see you in toronto, or somewhere else very soon.
peace
s
May 19th, 2008
Well the new album is now available for sale online at cdbaby and at itunes. i’ve had a lot of fun with the record so far, and we’re only just beginning. The new look for the website is on the way. i just spoke with faisal and he’s got something together for me. College radio mailouts will go this week, so you should be hearing the album across the country soon, yes very soon. We’re in the process of setting up a bit of a tour with the band this summer. Jen and i will be kicking it with Steven Drake to discuss the new Jen Lane Band album in vancouver, so we thought we might as well make a show out of our trip. More info to follow. talk to you soon
j
April 23rd, 2008
Thanks to everyone who came to the cd release party at Amigo’s in saskatoon and McNallys Tavern in regina. We had a great time at both shows, and Leeroy and his bandmates greatly appreciated the local hospitality. The album is in stores now (cd plus centre 8thst, and midtown plaza, vinyl exchange, and vinyl diner) Thanks to everyone who has already picked up a copy. We’ve got a lot of work to do now, mailouts to radio and such, but it’s all fun stuff. I’m in the process of booking a tour out to Vancouver at the end of July, and we should be able to hit Calgary, Edmonton, Canmore, Kelowna, SaltSpring Island, and vancouver. Plus i’m sure that we will be doing a few small town coffee house gigs along the way. I’ll be heading out with my favorite partner-in-crime, the wonderfully fabulous JEN LANE. Congratulations to Jen on being voted BEST VOCALIST by the readers of Planet S magazine, and on her cover shot. Thanks to all those who voted for Jen, she is the best. Updates to follow, i’ll be talking to you all soon.
john
March 26th, 2008
SXSW. Oh I can’t wait till next year. Jen was amazing. We had a great performance at momo’s. My new album is out. I released it on March 11th, just before i went to austin. The title is “13”. Extra special thanks to Faisal for the phenomenal job on the artwork. You’ve outdone yourself once again brother! We’re really looking forward to the big show that we have coming up at AMIGO’S. Leeroy Stagger is coing down to play with us, and we’ll have lots of cd’s to sell. Speaking of which, i gots to get off to practice. I’ll chat with y’all later. peace
j
March 4th, 2008
Well here we go! Off to austin, texas for South by Southwest (SxSW). JEN LANE is playing a showcase and i get to go. The album is finished. It’s called “13”. This retail release date is March 11th, 2008. There will be an acoustic cd release party at the Spadina Freehouse in Saskatoon on March 19th. And a full band show supporting the release of the new record on April 11th at Amigo’s with Leeroy Stagger. Then off to Regina to play at McNally’s on April 12th also with Leeroy Stagger. Looking forward to playing with Leeroy again. We had a grand ole time playing his Plan 9 Films documentary last year. A wonderful surprise just came to my attention. My boy Faisal Sethi is going to be in Austin for SxSW. He’s working on his new technology for OVERLAYTV. Check it out. I’ve gots to move on now. Steven Drake you rock. Just thinking about my record. Can’t wait for you all to hear it.
Peace
s
January 25th, 2008
Hello, and happy new year. What a year it’s been. I had a wonderful opportunity to travel to vancouver to mix the new record with Mr. Steven Drake. And what a fantastic job he did. Thanks Steven!!! You Rock!!!. We’re in the mastering process right now. The artwork is finished. We’re finalizing a song order. The new record is called “thirteen”. There are 13 songs, and i was born on friday the 13th, so it’s my lucky number too. The street date for the album release is Tuesday March 11th, 2008. Then I’m off to Austin, TX with the Jen Lane Band for SXSW. Congratulations to Jen on getting a showcase!!! We’ll be doing a CD Release on April 11th, 2008 at Amigo’s, Saskatoon, SK. Then travelling to Regina, SK to play at McNally’s Tavern on Saturday April 12th, 2008 . Leeroy Stagger will be coming to share the stage with us at both shows. And I may even get to sit in with his band for a couple of songs . Looking forward to seeing you all.
