Perpetual Detour • Little By Little

Clockwise: AJ LeBlanc, Meagan Lanchbery, Jennifer Stewart, and Ro Gionet.

I first discovered the music of Perpetual Detour when judging the RightOutTV Music and Video Awards, when they charmed me with their music video for "What If It Was You?", a great song with a video featuring stop-action and Legos! The Canadian band includes guitarist AJ LeBlanc, keyboardist and vocalist Meagan Lanchbery, percussionist Jennifer Stewart, and bassist Ro Gionet. So I was very excited when the ladies Tweeted me about their mew music video for their first single off the new album, 'Tired of the Scenery'.

The new album came out at the beginning of this month, with "Little By Little" as the first single. The song is a Bluesy Rocker, melding the vocals of Meagan with AJ, creating a new harmony. The song and music video addresses issues of addiction. It also features images of lesbians in both intimate and casual situations, something rarely seen in the main stream media. We get to see women as friends, partners and lovers, and all taking a proactive role in their lives. While the entire band can be seen in the video, it is AJ who takes center stage. I hope you enjoy "Little By Little" by erpetual Detour.

I think the song and video just rocked it out, and am pleased to have it on my iPod. "Little By Little" is the first single off the album 'Tired of the Scenery', which can be purchased from iTunes and CD Baby. To find out more about Perpetual Detour, check out the official website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter and 'like' them on Facebook.

Perpetual Detour Want Your Help

Award-winning band Perpetual Detour are always looking for ways to up the ante, and on the heels of their RightOutTV Music and Video Award for Best Video DIY for their imaginative music video for the song "What If It Was You", the title cut from their 2012 album. With an eye on releasing a new album later this year, the Canadian band is looking for a little help with their first music video. But before we get to that, I thought I would once again share with you their music video for "What If It Was You" by Perpetual Detour.

To get more of an idea about their music, I thought I would also make their first single off the debut album, "Find The Time". The song and music video both have a darker feel, but more moody than sinister. The song is the final cut on the 10-song album, 'What If It Was You'.

As you can tell from both music videos, the band doesn't really have the money to invest in music videos like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, or other acts with label support. However, what you do see is a band that is investing a lot of themselves in the video, making it a much more personal affair. And for their upcoming music video, they are also asking if you would like to make a little investment with them on this next project. No, not in money, but just a bit of your time, telling a bit of your own story. Rather than have me be coy about it, why not let the band tell you all about it.

From Perpetual Detour:

We need your help!

We are seeking fan contributions for an LGBT equality-themed music video. The video will accompany our track “Little Earthquakes”, which appears on our upcoming 2nd album 'Tired of the Scenery' in June 2014.

With the ongoing persecution occurring against LGBT individuals world-wide, the band wants to show the world that love looks the same, no matter who it is you love.

How to Participate

The band is seeking the following types of content:

     1. Show your love: A short 10 second video that shows the world what love means to you as an

          LGBT person. Examples:

           a. Cuddling with your sweetie

           b. Chilling at your favourite café

           c. Dancing at the club

           d. These clips should provide a visual snapshot of your relationship. Please keep it PG!

     2. Send a message: A video of you holding a short written sign with a message about LGBT

         equality. Examples:

           a. A favourite quote about equality (properly attributed of course)

           b. A short message you would like to share with the world

           c. A brief sentence that describes some difficulties you’ve experienced because of being LGBT

           d. A message of support (allies).

Keep it short – your message must be able to be read in 5-10 seconds.

All content should be sent to PDLittleEarthquakesVideo@gmail.com by March 24th, 2014. If your content is large, please use a service like WeTransfer. Be sure to provide the names of the people in the clip, your location, and your email address.

As a thank you, all participants will receive 3 digital tracks from Perpetual Detour’s upcoming album, 'Tired of the Scenery'.

Help us spread the campaign on twitter using the hashtag, #LittleEarthquakes.

So there you have it. Perpetual Detour is asking LGBT people from all across the world to send short clips about love and support for their upcoming music video. It sounds quick, easy, and like a ton of fun. And as a bonus, you will be getting some new music! In case you were wondering, "What If It Was You" and "Find the Time" can be found on the album 'What If It Was You', which can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and from the online store. If you have any questions about the project, you can get in touch with Perpetual Detour at the official website. You can catch them on the social medias, like Twitter and Facebook.

2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards • Best DIY Video (Do It Yourself) & Best Video (Pro)

Pictured: The Cliks, above, and Perpetual Detour, below.

I am pleased to showcase the recent winners of the 2013 RightOutTV Music & Video Awards, pointing a spotlight on a few of the many talented members of the LGBT community making music. This year, awards were given in 18 different categories, with 17 different acts receiving them. The awards are given by RightOutTV, a website founded by Marlee Walchuck and Tully Callender. The website promotes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender artists, allowing a platform for their voices to be heard, and a place for those wanting to support them to visit on a regular basis. “If you watch the awards show you’ll see that we don’t just promote and award these artists because they’re gay. These are high-level, multi-talented, professionals with star quality,” says Marlee Walchuk, co-producer of the awards. “Even though most of these artists are not being heard on mainstream radio yet, they deserve every success enjoyed by their straight counterparts."

I continue this series by offering you some more great videos, the first of which is the one that claimed the title of Best Video (Pro), The Cliks' "Savannah". The Canadian Rock band, with vocalist/guitarist Lucas Silveira at the core, has been making great music for the last decade or so, and shows no sign of slowing down. And if this music video is any indication, The Cliks are as good, if not better than ever! the "Savanna" music video was directed by The Young Astronauts, a great production team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The song was written by Lucas Silveira & producer Hill Kourkoutis. This is the music video for "Savanna" by The Cliks.

"Savanna" can be found on the album 'Black Tie Elevator', which can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. The album is truly wonderful, and I would highly recommend it. To learn more about The Cliks, visit the official website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook.

For the category of Best DIY (Do It Yourself) Video, we have another Canadian band. Perpetual Detour was formed in a house in Halifax, Nova Scotia, four talented ladies getting together to make some truly interesting music. Well, not just music, for they have they fantastic stop-motion video they took on themselves! The music video for "What If It Was You" is a playful look at lesbian relationships, but I think it also takes a more universal swipe at the need for humans to couple. It truly makes me smile, and warms my heart. This is Perpetual Detour with their music video for "What If It Was You".

"What If It Was You" can be found on the album of the same name, which can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, and from the online store. To learn more about Perpetual Detour, visit the official website. You can also 'follow' them on Twitter, and 'like' them on Facebook.