Here’s one for Canada. I was asked by my good pal Sean “Wordburglar” Jordan to design a cover for the upcoming album by Canadian hip-hop crew Backburner. I always said that designing stuff to help friends’ projects is always the most fulfilling and this one was no exception. SJ sent me over a little brief of what the cover might entail and I got to work.

I had a lot of fun working on this one. The album is called Heatwave and needed to obviously bring the heat. Fire, sun, desert, a hyena and a giant burner to set the stage. Loads of orange. Huge orange. When it comes to the palette, working with orange in Photoshop is super versatile and you can really play with some nice reds and yellows in there.

I wish I could name everyone in the Backburner crew, but there are a million guys in there representing different parts of Canada. Me and SJ are holding down the Halifax turf. So watch for this one, gang. Canadian talent, not to be messed with.

While all you Americans are celebrating your 4th of July in fine form, there are different nation-wide events afoot on our side of the border. Today is my dear mom’s birthday. Pillar of the family, maker of many peanut butter sandwiches, and fine motivator of “getting me out of bed so I don’t miss the school bus”.

To celebrate, here we are. The complete and mighty White family collection, circa 1982. Good lookin’ bunch if I do say so myself. From right to left there’s my sister Angela, my mom Dianne, my dad Gerard and me on the end. We got the family photo taken then probably went for a nice meal at Morrison’s in downtown Kingston, Ontario. We lived in Kingston for the first half of the 80s.

It should also be noted that it was my girlfriend’s birthday on June 1st, my dad’s birthday on June 2nd and my sister’s birthday on June 20th. We eat more cake in June and July then we do all year round.

So this is for you mom. Never a dull moment, huh? Happy birthday!

Today all us proud folk of the north are celebrating this great country we live in. Canada Day is a big deal up here, and gives us all an excuse to hang out on the back deck with pals, have a few beers, do up some barbeque and shoot off some fireworks.

The Signalnoise HQ will be shutting it’s doors today for all those reasons. Holiday time. Red and white. That’s what I’m talkin’ aboot.

So to everyone visiting the blog from Newfoundland to British Columbia, Happy Canada Day! And not to leave anyone out, best wishes from our country to yours.