From: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org (headline-girl-digest) To: headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Subject: headline-girl-digest V7 #7 Reply-To: headline-girl@smoe.org Sender: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-headline-girl-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk headline-girl-digest Monday, February 2 2004 Volume 07 : Number 007 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: Headline Girl [Candace Smith ] Echo: Essential Emm: Emm Gryner on her own terms [Paul Schreiber ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 06:59:08 -0800 (PST) From: Candace Smith Subject: Re: Headline Girl That's a good story. Thanks for the link. Here's a few more... http://www.fyilondon.com/cgi-bin/niveau2.cgi?s=arts&p=81544.html&a=1 http://www.canoe.ca/JamConcertsA2D/arden_jann_023104-sun.html She was also in the Guelph Mercury but it's a membership-based online paper so. .. Free to sing her song Emm Gryner is poster child for independent success, answering music demands of her fans By Nick Krewen, Guelph Mercury January 29, 2004 Now see hear. If you're not content with collecting Emm Gryner's intensely poetic and personal music through her emmgryner.com website, or if her Centre in the Square opening sets for Jann Arden on Sunday don't satisfy your concert hunger, help is only a DVD away. Gryner, 28, has just issued Videochrome, a compilation of videos that include such classics as Hello Aquarius and Julia, as well as performances of three new songs captured in the intimacy of her home studio. While it may serve as a stopgap between last year's tasteful masterpiece, the Juno-nominated Asianblue, and the album she's currently working on with ex-Shudder To Think guitarist Nathan Larson, Gryner says the true motivator for Videochrome's release was public demand. "A lot of my decisions are inspired by fans nagging me to do things," she laughed down the line from her Montreal home shortly before the tour began. "They've been asking for a collection of my videos for a long time because MuchMusic hasn't played them a whole lot, and there are a bunch of people who have never seen any of the videos I've made. "So I did it for them. I'm also starting to become more interested in visuals and I think it really helps to round out my releases to have a collection of something people can see." The photogenic Sarnia native may seem like a natural in front of the camera, but Gryner states otherwise -- especially when it was suggested she try her hand at movie acting. "I only have one sort of experience where I went for an audition and it was just really bad," Gryner admits. "I started coughing in the middle of my monologue, and I repeatedly asked, 'Can I start again?' "If you see a movie where someone just fouls up an audition, that was me. "I'm not really good on camera unless I'm singing." Perhaps the best thing about Gryner's career is that she can afford to keep Hollywood waiting as she continues to evolve into the poster child for independent success. Except for a brief hook-up with Mercury Records in 1998 for the album Public and a moderate hit with Summerlong, Gryner has remained defiantly on her own. As she proudly decrees on the sleeve of Asianblue, an album "entirely funded by the artist + fans, and was in no way financially supported by a corporation, major record label or government agency," this multi-tasking sister has been doing it entirely by and for herself. Aside from her talented abilities to write, produce, arrange and sing songs, and her multi-instrumental prowess at piano, guitar, bass and clarinet, Gryner has launched six albums through her own Dead Daisy label. She's arrived in Montreal after living in New York and Los Angeles, captured a spot on the Lilith Fair tour and caught the attention of David Bowie, with whom she toured and recorded. With Jann Arden's invitation to open for her continuing the trend, little wonder Gryner says she wouldn't jump at the opportunity to sign with a major label if one came calling. "At this point, it would have to be an extremely exceptional circumstance, because I really believe the riskiest thing you can do right now is to sign to a major," says Gryner, referring to the music industry's current sales woes. "Especially when morale is so low with all those guys. It's about a lot of fear, and it's not really the most creative place to make music from when people are afraid of things that have nothing to do with you. I think a lot of people are turning towards what I've been doing for the past five years and they're more happy I think in that situation." Gryner says her 2000 stint with Bowie also changed her perspective on fame. "It didn't seem quite as intriguing anymore -- wanting to be famous and show your friends in high school how cool you are," she explains. "That stopped being a motivating factor for me in terms of making music, not that it was a primary one, but you always have those dreams when you're a teenager "Now I just write for me, and luckily other people seem to like it." __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building tool. Try it! http://webhosting.yahoo.com/ps/sb/ ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 11:35:56 -0800 From: Paul Schreiber Subject: Echo: Essential Emm: Emm Gryner on her own terms http://www.echoweekly.com/printer.php?storyid=1267 Essential Emm Emm Gryner on her own terms By Declan Kelly It isn't too often you'll find mention in these pages of the support act for a cushy, softseater gig. But then it isn't everyday that an artist like Emm Gryner rolls into town either. Gryner is currently opening for Jann Arden, on Arden's Love Is The Only Soldier tour, which will take them from Kelowna to St. John's in a six week crosscountry