You Can’t Miss Gaelynn Lea Music at #HPX2018!
When Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music’s 2016 Tiny Desk Contest, her two decades as a hardworking and talented musician finally crystallized in a beautiful moment of national recognition. It was also just the beginning of a grand adventure. Since then, Gaelynn has played in 42 states and seven countries, adding nearly 100,000 miles to their Ford Econoline’s odometer.
Yet somehow between this perpetual blitz of performances, Gaelynn also recorded her third full-length album, Learning How To Stay. It is a powerfully emotive effort of confidence and purpose, the connecting thread of which is Gaelynn Lea herself. With her singular voice and deeply-affecting violin, she guides the listener through a journey that explores the contrasting nature of existence: dark and light, birth and death, anger and forgiveness, sorrow and joy. Learning How to Stay encourages the listener to stay present for it all.
In addition to performing and recording, Gaelynn Lea loves to do speaking engagements about disability awareness, inclusion in the arts, and leading an enriching life. Gaelynn has a disability called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (Brittle Bones Disease) and she is a strong voice in the disability community. Gaelynn Lea believes society must prioritize accessibility so people with disabilities can participate in their communities and use their gifts without barriers or discrimination.
Catch Gaelynn Lea in Halifax at The Carleton on Oct. 19th! You can also catch her Feature Friday Talk on disability representation in pop culture at the Halifax Central Library on the same day.

You can’t miss Justin Nozuka at #HPX2018!
29 year-old Justin Nozuka first shot to global fame at just 18. By the time he’d turned 21, he’d opened shows for Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, John Mayer and Jason Mraz, appeared on David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Good Morning America and earned his second Juno Award nomination.
Since then, he has released four albums. His most recent, 'Run To Waters', was released in May of this year. The album is lush and hopeful, inspired by Nozuka’s time spent in the heart of nature.
“We are lucky that there are still places in the world that we can run to that aren’t filled with people. I heard from someone once, if we swim to a certain depth in the ocean, a dormant part of our being awakens. I don’t know if that’s true, but something comes alive when we’re in nature long enough.” - Nozuka
Catch Justin Nozuka in Halifax on Saturday Oct. 20th at The Carleton

You can't miss Zaki Ibrahim at #HPX2018!
South African/Canadian Zaki Ibrahim is a globally distinguished singer, songwriter and producer. Nominated twice for the Polaris Music Prize and once for the Juno Award, she has come up as one of Canada’s hip hop and soul icons.
Alongside three EPs and two mixtapes, Zaki Ibrahim has opened for Erykah Badu, Saul Williams, The Roots, and has been lauded for her innovation and creative vision in her collaborations and co-writes with the Hyperdub Records family, Okzharp, and Young Fathers.
Headlining Spring Festival Series in Cairo and Beirut, Zaki Ibrahim played debut release shows in Berlin blissfully pregnant, and worked with jazz legends such as Mulatu Astatke (Official Artist Page)'s musical director Abegasu Shiota at The African Jazz Village in Ethiopia.
'The Secret Life of Planets' was independently released in 2018. Taking a five-month sabbatical in South Africa immediately afterward, Zaki Ibrahim has now returned to Canada as a home base for family, and sets out on her first ever world headlining tour.
Catch Zaki Ibrahim at #HPX2018 on October 20th at the The Seahorse Tavern!

#HPX2018 Artist Announce: Dog Day
With a brand new record on the way, Dog Day is emerging from a comfortable silence between friends with something captivating to say. It’s the musical equivalent of pulling out your spring jacket from storage & finding a crisp $20 in the pocket. Learn more >> https://www.halifaxpopexplosion.com/artist-lineup/dog-day

You can't miss DJ Shub at #HPX2018!
Considered to be the Godfather of PowWowStep, DJ-producer Shub continues to pioneer a growing genre of electronic music.
Born Dan General, DJ Shub began his career with nationally-acclaimed electronic music trio A Tribe Called Red, performing across North American stages with some of the biggest recording artists in today’s industry and winning a JUNO Awards in 2014.
'PowWowStep', Dj Shub's first album, was nominated for a Juno in 2018. Shub is a Mohawk of the Six Nations reserve located in Ontario, Canada and has grown more aware of the Indigenous way of life through his music, merging his heritage with his craft.
Catch DJ Shub at #HPX2018 on Oct. 20th at The Marquee Ballroom!
https://www.halifaxpopexplosion.com/artist-lineup/dj-shub

You can't miss Witch Prophet at #HPX2018! Witch Prophet is an evolution of Toronto based, Ethiopian/Eritrean singer/songwriter Ayo Leilani. A soundscape of vocal layers, loops and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz and soul-inspired beats.
Her highly anticipated debut 'The Golden Octave' was released earlier this year on Toronto-based media collective 88 Days of Fortune. It's musically very diverse & provocative, while remaining cohesive & tied together by Witch Prophet’s sometimes gentle & sometimes fierce vocals.
Both members of Toronto electro-hip-hop veterans Above Top Secret, Witch Prophet produced 'The Golden Octave' with DJ, producer, and partner SunSun, who also painted the album artwork.
Catch Witch Prophet at The Marquee Ballroom presented by Exclaim! on October 18th!
https://www.halifaxpopexplosion.com/artist-lineup/witch-prophet

SPECIAL SHOW ADDED TO #HPX2018:

Countdown to Legalization with Matt Mays and special guest Partner.