Peace s
December 28th, 2007
Well folks, hope you all had a very merry xmas. peace on earth and all that jazz! I finished my new album. Now i’m off to vancouver in january to mix with STEVEN DRAKE. Very, very excited about that. The Album will be released as planned in March. I’m in the process of setting up the show right now. The boys were wicked in the studio(thanks josh, jeremy, and brian) Dave Taylor was tres wic to have around. I love making records. Faisal Sethi did a bang up job on the artwork. Once again displaying his great genius. Leigh will be whipping up a new look for the website early in the new year. And we’ll have some new songs up in february. Have a great new year’s, everybody play safe, and we’ll see you soon!
s
November 2, 2007
Whew!. Made it through October. Had a great time with Jen Lane out in London Ontario at the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals. then at the WCMA’S in Moose Jaw. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, what a great time it was in Moose Jaw. It was fun teaming up with Shane Yellowbird and Troy Kokol for the Awards Performance. Now It’s down to business time. We’re going into the studio in december. We should be mixing by january. Due out in March/08. Don’t have a title yet, but we got all the songs we need. There’ll be a few extras for the website and myspace.Looking forward to working with Josh in his studio again. Looking forward to working with David J. Taylor (WCMA producer of the year 2007(congrats on your f##@@**g victory.)
We’ll be hitting LYDIA’S full force on
FRIDAY DECEMBER 7TH, 2007. Coming out of the studio, the show will kick ass.
peace
s
September 26th, 2007
What a busy month this was. the big news JEN LANE NOMINATED FOR “OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT ALBUM” at this years WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARDS. congrats to all of the other nominees from saskatchewan. there’s a few things on the go right now, 1st i’m playing a show with LEEROY STAGGER at lydia’s on OCTOBER 4TH . i get to open up and back up leeroy. suh-weet. should be lots of fun. make sure you come and check it out. then i’m off to London , ON to play with the JEN LANE BAND at the OCFF(ontario council of folk festivals) wow, pretty soon that girl’s gonna be a rock star. then the WCMA’S are the week after in moose jaw, sk. When that’s all done, yee-haw, we’re hitting the studio to make the new record. probably out in jan/feb 2008.
peace dudes
j
September 12, 2007
Oh my god! is summer gone already.? what happened. did i blink. whew.!! i had the most amazing summer of my life, so far. getting ready to record with the boys. just got to finish my FACTOR app, and we’re ready to go. got an album concept too!!! it’s been a good week. I’m playing a show on SEPT.21ST,2007 at AMIGO’S CANTINA. it’s the international day of peace, and i’m getting together with seven other bands to rock out and raise some money. come on down and check it out . JEN LANE is playing, EF,SEAN VILORIA,TIM VAUGHN, NATURAL MYSTIC, LEANNE HYND, and PAUL KUZBIK. hope everyone else had a good summer tooo! and i hope to see you all soon .
peace
j
June 25th, 2007
Well I got some disappointing news today,. the ROXY on Broadway has yet to recover from some flooding last week. The show on thursday is CANCELLED. no wil , no josh, no smokekiller.
But on a lighter note. we, as in smokekiller, are off to MOOSE JAW this friday night. we are playing in conjunction with the city’s Prairie Arts Festival and the upcoming WCMA’S. Looking forward to the show.!!! Jen Lane and her band will be playing from 9pm-11pm, and smokekiller from 11pm-1am. oh yeah, this all takes place at THE CORNERSTONE, #8 Main St, N. Moose Jaw, SK. if you are in the area, we hope to see you there,. did some demos last weekend. should have something up on the website and myspace soon.!!
