The Artist Life
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Ian Blackwood, Dean Richards |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Burlington, Ontario , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
The Artist Life was a pop punk group originating from Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and was affiliated with the Underground Operations label.
History
The band was established in 2005 by Ian Blackwood, previously of Jersey, alongside Dean Richards, who had been part of Fallen Year and Dreams Among Stars. They soon incorporated Andy Crawford from Beaumont on bass and Chris Danner of Grade on drums. Their inaugural live performance took place on April 17, 2006, at Toronto's Bovine Sex Club. Within their first year, they produced a five-track demo and distributed over a thousand copies while mainly performing across Ontario.
By the end of 2006, both Danner and Crawford had left the lineup. Early in 2007, Blackwood and Richards collaborated with David Palmer of The Stickup to record the Living EP, which they made available as a free digital download. Subsequently, Jake Parsonson from Madrid is Burning joined as drummer, and Chuck Leach—known for Jude the Obscure and At the Mercy of Inspiration—assumed bass duties.
To promote Living, the band toured throughout Canada and the United States. Their single “Waiting Room” received airplay on MuchMusic, complemented by video rotation. Additionally, their song "Piss Test" was featured in a commercial for West49. The EP’s reception led to them winning the Young Jedi Up and Coming Band award at the Punk-o-Rama FU Awards hosted by 102.1 The Edge.
After producing demos aimed at securing a record deal, they signed with Underground Operations in September 2008. Their follow-up EP, Let's Start A Riot, was released on October 28, 2008, featuring music videos for both the title track and "Sleep So Sound," with the latter earning a nomination for Song of the Year at the FU Awards.
In 2009, Justin Zoltek replaced Chuck Leach on bass. That year, The Artist Life toured across Canada alongside Stereos and The Midway State, appeared at the Cutting Edge Music Festival, and promoted Let’s Start A Campfire, an acoustic reinterpretation of Let's Start A Riot.
Their debut full-length album Impossible came out in 2011. They showcased songs such as "Steel City" on ExploreMusic and released a music video for "Find You." The group continued performing in southern Ontario until announcing their disbandment on February 1, 2012.
Discography
| Year | Title | Type | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Living | EP | Self-Released |
| 2008 | Let's Start a Riot | EP | Underground Operations |
| 2009 | Let's Start a Campfire | EP | Underground Operations |
| 2011 | Impossible | LP | Underground Operations |
External links
- Recipe of the week: The Artist Life – Interview featured on TorontoMusicScene.ca
- SceneFest Interview: Fazer Magazine – Conversation with Ian Blackwood