Post by LaurenM on Feb 2, 2005 2:19:04 GMT -5
I got this off of thestar.com:
"Feb. 1, 2005. 06:13 AM
VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR
Despite being a teenager, singer/songwriter Liam Titcomb is already a familiar face at the Sony/BMG offices in Toronto. His debut CD Liam Titcomb hits the stores today.
Liam Titcomb is one of a growing number of teenage musicians and songwriters whose music is being pitched beyond the adolescent pop demographic. Here are some others:
Jimmy Bowskill
Age: 14.
Hometown: Peterborough.
Musical style: Blues.
Current CD: The Jimmy Bowskill Band, Soap Bars & Dog Ears.
Other: Recently named new blues artist of the year at Maple Blues Awards and in the running for a Canadian Indie Award.
Aselin Debison
Age: 14.
Hometown: Glace Bay, N.S.
Musical style: Celtic traditional/pop.
Current CD: Bigger Than Me (in stores Feb. 15)
Other: Sweet is the Melody, her 2002 major label debut, earned two East Coast Music Award nominations.
Christine Evans
Age: 14
Hometown: Victoria
Musical style: Adult contemporary pop.
Current CD: Take Me Home.
Other: Title track from CD appeared on Women & Song 8 compilation.
Keshia Chanté
Age: 16
Hometown: Ottawa
Musical style: R&B
Current CD: Keshia Chanté
Other: Dominated 2004 Urban Music Awards by winning three prizes, including best new artist.
Kyle Riabko
Age: 17
Hometown: Saskatoon.
Musical style: Blues/soul.
Current CD: Kyle Riabko.
Other: Has opened on the road for Chicago blues master Buddy Guy.
Adult? Contemporary?
Like other talented teens, Liam Titcomb is following his muse away from pop
VIT WAGNER
POP CRITIC
It has to count as at least a small irony that Liam Titcomb has a song on the soundtrack to Childstar, the satirical feature film about a precocious and pampered young celebrity.
In music industry terms, it makes perfect sense. The Childstar CD and Titcomb's self-titled debut both arrive in stores today, courtesy of the same label, Sony Music Canada, so there's the obvious cross-marketing aspect.
On the other hand, Titcomb, a 17-year-old Toronto-born and -bred singer/songwriter whose tunes are being pitched at listeners twice his age, displays none of the pampered, self-involved egomania that often goes with early success and adoration. Maybe it's because he has already experienced enough of the music industry — directly and indirectly — to have developed a guarded, practical perspective.
In the almost four years since Titcomb was first approached by Sony, the upheaval caused by the company's merger with BMG has resulted in the departure of the label rep who discovered him (Mike Roth) and the company president who oversaw his early efforts (Denise Donlon).
Although Titcomb speaks well of current Sony/BMG head Lisa Zbitnew, the attendant uncertainty, including the postponement of the album's release from last November, gave considerable pause.
On the other hand, it hasn't hurt that Liam's father Brent is also a musician, having cut his teeth in the '60s folk group Three's a Crowd, before releasing a handful of well-regarded solo albums.
After driving Liam to a recent day of interviews at the label's offices, Brent stayed on the periphery — an interested, rather than hovering, presence.
"I've learned a lot from my father," says Liam, "but mostly through osmosis rather than through him actually teaching me things.
"He never really sat down and taught me the guitar or anything, but he's always had really good suggestions because he's been doing this for so long. It was good to have him around when the contract was being negotiated."
It was actually at a CD launch for Brent four years ago that Liam, who opened the show, was first approached by Sony. By then, the 13-year-old had already been playing for six years and had been hanging around gigs for even longer.
"I was always backstage or onstage, listening to my father," he recalls. "A lot of it was about listening to his music, but I also got to hear a lot of other great musicians at festivals during the summer."
One of those other musicians was Soozi Schlanger, singer and lead fiddle player for the Cajun-style ensemble Swamperella. "It's such a passionate kind of music that listening to it as a kid seemed so amazing," he says.
At age 7, Titcomb began studying the violin under Schlanger. A year later, he was off to fiddle camp in West Virginia. Soon after, he was popping up onstage as a Swamperella accompanist.
