Faye Blais

Artist Information

Biography

Sudbury’s Faye Blais is spreading her new material around the globe, on a series of International Tours. Detailed as “continuing the thread started by Joni, picked up by Ani and fashioned by Feist”, Faye’s songwriting, presence and personality are showcased beautifully through her impressive jazzy-bluesy folk style, on acoustic and electric guitars, and keys, with stunning, dynamic vocals.

As a full-time musician over the past five years, Faye has spent half of her time overseas, recording and touring her albums throughout Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and USA. The rest of her time is spent touring in Canada, where she recorded her latest album, "On the Bright Side" (May 2012 release) at her family's cottage in Northern Ontario. She is currently on a series of international tours, launching the new album.

Faye has received great reviews from her releases, including CBC Radio 3's New Music Canada Track of the Day (for "Something's Changed"), nominated for 6 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards over 2010-12, and been included in Canadian Folk Festival lineups (Eaglewood Folk Festival, Northern Lights Festival Boreal, Arts Wells, Robson Valley Music Festival, Revfest…). With 5 massive cross-Canadian tours over the past three years, Faye has also been featured in a wide range of media at home, with radio, TV and print interviews and placements (CBC Radio One, Radio-Canada/CBON Breakfast Television – Calgary, CTV – Sudbury, VUE Weekly – Edmonton….), and was commissioned to write music for Native Canadian Documentary "Return to Manomin" by Michelle Derosier (Thunder Bay, 2011).

Throughout her years overseas, Faye has performed hundreds of shows, including international folk festivals (Port Fairy Folk Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Illawara Folk Festival - AUS, Nannup Folk Festival - WA, USA, Spring Scream, Peacefest – TW, Art & Soul Festival - USA...) and received great attention from radio, TV and print media (Triple J - AUS, ABC - AUS/NZ, Noise TV -AUS, BLTV-TW, ICRT – TW, Balcony TV - AUS, RRR-AUS, FasterLouder - AUS, MX – AUS, CTV – NZ), in addition to compilation album features, and placements in Web and TV wordwide (including productions by Australian Red Cross and the Oak Tree Foundation).



Faye is currently based between Toronto (CAN) and Melbourne (AUS). She is the first to admit that she can’t resist the sunshine.

Instrumentation

Josh Turnbull (Canada) - Backup Vocals, Percussion, Horns
Faye Blais - Vocals, Piano, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar
Tricia Foster - Bass, Backup Vocals

Discography

Faye Blais - Full Length:
"On the Bright Side" - May 2012
"The Ways I Love You" (Single) - June 2011
"Here in the Shade - A Night at Sing Sing" - DVD/Album - May 2010
"Two Pieces" - October 2008
"First Tooth" - December 2005

Other:
2008 - The Rising Hedons "Head Full Of Wine"- Featured on "Chances On You"
2008 - Various "Peacefest Festival" - Taiwan
2009 - Various "Songs for Fionn" - Charity Album, The Byrne Family, Taiwan
2009 - Various "Domino One" - Charity Album, Taichung Paws Animal Rescue Foundation, Taiwan

Official Website

http://www.fayeblais.com.html

Links

• MySpace
• Last.fm
• Facebook
• Twitter

Audio

• The Ways I Love You
  Listen   Download
• The Pursuit
  Listen   Download
• Winter
  Listen   Download
• Something's Changed
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• The Ways I Love You

Video

Sleepy Hollow (from album/DVD - "Here in the Shade - A Night at Sing Sing")

Photo Gallery

Press

• 2009 - January - "Two Pieces" Album Review - FasterLouder - Australia [+ Show ]
  

  http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/16703/Faye-Blais--Two-Pieces-.htm Two Pieces is the ...http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/16703/Faye-Blais--Two-Pieces-.htm
  
  Two Pieces is the second full-length release from Canadian singer-songwriter Faye Blais. Blais’ inspiration for this album comes not from her roots in Ontario, but from her journeys throughout Taiwan and Australia (piece one and piece two), and the multitude of different people, places and experiences that have stuck with her from each respective country. The result is a collection of deep, soulful songs that paint an elaborate masterpiece of life’s ups and downs.
  
  Sunday’s Song, while not one of the most powerful tracks on the album, is a quirky and jangly opener that appropriately sets the scene for an album entitled Two Pieces – it darts from syncopated violin plucking and playful vocal melodies to slower verses in which Blais solemnly sighs ‘Here I go, again, again.’
  
  Warm, floaty acoustic riffs, and Faye’s gentle ‘oohs’ sculpt Canvas as the perfect campfire song. To sweeten the deal, Catherine Brown lends her luscious voice to a couple of soul-soothing harmonies that’ll leave you on cloud nine. Pieces takes a slightly cynical turn, with Blais’ chilling vocals telling a tale of some of the harsh realities of life.
  
  Pianist Brad Viterale works his melodic magic on A to Z, while Blais’ soaring voice is the perfect companion to the delicate piano piece. When She Was softly reminisces another time, and the nostalgic mood is emanated by dobro twangs, soulful vocals and gently strummed guitar chords.
  
  Blais reveals another of her talents in Something’s Changed, belting out a Regina Spektor-esque tune on the piano. The song slowly builds in pace and climaxes with a jaunty explosion of chanting and reggae undercurrents. Back Home Again is Blais’ answer to the obligatory love song, and she delivers it with sugary melodies and textbook lyrics.
  
