Local production company aims to support independant touring artists

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – After four years of planning, residents Naomi Shore and Ryan Sebastiano launched their own live music production company, Bruised Orange Productions, to bring more independent touring musicians to Fort St. John.

Both Shore and Sebastiano are heavily involved in the music scene, putting on multiple shows, house concerts, and working on their own separate projects.

Shore, a lifelong resident of the Energetic City, has toured Canada and Australia over the past decade and has many connections with other touring artists.

“We just love to bring those independent touring artists, usually folk artists, to Fort St. John,” Shore said.

The pair began by hosting monthly winter shows at Whole Wheat and Honey Cafe a few years ago, which were then indefinitely postponed due to the pandemic.

“We were like, ‘well, I guess we’re never gonna do live shows again.’ So it took a backseat,” Shore recalled.

They recently reached out to the city’s Arts and Culture Manager to see how they could work together to revive the live music scene in Fort St. John by promoting and booking more artists.

“We were really missing those shows that we did at Whole Wheat and Honey, bringing the community together and introducing them to these great artists that they’ve never heard of.

She says her hope now that they’ve officially launched the company is to create brand recognition to allow touring artists to draw in more audience members.

“I think it’s hard for people to take a chance on a musician they don’t know and never heard of,” Shore said.

“I’m hoping that if after a couple of months or years, people will see that Bruised Orange logo and be like, ‘oh, this is Naomi and Ryan. They put on great shows.'”

Shore says the company has a few plans for the future, including partnering with the city for concerts in the park and hosting some house concerts this summer.

The company’s first event will be a house concert on July 8th featuring artist Maddie Storvold.

Those interested in learning more about the company can check out their Facebook page, find them on Instagram, or reach out to them via email at bruisedorange22@gmail.com.