Slowcity.ca Open Mic: Hannah Georgas, Debby Friday, Abigail Lapell, Rachel Hickey, Leanne Hoffman, Isabel LaRosa, and Mad Ones

By Will McGuirk

“I have a lot of internal pep talks, as a way to quiet my own doubts and insecurities. This song is a reflection of that, and a reminder to go a little bit easier on myself.” - Hannah Georgas

“I have always looked up to women who were willing to be ‘bad’ in the name of living thoroughly.” - Debby Friday

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Haviah Mighty and Leanne Hoffman release new tracks about an old problem

By Will McGuirk

Let’s keep the International Women’s Day celebrations going longer, lets make another week of it, and dig into this heartache of a track from Halifax based singer/songwriter Leanne Hoffman as well as “In Women Colour” the latest fromBrampton rapper Haviah Mighty, who will be playing the Diezel Room Apr 5 2019 as part of Oshawa Music Week organised by students of the Music Business Management program at Durham College.

In a press release Hoffman says “Blind and Broken” was written during the Jian Ghomeshi trial. It “speaks to the frustration that comes with being a woman in a society where the justice system is consistently letting you down and placing men on a pedestal,” “It’s about being angry and also feeling helpless and hopeless.”

The track is from Hoffman’s debut ‘What Remains’, produced by Erin Costelo and released May 10 2019 on Costelo’s label Venue.

1st single from Leanne Hoffman’s debut album “What Remains” Featuring Leanne Hoffman - vocals/piano Clive MacNutt - guitar Tim Brennan - bass Dave Marsh - drums Erin Costelo- keyboards and Backup vocals Margot Durling - background vocals Additional Musicians: Anne Simons - violin Erin Costelo - organ, rhodes, background vocals Elise Besler-Harnish - background vocals Margot Durling - background vocals Andrew MacKelvie - saxophones Andrew Jackson - trombone Leith Fleming-Smith - keyboards Recorded and engineered by Thomas Stajcer at New Scotland Yard in Dartmouth, NS. Mastered by J. LaPointe at Archive Mastering in Mineville, NS.

Photo by Yung Yemi

Haviah Mighty’s track too is about the violence of men but its not sand with any feelings of helplessness or hopelessness. The track references a childhood incident where she was beat up by a male for playing basketball with the boys.

“They used to say I’m too loud but that’s cool now, love my skin, always been proud, guess that’s in now. They used to say I’m too black with that crude rap and I courier the boom bap over new trap.”