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Bright Lights, Big City for Xoe Wise
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Before moving to Chicago two years ago, 21-year-old singer-songwriter Xoe Wise said, she had never e...Before moving to Chicago two years ago, 21-year-old singer-songwriter Xoe Wise said, she had never even seen a four-way stop sign. Growing up near Atlantic Beach, N.C., there was no music scene, no clubs to play, and not even a music store in town where you could buy instruments or equipment. Nevertheless, Wise got experience any way she could, playing for unconventional audiences. This week she releases her first album as a Chicagoan, "Archive of Illusions," which showcases her sweet voice and soft-pop arrangements. She spoke to the Tribune last week from her home in Lakeview.
Q: Without much happening in your hometown, how did you discover and explore your love of music?
A: I played guitar on our land, for the animals. I was in chorus at school, but I never made a band or anything.
Q: When you came to Chicago, was it with the intent of doing music?
A: I came to come. I had never been to a big city before. Music just happened along the way. I started playing open mics and writing songs — original material. I met this guy, Dee Wilson, and we found that we made a great duo together. I started meeting people and the city was inspiring and it made me want to pursue being a singer-songwriter. It was different then when I started out, playing on boats, going out on yachts and singing stream-of-consciousness stuff. In Chicago I had to have a different approach, emailing clubs.
Q: Go back to the part about the boats. How did that come about?
A: I was maybe about a senior in high school and I lived on the waterfront, and every year there was a fishing tournament and I got hired off the street to play at a restaurant for tons of tourists who were there. And so my music would be blasting all along the waterfront, and so fisherman, and people on boats they would hire me to come play on the boats while they fished. It was a good hobby. It paid well.
Q: Except you didn't have any songs.
A: No. Slowly I would remember stuff and repeat melodies. It was just my poetry as it came out of me.
Q: Could people tell you were just making it up?
A: I would just sort of pretend, make it like a song. Sometimes I would sing a comedy song about someone in particular and they could tell. But most of the time they would just sit and listen and fish, and I would play for a few hours.
Q: So for your first 10 years of playing guitar, you just sort of noodled?
A: I wrote a song when I was 11, for a sick goat on our farm. But, yeah, I would just pick up and play, I never thought to memorize anything or learn covers.
Q: How did your experience on the boats prepare for what you are doing now?
A: It prepared me to be honest and respect my own material.
Q: Is honesty the most important thing for a singer-songwriter?
A: Hmmm. No. I think fascination is.
Q: Fascination with what?
A: Exactly! Exploring what you are fascinated by and figuring out why after. Being fascinated by yourself and others. And once you give that fascination away, it becomes a gift to others.
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Xoe Wise- Chicago Innerview
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While in general the term “dreamy” tends to be overused, it really is the best way to describe the b...While in general the term “dreamy” tends to be overused, it really is the best way to describe the breathy, milk-toned vocals of Chicago immigrant Xoe Wise. There must be something about the waters off the coast of the Carolinas, because the music of Wise — a South Carolinian who writes about love and the sea — is easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs. On Wise’s new album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism. Moreover, on songs like “123” and “Before the Waves,” soft electronic pads cast a minimalist glow on Wise’s slippery chord changes, recalling Imogen Heap minus the auto-tuner. It’s strange to see such balmy music take purchase in the dead of a Chicago winter. It is also, most certainly, a welcome addition. (Appearing with Alexander Webb at Martyrs’ on February 8) –text: David Wicik
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Local singer debuts benefit song for Japan
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When she appears April 8 at The Store on Halsted Street, singer-songwriter Xoe Wise will play her ne...When she appears April 8 at The Store on Halsted Street, singer-songwriter Xoe Wise will play her new single “Sendai,” which she wrote to benefit victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Wise describes the process of writing the song as something of a spiritual accident.
“The night before the tsunami, I heard a firetruck go by while I was in bed, and the universe presented me with this moment where I realized I was going to sleep comfortably while other people’s lives were in chaos,” she said. “The next day I got back from a run and turned on the TV, and there was the news of what had happened in Japan. I wanted to incorporate all of those elements into the song.”
Since moving to Chicago a year ago to team with producer Ethan Stoller, Wise has been busy, debuting her album “Echo” and performing across the city. In addition to her favorite Lincoln Park bar, The Store, she’s played Uncommon Ground, Martyrs’, and the Elbo Room, among others.