October 16, 2018
The Marquee Ballroom
Doors at 8pm

Guaranteed entry for all Halifax Pop Explosion wristband holders. If space permits, there may be a limited amount of tickets available at the door. Wristbands are $80 (+ tax and fees), and give you access to the entire festival (excluding Symphony NS performance). Buy now at >> https://www.halifaxpopexplosion.com/tickets

This show is open to those 19 years of age and over.

HPX has always been about discovering new music – this year, that’s truer than ever. 2018’s highly curated lineup focuses on new-to-Halifax sounds, exciting local artists and amazing comedians – with some surprises along the way!
https://www.halifaxpopexplosion.com/

You can’t miss Polaris Prize winner Jeremy Dutcher at #HPX2018!
Jeremy Dutcher is a classically trained operatic tenor and composer who blends his Wolastoq First Nation roots into his music. Dutcher’s debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, involves the rearrangement of 110-year-old recordings from his community.
Catch Jeremy Dutcher when he performs his full set at The Marquee Ballroom on Wednesday, Oct 17th at The Halifax Pop Explosion!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FKXcScqGIw

You can't miss Zola Jesus when she graces Halifax with her eerie, atmospheric pop during #HPX2018
Zola Jesus is 29 year-old singer, songwriter, and record producer Nika Roza Danilova. She grew up in the rural woods of Wiconsin where she recently returned and built a home for herself on her family's property.
Okovi, her fifth album, was named Best New Music by Pitchfork in 2017. Okovi has been praised for expressing heavy emotional themes of life, death, loss, and reconciliation with a profound urgency that is simultaneously bleak and ‘deeply comforting’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVtwUxQ1TeA&feature=youtu.be

You can’t miss CupcakKe at #HPX2018! CupcakKe is the alias of 21 year old rapper Elizabeth Eden Harris. Kickstarting her own career in 2015 by uploading her music to YouTube, she continues to release all her own material and manage herself.
Since then, she has been taking the rap world by storm. Her most recent album, Euphorize, was met with rave reviews from Spin Magazine, The Guardian and received Best New Music from Pitchfork She has collaborated with Charli XCX, Rico Nasty, and SOPHIE MSMSMSM
It is impossible to ignore CupcakKe’s aggressively sexual lyrics and themes, but under no circumstances should she be pigeonholed for them. Her music is fearless and sincere, with topics ranging from abuse to police brutality to pedophila to the legacy of slavery. “CupcakKe isn’t just a character. She has a whole lot more to show us — there is just a whole slew of pussy jokes along the way.” (Pitchfork, 2018)
Catch CupcakKe in Halifax before she embarks on her tour with Iggy Azalea at the end of October.
https://buff.ly/2MTSMeC

Full Lineup: Anemone, AppleCat, Aquakultre, Art d'Ecco, Astral Swans, ATX6, Basement Revolver, Beach Body, BlakDenim, Bonnie, Trash, Born Ruffians, Cadence Weapon, Carinae, Céleste Godin, Chudi Harris, Chunder Buffet, CupcakKe, Devarrow, DJ Mel Boogie, DJ Shub, DJ Uncle Fester, Eamon McGrath Devastation Trio, Expanda Fuzz, Fat Tony, Fossil Cliffs, Future Peers, Gaelynn Lea, Georgian Bay, Ghettosocks, Gone In April, Helena Deland, Hello Delaware, Hillsburn, Holy Hum, Hua Li, I M U R, Ian Harvie, Jayd Ink, JayWood, Jeremy Dutcher, Jon Bryant, Jon McKiel, Jordan Roberts, Joseph of Mercury, Juice Girls, Justin Nozuka, Kalle Mattson, KAYO, Keonté Beals, KP The Great, Kxng Wooz, Lakes of Canada, Living Hour, Lost Cousins, Maggie Estey, Maje, Matthew Broussard, Matty Galaxy, Miesha and the Spanks, Millimetrik, Moon King, Moscow Apartment, Motherhood, Natalie Lynn, Nilla, OBUXUM, Owen Meany's, Batting Stance, Port Cities, Praises, Property, Quake Matthews, Quiet Parade, Rain Over St. Ambrose, Rayannah, Reuben and the Dark, Sean Leon, Sean-One, Shevy Price , Skye Wallace, Soap Opera, Sorrey, Sportsfan, Steve Lambke, T. Thomason, Tachichi, Tallies, The Sorority, Thrillah, Trails, Valfreya, Van Buren Boys, Weary, Witch Prophet, Yani Mo, Zaki Ibrahim, Zola Jesus