Attawapiskat ON via Winnipeg MB – Adrian Sutherland is pleased to be releasing Magic Hits today, a special split-screen performance shot in three places – Attawapiskat ON, Toronto ON and Nashville TN. The poignant music video features Sutherland strolling outdoors, performing vocals ‘alongside’ four legendary artists, with little bursts of ‘magic’ along the way…
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**Magic Hits (Official Music Video)**
Have a look at the Promo Clip Now!
Magic Hits is the third video from Sutherland in 2021 – no small feat considering he hasn’t left his remote Northern home since March 2020. All three videos plus another previously were made by the same team: director, animator and editor Justin Stephenson(Toronto), and creative producer and production manager RoseAnna Schick (Winnipeg), with Sutherland as executive producer.
Says Justin Stephenson: “Magic Hits is a song that celebrates those magic moments we all love, while urging us to not wait on the sidelines. We started working with the split-screen as a way of bringing Adrian’s collaborators together with him. Each of them created lovely space with their individual performances, and as we worked, the lines started to blur between them. The video brings everyone together, even though they are thousands of miles apart. No one is on the sidelines.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
For the Nashville unit, a Google search netted Fool’s Pajamas Productions and three talented young videographers who captured footage at the home studio of Colin Linden. Producer of Magic Hits, Linden performs guitars and harmonies on the song, with wife Janice Powers on B3 organ. Random street scenes were also captured in Nashville.
In Toronto is Brian Gregory Creative, who previously shot for Adrian’s debut video Politician Man. Gregory captured footage of Gary Craig on drums in his home studio, and John Dymond on bass at Blue Sound and Music. Random street scenes in Toronto were also captured, including Adrian’s image on the giant Spotify billboard in Yonge-Dundas Square – coincidentally on display the day Gregory was scheduled to shoot.
In Attawapiskat, visuals were gotten with Adrian’s iPhone 12 and his brother. Andrew Sutherland happened to arrive into the community right about the time Adrian was looking for someone to help with the video. Andrew, who has a natural eye for and an interest in videography, captured Adrian’s vocals in three different locations, and footage of the streets of Attawapiskat.
Video batches were delivered digitally to Stephenson at Even Steven in Toronto, who thoughtfully pieced it all together in the editing suite with a little help from editor and animator Kash Tahen, and a little creative input from Schick and Sutherland. The rest, as they say, just might be magic…
ABOUT THE SONG
Magic Hits is the fifth song from Sutherland that was written with musical brothers Chris Gormley and Matt Gormley. Their collaborations have some kind of magic indeed, evident in the three songs they penned for Adrian’s debut album (Magic Hits, Paranoia, Scared). They are also the songwriters behind Politician Man and follow-up single Respect The Gift.
Magic Hits was mastered by João Carvalho Mastering in Toronto, who has mastered all of Adrian’s solo music as well as Midnight Shine’s last two album releases. The artwork for the Magic Hits single and album campaigns was designed by Nick Perreault, with photography from Sutherland’s wife Judy Sutherland.
ABOUT ADRIAN SUTHERLAND
Adrian Sutherland is a roots-rock recording artist with heart from Attawapiskat on the James Bay. He’s a singer, songwriter, musician, speaker, author and advocate. He’s a father of four, grandfather to four, traditional knowledge keeper, and respected cultural leader, fluent in Mushkegowuk Cree.
After building his own recording studio in a sea-can out of necessity during the pandemic, Adrian completed tracking for his debut solo album When The Magic Hits, and scored the Jennifer Podemski series Unsettled – his first time composing for television. He is presently writing a book for Penguin Random House Canada about growing up in Attawapiskat, a remote and sometimes-harsh place he still chooses to call home.
The fascinating frontman and founder of all-Cree rockers Midnight Shine, Adrian released four albums with the band before shifting to solo projects in 2019. Adrian cares deeply about many causes, and is using his music and voice to share first-hand perspective on issues facing First Nations like contaminated water, housing shortages, food insecurity, addiction, and mental health.
At a time of growing awareness about Reconciliation, Adrian is hopeful for Canadians to better understand one another, and take further steps together.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The music video and audio recording for Magic Hits is funded by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.
For the audio recording of Adrian’s debut album When The Magic Hits, we acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario. We also acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. With special thanks to Radio Starmaker Fund.