From Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the world. Not all of the best laid plans from the Indie Music scene come from L.A. or NYC. Meet Michelle Ryder, Sean Mckenna, and Mark Horton. Three people outside of the box that bring a little bit of light to that scene with their multiple projects as well as their own music in their own rights.

Being musicians and trying to get your music heard is one thing, but advancing independent music as a whole and taking the rest of those that deserve it with you is another thing all together. That is what more and more people need to do. The indie music scene is a cooperative. A collective. A community. And that cooperative is culminating into the podcast ‘Barstools and Bandtalk/Rimshots with Sean‘. Combine that with the music that the three of them record and release and you have a recipe for the future.

In this interview, which is more like a deep conversation, we talk with these three about that music industry and where its going and, hopefully, where it’s headed as well as their personal ties and careers in that industry.

About Michelle Ryder

Michelle has been a featured singer with the Stadecona Band, as well as a singer with the Sounds of Motown. The last year has seen her gain very solid fan bases in the US, Canada and overseas. Her goal has not been fame, but solid songwriting. Michelle can be seen at a number of festivals this summer

About Sean McKenna

Sean has been part of the music business his entire life and the story is all over the map, like his career. Straight out of out high school in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, he went on the road, touring Canada and opening for some of the who’s who of Canadian music. In 1990, he founded a band that would become “Jack Butler”, initially a cover band that ended up signing a record deal.

With the emergence of grunge music, and in an effort to take advantage of what was happening in Toronto, the band relocated. But they eventually broke up in 1995. Out of sheer frustration, Sean sold all his equipment, and got out of the business. In 2000, he moved back to Halifax Nova Scotia, and a friend quickly asked him to join a band. With no gear, he got some and from 2000, until 2017, played with various people. He joined the Frequency 2017, and proceeded to play over 120 shows a year.

In 2020, due to the pandemic, a radio show he was hosting couldn’t operate, so in March he decided to start interviewing musician friends. All local nature, until Canadian legend Darby Mills came on what would eventually become “Barstools and Bandtalk/Rimshots with Sean”. The launch began. Sean would go on to interview over 650 people thus far, and one of those interviews introduced him to Halifax singer Michelle Ryder. Eventually, “Michelle Ryder and Side Hustle” was born, and would see Michelle have over 2.5 million social media/views and streaming interactions on her music. 2025 will see the band continue the trajectory and Sean is branching out into other projects.

LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Barstools-and-Bandtalk-100043649270087/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/barstoolsbandtalk
https://www.youtube.com/c/BarstoolsBandtalk
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6QumMpHvD0XhAHnK08K1KB
https://www.facebook.com/groups/238813032555714