Empty Room series continues to capture magic of live music

Here's a different take on your favourite tune.

Every Monday, CBC Radio's The Morning Edition will share a new version of a song by a Saskatchewan musician.

Musician and producer Brent Nielsen shoots the videos at the Hague Gallery at Regina's Creative City Centre.

"It's such a great vibe," he said. 

"Every artist who's ever played in it comments on what a great room it is. When musicians play a song they love to play — in a room they love to play in — some kinda magic happens. I capture that magic, like fireflies in a jar, and share it with the world."

The songs he records from these sessions are aired every Monday at 8:15 a.m. CST on The Morning Edition. 

I capture that magic, like fireflies in a jar, and share it with the world.- Brent Nielsen, producer of Creative City Centre's Empty Room series

The Creative City's Empty Room series gives listeners and viewers a serene seat at a live performance by their favourite musicians. It's like they're playing, just for you.

It also gives Saskatchewan artists a slick video for recording artists to use as a marketing tool.

This Week: Ryan Boldt

It's time for a seasonally-appropriate addition to the Empty Room Series. Ryan Boldt takes to the Creative City Centre stage for a second time with his song titled Fallen Leaves.

Boldt was born and raised on the prairies, and is known as the frontman for the award winning Saskatoon band The Deep Dark Woods.

His sound is inspired by the traditional music of America and England.

He released a solo album titled Broadside Ballads a few years back, and now is working on his second solo effort. The album titled Yarrow is set to release soon, with a tour to follow.

He last performed in the Empty Room with his song San Juan Hill. 

Andino Suns

Growing up as Chilean-Canadians on the Prairies, Pablo Davalos and Andres Palma longed for the traditional Andean music of their childhood. 

So they did what most homesick kids do — they started a band. 

Chris Henderson 

Chris Henderson has music in his blood. 

His father, Donn, was a touring country musician. His brother, Joel, performs as The Poor Nameless Boy. 

But it is his drum and piano-playing grandmother who inspired him to write this week's song in the Empty Room series.

Till It's Just a Memory is about the visits Chris would have with his grandmother on his lunch breaks. 

He also performed his song, My Regret for our Empty Room Series.

Eileen Laverty

Eileen Laverty has no problem with taking the stage. 

For decades, the Saskatoon singer and songwriter has made a name for herself performing across Canada and Ireland. 

Laverty has three EPs out. Her debut album, Dancing With Angels, won her a Prairie Music Award for Outstanding Roots Recording. 

State of Mind is from Eileen's award-winning album, Dancing With Angels.

Eileen Laverty performs Wildest Dreams on the stage at the Creative City Centre.

In With the Old

Don't let their youth deceive you, this trio's sound is a welcome blast from the past. 

Saskatchewan band, In With the Old, blends time honoured classics with original material to create their own blend of

folksy-bluegrass. 

This is Mistreated Mama.

In With the Old performs My Mother's Couch on stage at the Creative City Centre.

Annette Campagne

​She's well known in the Francophone community, but Annette Campagne from Willowbunch sings in both English and French. 

The artist now lives in Regina and has released four solo albums. She won a Western Canadian Music Award for Francophone recording of the year.

Campagne performs Sable Sous mes Pieds with her husband, Dave Lawlor. 

Campagne let us film her singing Insanely Beautiful from her album Papillon Amiral. 

Eric Taylor

It's been a big year for Eric Taylor.

This spring, the Saskatoon alternative rocker made the short list for CBC's 2016 Searchlight competition. Then, he got a big gig at the Regina Folk Festival and now he's releasing his first CD. 

But, music wasn't always Eric Taylor's first choice for a career. He left Saskatoon to attend business school in Vancouver, but later returned to his hometown to build his career in music. 

Allyson Reigh

Saskatoon's Allyson Reigh is back again with a solo, acoustic performance for our Empty Room Series recorded at Regina's Creative City Centre.

When she isn't performing with Rosie and the Riveters, she's working on new tunes for her next solo album. 

This time round, she performed her new song Strange.

Nick Faye

Regina's Nick Faye and his band The Deputies recently released a six-song EP called Lambswool.

They are playing a few festivals this summer before heading back into the studio to record a full length album.

One of the places you can see them live onstage is at the Regina Folk Festival but first Nick Faye joined us on his own in An Empty Room to perform Wild Bones from the Lambswool EP. 

Rugged Little Things

Jille Magnus was just passing through when she fell in love with the music scene in Saskatoon. The Hamilton musician became immersed in the bluegrass community and decided to stick around. 

Then she fell in love again. 

This time with Saskatoon musician, Ryan Shotton.

During a gig at the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Time Festival at Ness Creek, Jille proposed to Ryan on stage (he said yes). They later formed Rugged Little Thing and are now married. 

The duo took the stage at the Creative City Centre before wandering off on a honeymoon. 

Poor Nameless Boy

For awhile, Joel Henderson felt like he didn't have a name. His musical family already claimed Henderson. 

His grandmother played drums and piano, his father was a touring musician and his brother Chris was already starting his own career.

Chris carries on the family musical in Empty Room series.

He felt like a poor, nameless boy. So he took this name for himself. 

Now, Poor Nameless Boy is making a name for himself on his own. He got up on the stage at the Creative City Centre with violinist, Carmelle Pretzlaw, to claim the spotlight as his own. 

Kara Golemba​

Kara Golemba's sound stands at the crossroads of folk, country, and Americana.

The singer-songwriter's prairie heritage called on her to pick up from Kelowna, B.C. and settle in Indian Head, Sask.

She just released her debut EP of original material titled Every Little Light, and it was recorded just down the hall from the home of CBC Radio's The Morning Edition, in Studio One. The album was produced by Jason Plumb.

She'll be performing in Fort Qu'Appelle on Oct. 22 and in Grenfell on Oct. 28.

NEXT WEEK: The Empty Room spotlight will shine on Regina's own Nick Faye.