VALEMOUNT – Two years under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic may have left musicians few venues in which to play, but for Valemount singer-songwriter Michael Peters, there’s a silver lining under that cloud. Time.
Peters has channeled all his COVID-19 downtime and energy into producing his debut extended play of original songs, Have I Lived A Good Life, which will be released Friday.
The EP, co-produced by Peters and noted Prince George singer-songwriter, William Kuklis, was recorded at Vinyl Deck Studios in the city last fall using a combination of Valemount and Prince George musicians.
Raising funds to record in these pandemic times without touring or other revenue streams is challenging, but it made Peters get creative.
“I managed to secure a partial grant, I held a fundraising concert, I even did some busking,” said Peters. “I would have cleaned bathrooms to raise money if I needed to. Thankfully, lots of people who couldn’t come to the fundraiser still donated to this EP, as did family, so that was awesome. And I didn’t have to scrub toilets.”
Peters has already had some success in getting two new songs played on the radio at Peace FM in Chetwynd and a station near Halifax. But perhaps his biggest coup so far was having the EP’s title track Have I Lived A Good Life featured recently on CBC One’s program, Daybreak North with Carolina de Ryk to listeners throughout the region. Peters was thrilled.
“It might be a cliche, but there is really is something special about hearing a song you’ve written and recorded talked about and played on the radio.”
“These are personal songs,” said Peters, “relatable songs about the power and need of relationships, family, nostalgia, and self-reflection. The title song poses the eternal question, have I lived a good life?”
Have I Lived A Good Life will be released digitally February 4 on a number of online retailers.