  Standout track Of It shows us the extent of Blais’ vocal capabilities – raw, rough and heartfelt comes as naturally to Faye as does smooth and sweet. Double bass features heavily in this song, and makes the line ‘the air is thicker than water’ resonate oh so clearly. Goodthought Graveyard is an unexpected bluesy inclusion, and the use of sax throughout this seven-minute piece reveals just how eclectic Blais’ style can be.
  
  It’s back to folk with Tumbling Down; a sombre reflection on indifference and monotony. The mood remains gloomy with the spine-tingling violin and smoky vocals in Buildings in Cities in Me, which trickles into bonus track Honey and Salt.
  
  Each track brings something of its own to this album, so that it might have twelve pieces rather than just two. We can only hope that Faye keeps building the puzzle.
  
  

• 2009 - March - Faye Blais on CBC Radio One - Canada
  

  Follow the press link to listen: http://www.fayeblais.com/press.html

• 2009 - May - Faye Blais Interview on CTV - Christchurch Television - New Zealand [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais is invited as a guest on 'Good Living' to discuss her new album and New Zealand Tour. ...Faye Blais is invited as a guest on 'Good Living' to discuss her new album and New Zealand Tour.
  
  Watch the interview: http://www.ctv.co.nz/index.php?s=sharon

• 2009 - May- Faye Blais Review - Wellington Live Music - New Zealand [+ Show ]
  

  A review of Faye Blais' live show at the Hole in the Wall in Wellington, New Zealand, as part of her...A review of Faye Blais' live show at the Hole in the Wall in Wellington, New Zealand, as part of her New Zealand tour over April and May, 2009.
  
  See full article at: http://www.wellingtonlivemusic.com/?p=1467

• 2009 - December - "Here in the Shade - A Night at Sing Sing" DVD (The Making Of) Review - Audio Technology Magazine - Australia [+ Show ]
  

  Feature Article in Audio Technology Magazine on the making of Faye Blais' live DVD and third studio ...Feature Article in Audio Technology Magazine on the making of Faye Blais' live DVD and third studio album, "Here in the Shade - A Night at Sing Sing", filmed and recorded at Melbourne's notable Sing Sing Studios.
  
  see full article in PDF:
  http://www.fayeblais.com/press.html

• 2010 - January - Faye Blais' "Something's Changed" - Track of the Day - CBC Radio 3 - Canada [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais "Something's Changed": ToTD for January 26, 2010 Posted by Amanda Putz at 12:23 AM A sw...Faye Blais "Something's Changed": ToTD for January 26, 2010
  Posted by Amanda Putz at 12:23 AM
  A sweet voice and style in this tune that hints maybe Faye Blais is Sudbury's piano-plunking answer to Feist.
  
  She's blazing across Canada right now, so keep your eyes peeled for her Cherry Pickin' Tour that will take her out of Ontario and into all four western provinces and down into the States as well. I also notice from her site that she's about to finally release a new album this spring.
  
  This tune, Something's Changed, is from her 2008 recording Two Pieces and it's a delectable little morsel for your ears.
  
  link: http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2010/1/Faye-Blais-Somethings-Changed-ToTD-for-January-26-2010

• 2010 - March - Faye Blais on Breakfast Television - Calgary, Canada [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais performs live on Breakfast Television - Calgary, in promotion of her collaborative "Cherr...Faye Blais performs live on Breakfast Television - Calgary, in promotion of her collaborative "Cherry Pickin' West Coast Tour", with fellow Canadian artists Sarah Burton and Jacquie B. March 9th, 2010.

• 2011 - November - Faye Blais - Q & A - Inpress Magazine - Melbourne, Australia [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais - Q & A in promotion of show at the Prince Bandroom with Owl Eyes, Gossling, and Private ...Faye Blais - Q & A in promotion of show at the Prince Bandroom with Owl Eyes, Gossling, and Private Live - for "Riding Side Saddle" Event.

• 2011 - August - Faye Blais - Live Performance - NBC News - Oakland, USA [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais Performs Live with Lia Rose (USA) on NBC News in promotion of the Women's Stage lineup at...Faye Blais Performs Live with Lia Rose (USA) on NBC News in promotion of the Women's Stage lineup at the Oakland Art & Soul Festival

• 2011 - October - Faye Blais - Interview CBC Points North - Canada [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais sits with Jason Turnbull on Points North to discuss the upcoming Album and Australian Tou...Faye Blais sits with Jason Turnbull on Points North to discuss the upcoming Album and Australian Tour. They also discuss Faye's Canadian Summer Tour and Commissioned works for Aboriginal Documentary "Return to Manomin" by Michelle Derosier.

• 2011 - May - Faye Blais - Interview & Performance - CBC Radio Canada - Canada [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais performs, and discusses recent Australian Tour and upcoming Canadian Summer tour. The int...Faye Blais performs, and discusses recent Australian Tour and upcoming Canadian Summer tour. The interview is in French.

• 2011 - December - Faye Blais Performs Live - Balcony TV - Melbourne [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais performs "Winter" from her upcoming album - Live on Balcony TV in Melbourne. She has ...Faye Blais performs "Winter" from her upcoming album - Live on Balcony TV in Melbourne.
  
  She has also appeared on Balcony TV in Toronto, in 2010.

• 2011 - January - Faye Blais - Interview & Performance - ABC Illawarra Radio - Australia [+ Show ]
  

  Faye Blais performs live and interviews on ABC Illawarra to discuss her Australian Tour with duo The...Faye Blais performs live and interviews on ABC Illawarra to discuss her Australian Tour with duo The April Maze.

Setlist

Sets are stocked with original songs from all released albums, as well as unreleased material, new and old. A few unique covers may also be thrown in the mix. Set length can vary according to booking.

Basic Requirements

Calendar