Like his music moniker, Cory Myraas likes to keep things moving.
The musician, known as Windmills, isn’t resting on his laurels despite a year that would make most people’s heads spin like the blades on a wind turbine.
Not only has he been working on his soon-to-be released third album, he has received funding to film a video for one of the songs off said album. He has also toured thousands of kilometres across this nation, twice, and just three weeks ago was made aware that he is in the top 12 of the prestigious PEAK Performance Project.
“You could sum it up as I’ve toured everywhere, played everywhere, and done more than I thought I could do,” said Windmills, who is home in Vernon for a brief rest before life gets a little too crazy.
Like his second album Tilting, released in winter 2013, his third and latest album, Maps, to be released in the fall, has been made possible with a FACTOR (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Records) grant.
Recorded at Echoplant Sound, a Coquitlam-based studio owned and operated by producer Ryan Worsley, Windmills first laid down two tracks for the album in March, 2014.
He returned to the studio in January this year and tracked five new songs and plans to return in July to finish the album.
“At first the deadline was overly ambitious but we have set realistic guidelines and have now received approval to push the deadline back to October,” said Windmills, who met Worsley through Kamloops band Van Damsel, who coincidently are also in the top 12 of this year’s PEAK Performance Project.
In the past, Windmills played all his own instruments on his recordings, with a guitar, looping pedal and a floor tom, as he does live.
His live show has now burgeoned to include a drum sample pad and a lap top that triggers the backing tracks.
“It opens up my ability to perform with a progressive and more full sound,” said Windmills.
In the studio, he provides Worsley with a base version of that sound, then together they add production elements such as drums, bass and keyboards.
“I have a recording program on my computer so I do rough demos that I bring to him so that he can be familiar with the songs when we go into the studio. It makes a huge difference to the tracking. It’s nice seeing the demos to the transition. When it comes to audio engineering I know nothing, but this has opened it up,” said Windmills, adding, “Ryan is honest and not afraid to tell me the truth. As a solo artist you need that feedback. Ryan and his assistant are my new ears.”
That enhanced new sound has its fans already.
Windmills released the first single off Maps, Face to a Name, last May.
“It premiered on (music blog) Indie Shuffle to a great response,” he said.
More recently, April 15 to be exact, he released the second single, the title track Maps, premiering it again on Indie Shuffle, and it received an even bigger response.
“After the first week, we had 10,000 plays. We went on tour the same morning the song came out. I think I tried to kill myself with exhaustion.”
That tour, with fellow artist Mark Mills, took Windmills to 10 shows in 11 days from Victoria to Winnipeg, playing to full houses including at Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom. Then on May 1, Windmills set off again, this time with his friends from Van Damsel, for a tour that saw then travel in a Handy Dart bus all the way to Montreal.
“That was an equally good tour where we both did showcases for Canada Music Week (in Toronto),” he said. “Montreal was amazing. The bar wanted to show the (Stanley Cup playoffs) elimination game between Montreal and Tampa Bay first. Montreal won, so everyone was in a good mood.”
Next up is the good natured competition between Windmills and his musical colleagues, who are vying to top the PEAK Performance Project, which is in its seventh and final year in B.C.
Windmills found out he was a finalist for the project, which is designed to educate, promote, develop and launch the careers of some of B.C. and Alberta’s up-and-coming artists, when he returned from playing the Sasquatch Music Festival at Washington’s Gorge venue.
“I started getting texts congratulating me. At that time, I had no idea I had made it,” he said. “It’s a good boost – not my primary focus, but is good exposure to give to people on the Coast and get played on the radio. It’s nice validation regardless what happens down the road.”
Prizes this year include a $102,700 top prize, $75,000 second prize, $50,000 third prize, as well as a $5,000 base camp award given to each of the top 12 finalists to help them with their career development.
“Of the 12 bands/artists in the finals, I know six of them, so it should be a good time. This is the last year for B.C., so we want to make our mark on the PEAK scene,” said Windmills, who will need fans to vote for him during the public voting segment in October to make it to the top three.
He also plans to hold a showcase here in Vernon, with the details to be announced.
And that’s not all.
Windmills is not only a finalist in the PEAK, but is also one of 20 winners of Telus’ Storyhive music video funding project.
Community votes decided what 20 projects would each receive a $10,000 grant and distribution on Telus Optik TV On Demand.
Windmills worked with independent videographer/filmmaker Brandon Fletcher on the video to his song, Shame, which he says is influenced by films such as 2001 A Space Odyssey and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
“We had a drone to shoot some of the footage in the mountains,” said Windmills.
“It’s cool to be watched and listened to at the same time, but, in this case, I’m not even in the video.”
The next phase of the Storyhive competition starts July 17 and goes back to public voting, where one video from each province is chosen as the winner. A prize of $30,000 will go towards producing a new music video plus documentary, training and mentorship opportunities, as well as distribution on Telus Optik TV On Demand.
To see Windmills video for Shame, visit www.storyhive.com/music-videos.
Information on the PEAK Performance Project is available at peakperformanceproject.com.
** Those around B.C. can catch Windmills live when he opens for Tor Miller at Vancouver’s Media Club, Monday, June 22, as well as at the Khatsahlano Summer Festival in Kitsilano July 11, and at Canada’s largest electronic music festival, Shambhala in Salmo on the Amphitheatre stage Aug. 10.