jaunt. And despite the tour's lofty banner, such a marathon string of dates will no doubt leave Gryner and Arden feeling like haggard soldiers themselves at the end of it all. But if the first two weeks are anything to go by, Gryner thinks it may not be as gruelling as might otherwise be expected. "So far, it has been pretty great," Gryner says, calling on her cell phone from a soundcheck in Saskatoon. "Jann's audience is pretty receptive. They're just there for the music and to have a good time." Although Gryner has more than carved out a name for herself since releasing her debut album, The Original Leap Year, in 1997, she has no qualms about riding shotgun for an artist of Arden's calibre. Especially given the fact that the two collaborated on "Four Feet Deep," one of the tracks on Arden's latest album. "The tour was really sold as her tour, and I sort of came along at the end," Gryner explains. "So they're primarily her fans, but I have noticed some 'Emmheads' along the way." In spite of their different musical styles, Gryner says seeing Arden perform nightin and nightout has proved a great inspiration for her own performances. "I think I'm mostly inspired by her spirit and her energy," Gryner notes. "She's a brilliant songwriter, and just an amazing entertainer. So to be around that has inspired me to be a better performer in my own way." Gryner is also impressed by Arden's knack for putting together a good, smooth running tour. "I would say it's probably one of the best tours I've ever done," Gryner comments. "The crew is so amazing and it's a testament to the way that Jann runs her business." Pretty high praise coming from a woman who spent part of her career touring as a fulltime member of David Bowie's band. Gryner herself is no slouch when it comes to the business side of things, having successfully run her own Dead Daisy record label since 1996 (not including a twoyear sojourn with Mercury Records). It's an arrangement that leaves Gryner in a unique position in that she has achieved modest commercial success while making her music on her own terms. But Gryner says it's artistic freedom that keeps her independent, rather than any Bowie esque concern for maintaining street cred. "It would take something to be pulled away from the way that I've been making my music for the past five years," Gryner notes. "Even Jann says, 'Emm should be on a major label.' But I've been really lucky in that I've been able to make exactly the kind of music I want to make, and to do so without any interference. I don't think it's a conscious decision to maintain any credibility while making music. I just do what I do, and, luckily, it pays my bills." Gryner adds that the recent trend of record company mergers  with smaller labels typically being devoured in the process  has reassured her that the course she's charted for herself is definitely the best option for the time being. "I was just reading where Aime Mann was saying that when you're on a major label the 'other' things come more easily," Gryner says. "For me though, the hard work is simply putting out fires and trying to make sure people are doing their jobs. So working hard for my own label, I feel like I'm actually getting something done. "I really don't mind running [Dead Daisy]. I mean, I'd like it to be larger than it is, and to grow. But lately it's been good for me to be outside of all the music industry mayhem. I just feel so not a part of that. This year especially, the tides have turned and signing to a major label is almost the riskiest thing you can do. So I just feel really happy. I've been able to put out a record every year pretty much and meet tremendous people to work with, very inspiring people to work with. And that's kind of the point of doing this." Gryner's latest example of this is the fact that, in between touring, she is currently working with exShudder to Think guitarist Nathan Larson for her next album. Primarily known for his film scores of late (Boys Don't Cry, High Art), Larson's wealth of producing experience has Gryner taking stock of how the new material will sound. "It's been interesting to work with Nathan," comments Gryner, "because he sort of challenges me to answer the question of what kind of artist do I want to be, and what kind of records do I want to make? And no one has really challenged me in that way before. "The tendency with me is just to be very spontaneous and spur of the moment. And that's worked for me and made me feel very creative. But with this album, I feel like taking time  we started in June, did a little bit more in October, and now we're going to do more in March  just really helps to be more clear about it. So you don't just go in and make something that you think you love and put it out." Having her eyes opened by the experience of working with Larson, Gryner is still never one to look back in regret and maintains her forwardlooking spirit with regard to her sound. "I definitely don't regret anything," she muses, "but you always think you can do better than your last record, or you feel like you have something more to offer. So hopefully that's still the case." As for a particular sound for the new record, Gryner says she's leaning towards more of a liveoffthefloor rock vibe. "I think from doing tours with my band I've become enamoured with live drums and such," Gryner says. "So I think the new album won't have any programming on it. It's going to be real, and you're going to be able to hear how it was made. But at the same time, I don't want to sacrifice any of the larger production. But I think there's also something a bit more real and raw about doing it without a lot of programming." Like all of her work thus far, Gryner says it's simply a matter of keeping her music central to what she does