peace
j
May 31st, 2007
Hey peeps! hope everyone is gearing up for summer. I know i am. Got a couple of shows coming up, playing with the JEN LANE BAND this weekend JUNE 1ST AND 2ND at Lydia’s, also doing a solo acoustic show opening up for MEGAN LANE at Lydia’s next friday JUNE 8TH. some stuff i’m really excited about is opening up for WIL from calgary and LEEROY STAGGER, at the ROXY ON BROADWAY, thursday june 28th. I’ve been a big fan of leeroy since i first saw him in winnipeg last october at the WCMA’s. make sure you check his stuff out. he is one of my top friends on myspace. SMOKEKILLER ALBUM NEWS we will be doing some demos in juno, and getting ready to record in september. everyone’s got a busy summer, but holy frack are we ready. i’ll post some new demos on myspace as soon as i can. peace out y’all., talk to you soon
j
April 6th,2007
Hello!! Junofest was wicked. Had a great show on the friday night. UPD was awesome, as usual. Tupelo Honey was cool, and JORDAN COOK took rock n roll to the next level. Saturday with the JEN LANE BAND was alot of fun too!! The rusty augers from regina were cool, and NQ ARBUCKLE was damn near alt country perfection. Smokekiller Band played last night at amigo’s cantina in saskatoon for engineers without borders. we had a great time. thanks to jill laflamme, eliza, and solid college for rocking out with us. next up me and the band is playing at LYDIA’S ON BROADWAY, APRIL 27TH,2007. The juno shows were so packed and hard to get into, so i wanted to have a bigger show for my saskatoon peeps. my buddy SCOTT NOLAN from winnipeg is coming to kick some ass with an opening set. Album plans look like september for now, summer is getting pretty full up. but it’s a good thing, no need to rush the magic, everything for a reason and all ,
peace j
March 18th, 2007
Whew! must’ve been a party. Had a Ukrainian St.Patrick’s Day suare last night. good times, good peeps. the word is in JUNOFEST SHOWCASE i’m playing with my band on FRIDAY MARCH 30TH @ 11PM. @ THE ROXY ON BROADWAY. Ultimate Power Duo is kicking off the night, and Jordan Cook is closing it down. Hope you can make it out. the Jen Lane Band is playing on saturday Mrach 31st at Vangelis Tavern, on Broadway. It’s the Nino’s lounge. don’t miss that show. we’ve been working hard, and it’s been awhile. the summer is starting to look too busy, so i don’t think that we’ll hit the studio till september. it’s gonna be awesome.!!
j
January 29th, 2007
Hope all the folks are having a good start to the new year. I just keep getting busier. but it’s fun. getting ready to record a new record with my band. We’re busting in to the studio in a couple of weeks. Should have some rough mixes by the end of March. Keep an eye on th ol’ myspace. i’ll pop up some new tracks when i can. trying to book a tour with the band right now. should be playing near all of y’all soon.
peace
j
December 11th, 2006
What a great show we had at lydia’s last weekend. if you were there you know what i’m talking about. it was FUN!!!! thanks to the JEN LANE BAND for sharing the weekend with me. Always a pleasure. Speaking of which, we could use a hand from the fans. request “hold on strong” by JEN LANE at C95 in saskatoon. call 306-938-9595, or email dwatson@rawlco.com. we’re trying to show the commercial station that peoples like you want to here us on the radio. everything helps. !!. Back to smokekiller, we are in the studio at the end on january to record the album. it should be out in april. cant wait for youse all to hear it. (fuck, i can’t wait) Yo to my boy JORDAN COOK, he’s kicking it in the U.K. right now. working on getting us over there i’d imagine. soon, baby soon. smokekiller will be everywhere!!!!! crazy talk. but so true. check out the video of us live on youtube. playing “all my love”. pretty cool. just go to my links and click on youtube smokekiller video
peace
j
December 1st, 2006
Yo peeps! playing tonight at LYDIA’S in saskatoon. opening up for the JEN LANE BAND. starts at 10pm. 5$ to get in. sweet deal. josh, jeremy and brian are playing with me, and i’m playing with jen’s band. gonna be fun times. we play on saturday as well. but jen’s band opens for me. got some new songs to show you. hope you can make it out.
peace
j
November 11th, 2006
We did it!!! yeeeeeheaaawww. 3 songs demoed. they sound wicked. thanks to JORDAN COOK producing the tunes for me. TONY at HVR for engineering a great session. the band JEREMY, BRIAN, and JOSH…. you guys KICK ASS!!! check out 2 new songs on myspace. big show coming up at LYDIA’S on broadway . DEC 1ST the band is opening up for the JEN LANE BAND and on saturday DEC 2ND we swap around and SMOKEKILLER BAND plays last . hope to see you there
enjoy
j
November 3rd, 2006
wow. !!! pretty excited about the sounds coming out of the studio. TONY at HIGH VOLTAGE RECORDING has got some wicked gear. and best of all he knows how to use it. tracking is going smoothly, taking twice as long as expected, but that was expected too!!!. i start out the optimist and settle for realist in the end . it’s all good.
soon ladies and gents soon, some new tunes.
peace
j
October 29th, 2006
Had a wicked time in winnipeg. the WCMA’S were good to us. met some cool folks. saw some cool bands, check out my myspace for some new friends in my top 8. then check out their tunes, el coolio. LEEROY STAGGER, ROMI MAYES, SCOTT NOLAN, just to name a few. i like playing in the JEN LANE BAND. it’s fun!!! 🙂 .
