Lyft

True to their name, the members of Lyft share one common goal: to elevate rock music to new heights of innovation and popularity.

Soon after committing themselves to developing a new rock project, producer/engineers Tim Branton and Craig McConnell discovered Culley, a charismatic 21 year-old vocalist and aspiring songwriter, blowing away Southern-Ontario club patrons with his unbridled passion and explosive delivery. Equally comfortable singing with a single acoustic guitar or over dense, modern-rock production, Branton and McConnell knew that Culley was the foundation upon which they would build the complex Lyft sound.

Despite their youth, Branton and McConnell are already industry veterans. Tim Branton was the producer and drummer for college radio darlings Heater, who wowed North American audiences with their insidious hooks and sold over 3,000 independent units before combusting in early 2000. In addition to his freelance production work and Second Engineer position at Joao Carvalho Mastering, Tim is a co-owner, along with Craig McConnell and Chad Richardson, of Toronto's Greenpail Studios and the Inside Music imprint. McConnell had played bass for the Wild Strawberries (Universal), ultimately touring North America as part of Sarah McLachlan's inaugural Lilith Fair. Craig is a recent winner of the USA Songwriting Competition and has produced and remixed an impressive list of major label and independent artists.

The latest addition to the Lyft fold is future guitar legend Joe Parker. A native of Cleveland, Joe was the lead guitarist for Rumor Has It, winners of VH1's Rock Across America contest. The honour earned them an opening slot for John Fogerty, among other accolades, and a very loyal Ohio fan base. After graduating from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Joe joined the touring band of the hit musical "RENT" before meeting Branton and McConnell through a mutual friend and deciding that Lyft was his future.

The members of Lyft are currently in pre-production, writing more songs and preparing for an intense touring schedule. They were recently awarded a FACTOR grant and are working with MuchMusic award-winning director Jef Renfroe (Tea Party, David Usher, Sky, Crash Test Dummies) on a video for “Elusive”. Lyft’s first commercial release, the “Underground” EP, co-produced by Branton, McConnell and Joao Carvalho (Hayden, Pilate), is scheduled for a fall release on Inside Music.