Music to life the spirits, album proceeds go to health care

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It may not be the album release party they had hoped for but Mad River band is proceeding with the launch of Love Grows, releasing its energy into the community at a time when it may need it most.
The band, made up of Neill Lanz, Rick Garner and Craig Smith, with John Hall on drums and Nelson Beattie on sax, records at Lanz’s home studio Mad River Music in Duntroon and members are from the Clearview and Collingwood area.
Lanz said the band is thinking of this second album as positive energy, and to put it out now makes sense.
“It’s ready to go. We’ve been working on it for a year and it just seems like if there is ever a good time to have people listen to music this is that time. We think our music is uplifting, and it has a very positive message and hopefully it lifts spirits,” said Lanz. “In the creative process, there are two parts to it; the creation of it in the studio is fun for the artists but at some point, when it’s finished, you hang it up and you want to share it.”
The album contains 10 songs about the human condition, at times whimsical, and at times more serious. Lanz said it explores universal themes, and songs are arranged in an order to tell a story.
Love Grows is the first song on the album, and Time Passes is the last song, creating a vignette of the human journey.
Readers may remember Mad River’s song Body & Soul, also from the new album, was entered in last year’s CBC Music’s Searchlight contest.
The band never imagined they would be releasing their album during a global pandemic but it inspired them to direct all proceeds to the local health care efforts through Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation, with “appreciation of the selfless dedication and courage of all our frontline Healthcare professionals.”
During the recording process in the Mad River Studio, the band did not anticipate having to release their album during the angst of a global pandemic. However, especially during difficult times, music has the capacity to soothe and uplift our spirit, and the band is hopeful that their music can offer this.
All Mad River band members “are wishing our community strength, resilience and good health as we all unite to fight this virus.”
The album was posted to streaming sites on April 1, where people can pay and download. The band does plan to perform live at area venues once they re-open and CDs will be available for purchase at Mad Dog Vinyl Café. All proceeds will be donated to the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Foundation.
For all the links, and free download of the songs Love Grows and Tag Along, visit madrivermusic.ca.

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