back to smokekiller business, we are in the studio this weekend to demo a few tracks for the new record. i’ll try to get a new song on the site and myspace asap. i’m excited. JORDAN COOK is coming in as producer, and i might be able to convince him to sing, play guitar, and maybe a little drums. it’d be cool!!!!. JOSH PALMER is ripping up back up vox and guitar for me again, JEREMY LANE riding the bass, and BRIAN HANKEWICH kicking the skins. it’s going to be a busy week, but i like busy. next show is at Lydia’s . coming up at the beginning of DEC. it’ll be in the gigs when it’s a done deal.
peace,
j
October 18th, 2006
Heading off to winnipeg tomorrow morning. playing at the TIMES CHANGE(D), 234 Main St. winnipeg, mb. saturday night at 9pm. it’s a WESTERN CANADIAN MUSIC AWARD SHOWCASE, for the JEN LANE BAND. looking forward to the festival. David J. if you read this mail me your cell. i’m going into the studio right away to test out a couple of tracks. JORDAN COOK has been playing some drums for me lately and is going step in and produce. should be killer.
peace
s
September 18th, 2006
got a few shows coming up. doing a juno press conference at the old centennial auditorium on wednesday, playing in calgary on sunday of next week. i’ll try to let everybody know.!!! and a show in october with the WHEAT MONKEYS. cd release at louis’. should be a rocking good time. working on the new material, it’s coming together wicked, can’t wait for the new record. speaking of which, i feel like playing guitar.
peace
j
September 5th, 2006
hello everybody. playing in the bowl at the u of s this wednesday the 6th of sept. at 1pm. got mr. josh palmer on guitar and jordan cook on drums , and of course, jeremy lane on bass. come on down and check out the show. got some new songs for ya. demoing some new tunes acoustically. getting ready to make a new record.
peace
j
August 18th, 2006
well first week back at the clark kent thing . good times. pays the bills. getting ready for the next record. i’m going into the studio to lay down about 30 songs just me and a guitar. then 3-4 songs with the band. then i can look around for a new producer. my man ef is pretty busy with his band ef, and his other band mobadass. all the best!! summer is almost over. but that’s cool. i had a great one.
talk soon
j
August 9th, 2006
home sweet home. well we made it. it was an amazing adventure. thanks to all the friends and fans we met up with along the way. heading out to the roxy for a little jordan cook tonight. got my laundry all finished. just me and me guitar and me xbox. sweet. talk soon peeps.
j
August 3, 2006
wow. what an adventure. vancouver was wicked. we did so much stuff. the fireworks kicked ass. the marine club was cool. the media club was wicked. thanks to reese, and kevin for taking us in. it was cool to see brent, my cuz cal, ivan, cheryl (for the wicked food and unforgettable visit. we’ll be back.
kicking it in white rock with viv and christa. playing kelowna on saturday. see you soon terry. so much to say and so little time. i’m gonna go check out some mountains.
peace
j
July 29th, 2006
had the most amazing time in Saltspring Island, BC. jen and i played an open stage at moby’s. thanks to stephanie rhodes for helping us out with a gig.
right now i’m sitting in spruce harbor with my cousin Ivan. he lives on his boat there. tonight he is taking us out to english bay to watch some of what should be the most amazing fireworks we will see. looking forward to it. and looking forward to playing the marine club sunday night. if you’re in vancouver, come on by , jen and i start at 9pm. hope to see you there. gots to float.
peace.
j
July 23rd, 2006
on the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again, having fun just making music with my friends, i can’t wait to get on the road again!!!! on tour with jen lane, check the site for dates, coming to vancouver and back. see you soon
peace
smokey smoke smoke
July 20th, 2006
yes that’s right , i survived NESS CREEK. love that place man. I got to play a last minute set break on friday night, broke a string on war song, fitting, set “break”.!! heehee. Getting ready to bust my butt out to our infamous west coast. Playing some gigs along the way, hitting some radio stations, doing some promo . Taking some vacation. we will be in or near these cities. calgary, canmore, banff, field, golden, salmon arm, kelowna,hope,richmond, salt spring, vancouver, victoria, duncan, osoyoos, nelson, cranbrook, edmonton, ,,, that’s about it so far, stay tuned , i will definitely keep you posted. Jen Lane will be travelling with me and flip flopping the old opening/headliner depending on how we feel. maybe we will just play together all night. it’s gonna be fun. i love the mountains. are you thinking what i’m thinkin. (…new songs…) sweet.
