Five Artists from Around the World Come Together to Honor Joni Mitchell

Melanie Horsnell (Australia), Pretty Archie (Canada), Tori Sparks (Catalonia), Blue Rose Code (Scotland), and Megan O’Neill (Ireland) had never met before they were each chosen to be on the same “team” as a part of the international music export project Global Music Match 2021. Two months later, they’re releasing a single recorded together across oceans and time zones.

The song is none other than “Carey” by Joni Mitchell. The five artists chose this particular song in honor of the 50th anniversary of Mitchell’s seminal album Blue, which was released half a century ago this summer. The music video for “Carey” will be released on August 20th and the song is available on streaming platforms everywhere on August 27th, 2021 (Good Stem Records/MGM Distribution).

“Canadiana” band Pretty Archie took the lead in laying down the track, giving the iconic song a bluegrass twist. As all five of the artists draw inspiration from traditional or acoustic music — from folk to blues, from Celtic to flamenco — they were each able to add their own flavor to this fresh rendition of Mitchell’s timeless composition. Each artist recorded his or her part for “Carey” at home or in a local studio and send it off to Australia, where it was mixed and mastered by sound engineer Michael Lynch. The music video, which shows clips of the artists at home and in the studio in their respective countries, was similarly recorded across multiple continents.

The song and video capture the collaborative spirit that inspired Global Music Match and are perfect examples of the enduring nature of music as a universal language, especially during difficult times. All of these artists are balancing post-COVID lives and careers, and each comes from a different culture, yet they were able to come together to create something unique that honors their musical roots.

Lucas Avram Cavazos, longtime radio presenter of the show “The Club with Lucas” on Radio Kanal Barcelona, listened to the song in a sneak preview and said: “Hearing this impeccable bluegrass, alt-country version of a Joni Mitchell classic wowed me. It has full-on summer sleeper hit written all over it — not to mention the nostalgia it brought on for a long-time expat with deep Austin, Texas roots. In a word, excellent!”

About Global Music Match

Global Music Match is an initiative that was born in 2020 to help connect and promote artists in international music markets within the challenging parameters of the coronavirus pandemic. The first edition was a huge success, sparking creative connections between talented artists of distinctly different musical genres who otherwise might never have had the opportunity to work together.

This second edition features 78 artists from 17 countries and 4 continents, each well-known in their home territory and hand-picked by their respective cultural export offices. Artists from Australia, Britain in France, Canada, Catalonia in Spain, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Taiwan, the United States and Wales collaborate from June through August this summer, helping each other’s music travel to all corners of the world.

These 78 artists have been divided up into thirteen teams, each one guided by a respected festival director from the world of acoustic, folk, or traditional music.

The Artists of Team 8

Pretty Archie (Canada) is an ECMA Awards-Nominated Canadiana band that embodies the pure love of playing live and the down-home, unvarnished, fast-pickin’ musical vibe of their hometown. The band of long-time friends Brian Cathcart (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Matt McNeil (Mandolin), Colin Gillis (Harmonica, Bass, Vocals), Redmond MacDougall (Banjo, Percussion, Vocals), and Scott MacLean (Guitar, Mandolin) has a well-deserved reputation for their ability to make you stomp your feet to the beat one moment and tear up at their heartfelt lyrics the next.

Melanie Horsnell (Australia), who has put out 11 independent albums and toured alongside artists such as Glen Hansard & The Frames, Jason Mraz, and Slaid Cleaves, is renowned for her delicate voice, clever lyrics, and beautiful fingerstyle folk guitar playing. Never one to sit still, she is an artist bursting with creative ideas, and is currently promoting new releases both as a solo artist as well as with her all-female trio The New Graces. Melanie also edited the music video for “Carey” herself.

Tori Sparks (Catalonia) has released 7 albums and toured in 24 countries. Her unusual mix of rock, blues and flamenco fusion combined with her ultra-high-energy live show has won her fans around the world. Rolling Stone calls her “an adventurer.” Over the past year she spearheaded the release of a compilation album designed to support the local music community during the pandemic, released a limited-edition vinyl record, and offered weekly concerts from her rooftop to cheer up her quarantined neighbors.

Blue Rose Code (Scotland) is creation of Edinburgh-born songwriter Ross Wilson. At the edge of contemporary alt-folk, Wilson's music evokes a meeting of Van Morrison and a young John Martyn, both shipwrecked with a bunch of Motown records. A favorite at Celtic Connections and a regular on the festival circuit, Blue Rose Code is known for soulful performances, whether appearing as a seven-piece band or in acoustic format.

While Megan O’Neill (Ireland) is best known for her cover of the song “Time in a Bottle” — which is a part of the official soundtrack of the hit Netflix series Firefly Lane and brought her music to millions — she is also a sought-after songwriter and collaborates with artists all over the UK and Ireland. She has opened for artists such as Tom Jones and Jamie Cullum and released both a new full-length album and a steady stream of singles since March 2020.

Global Music Match’s Team 8 is led by Westival (Westport Music & Arts Festival, Ireland) director Sean Paul O’Hare.