The Bugle-Observer (New Brunswick)
Climbing the music charts
Published Friday June 6th, 2008
By Shawn Merrithew
A local musician and his band are putting a new “Face” on the East Coast Music scene.
Recently, Andrew Hunter and the Gatherers – Matt Budreski and Mike Barrett – made the East Coast Countdown, a weekly, nationally-syndicated radio show which features the 10 hottest songs from Atlantic Canadian artists as voted by the listeners.
The band’s single Face made the countdown list and was selected as one of the Producer’s Picks.
Hunter said the band is excited about the recent exposure as it puts the band among the likes of Matt Mays, Joel Plaskett, Damhnait Doyle and Great Big Sea.
“We are pretty stoked to be on the list,” said Hunter. “First we were number 10, then number eight, and now we have held on for four weeks at number four. It is pretty cool to be on that list with all of the other artists.”
“I didn’t know anything about it, so it kind off caught me by surprise,” he explained.
Hearing his latest single on the radio is great, said Hunter. He calls it an accomplishment. While he has heard his songs on the airwaves before on EZ Rock 104 FM in Woodstock, he said hearing it on the East Coast Countdown is extra special.
“It is not just some random play or a feature,” he explained. “It is the public’s opinion, so it is special and it feels pretty cool.”
He added the recent exposure and air play certainly help the band’s popularity on the music scene, and he is seeing in at performances. People are coming up after the show and saying they heard the band’s song on the countdown, he said.
“It is played across the country – out to British Columbia and up to Nunavut – so we’re getting to a whole new audience,” he added.
Hunter urges those wishing to listen to the East Coast Countdown or vote for their favourite artist to do so at www.eastcoastcountdown.com.
He hopes the countdown exposure will help boost the trio’s blossoming career.
In the meantime, Hunter said, the band is staying busy for the summer. He said the group has numerous shows booked for a summer tour, along with plans for a new album. He added a music video shoot is also in the works. Hunter noted the band will return to the region to perform at the Larlee Creek Hullabaloo on Aug. 23.
