With it being so hard to sell records (or earn more than pennies off Spotify streams), independent artists, arena giants, and their labels alike have doubled down on touring, spending more time than ever on the road, much to the delight of music fans. But as always, there’s a right way to go about things and a disastrous way to go about them, and it’s important to know the difference. Our panellists have collectively logged thousands of hours in tour vans and are here to get you rolling in the right direction….

Co-presented by the Kingston Music Office

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JEN OCHEJ

Jen Ochej stumbled into tour management by accident. Sticking up her hand to pitch in for local musicians on the East Coast turned into an award-nominated music blog, which turned into a gig as publicist for In the Dead of Winter Festival, which led to a series of fortuitous conversations with Basia Bulat, Jim Bryson, and Kathleen Edwards, and before she knew it she was interning at Eggplant Entertainment, a management company in Toronto which handled artists like The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts Band, Hannah Georgas, and more. She's still not entirely sure how it all happened but she wouldn't change a thing.

After her internship Jen dove headfirst into live music as a Tour Manager and has spent the better part of the last decade on the road with Lights, Jessie Reyez, Rupi Kaur, Amanda Rheaume, The Dears, The Summer Set, Ria Mae, and more. In 2023 she was named Road Warrior (Tour Manager) of the Year at the Canadian Live Music Awards, and now she's on a mission to share everything she's learned in her years on the road with aspiring TM's, DIY artists, and everyone in between.

JAY EMMONS

Jay Emmons is the founder and lead guitar player of two-time Juno Award-winning rock band The Glorious Sons. The Glorious Sons have achieved status as one of Canada’s biggest acts and international recognition with their second number one at US Billboard. Jay’s dedication and leadership have put him at the center of his band’s growth and success and they continue to break new ground every day. In addition to his experience as a musician, Jay holds a degree in business from the University of Ottawa and has played an integral role in successfully launching numerous other businesses in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario. Jay is founder of 745 Music, a Canadian multi-service music company specializing in artist strategy and development

MIESHA LOUIE

Miesha Louie is a mixed-Secwépemc artist originally from the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. Best known as the front-woman for Miesha and The Spanks, she has toured relentlessly in Canada and abroad, with chart-topping albums and singles on Earshot, Mediabase Alternative, NACC, CBC Radio 3, and the Indigenous Music Countdown. Miesha has worked with Canadian legend Ian Blurton, as well as Danny Farrant of The Buzzcocks, and has had original music placed in Rutherford Falls, Acting Good, Fakes, + more.

For most of her career Miesha operated on her own - acting as management, agent, and promotions, as well as songwriting and performance for her projects. She was all too familiar with the punk rock DIY ethos, having gotten her start throwing all ages concerts in her hometown community hall (so there would be somewhere to play!), which would lead as her first connection to the Calgary music community she now calls home.

Miesha serves Executive Director for BAM! Camp Calgary (Building Allied Music) - formerly known as Girls Rock Camp Calgary, where she also mentored and organized operations for 10 years - where she is focused on expanding programming and opportunities for youth in music. She is proud to be a member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee for Breakout West the last two years.

MEGAN HAMILTON

Megan Hamilton is a musician, a speaker, a moderator, a writer and a speaking, visibility and confidence coach through her company ubu skills (you be you). She's the Speaker Advisor for the award-winning TEDxQueensU and has been coaching, co-writing and directing speaking performances since 2014. She's released 5 albums of original music and is working on her 6th after writing and recording 6 new songs in 4 days at her Grand Theatre residency in early summer, 2023.