New Ottawa-based music mag is aiming to bring an online magazine to your mailbox

Published by Apt613.

Ottawa native Emily Kennedy is looking to add a little something different to her yet-to-be launched online music magazine. She wants to combine the best parts of online (fast publication, low cost, fun Internet community) with the best parts of getting mail. For every new issue of her new music publication Damn Magazine, you’ll get a little something in your real-life mailbox alerting you to the new issue.

However it’s more than novelty that’s pushing Emily to launch her own publication. She’s hoping to embrace the political side of music and provide a deeper look at artists that are mixing politics with their work.

“We’re for amplifying musicians’ impact by giving them a true voice in the media to make us sit up, take notice, and act on social issues, injustices, and all those ugly little pieces of the human complex we would otherwise ignore,” writes Emily in her editor’s statement for the trial issue of the publication. While her publication will feature local artists, it will branch out to focus on any musician blending their work with a push for social justice. For instance, the sample issue features Acres of Lions from Victoria, Brian Lopez from Tucson as well as a feature on Amour et Vie, a youth program in Benin that mixes sexual heath education with african beats.

Perhaps also interesting in her approach is that ultimately the community will be the supporters of Damn Magazine, since Emily is relying on a Kickstarter campaign to finance the launch. She’s released a sample issue to show off what she’s planning, and if you like what you see you can support the cause and get some neat incentives along the way. Emily is clost to her goal of $3,500, although there’s only a few days to contribute before the August 11 deadline.

We’re planning to get Emily into the studio to record an interview for Apartment613 Live tonight, so tuned into CHUO 89.1 at 9pm for more from Ottawa’s latest indie-arts magazine.