5 for 10
By Robert Thompson Billboard Canadian Correspondent
January is always a good time to peruse acts that look set for bigger and better things in the coming months. So here we go with five that have caught my attention lately.
Kirsten Jones - A relatively unknown Toronto-based Americana songwriter, Jones attracted Canadian music industry attention when Jayhawks mainman Gary Louris agreed to produce her sophomore album, The Mad Mile. She raised more eyebrows by convincing Blue Rodeo frontman Jim Cuddy to duet on the album, but then Jones is full of surprises - and determination. The Mad Mile, in part funded by a $21,000 Factor grant, got an independent digital release last October. Don't be surprised if a label comes knocking very soon.
Robert Thompson - Billboard Canada (Jan 15, 2010)
Kirsten Jones is living proof that it's never too late to chase your dream. If you have some guts that is -- and this Toronto woman does.
Some people you just take a liking to right away. "I just have two things to say about this next song," says the Toronto singer on stage at Holy Joe's at Queen and Bathurst. "The first is I was proposed to at the Grand Canyon and the second is I am now divorced."
Talk about inspiration. And then came the song Bitter Sweet Grand Canyon -- one of the highlights of Canadian Music Week last week.
Jones, kind of a country/folk hybrid performer, is a powerful songwriter with a sweet voice. But what I like about her the most is she demonstrates the courage to go after something you've always wanted. "I've known since I was three that I wanted to be a singer," she laughs.
And through her teens and 20s she played around with it part time -- instead pursuing a successful career on the business side of showbiz. In fact, she loved working as a sales person at Sunrise at Yonge St. and later as a well-respected account executive with Universal Records. She met all the stars and even got tickets to go backstage to see them. But there was something missing.
"I wanted to be able to say to them, 'I am a songwriter too,' " she said. So 18 months ago she did the unthinkable for a person in her early 30s and quit her day job.
"I knew I couldn't give it a full shot if I didn't," she said, adding she also knew "no one else was going to do it for me."
Last week out came her first CD, Kirsten Jones, Drive-In Movie, and she's playing dates all over the province -- including a forthcoming mini-tour at a series of Chapters' stores. More info can be found on her online at kirstenjones.com.
"I have a lot of goals," she told me.
Love those people who pursue their dream.
Joe Warmington - Toronto Sun - Article
On the night of Sept. 16, in front of more than 4,000
country music fans gathered on the grounds of Magna
International in Aurora, Beach singer songwriter
Kirsten Jones took first place in the annual Magna
Hoedown Showdown. The Hoedown Showdown is a showcase
for aspiring Canadian singers and songwriters. This
year 85 musicians took part in the two-week contest
judged by Sylvia Tyson, John McDermott and current
Chair of the Canadian Country Music Awards, Heather
Ostertag. The gala performance featured performances
by The Good Brothers, Diane Chase, Corb Lund, and the
Showdown winner, Kirsten Jones.
"It was a great night of country music," said Jones,
who expressed her admiration for all the other
performers ("Everybody was so good...") as well as her
surprise at her own choice as winner.
"I think I'm far more folk," she said. "But in the end
I think it was more about songwriting and
performance." All the artists were required to perform
solo in front of the judges, and the fact that Jones
has been playing for several years – has already
released a solo CD – combined with her pure, lilting
voice, no doubt were factors in the judges' choice.
For the gala concert Jones brought her bandmates Mitch
Girio, bass, and Kevin Zarnett, lead guitar, on stage
with her.
Jones is originally from Virginia, but because her
father is Canadian, she has dual citizenship. When she
decided it was time to move to a big city to pursue a
career in music she chose Toronto, where her father
was living at the time. For the next few years Jones
did the usual rounds of coffee houses and open stages
before taking a job in sales at Universal Music. It
was there that she learned a lot about the business
side of music. It was a meeting with Sheryl Crow that
convinced her to make the commitment to music full
time.
"Here I was meeting Sheryl Crow and introducing myself
as a record company employee," she said. "And I
realized that I'd rather be introducing myself as a
singer and a songwriter." She packed up and headed to
Nashville where made the rounds of clubs, honing her
skills as a performer and a writer.
Her first CD, Drive-in Movie, was released in 2005. It
was produced and recorded here in the Beach by Mitch
Girio, and distributed by Maple Music. It has enjoyed
extensive airplay (you can hear three cuts by visiting
www.myspace.com/kirstenjonesmusic), and she is
currently at work on a second recording due out in the
new year. Jones has made the Beach her home for the
last few years.
The prize for winning the Magna Hoedown Showdown is
$2,500, a block of recording studio time – and a
$3,500 Gibson guitar (Gibson was the sponsor of the
contest). Jones is excited about the prospects of
owning this guitar.
"I drop into Long & McQuade often, and every time I'm
there I play this big Gibson Jumbo guitar," she said.
"I sure hope that's the one I win."
You can hear and read more of Kirsten Jones and her
music at the 'myspace' site, or at
www.kirstenjones.com, and order Drive-in Movie from
www.maplemusic.com.
Bill MacLean - Beach Metro - Article
Drive-In Movie is a show-stopper debut
Drive-In Movie is the debut CD of Kirsten Jones, winner of the first annual Magna Hoedown Showdown. The Hoedown Showdown was created and sponsored by the Canadian auto parts company , along with Gibson Guitars to showcase up and coming songwriters in the burgeoning Canadian country music market. Although she considers herself more folk or rock than country, Jones was delighted to find herself on stage in front of more than 4000 people this past September, on the bill with such legendary Canadian acts as The Good Brothers and Sylvia Tyson. And the $2500 cheque, $3500 Gibson guitar and recording studio time didn't hurt either.
Listening to Drive-In Movie, it is odd that Jones would be chosen for a country music award. Apart from the opening track, Bittersweet Grand Canyon, the songs in the collection range from 60s Brit-rock (I Found You, Back to the Playground) through bittersweet folk (Lethargy, Crumbs, Don't Mind Me, Need You) to contemporary rock ballad (Might Have Been, So I'll Tell You). Drive-In Movie was produced, mixed and mastered by Mitch Girio, a multi-instrumentalist and engineer superb - and definitely not a country performer - and his stamo is felt all over the project. Jones even chose to record three of Girio's songs.
Drive-In Movie is a strong debut with many stylistic flavourings, yet with a strong overall sense of purpose - which is to showcase the voice of this new award-winning vocalist, Kirsten Jones.
If you missed Kirsten at the Renaissance Cafe last week, you can see her March 15 at the NOW Lounge on Church Street. Or visit her myspace page at www.myspace.com/kirstenjonesmusic. Or better yet, drop down to your local record store and pick up a copy of Drive-In Movie.
Bill MacLean - Beach Metro - Album Review
"...Jones blends simplicity and maturity under a roots and pop umbrella by combining soft guitar-driven melodies, strong lyrics, and multi-layered vocals. The album is a beautiful showcase of burgeoning talent..."
"...Each track is a story told with either pop finesse or haunting subtlety. Jones is less country than Lucinda Williams, but lyrically just as intelligent. Unpretentious and real, her voice flutters clearly through heartbreak and hope..."
"...On "Bittersweet Grand Canyon", Jones' wrenchingly intimate aching and longing is sung with stark uncomplicated clarity. "So I'll Tell You" is haunting in a Cowboy Junkies way, but unlike lithe-voiced Margo Timmins, Jones can actually carry the tune with innate depth and authentic meaning..."
Zoe Gemelli - Bay Windows - Album review