Eventually, Titcomb picked up the guitar and, after meeting Roth, started writing the songs for his debut album. With the help of tunesmith Tom Wilson of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings and others, Titcomb wrote or co-wrote 10 of the album's 11 tracks.
"My So Called Life," which he penned with Roth, is an autobiographical take on Titcomb's musical upbringing.
"It's written for people who wouldn't necessarily know what it's like to grow up in the folk scene. My dad didn't play Woodstock, like it says in the song. But it's a reference that people will understand."
The disc, which features guest vocals by Chantal Kreviazuk, is more pop than folk. But, Titcomb openly allows, it's the kind of pop labelled "adult contemporary" that is more likely to appeal to his parents' generation than his own.
In that sense, Titcomb is no different from a whole slew of teen talents — from English soul singer Joss Stone to Canadians such as blues tyke Jimmy Bowskill and R&B up-and-comer Keshia Chanté — who are casting beyond the pubescent pop demographic bracketed by Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff.
"Unfortunately, if you think of what kids want to listen to these days, it wouldn't be my record," says Titcomb, who toured last year with Great Big Sea. "But I'm not afraid of the idea that my music could appeal to anyone between the ages of two and 92. That's great.
"At Great Big Sea shows, those audiences are really varied. There are eight-year-old girls there. But there are also grandparents who come because they enjoy the music. So that was a really great tour for me because I got to reach a lot of different people. I just want to make music because I enjoy making music and I know people can enjoy it too."
The Childstar CD's cover carries the tag line, "When you're only famous for fifteen minutes ... every second counts."
Titcomb, by contrast, doesn't seem to care if he is ever famous, so long as his career lasts much longer than the proverbial quarter-hour.
"I'm not going into this thinking that I'm going to sell a million records so I can be rich. I was raised to do music because I loved it. And if I can pay the bills doing something I love, what could be better than that?"
Hear Titcomb's music and see his video Sad Eyes at http://www.liamtitcomb.com"
excellent!!
;D
"Feb. 1, 2005. 06:13 AM
VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR
Despite being a teenager, singer/songwriter Liam Titcomb is already a familiar face at the Sony/BMG offices in Toronto. His debut CD Liam Titcomb hits the stores today.
Liam Titcomb is one of a growing number of teenage musicians and songwriters whose music is being pitched beyond the adolescent pop demographic. Here are some others:
Jimmy Bowskill
Age: 14.
Hometown: Peterborough.
Musical style: Blues.
Current CD: The Jimmy Bowskill Band, Soap Bars & Dog Ears.
Other: Recently named new blues artist of the year at Maple Blues Awards and in the running for a Canadian Indie Award.
Aselin Debison
Age: 14.
Hometown: Glace Bay, N.S.
Musical style: Celtic traditional/pop.
Current CD: Bigger Than Me (in stores Feb. 15)
Other: Sweet is the Melody, her 2002 major label debut, earned two East Coast Music Award nominations.
Christine Evans
Age: 14
Hometown: Victoria
Musical style: Adult contemporary pop.
Current CD: Take Me Home.
Other: Title track from CD appeared on Women & Song 8 compilation.
Keshia Chanté
Age: 16
Hometown: Ottawa
Musical style: R&B
Current CD: Keshia Chanté
Other: Dominated 2004 Urban Music Awards by winning three prizes, including best new artist.
Kyle Riabko
Age: 17
Hometown: Saskatoon.
Musical style: Blues/soul.
Current CD: Kyle Riabko.
Other: Has opened on the road for Chicago blues master Buddy Guy.
Adult? Contemporary?
Like other talented teens, Liam Titcomb is following his muse away from pop
VIT WAGNER
POP CRITIC
It has to count as at least a small irony that Liam Titcomb has a song on the soundtrack to Childstar, the satirical feature film about a precocious and pampered young celebrity.
In music industry terms, it makes perfect sense. The Childstar CD and Titcomb's self-titled debut both arrive in stores today, courtesy of the same label, Sony Music Canada, so there's the obvious cross-marketing aspect.
