logo
Kevan Staples, co-founder of alt-rock band Rough Trade, dead at 74

Kevan Staples, co-founder of alt-rock band Rough Trade, dead at 74

CBC25-03-2025
Kevan Staples, co-founder of legendary Toronto rock band Rough Trade, had died at the age of 74.
Staples co-wrote the band's risque breakout hit High School Confidential, as well the songs Birds of a Feather and All Touch.
His death was announced in a social media post by band co-founder Carole Pope, who said he died on Sunday.
"He was a bright light that will burn forever," she wrote on Instagram.
The band won four Juno awards in the 1980s and was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2023.
"Their music challenged conventions and left a lasting impact on Canada's cultural landscape," says a post on the Canada Walk of Fame's Instagram page.
No other details of his death have been released.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland rock Canadian country music scene
Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland rock Canadian country music scene

Calgary Herald

time6 days ago

  • Calgary Herald

Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland rock Canadian country music scene

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland are one step closer to becoming the next big name on Canada's country music scene after a nationwide vote in SiriusXM's Top of the Country contest. Article content The singing competition saw the trio beat out hundreds of hopefuls in a bid to land the $25,000 grand prize and the title of Top of the Country champion. The winner will be crowned at next month's Canadian Country Music Awards in Kelowna, B.C. The two runners-up will each take home $10,000. Article content Article content All three couldn't be more different musically — Burrows graduated high school in Parry Sound, Ont., last June before landing his first hit song Youth last October; Hofmann was a rancher in Alberta who caught the ear of country superstar Zach Bryan; and Juno-winning Vaadeland puts his own unique spin on country and bluegrass — but the trio are all united in wanting to have their voices heard. Article content Article content Since she was a little girl, Hofmann, 22, always dreamed of playing music for a living. 'But I grew up in a town of 1,500 people … I never saw an example of how pursuing a career in music could be possible,' she told Postmedia in an interview at Nashville's CMA Fest earlier this summer. 'Still, I always felt in my heart that was something I wanted to do.' Article content After recording her plaintive track Purple Gas, the Bow Island, Alta. native saw her career take off when Bryan asked if she would sing it with him on his 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene. Article content Article content The song's title is a reference to a type of fuel farmers and ranchers use in Alberta. Article content Article content 'I never could have imagined that it would end up on his album,' the Country Music Alberta Award winner says. 'It's hard to measure the impact Zach has had on my journey … he's such an advocate for artists and writers and I'm so grateful to him for giving me a chance to take the ball and run with it.' Article content She's spent most of the summer on the road, with a show booked alongside Bryan, Kings Of Leon and Turnpike Troubadours at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park set for Aug. 15 and opening dates on The Crooner & The Cowboy Tour with Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett. Article content Hofmann is also up for two CCMAs — Breakthrough Artist and Alternative Country Album of the Year.

Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest
Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest

National Post

time08-08-2025

  • National Post

Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest

Pouncing and rolling around on stage with legs in the air, Rainbow Surprise Kitten clawed in International Cat Day a few hours early Thursday night with a legendary shake-it-up rock-out in the misty rain. Article content Rain and thunder! Or the fear of it, anyway, was the unofficial pre-opener for the 46 th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival — tens of thousands of Gallagher Park hill bags heavier with assorted rubber gear and towels on a generally lovely cloudy day that did not encourage free-range beer chugging. More like under-blanket snuggling. Article content Article content Article content I even brought a plastic baggie and non-smudge pens for my 20 th century-style notepad! Article content Opening up at 6:36 p.m. after the festival blessing was the charming and spirited Aysanabee, 'Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation' in answer to 'where ya from?' Article content Now based in Toronto, he mushroom-gathers prestige indie Juno wins and Polaris noms with his upbeat Elder-channelling, gravel-revving voice full of hope and trying to figure it all out. Relatable, singalong resistance. Article content The set opened with the recorded spoken word Interlude 9 of album Watin, named for the musician's grandfather, explaining words in their language, including 'Nosuk, nosuk magizokege means my grandchildren are growing up,' and 'Ebiisay ketizgo, that means heaven.' Article content The band introduced themselves playing the slow-rising Dream Catcher, the pounder Nomads, followed by the energetic Bringing the Fire. Article content Asking who'd seen them in 2023, Aysanabee waved left and right over the verdant rise of raincoat witnesses. Article content Article content 'We played over there, we played over there,' he said from the big stage under the 46 — a number of encouragement from the divine realm. 'Now we're playing here! Thanks for selling out Thursday — that's you!' Article content Impossible to ignore at Aysanabee's side was singer Lala Noel in her blood-orange-slice earrings, backing up his distinct voice with Dark Side of the Moon, OG Star Trek choral heights and this very infectious smile. Article content Miles Gibbons did a nice job on the looping drums, Dean Aivaliotis on keys, with Nick Tateishi playing guitar, all together through a dozen countries in the last year and change. Article content Uh oh — was that thunder? Nope, just a couple volunteers rolling plastic garbage bins along. Article content Leading in the mournful Without You off the new EP, Aysanabee spoke of his ever-present grandfather, 'who finished his journey last year. Article content 'When people close to you move on they kind of leave this space,' said the singer, hoping he can live up a certain sense of duty he feels to tradition.

Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest
Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest

Edmonton Journal

time08-08-2025

  • Edmonton Journal

Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest

Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content Pouncing and rolling around on stage with legs in the air, Rainbow Surprise Kitten clawed in International Cat Day a few hours early Thursday night with a legendary shake-it-up rock-out in the misty rain. Article content Article content Rain and thunder! Or the fear of it, anyway, was the unofficial pre-opener for the 46 th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival — tens of thousands of Gallagher Park hill bags heavier with assorted rubber gear and towels on a generally lovely cloudy day that did not encourage free-range beer chugging. More like under-blanket snuggling. Article content Article content Now based in Toronto, he mushroom-gathers prestige indie Juno wins and Polaris noms with his upbeat Elder-channelling, gravel-revving voice full of hope and trying to figure it all out. Relatable, singalong resistance. Article content The set opened with the recorded spoken word Interlude 9 of album Watin, named for the musician's grandfather, explaining words in their language, including 'Nosuk, nosuk magizokege means my grandchildren are growing up,' and 'Ebiisay ketizgo, that means heaven.' Article content Article content The band introduced themselves playing the slow-rising Dream Catcher, the pounder Nomads, followed by the energetic Bringing the Fire. Article content Asking who'd seen them in 2023, Aysanabee waved left and right over the verdant rise of raincoat witnesses. Article content 'We played over there, we played over there,' he said from the big stage under the 46 — a number of encouragement from the divine realm. 'Now we're playing here! Thanks for selling out Thursday — that's you!' Article content Article content Impossible to ignore at Aysanabee's side was singer Lala Noel in her blood-orange-slice earrings, backing up his distinct voice with Dark Side of the Moon, OG Star Trek choral heights and this very infectious smile. Article content Miles Gibbons did a nice job on the looping drums, Dean Aivaliotis on keys, with Nick Tateishi playing guitar, all together through a dozen countries in the last year and change.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store