Wise pretty much had immediate luck after arriving in Chicago. She was voted Best Pop Artist in MTV’s OurStage competition in February 2010. OurStage is essentially a competitive version of Pandora online radio.
Backed by a four-member band, Wise describes her music as a country-pop crossover with elements of folk.
“There’s a fearlessness in that there’s never a moment that I’m really afraid of being too poppy,” she said. “People are too hard on mainstream music.”
She described her decision to try to eke out a music career as a “directionless hobby pursued.” Growing up in North Carolina, Wise taught herself flute and then guitar.
“The first music I ever wrote — my family had two baby goats, and one of the goats wasn’t doing so well,” she explained. “My sister and I took it to the shed, and I wrote a song for this sick baby goat.”
It was a harbinger of what was to come for Wise’s attitude toward music. All proceeds from downloads of “Sendai” either from iTunes or www.xoewisemusic.bandcamp.com go to the Red Cross and that organization’s efforts to help the victims of the disaster in Japan.
Asked to describe her aspirations, Wise said she wants to be a musician about messages.
“I want to be part of global projects and organizations working for change,” she said.
In her opinion, her first album, “Echo,” begins that process.
“Where ‘Echo’ came from is this idea that we are all artists,” she said. “Every conscious and subconscious thing we do is this piece of art. We can never convey what a breakup is or a what a date is or a meal or sex so we create art to try to echo that.”
“Echo” is available on iTunes and through Wise’s website. She will perform at the store on April 8 along with the bands City Folk and Simpleton, with a performance to follow at Lincoln Hall sometime in early May.
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Music Millenium
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Xoe Wise and Matt Ryd - free live performance
9/29 6PM
Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xo...Xoe Wise and Matt Ryd - free live performance
9/29 6PM
Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xoe Wise and her younger sister wrote their first song for their sick baby goat. From a small town on the ocean in NC to a brief period in Michigan, Xoe continued to pursue music and now is based in Chicago, IL.
Xoe entered the Chicago music scene in 2009 while collaborating with Ethan Stoller. Xoe released her debut album, Echo, that October. After growing in the Chicago music scene and simply growing up, her music has taken on a dreamy folk tone, drawing comparisons to a female Bon Iver.
Chicago Innerview recognizes Xoe as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs. On Wise’s new album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism."
http://www.xoewise.com/
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Artist Update-Xoe Wise
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OurStage artist Xoe Wise is not one to sit still. Having lived in various parts of the US and tried...OurStage artist Xoe Wise is not one to sit still. Having lived in various parts of the US and tried numerous hobbies and activities, she ultimately realized that her heart was set on making music. Her laid-back and soulful tunes have reached the Top 10 four times here on OurStage, including a Number 1 win in the Pop Channel last February.
Twenty-year-old Xoe has had a busy year. She filmed a music video, released a full-length record, played at the Microsoft Store and is slated to play a massive benefit concert for Michigan cancer foundation Believe in Miracles in 2011. We caught up with the quirky and passionate singer-songwriter to hear about her life, her music and how the two continually inspire each other.
OS: You started getting involved with music at a young age when you took up the flute. What eventually made you decide to pick up the guitar and become a singer-songwriter?
XW: As a kid, it’s almost silly how many foods, instruments and dreams I tried out before I decided to stop eating everything on trees and stop pushing the concept that a kid could really grow up to be a mermaid. While this may seem semi normal for a little kid, the scattered passions and curiosity that was in my heart grew strong into my high school years where my plans ended up towards a soccer scholarship in SC. Sometimes I’ve wondered what it would have been like…I’ve learned to respect the destiny of my realizations though…the love I feel for sound and art held intensity, leading it to surface past a million other activities I felt decent love for. I do remember my dad having a guitar in his woodshed and I would write songs for baby goats we were raising. As moving as those goat songs probably were, I don’t consider that my origin of songwriting. Like everything, singing and songwriting’s surfacing point parallels love. We can go through events and relationships bitter and confused, but at some point, even by contrast of another human being, love will surface. It’s not that flute wasn’t enough for me at the time, but eventually my heart fell deeply in love with music, so deeply that I wanted to ask it to marry me, scream it from the rooftops, or become a musician perhaps.