On the other hand, Titcomb, a 17-year-old Toronto-born and -bred singer/songwriter whose tunes are being pitched at listeners twice his age, displays none of the pampered, self-involved egomania that often goes with early success and adoration. Maybe it's because he has already experienced enough of the music industry — directly and indirectly — to have developed a guarded, practical perspective.
In the almost four years since Titcomb was first approached by Sony, the upheaval caused by the company's merger with BMG has resulted in the departure of the label rep who discovered him (Mike Roth) and the company president who oversaw his early efforts (Denise Donlon).
Although Titcomb speaks well of current Sony/BMG head Lisa Zbitnew, the attendant uncertainty, including the postponement of the album's release from last November, gave considerable pause.
On the other hand, it hasn't hurt that Liam's father Brent is also a musician, having cut his teeth in the '60s folk group Three's a Crowd, before releasing a handful of well-regarded solo albums.
After driving Liam to a recent day of interviews at the label's offices, Brent stayed on the periphery — an interested, rather than hovering, presence.
"I've learned a lot from my father," says Liam, "but mostly through osmosis rather than through him actually teaching me things.
"He never really sat down and taught me the guitar or anything, but he's always had really good suggestions because he's been doing this for so long. It was good to have him around when the contract was being negotiated."
It was actually at a CD launch for Brent four years ago that Liam, who opened the show, was first approached by Sony. By then, the 13-year-old had already been playing for six years and had been hanging around gigs for even longer.
"I was always backstage or onstage, listening to my father," he recalls. "A lot of it was about listening to his music, but I also got to hear a lot of other great musicians at festivals during the summer."
One of those other musicians was Soozi Schlanger, singer and lead fiddle player for the Cajun-style ensemble Swamperella. "It's such a passionate kind of music that listening to it as a kid seemed so amazing," he says.
At age 7, Titcomb began studying the violin under Schlanger. A year later, he was off to fiddle camp in West Virginia. Soon after, he was popping up onstage as a Swamperella accompanist.
Eventually, Titcomb picked up the guitar and, after meeting Roth, started writing the songs for his debut album. With the help of tunesmith Tom Wilson of Blackie & the Rodeo Kings and others, Titcomb wrote or co-wrote 10 of the album's 11 tracks.
"My So Called Life," which he penned with Roth, is an autobiographical take on Titcomb's musical upbringing.
"It's written for people who wouldn't necessarily know what it's like to grow up in the folk scene. My dad didn't play Woodstock, like it says in the song. But it's a reference that people will understand."
The disc, which features guest vocals by Chantal Kreviazuk, is more pop than folk. But, Titcomb openly allows, it's the kind of pop labelled "adult contemporary" that is more likely to appeal to his parents' generation than his own.
In that sense, Titcomb is no different from a whole slew of teen talents — from English soul singer Joss Stone to Canadians such as blues tyke Jimmy Bowskill and R&B up-and-comer Keshia Chanté — who are casting beyond the pubescent pop demographic bracketed by Avril Lavigne and Hilary Duff.
"Unfortunately, if you think of what kids want to listen to these days, it wouldn't be my record," says Titcomb, who toured last year with Great Big Sea. "But I'm not afraid of the idea that my music could appeal to anyone between the ages of two and 92. That's great.
"At Great Big Sea shows, those audiences are really varied. There are eight-year-old girls there. But there are also grandparents who come because they enjoy the music. So that was a really great tour for me because I got to reach a lot of different people. I just want to make music because I enjoy making music and I know people can enjoy it too."
The Childstar CD's cover carries the tag line, "When you're only famous for fifteen minutes ... every second counts."
Titcomb, by contrast, doesn't seem to care if he is ever famous, so long as his career lasts much longer than the proverbial quarter-hour.
"I'm not going into this thinking that I'm going to sell a million records so I can be rich. I was raised to do music because I loved it. And if I can pay the bills doing something I love, what could be better than that?"
Hear Titcomb's music and see his video Sad Eyes at http://www.liamtitcomb.com"
excellent!!
;D
