Louise Burns on Signing for Madonna, Early Stardom, & Major Label Exploitation of Teenagers

Coleman Hell, the Thunder Bay singer-songwriter behind "Two Heads" and "Fireproof," sits down with Jonathan to look back on a wild decade, just as the 10th anniversary edition of Summerland arrives. In this episode Coleman talks: • How his mom sent a rap mixtape to 604 without telling him • Recording "Two Heads" in a single night, then watching it blow up • Writing with Chad Kroeger and the lyric that became "Fireproof" • Signing with Columbia and what happens when your A&R leaves • Touring with Twenty One Pilots and Robert DeLong • The Juno Awards sound disaster, and the comfort Jann Arden gave him backstage • Growing up in Thunder Bay, Supertramp and The Cars • The world-building behind Summerland Stream the Summerland 10th anniversary edition, out now. A karaoke version of "Two Heads" is coming soon. Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

Jonathan gets a little emotional as he reunites with the founding minds behind one of Vancouver's most enduring indie-pop mainstays: Zach Gray and Tom Dobrzanski of The Zolas. In their first-ever podcast appearance together, Zach and Tom help piece together a blurry, 18-year timeline of indie music history. Jonathan tells them that he literally launched an entirely new division of his company, Light Organ Records, as a tactical "white label" maneuver just to make the hipster-leaning band feel comfortable signing with him over the shadow of 604's related commercial acts (Nickelback, Theory of a Deadman, Marianas Trench etc.). They chat about the early days of Lotus Child, carpooling to choir practice across Prince of Wales and Point Grey high schools, and the agonizing overnight shoots for the "Not In My Heart" stop-motion video. They also reflect on their atmospheric masterpiece Ancient Mars and how a music video inspired by the tragic Elisa Lam case ultimately forced them to change creative direction out of respect for her family. Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

Jonathan sits down with music researcher, author, and former Twitter Canada head of communications Cam Gordon to trace 25 years of the music industry going digital — from the early download-store wars with Puretracks, to Napster panic and DRM fights, to the day Spotify changed everything. They dig into 604's early decision to hold onto its digital rights, the disaster of 360 deals, the Marianas Trench "Hot Chocolate" video that changed how the label thought about the internet, Bieber's tweet that helped launch Carly Rae Jepsen, and why Cam thinks the AI moment right now feels a lot like 2001 all over again. Cam's book, Track Changes: The Origin Story of Canadian Music on the Internet, 1990–2010, is out now — find it at your local bookseller or follow @trackchanges_ca on Instagram for the archive of clips and old ads that go with it. Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

Not the Plaque Series — something a bit looser. This week Jonathan digs through everything that's piled up around the 604 offices lately: Plaques, an award, and one very personal autographed CD, going through them one by one as each turns into a story. Jonathan also takes a look at just how much the music business has shifted — Warner Canada's leadership change, mass layoffs across the majors, and SOCAN's move to absorb CMRRA etc., as well as a longer term look at cultural and structural improvements that have happened across the years. The episode includes analysis & stories around: - Elliot Smith's unparalleled lyrics - Where Nickelback's San Quentin idea came from - Receiving Billboard recognition & why people appreciate different characters in music now - Fionn's recent rise and developing teenage artists - A look back on Dallas Smith's decision to go country & why more Default tracks are likely ahead - & Much more! Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.

It's been almost two decades since Jonathan last spoke with Olivier and Sam of The Suits XL — the Quebec City pop act that became 604 Records' first francophone signing and first Top 10 pop hit with "Play." To mark the 20th anniversary reissue of their album Quarterlife Crisis, the trio gets back together (virtually) to trace the band's whole arc: how a manager named Frank connected them with 604, the marathon recording sessions with the Berman Brothers and legendary Quebec engineer Rob Einy, shooting the "Play" video in Cuba, and the stranger, moodier world of the "Low" video shoot in Burnaby. They also talk honestly about how the band quietly wound down, what it's like hearing your own record streamed back at you two decades later, the real (and much darker) meaning behind the lyrics of fan-favorite "Le Plaisir," and they remember bandmate Yohann Gosselin, who passed away a few years ago — his talent, his complicated relationships with the people around him, and the community that rallied for him at the end. Plus: two previously unreleased bonus tracks, an acoustic live take on "Play," and why Jonathan still can't pronounce anybody's last name. You can find the anniversary record here: https://ffm.to/thesuitsxl Subscribe to I Hate Simkin for bi-weekly deep dives into iconic Canadian music stories, behind-the-scenes label moments, and artist's career turning points. Likes, comments, and feedback help massively — thank you for supporting the show.