Sly Violet

Artist Information

Biography

Official Website: www.slyviolet.ca
Email: mail@slyviolet.ca

Sly Violet blends together elements of alternative, folk, rock & pop music with lyrics that speak to one’s unspeakable side. Violet Clarke has been weaving stories of her own existence into songs that range from raw unfiltered emotion to uplifting nuances with her voice landing somewhere in between Alanis Morissette’s and Joni Mitchell’s. Joined by husband Sly Boston on drums, they’ve been compared to Bob Dylan, Hayden and Damien Rice.

In 2001 Violet began performing solo gigs under the name Shy Violet, which was also the name of her first album in 2004. The couple married in 2005 and after a few years of lugging music gear around and running the sound at shows, Sly decided to join Violet on drums and SHy Violet the soloist became SLy Violet the husband-and-wife duo.

Following the release of Feel Your Way Out (2009) they toured western Canada in the fall and did a second tour in 2010 across British Columbia. The EP has been played on multiple radio stations throughout southern Ontario and BC. It explores themes of love (both lost & found), emotional turmoil and on the bright side - an appreciation for nature. In February 2011, they released the video for Trees Dance with footage from close to home in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.

They’ve received a number of accolades in the past few years including a Barrie New Music Award (Best Folk), a Top 10 song on OurStage.com and Violet won the Kawartha Lakes Idol competition in 2007 and went on to be a Top 100 finalist on Canadian Idol the same year.

In addition to frequent performances at bars and cafes, Sly Violet has played a number of homegrown music festivals around Ontario including the Blue Bridge Festival, Windfall Ecology Festival, Pitter Patter Music Festival, Colourfest, Lindsay Exhibition, Music in the Streets & Barrie New Music Fest.
They are currently recording a third album to be released fall 2011 followed by slew of tour dates in western Canada.

Instrumentation

Violet Clarke - Vocals, Guitar, and Harmonica
Sly Boston - Drums

Discography

Feel your way out EP - Oct.23.09
(Radio play in in Ontario and British Columbia)
1. Trees Dance
2. Drive Home
3. Adore
4. Sooner Than Later
5. Sometimes...
6. Forget Those Days

Shy Violet - June.06.05
1. Nothing, Nowhere
2. Drive Home
3. Even With These Thoughts
4. These Rocks and I Stumble
5. Sneaking out the back door
6. Wouldn't it be nice
7. Eurotrash
8. Even whores need love

Official Website

http://www.slyviolet.ca

Links

• Facebook
• MySpace

Audio

• Trees Dance
  Listen   Download
• Adore
  Listen   Download
• Sooner Than Later
  Listen   Download
• Drive Home
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Trees Dance
• Adore
• Sooner Than Later
• Drive Home

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Review of Sly Violet's Performance at The Indie Attic, OTTAWA, ON [+ Show ]
  

  October 21st at the Indie Attic the folk rock duo from Lindsay Ontario Sly Violet graced the Cajun A...October 21st at the Indie Attic the folk rock duo from Lindsay Ontario Sly Violet graced the Cajun Attic stage (Ottawa, ON). Their laid back and gentle demeanor could be felt all through out the room as the soft-spoken pair poured all their energy into their unique blend of modern folk. Violet enchanted the audience with her sincere and passionate delivery as she skillfully coaxed her acoustic guitar to sing along with her. While Sly slipped into the the trance of the beat as he played his beautiful stand up cocktail drum kit.
  
  The duo is currently on tour traveling across Ontario, stay tuned into their website (www.slyviolet.ca) to see when Sly Violet may be playing a venue near you!
  - Heather Farmer, Indie Buzz Werks

• Radio Interview on 91.9 BOB FM, LINDSAY, ON [+ Show ]
  

  “Just blown away by, not just by your singing which is great, your songwriting, guitar playing and e...“Just blown away by, not just by your singing which is great, your songwriting, guitar playing and everything so I think you’ve got a real gem here (referring to the new EP). One of the things I thought of when I heard it, just beautiful singing voice and everything it did put me to mind of Joni Mitchell a little bit.”
  - Dave Illman, 91.9 BOB FM Lindsay, ON
  

• Band Launches Tour and New EP with Local Show [+ Show ]
  

  Quite often, the emotion of a powerful ballad loses its impact when partnered with heavy instrumenta...Quite often, the emotion of a powerful ballad loses its impact when partnered with heavy instrumentals. Such is not the case with Sly Violet - the musical duo of Woodville's Aileen Violet Clarke and percussionist Sly Boston - which is poised to take their new EP release Feel Your Way Out on a tour this month.
  
