Artist Information
Biography
Mary Black, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Gordon Lightfoot and Jackson Browne are just a few of my early influences.
I loved the guitar playing on Gordon Lightfoot's records and vowed to learn to fingerpick.
Plus the type of depth in songs by artists such as Mary Black and Jackson Browne is my aim in making songs.
More recently, I am influenced by artists such as Rhiannon who is the improv Queen; Jane Siberry who can lift an audience like no other; Kirtana, known as a modern day Rumi; and Beth Neilson Chapman, who offers depth galore.
After the release of my debut CD, "To Dream Again" I was honoured to be nominated Best Female Solo Act in the Ottawa Xpress Music Awards.
Canadian Marc Beneteau is the builder of my parlour-sized Beneteau guitar.
I believe Bruce Cockburn plays a Beneteau. It's an amazing guitar.
But it was while living in the Caribbean in 1993-94, that I met someone who changed my life. John Francis, an artist and environmental spokesperson for the United Nations, was on his Planetwalk (planetwalk.org) journey.
He had already walked across the U.S. on foot, refused to ride in motorized vehicles for 22 years, and, most extraordinarily, stopped talking for 17 years!
Inspiration from this Planetwalker role model inspired me to get past fears and take my love of songs and songwriting into the world.
Born in Toronto, I'm a gypsy at heart and I've lived in Ottawa, Edmonton, worked with CUSO in the West Indies, spent a year in the B.C. interior and traveled throughout Italy, Canada, the U.S., South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Holland.
For more info, please see:
www.WendyDeMos.com
www.myspace.com/wendydemos
Instrumentation
Wendy DeMos - singer/songwriter, acoustic guitar
SOLO: Vocals, acoustic guitar
DUO: Vocals, acoustic guitar, violin
Discography
* "To Dream Again", a spiritually themed recording hailed as a "gentle folk classic." 1996
* "The Great Divide", "Boasts an ethereal brand of gentle, soulful folk with a hint of worldbeat." 2002
Official Website
Video
Photo Gallery
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CBC photo
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Looking up
Download print quality (high-res) version (Right Click -> Save As) -
CBC2 photo
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Wendy DeMos with Jim Hurley on violin
Press
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The Great Divide
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"The new album boasts an ethereal brand of gentle, soulful folk with a hint of worldbeat." Wes Smid...
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To Dream Again
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"Blessed with a strong voice and a talent for creating original songs with a traditional feel this r...
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To Dream Again
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"Featuring a host of top local musicians, To Dream Again is a well-crafted debut disc. Standout song...
Setlist
Wendy DeMos can perform up to three 45-minute sets in a night.
Her original material includes 11 songs from the new album, 11 from her debut album and new material.
Her cover songs include:
"Sometimes" Jonathan Edwards
"Baby Can I Hold You" Tracy Chapman
"Bad Timing" Blue Rodeo
I like to get the audience involved ... whether holding an "ohm" while I sing on top of this drone or adding a harmony on "Just Dance" or a "doo wap" on "Come What May".