OS: Your music is very influenced by the beach, but you’re currently living in Chicago. Without the beach close to you, how do you spend your free time in the city?
XW: This question is so important because I had to ask it to myself after moving here. In a lot of ways I’ve been able to write about the sea, and feel its intensity and importance from a new perspective. I have a huge interest in geographical relationships. Do some people need to be in the sun? Feel the salt? Humid air? Does it have to do with our ancestors or experiences? There are places, people, and smells that we feel at home with and sometimes it hits us later in life. The idea of a soul mate transcends into the world of geography. Where I sit and write music and who I sit with, are very similar questions. This long distance relationship with the East Coast has helped me know the world better through its resonating and haunting memories, therefore again I write. More specific activities in the city consist of open mics, running, spending time with my god moms and friends, making tea, writing, I daydream on my apartment floor a lot. I like finding weird spots and imagining who and what was there before. If this is too heavy for some of you who wanted to be my friend until you realized how much I’m absorbed in thought…I also like eating sour straws…no talking…just eating…walking around hardware stores and listening to music while I pretend to need something. In the end I always leave happy with a few random plants and bolts. I take some classes at a schoolhouse too.
OS: You recently released your first full-length album, called Echo. What would you say are some of the main themes of the album?
XW: Echo in the end became not only relevant to this album, but future albums, past albums, in fact all art. There were some great people bringing this album to life. My godparents helped connect this dream to reality, my mastering master Collin Jordan, Arthi Meera doing some great vocals, Chris Blasingame on pedal steel, and Ryan Neuschafer engineering. I collaborated with an amazing producer. His name is Ethan Stoller and he is one of my greatest friends. They say that Cancers and Leos don’t get along but we truly had some solid musical chemistry. His wife, who is just as fantastic for listening to Echo for months, is also a Leo and they are are a beautiful couple. Anyway, both of our minds helped to make this album with talk of heartbreak, some hope, falling in love, a lot of talk about driving, summer in cars..some of it is for everyone’s imagination. “This is our love, thought you should know, this is the sound of our love’s echo” is a line from the song “Echo.” It’s hard to remember what happened, but somewhere inside of me, something knows, that love has an echo. A song is an echo of love. This is why it’s hard to pinpoint themes; because essentially the songs are as far as I could go with labels of feelings. I do believe this album is a testimony to trusting love as well. Love can take us away from our comfort zone and sometimes things turn wild and unforgiving. Relationships can create confusion as to what we even want, and make us really dig into ourselves. Love also can take away this pain. In a round about way I think that represents how we HAVE to love ourselves and believe in ourselves.
OS: You have a music video for the song “Before Waves.” Can you tell us the story behind the video?
XW: The song “Before Waves” regards a love story where two people fall in love by the ocean. The lovers do not realize their connection to the warm air and sea until returning to where they first met. I think we constantly do this in life. We feel something and then explore it more and watch our heart expand its senses to other beauties of the earth. Things we don’t even realize impact us, will resonate in our souls and play a role in our destiny. The video was directed by Ryan Eakins with help editing from his friend Lev. Ryan and my God moms and my friend Casey contributed to stunning ideas like Ryan’s concept of our walk creating words. The idea of our journey painting love in sand absolutely parallels this love story. Emily Blood is a character in the video who not only did beautifully on camera but is one of the most hilarious and life filled people I’ve met. Her presence added to what love is.
OS: Some of your influences include singer-songwriters like Joshua Radin and Ingrid Michaelson, which is clearly heard in your music. Are there any artists that people would be surprised to learn inspire you?
XW: I do have a pool of artists that inspire me. Jason Reeves, John Mayer, Andy Davis; they are all amazing. On a more surprising note perhaps I’ll mention Yann Tiersen. I have a large fascination with accordions. When I first saw the film Amelie, I would blast the soundtrack on my way to surf early mornings. Also João Gilberto and Stan Getz give me quite the Brazilian comfort I need sometimes. On a completely different side of things, Jimmy Rodgers truly entertains me and makes me want to eat popsicles and play scrabble or something like that. I have a huge respect for some artists I’ve found along the way of really long YouTube journeys. Chelsea Lee, JayMay, are some brilliant upcoming artists. When I’m thinking of the sea I’m inspired by Mishka. People laugh at me for this one, but Taylor Swift and Frank Sinatra are absolutely on a ton of my playlists together…just the two of them…that’s another story…love story…ha.
