Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Michelle Wright, Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Award winners Aaron Goodwin and Duane Steele, and actress/singer Amber Marshall (best known for her starring role in the long-running CBC Television show Heartland) donated their time to record the song, while Calgary-based Reluctant Cowboy Records produced it for free.
The song can be downloaded from Bandcamp for $5. All of the net proceeds from sales will go to Unison Fund.
For every individual download purchased, fans will be entered into a contest to win a personalized video message from Marshall, along with a digital code that will allow them to join a private Zoom concert featuring Wright, Goodwin, Steele and duo Scarlett Butler. The contest closes at midnight (MT) March 19 (2 a.m. EST March 20), after which time the winner will be chosen and contacted. The concert will take place at a mutually agreed-upon time.
Label president Troy Kokol — a two-time CCMA Award-nominated songwriter, recording artist, artist manager, video director, animator, audio engineer and music producer — co-wrote and produced “Looking for a Lockdown with You.” He told Samaritan he didn’t know exactly how many downloads the song had sold through Bandcamp since becoming available on Feb. 22, but said it’s in the hundreds.
On Friday (March 12), the Ontario government announced it would be giving Unison $2 million for applicants based in the province, but the need is national. Unison provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community in times of hardship or difficulties. It has been committed to helping producers, engineers, singers, songwriters, musicians, production crews and others through financial assistance, counselling and health solutions programs for more than a decade.
In the media release, Wright said, "The past year has been tough for the people in Canada’s entertainment industry. Unison provides much-needed support to those needing assistance, and I am proud to support their efforts."
By joining together to support Canada’s music industry charity, the collaborators’ goal was to raise funds and build awareness while also creating some levity for country music listeners and fans during these challenging times.
"As a musician trying to make a living in the Arts these days, it is a serious challenge to keep things afloat,” Steele said in the release. “Organizations for support, like the Unison Fund, couldn’t be more important than they are right now.”
Donations can also be made to Unison Fund on its website or by texting the word “UNISON” to 45678 and following the prompts to donate $10, $20 or $25.