  The duo kicks off the A Folk in the Road Tour this Saturday with a performance at Sweet Bottoms Coffee in Fenelon Falls, beginning at 7p.m. with stops in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan on the tour, ending in British Columbia in mid-November. Violet has studied piano since age three, opting to pick up the guitar 10 years later. She started out as a solo performer eight years ago, with a focus on her own brand of folk rock, companioned with heartfelt lyrics, and formed her first band at age 16. At age 22, she won the Kawartha Lakes Idol competition in 2007 and went on to make the top 100 in Canadian Idol later that year.
  
  Although she had released her debut, self-titled CD under the name Shy Violet, in 2004 a name change to Sly Violet was logical after connecting with Mr. Boston in the spring. "Which has really rounded out the sound, we fit really well together," said Violet.
  
  On the six-track EP, Violet sings about found love, lost love and the confusion of life in between. The release showcases the evolution and maturity of Violet’s music and compositions.
  
  The release was produced at both Studio 13 in Hamilton and the Sly Violet studio and will be distributed independently, as well as online at www.slyviolet.ca and at live performances. Sly Violet's music has received airplay on CBC Radio 1 & 3, BOB FM, K-Lite FM and CFRC. For more on Sly Violet, visit their website at www.slyviolet.ca.
  

• View Magazine Debut CD Release Review, HAMILTON, ON [+ Show ]
  

  Originally from Halifax, Aileen Violet Clarke developed a nomadic spirit since the age of six, with ...Originally from Halifax, Aileen Violet Clarke developed a nomadic spirit since the age of six, with her family moving to London, Keswick, Brantford and finally Freelton. She found herself in music and adopted the performing moniker of Shy Violet. This weekend she celebrates her debut CD release.
  
  “I’ve been musical my whole life,” explains Violet. "I wanted to start a band and because music is such an outlet for me.” Studying piano from the age of three, Violet picked up the guitar at 13 and formed her first band by 16. By 2001, the original incarnation of Shy Violet came to be, but band members fell by the wayside until she became a soloist. The name, however, stuck.
  
  With allusions to the ‘80’s cartoon series Rainbow Brite, Shy Violet dons big glasses and colorful garb that matches the creative and sensitive personality within. Her eponymous CD is a smattering of sparse acoustic folk with Hayden, Dashboard Confessional and less humorous Murmurs as touchstones. Violet admits a strong emotional outpouring in every song. “I’ve always been a person with too many ideas in my head and too many emotions, so I guess music and writing is my way of letting it all out,” confides the singer.
  
  The self-recorded CD features Violet on guitar, bass and piano with guests Mitchell Rushton and Jeff Elliott. For the release party, Shy Violet hopes to share her words and music in an open and supportive atmosphere.
  “I’d like the music to be the focus of the evening and The Staircase has a really relaxed listening environment,” says Violet. “I think my sound is pretty different and original sounding than most popular music today or even most local musicians that I’ve heard and the live performances are definitely something to see.”
  Shy Violet celebrates her debut CD release this Sunday at The Staircase Theatre in Hamilton.
  

Setlist

ORIGINALS:
1. Trees Dance
2. Adore
3. Sometimes
4. Drive Home
5. Sleep
6. Dark November
7. Sooner Than Later
8. Nothing, Nowhere
9. Forget Those Days
10. Sneaking out the Back Door
11. Even With These Thoughts
12. Low Down
13. Still I Try
14. Start Over Again
15. Deep Beneath the Frost


COVERS:
In addition to originals Sly Violet often performs a variety of cover songs ranging from classics such as Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young to modern folk and rock including Hayden, Sarah Harmer, Alanis Morissette, Sublime, Weezer, Radiohead, Damien Rice, Coldplay, Modest Mouse, Deathcab for Cutie, Nirvana, Sufjan Stevens and more.

Basic Requirements

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