With a mission to get more ears on Atlantic Canadian music, Heidi-Lyn O’Connor’s East Track Mind radio show can now be heard on stations in NB, NS, and NL.
Matt Carter
Fresh off receiving four East Coast Music Award nominations for her work with East Track Mind, Moncton music lover and photographer Heidi-Lyn O’Connor has announced the expansion of her presence on the airwaves.
Following the encouragement she received from James Andrerson at Sackville’s CHMA FM, O’Connor launched the first season of her show in February of 2022. With a new season underway, East Track Mind’s radio presence now includes stations in Fredericton, Halifax, and St. John’s, Newfoundland.
“Each show is hosted by myself and plays songs from artists in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador,” said O’Connor. “The show is engineered by Don Levandier (The Motorleague) who has been integral in keeping this thing running. We’ve added a few segments this year that I’m really excited about, including an interactive element, but you’ll have to listen to get the details!”
Through East Track Mind, O’Connor offers event photography services and manages a series of curated playlists focusing on artists from the Atlantic region. In making her transition to radio, O’Connor says the biggest challenge was making the shift from curator to host.
“It is quite different from my normal playlist curating work,” she said. “The main difference obviously being that I have to host it. Recording vocals takes time, but it also makes things much more personal, which I’ve enjoyed. I will keep both elements because each has their place. I can’t, for example, represent certain genres as well on radio when there is an abundance of explicit material. I really want to support all the amazing music we have here, and the playlists help me find homes for music that I can’t get on the radio waves as easily.”
O’Connor’s 2023 ECMA nominations include Visual Artists of the Year, Media Person of the Year, Company of the Year, and Industry Innovator of the Year.
Where to Listen to East Track Mind:
CHSR FM | Fredericton | Thursdays at 8 p.m.
CKDU FM | Halifax | Fridays at 4 p.m.
CHMA FM | Sackville | Saturdays at 8 p.m.
CHMR | St. John’s | Fridays at 4 p.m.
