Time: 9:30 p.m.
cover:
Peter Katz
http://www.reverbnation.com/peterkatz
Peter Katz was supposed to make a solo acoustic record, but when the likes of Glen Hansard, The Good Lovelies and Melissa McClelland agreed to sing along… plans changed.
Nevertheless, ‘First of the Last to Know’ marks the true arrival of Peter Katz, solo artist. Even with the good company on the record, Peter’s voice and acoustic guitar remain the focal point throughout. After years of touring solo while selling a full-on band record, Katz got tired of the same feedback: “We wish you would make a record that sounds like you playing live”.
Working with long-time friend, tour-mate, singer-songwriter and producer Rob Szabo, the two looked at every aspect of Peter’s songs. “There were some definite tense moments, but I knew Rob was right and I had to put my ego aside and learn. We worked and worked and worked, just on the barebones of the songs and of the guitar and vocals, making sure every last word, every note, every groove, every picking pattern, every tempo was exactly where it needed to be,” Katz says.
When it came time to finally record, they set up shop at the Barn Window Studio on the escarpment outside Hamilton. “I didn’t want to be in a booth and then have to try to add vibe using the computer. I wanted the space to inspire, to have its quirks and unique qualities in the moment. There’s no question when I listen to this record, I hear that it was recorded in a big, beautiful barn. I mean, I got to sing while staring out at the night through a huge window… You can’t get that in a booth.”
Expressing both aching sadness and intense joy, Katz’ songs, carried by his passionate, intimate voice, guide us through the gamut of human experience.
If the record leaves you wanting more, he will be continuing his habit of playing 150+ dates a year. If he isn’t already coming to a town near you, drop him a line, he’s known for making an effort to play wherever there are eager ears.
Emma Lee http://www. emma-lee.com/site/
http://www.emma-lee.com
http://www.myspace.com/emmalee
http://www.twitter.com/emmadashlee
http://www.youtube.com/neverjustadream
It’s been a long wait since the release of Emma-Lee’s acclaimed 2009 debut, Never Just A Dream, but the longest journey often yields the most rewarding arrival. Backseat Heroine marks a brave turning point in the road for an artist once pegged a jazz-pop chanteuse. Three years of touring and songwriting will lead to inevitable growth, knowledge and direction as is proven in Emma-Lee’s sophomore record. Her voice, once described by No Depression as “powerful and fragile at the same time, with a range and ability to dive around the notes that would make kd lang jealous” is still the star of the show. On barn burners like “Not Coming By” and “Shadow of a Ghost” she growls with a swagger and confidence not heard on any of her previous work. Instead of earlier comparisons to Feist and Norah Jones, names like Bonnie Raitt, Grace Potter and even Adele began to echo in the crowds of those shows that nurtured her re-invention.
But her voice has always been just the bait – it’s her songs that hook you. Her decision to collaborate on a handful of the albums’ tracks resulted in some of her most emotional writing yet. The aches and swells of the cinematic title track “Backseat Heroine” (co-written with Nicole Atkins) and the almost painfully intimate final cut “I Could Live With Dying Tonight” (co-written with Jill Barber) showcase the startling strength of her vulnerability. “I really only discovered the potential of co-writing on this album. I was hesitant to open myself up so much in front of another person, in some cases – total strangers! But once I learned that letting the walls fall down meant finding the buried treasure I threw my fears out the window and haven’t looked back. Some of my favourite songs on this record are collaborations and I have taken away more than just songs, co-writing is a learning experience, a sharing of secrets and tricks.” The success of these sessions lead to another adventurous move – after writing “Today’s Another Yesterday” with Luke Doucet, Emma-Lee invited him to sing it as a duet.
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