Marco DiFelice is a Canadian singer, songwriter, music supervisor, and producer. In the 90’s, Marco was the lead singer of the pop-punk band, Supergarage. After the band dispersed, he found his way into the world of music supervision, where he selected music for films, adverts, and television shows including Orphan Black and Lost Girl. Now Marco is writing songs against the backdrop of his life as Parks N’ Rec. This project — a collaboration between Marco and several producers back at his own Self Titled Studios — deals with lost love, polarizing societies, and self-renewal.
Brand new track, “Peace of Mind,” offers up Parks N’ Rec‘s spin on the original by classic rockers Boston and will be included on a full-length covers set to be released this coming spring. A well-written song with a simple melody and lyrics, it reminded Marco that good music comes out of a few basic ingredients.
Marco DiFelice is a Canadian singer, songwriter, music supervisor, and producer. In the 90’s, Marco was the lead singer of the pop-punk band, Supergarage. After the band dispersed, he found his way into the world of music supervision, where he selected music for films, adverts, and television shows including Orphan Black and Lost Girl. Now Marco is writing songs against the backdrop of his life as Parks N’ Rec. This project — a collaboration between Marco and several producers back at his own Self Titled Studios — deals with lost love, polarizing societies, and self-renewal.
The brand new track, “Peace of Mind,” offers up Parks N’ Rec‘s spin on the original by classic rockers Boston and will be included on a full-length covers set to be released this coming spring. A well-written song with a simple melody and lyrics, it reminded Marco that good music comes out of a few basic ingredients.
We spoke with Parks N’ Rec about the video which you can dive into below!
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
I landed in Havana and for whatever reason the melody of the song “Peace Of Mind” kept on repeating in my head. It is an epic, classic rock song from 1976 that is spectacular in production and perfect in execution. I was inspired to produce a zen like version of the song while doing my morning walk on the Malecon, a famous seawall along the north shore of the city. The walks are very peaceful at 6 am, in complete contrast to what this road becomes once the day begins. Living in Havana is a challenge for us comfortable North Americans, and I think I wanted to create a soundtrack deal with this challenge…what a life lesson?!
What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)?
I made a visual playlist of my experiences over the last 3 years. First, I wanted to capture the lush grounds of Colombia, Costa Rica and the seabed of Belize. Part 2 , I wanted to show the stark contrast of navigating the urban jungle of Havana and NYC. Part 3 is hubble of telescopic footage that matched what I think I saw, experimenting with Bufo and ayahuasca in Mexico…lol.
What was the process of making this video?
I simply collected footage and sent back to Toronto to a talented visual editor to make it come alive. I would explain the shot list, but he became the story teller as well.
Ian Arden, the twenty-something Toronto troubadour was raised in a French Canadian and Moroccan household. When Ian began speaking as a toddler, he struggled with a stammer. Speech therapy showed meager results at best, so his father began teaching him to recite song lyrics from memory, mainly focusing on the songs of Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Every night, a new song was chosen, and Ian would repeat the song’s lyrics again and again until they were recited in their entirety with no stammer and no accent.
For Ian, his debut single, “Nadia,” was written in one emotional and traumatic night. The song is about compassion and concern for a loved one who is struggling with opioids or mental health. “Nadia” serves as a reminder that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Watch the music video directed by David J Redman (TEDY, BASHA, RIELL):
“Ian Arden is extremely gifted. I can’t wait for everyone to hear Nadia and the rest of his album ‘Songs for Rebecca.’ The music video for Nadia blew me away.”
–Grammy Award winner John Greenham (Billie Eilish “when we all fall asleep where do we go?” Mastering Engineer, Bo Burnham “INSIDE” Mastering Engineer.
Kendra Gabrielle is ready to paint 2023 her favourite colour with witty new single “RED,” produced by CMAO nominee producer Shawn Moore. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalistis a fresh-faced indie artist in the country music world.
Inspired by a joke about being attracted to red flags, “RED” captures the true Kendra, showcasing her sassy and upbeat persona.
In 2020, Kendra released her debut single “Bad Boy” which reached #2 on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown. In 2022, her self-love anthem “Drunk On My Own” earned her a nomination for Best New Solo Artist at the Mississauga Music Awards.
It’s no secret that River Town Saints have endured more than most bands could handle in a lifetime. The sudden death of one of the founding members, replacing a lead singer, and just when they had all of that figured out and were ready to introduce the world to River Town Saints 2.0, a global pandemic came along. Since then, they’ve been writing and recording new music that they are excited to release.
Brooding new single, “Goodbye Ain’t a Game,” was inspired by one of River Town Saints’ members on again/off again relationships with a now ex-girlfriend. The addition of a pedal steel guitar envelopes the track in a haunting aura.
Ian Arden, the twenty-something Toronto troubadour was raised in a French Canadian and Moroccan household. When Ian began speaking as a toddler, he struggled with a stammer. Speech therapy showed meager results at best, so his father began teaching him to recite song lyrics from memory, mainly focusing on the songs of Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan. Every night, a new song was chosen, and Ian would repeat the song’s lyrics again and again until they were recited in their entirety with no stammer and no accent.
For Ian, his debut single, “Nadia,” was written in one emotional and traumatic night. The song is about compassion and concern for a loved one who is struggling with opioids or mental health. “Nadia” serves as a reminder that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
We spoke with Ian to dive into the new video for “Nadia” which you can dive into below!
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Nadia was written in one night. Someone very close to me had been suffering for quite some time, and I noticed some of our other friends weren’t treating her very well. This person was often moved to tears by the insensitivity of others, and listening to her scream in agony was more than I could bear.
I chose to visualize this song because numerous people told me the song was their favourite, and the consoling coda “there’s a lion in her soul” comforted just about everybody who heard it.
What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)?
Director David J Redman from RedTip Productions was the real visionary behind this video. The Nadia character, played by the wonderful Nicole Farrugia, goes through many different states of consciousness. Each of these beautiful bardos represents a vignette into the world of Nadia’s psyche.
Some states are heavenly, while others evoke pure terror.
The decision to include footage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s speech was really David’s idea. David’s enthusiasm and professionalism are truly unparalleled, and it was a spot on decision.
FDR represented hope for millions during the Great Depression. If anybody could console Nadia, he could.
What was the process of making this video?
None of this would have been possible without Nicole Farrugia, who is so beautiful and yet so delicate. “Nadia” means “tender” or “delicate” in Arabic, and casting Nicole was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Alex Rozanec was a great producer in that he ensured everyone he hired was a real pro.
Working with Treplam and RedTip Productions was a dream.
I was fairly uninvolved on shoot day, but the pre-production process was a different story. I was pretty hands on. I was quite adamant about casting Nicole Farrugia, as she stood out among the hundreds of actresses in the running.
Nicole also graces the cover of my album “Songs for Rebecca.” I’m so happy with the cover. It could be on display in a museum. Nicole is so mesmerizing, and she’s been a great collaborator throughout this process. She’s very excited to be involved, and that’s a testament to the incredible team that worked on this precious project.
I also want to shout out Pie in the Sky Studios, where the video was shot. If you’re looking to shoot professional video or photography in Toronto, you need to go there. It was such a blast.
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