peace love and all the good stuffs
July 12th, 2006
hey people, sorry about the mishap with the server. everything is running silky smooth , thanks to my man leigh nugent. jen’s cd release was wicked. i had jeremy lane (of course) on bass guitar, josh palmer on guitar and vocals, and jordan cook on drums. wicked wicked wicked. thanks to josh and jordan for their rock n’ rollness. greatly appreciated. gots to run now. packing for the Ness Creek festival. not playing, well on stage, i will be rocking my campsite as often as possible. but looking forward to some down time. if you’re going , see you there, if not , i’ll talk to you when i get back.
peace
j
June 18th, 2006
hello peeps, sorry i don’t get here as often as i should. my clark kent alter ego has been taking up all my time, well not all of it. managed to play on a jen lane record. it will be out TUESDAY JULY 4TH , 2006. looking forward to opening at the cd release, JULY 7TH . AT LYDIA’S ON BROADWAY. i’m playing with the band. JEREMY LANE on bass, JOSH PALMER on guitar and back up vocals, and special guest drummer JORDAN COOK. should be a wicked good timepeacejFebruary 28th, 2006NEW CD IS NOW FOR SALE ONLINE @ <FONT COLOR=”#0000FF”><u><A HREF=”http://cdbaby.com/cd/smokekiller” target=”_blank”>www.cdbaby.com/cd/smokekiller</A></u></FONT>if you want to buy it that’s where you can do it. Also check out my new myspace site @ <FONT COLOR=”#0000FF”><u><A HREF=”http://www.myspace.com/smokekiller” target=”_blank”>www.myspace.com/smokekiller</A></u></FONT>. also listen to CHAB 800am in Moose Jaw. I did a radio interview with Shane Clark and it will be on Sat March 4th at 7am and Sun March 5th at 6pmsee you all soons
February 20th, 2006
Hello , played an excellent show on saturday night, and met some cool writers,. did the sria workshop with Ralph Murphy, James Dean Hicks, and Dean McTaggart. they were really genuine guys and very open to sharing the stage. sunday i got some knee surgery, laid out for a bit. but i gets to do some writing and some gaming and etc. got a coulple of days off from the real job. I will be playing with the JEN LANE BAND this friday february 24th at AMIGO’S with the November All-Stars. should be a great show. JEN has been working on her website and has just released a new live ep. called “JENLANE”LIVE”, it turned out really cool. Thanks joel. looking forward to getting into the studio with the JENLANEBAND we go in March 10th, should have an album by the end of june. yahoo!!!! hope to see you all on friday. this page will be updating soon. new colors and such. close now, very close. thanks to the radio stations that are playing the album, greatly appreciated. Can’t wait to come and visit and play live on the air. If anyone wants to buy a cd, just send me an email and we will set it up. soon cdbaby will be doing most of the distribution, but i will let you know. thanks to CKLU in Sudbury,ON, CFUR in Prince George , BC, and CKXU in lethbridge AB, thanks for listening.
Peace out for now.
s
January 24th, 2006
Hello cool kats and kittens out there.. Listen up to CBC RADIO 1 (540 on your AM dial in saskatoon) between 5:40 and 6:00pm tonight TUESDAY JAN.24TH. there will be some smokekiller coverage. THANKS terry, Come out to AMIGO’S on friday and saturday Feb 3rd , 4th. CFCR is having a cd released show for their 100 years and rocking compilation. Jen Lane plays early on the 3rd, and yours truly on the 4th. got some new songs for you. Peace to JOSH PALMER, in vancouver these days, hope things are going well, and we’ll see you soon!!!
s
January 21st, 2006
hope everyone had a great x-mas. and a ukrainian one too. new look for the website is on the way. can’t wait . it looks really cool. had a buddy ( jeffrey scott) in vancouver recently. heard some smokekiller on the radio. that’s cool. any dj’ needing info just send me a contact. i would love to respond. the new site shoud have all the info you need. in the meantime . enjoy the record. hope to see you all this summer.
peace, j
John Antoniuk / Smokekiller 