OS: You’re playing a benefit concert in March with Zach Chance and Jonathan Clay. Can you tell us more about that?
XW: Yes this is a very moving and exciting event. Believe in Miracles is a non- profit organization based out of Troy, MI, that helps children fighting life-threatening illnesses by granting them wishes. The mission of Believe in Miracles is to enrich the lives of these children by bringing joy and hope to their lives. On Wednesday, March 2, 2011, Believe in Miracles will host its 1st Annual “Believe in Miracles: A Benefit Concert” with performances by singer-songwriters Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and myself in the O’Rena of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. The goal is to raise $15,000 for the organization and have 1,500 people from the university and surrounding communities in attendance. All profits will go directly to Believe in Miracles. I am proud to be part of this concert and am looking forward to being a part of art’s healing ways. You can also get more information on the Facebook event page.
OS: You also played at the Microsoft Store. How did that opportunity come about? How did you feel about playing on the same stage that John Legend and Colbie Caillat have played on?
XW: The Microsoft store was so much fun. All the staff treated me wonderfully during their grand opening weeks where they were featuring musicians. My manager reached a development specialist for the store and we went from there. There may be a future appearance there as well. It’s fantastic to have had the opportunity to play shows where I feel connected to great artists like Colbie and John. All three of us have been best friends since the third grade where we would do word searches and jigsaw puzzles together. Just joking…and I’m not sure that third grade is a jigsaw puzzle kind of age anyway.
OS: Are you a Mac or a PC?
XW: (Laughs) PC.
OS: Is there anything else you’d like to say to your fans on OurStage?
XW: Well, I think it’s important to live a romantic life. I’ll send that out to everyone. Be romantic in everything you do. If you’re picking a flower, treat the flower nicely. If you’re walking across the street talk about the beautiful eyes you see. Treat yourself this way too. Tell lots of knock knock jokes.
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Introducing Xoe Wise
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Chicago-based singer-songwriter Xoe Wise is on a mission to break into the music scene, armed with a...Chicago-based singer-songwriter Xoe Wise is on a mission to break into the music scene, armed with a delightful full length, Echo. While billed as a dream pop artist, she’s more of a mixture between dream pop and country roots in what would otherwise be a stark dichotomy (no “Cotton-Eyed Joe” to be had here, folks). That is to say, Wise is more than just a girl with a guitar and a broken heart.
In fact, the whole offering comes off really sweet in a Taylor Swift-meets-Swedish music scene kind of way. The fluctuation between the acoustic strummings of songs like “NC101? and synth-y pop of “Was It The Way” give her range to rest her consistently upbeat personality.
She’ll be performing tonight (9/7) at The Living Room and again Friday night at The National Underground. Definitely worth checking out if you get a chance (read: bring your girlfriends, they will love you for it).
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Chicago IN Seattle: Matt Ryd / Xoe Wise / Katrina Charles @ Egan’s
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My guy-love for old friend Matt Ryd is well known to longtime MidByNorthwest followers. I’ve interv...My guy-love for old friend Matt Ryd is well known to longtime MidByNorthwest followers. I’ve interviewed him, I’ve reviewed his album, and now thanks to his first tour I get to preview his Seattle debut! Ryd is hitting the road with another acclaimed Chicago singer/songwriter Xoe Wise. That many hours in the car together is sure to produce some stunning collaborations – accenting both Ryd’s endearing guitar-pop and Wise’s dreamy vocal compositions. It’s a unique experience to see two separate artists come together for their first tour – braving the trials of car troubles and highway fast-food together and experiencing each others’ music night after night. I expect musical chemistry to be high and entertaining anecdotes to be plenty. Plus, Seattle’s own Katrina Charles headlines the night. In addition to being the piano player in my band and one of my favorite people, Katrina writes beautiful songs on both piano and guitar, delivered with a powerful and emphatic voice.
Come see it all happen at the wonderfully intimate Egan’s Ballard Jam House from 7-9pm this Friday, September 30. Fittingly, this show is presented by the wonderful folks at Seattle Living Room Shows and so is sure to have that same magical vibe. Cover is $7 and the show is 21+.
