by Scott Roos
staged shots by Aaron Brown/Aaron Brown Photography
live shots by Scott Roos
It’s true, the annual NSMZ awards are nothing more than something akin to the Jeremiah Johnson nod of approval. They are a metaphorical firm handshake and a hearty slap on the back… Maybe even an awkward hug… There’s no trophy or elaborate fan voting system aka popularity contest. If you’re receiving an award from us, all it means is that a combination of ten dorky NSMZ music journalists and event photographers somehow, some way, through, at times, heated debate over facebook messenger, agreed that you were worthy. That’s it, that’s all. For what it’s worth, any NSMZ award is a serious award. That is, if you take it seriously. Recognition from us can mean "nothing" or it can mean "everything". It's all in the eye of the beholder.
“It's nice to get that pat on the back every now and to have someone telling you 'hey I notice you're doing good work, keep it up’,” 2023 NSMZ Industry Movers and Shakers award winner Matt Stinn told NSMZ in a telephone interview last week.
The GreenWing frontman/guitarist has worked hard this past year to help his band continue to scratch and claw their way to the top of the heap in terms of landing those prestigious slots as the token local support act for the touring artists that come through the Saskatoon area. Most recently, GreenWing played to a packed Coors Event Centre opening for the mighty One Bad Son, and also got added to the billing for the KISS after party that featured Evan Stanley’s Amber Wild. GreenWing is a highly enjoyable live act that was awarded NSMZ's 2022 "Duo, Group or Ensemble of the Year".
“All we've tried to do is hold ourselves to a high standard and function on a professional level and then just honestly keep making some outrageous asks because at the end of the day you don't get anything you don't ask for,” reflects Stinn on GreenWing’s continued successes, “Most of the bigger opportunities we've gotten this year are things we've directly pitched for or we heard they were coming up and we found out who we could ask about it.”
More than just the frontman with mystique of GreenWing, though, Stinn also runs Rainy Day Recording Co. and, this past year, has worked on some pretty impressive records including the debut EP by The Checkout Queens, Valley Bandits EP, the sophomore Elephant Seal full length... There’s been quite a few projects. This on top of the fact that he’s also been chipping away at the new GreenWing album which drops in March. He produces, mixes and masters music for a lot of great acts to be certain and his work has been garnering a lot of recognition over the last few years.
“I feel like I'm getting the opportunity to work with a lot more people that I'm proud to work with and a lot more projects that I think I'm well suited for,” muses Stinn, “And, at the same time, I think that people are kind of coming to me now based on other jobs I've done and they reference them as 'hey here's why we're hiring you for this'. There's started to be a little bit of a vibe around the things I produce and work on musically. I think if you do listen to all the records or projects I worked on in the last few years there's probably some type of commonality in the tonal characteristics. That is what I'm adding to (the overall sound of artists I work with). “
Stinn has definitely kept himself busy in 2023 and the quality of his work has begun to speak for itself. Many of the recordings that he has worked on have gained critical acclaim from NSMZ thus making it imperative that Stinn rightfully gets the “nod” from us. It’s well deserved.