and allowing the chips to falls where they may. "I think it's very easy to get distracted by production ideas and concepts, or how you're going to be marketed," she says. "But ultimately, you have these tools and it's about using them to express yourself properly." For more on Emm Gryner and Dead Daisy Records, checkout www.emmgryner.com and www.deaddaisy.com. EMM GRYNER opening for Jan Arden Centre in the Square Sunday, Feb 1, 4 pm & 8 pm Tix: $53.50 [demime 0.97c-p1 removed an attachment of type application/pkcs7-signature which had a name of smime.p7s] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:45:26 EST From: Plmrrik@aol.com Subject: OAC: McLachlan on Tour this summer Hey Sarah McLachlan fans, Watch for her to be at a city near you this summer Starting July 5th and running through Sept. 10th (43 dates are currently scheduled) And Hey Emm fans, PLEASE !! If anyone catches her while on tour with Jann Arden, please do drop a review and set list -- Thanx, ----Rick---- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 1 Feb 2004 16:59:12 EST From: Plmrrik@aol.com Subject: Emm review (1/29/04) In a message dated 2/1/2004 4:48:50 PM Eastern Standard Time, Plmrrik@aol.com writes: And Hey Emm fans, PLEASE !! If anyone catches her while on tour with Jann Arden, please do drop a review and set list I should have read my next email first, as it contained a link to the following: Jann Arden bares her soul Canadian superstar Jann Arden wowed the crowd at the JLC, while local product Emm Gryner set the stage with her talent. By NOEL GALLAGHER -- London Free Press JANN ARDEN John Labatt Centre, London Saturday, January 31, 2004 LONDON -- An ultra-dynamic pop music duo doubled the pleasure of the 4,000 people attending last night's concert at the John Labatt Centre. In the entertaining process, reigning superstar Jann Arden and rising star Emm Gryner demonstrated why they're ranked among Canada's elite singer-songwriters. Headliner Arden's show got rolling with Only One from Love is the Only Soldier, which doubles as the title of her latest CD and the name of the current five-week national tour, ending in Newfoundland Feb. 17. The Alberta native also did older material, such as Waiting In Canada, Wishing That and other numbers from an arsenal one reviewer defined as her "brand of adult-contemporary heartache pop." Amid the melancholic songs about love, loss, emotional pain and loneliness, Arden showed off a sardonic sense of humour and deadpan delivery that most stand-up comedians would envy. "The choreography is all new," quipped Arden, spoofing the stage poses of rock stars. She amused the crowd by satirizing the four members of her solid backup band and telling irreverent anecdotes about her childhood days in Spring Bank, Alta., alias "Sperm Bank." Arden also felt free to do a "stump the band" segment, since, she said, the local music critics had already left the concert: "They can only stay for the first three songs." The glitz-free anti-diva in the plain black suit depends on her appealing voice, which she applied to a medley of her hits, including Could I Be Your Girl, I Would Die For You and Insensitive. One of the evening's highlights was when Arden and Gryner joined voices on the lilting Four Feet Deep, which they co-wrote as Love is the Only Soldier's first single. The London visit was a homecoming for Gryner, a 28-year-old Sarnia native who grew up in Forest and attended Fanshawe College's music industry arts program. Gryner's simple solo set showcased her voice and artistry on acoustic guitar, but, more especially, on electric piano. Several of the tunes were derived from Asianblue, the CD that drew a 2002 Juno Award nomination as best pop album. That prize, Gryner noted, was wrested from her by "a crusty young tart named Avril Lavigne." On her songlist were Northern Holiday, which she penned while on tour with David Bowie, and homesick for Canada; Symphonic, about a friend worth remembering; and an anger-laden number titled This Mad. The singer then dedicated Breaking News, a plaintive tune yet to be recorded, to her parents who were in the audience and ended the 30-minute set with a hymn-like spin on The Clash's hit, Straight To Hell, from her very successful CD Girl Versions. Gryner's straight-from-the-heart tunes showed off her throaty vocal style that, though powerfully passionate, remains accessible and vulnerable. "I know my job as the opening act. I'm there to do a few songs and warm up the crowd for Jann," the singer explained in a recent Free Press interview. She accomplished that mission seamlessly before surrendering the stage to her friend/collaborator Arden and the warmth of their efforts melted the sub-zero cold of January's final night. The tandem's tour includes today's stop in Kitchener's The Centre In The Square; the Chrysler Theatre in Windsor tomorrow and Wednesday's launching of a four-day stay at Massey Hall, Toronto. They'll take with them the endorsement of the satisfied customers in Labatt Centre's sold-out RBC Theatre ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 01 Feb 2004 14:34:55 -0800 From: Hanson Ho Subject: Re: Emm review (1/29/04) Plmrrik@aol.com wrote: > > By NOEL GALLAGHER -- London Free Press *snicker* I thought Noel was in the /other/ London (or perhaps Manchester) ;-) Seriously though. How many of you actually went to the Jann Arden shows? Tix for her Vancouver gigs were hella expensive, and even though Emm was opening, I couldn't justify spending all that money. Hanson, who wants Emm to /headline/ a Van City gig - -- "Oi with the poodles already!" Synapse to Synapse 2.0: http://www.sfu.ca/~hwho/ My Indie World: http://myindieworld.blogspot.com ------------------------------ End of headline-girl-digest V7 #7 *********************************