Abbotsford singer-songwriter Ben Cottrill has released his sequel to an EP that came out earlier this year.
Velvet Regrets, Vol. 2 is the followup to Velvet Regrets, Vol. 1, his third EP which was released in January and included a 15-minute film.
Cottrill said the collection as a whole summarizes his experiences – both good and bad – throughout the last few years as an independent musician.
“Whether it be the (literally) hundreds of live shows across Canada, the feature on CTV’s The Launch show or my constant battle with depression and the loss of a friend to drug overdose, these last years have been indispensable and I’m so thankful to be where I am now,” he said.
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He said both Velvet Regrets releases sum up “how it feels to be a young artist in the sterile age of social media, where isolation is the new norm for people of all ages (especially now).”
Cottrill said COVID-19 has resulted in numerous cancelled shows and releases, including his Canada/US tour plans.
But he said local music supporters Trevor McDonald of Chilliwack, Ryan McAllister, Field House Brewing and numerous other live music hosts have enabled him and other local musicians to keep working.
“The art community we have in B.C. is full of many passionate and resilient people,” he said.
Cottrill, who plays multiple instruments, has many years of busking, touring and songwriting under his belt.
His first break came with a spot in the Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artists’ Program in 2015, when he was named among seven winners selected from 300 submissions.
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He also earned a Fraser Valley Music Award nomination in 2017.
Cottrill competed last year on the CTV music series The Launch, where he vied for a chance to record an original song under the mentorship of Vancouver legend Bryan Adams, Quebec pop star Marie Mai, and Scott Borchetta, the music industry icon who discovered Taylor Swift.
Cottrill did not win, but he described the experience as a “brilliant foray into the mainstream music and media business.”
Links to Cottrill’s music can be found on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music. Visit bencottrillmusic.com for more information.
vhopes@abbynews.com
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