I’m not much of a Matt Nathanson fan, but I’m a big fan of Matt Ryd’s multi-layered all-inclusive YouTube videos, and this should be a good preview of the kinds of collaboration we can expect from the “XoeAndMatt” tour:
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Xoe Wise- Martyrs
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There's coffeehouse folk, but Xoe Wise plays what might be best termed coffeehouse pop. That is, she...There's coffeehouse folk, but Xoe Wise plays what might be best termed coffeehouse pop. That is, she has a winning way with winsome radio-friendly melodies paired with stripped-down and quirky arrangements. Local, laid-back singer-songwriter Matt Ryd has earned comparisons to Jason Mraz and John Mayer, which may either thrill you or instantly turn you off, depending on your disposition.
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Xoe Wise: Chicago Dream Pop Artist Plays Sept. Shows at The Living Room and The National Underground
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Chicago Innerview described dream-pop artist Xoe Wise as "the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart ...Chicago Innerview described dream-pop artist Xoe Wise as "the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs."
Xoe will be playing two NYC shows next month: 9/7 @ The Living Room (9:30PM set time) and 9/9 @ The National Underground (8PM set time). Xoe is touring behind the critically acclaimed album Echo and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle.
The first video from Echo was for the song "Before Waves" (below) and Xoe talked about the story behind the video late last year with OurStage.com.
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Xoe Wise- Austin, TX
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Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing in A...Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing in Austin, Sept. 23.
Matt Ryd is best known for his song “Healed,” which was featured on the much-loved TV series Scrubs. His tour mate, Xoe Wise, is hitting the road behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle.
Matt and Xoe will be performing live at Thunderbird Coffee on Manor Rd on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8PM; FREE show!
http://xoeandmatttour.com/
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Two NC shows
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Chicago’s (by way of Greenville, NC) Xoe Wise will be performing two NC shows next month, 9/10 @ The...Chicago’s (by way of Greenville, NC) Xoe Wise will be performing two NC shows next month, 9/10 @ The Green Bean in Greensboro and 9/16 @ Cru Wine Bar in Beaufort. Xoe is touring behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle.
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Xoe Wise- Greensboro, NC
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Xoe Wise will be performing @ The Green Bean on Saturday, Sept. 10. Xoe is touring behind the critic...Xoe Wise will be performing @ The Green Bean on Saturday, Sept. 10. Xoe is touring behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle.
http://www.ourstage.com/profile/xoewise
http://thegreenbeancoffeehouse.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-shows.html (7PM show)
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Xoe Wise and Matt Ryd in LA, 9/27!
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Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing LA o...Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing LA on Sept. 27. Matt Ryd is best known for his song â??Healed,â? which was featured on the much-loved TV series Scrubs. His tour mate, Xoe Wise, is hitting the road behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle. Matt and Xoe will be performing live at Room 5 on Tuesday, Sept. 27 at 9:30 PM.
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Xoe Wise and Matt Ryd in Austin, 9/23!
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Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing in A...Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing in Austin, Sept. 23.Matt Ryd is best known for his song â??Healed,â? which was featured on the much-loved TV series Scrubs. His tour mate, Xoe Wise, is hitting the road behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle.Matt and Xoe will be performing live at Thunderbird Coffee on Manor Rd on Friday, Sept. 23 at 8PM
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Xoe Wise in Portland!
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Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing Port...Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise are on tour together and will be playing Portland on Sept. 29. Matt Ryd is best known for his song Healed, which was featured on the much-loved TV series Scrubs. His tour mate, Xoe Wise, is hitting the road behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle. Matt and Xoe will be performing a free in-store @ Music Millennium at 6PM on Thursday, Sept. 29.
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Xoe Wise- Portland
In store performance
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Radio One
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Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise just wrapped up a national tour together and... Chicago-based singer-songwriters Matt Ryd and Xoe Wise just wrapped up a national tour together and will be playing Martyrs’ on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Matt Ryd is best known for his song “Healed,” which was featured on the much-loved TV series Scrubs. Xoe Wise is performing behind the critically acclaimed album Echo, and she has shared the stage in the past with John Legend, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell and Andrew Belle. Matt and Xoe will be interviewed on-air at Radio One Chicago this Thursday, Oct. 20, at 7PM. For more info on the Martyrs' gig, click here.
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Xoe Wise- Wrigleyville
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Xoe Wise is a heart from a dream, a mind from the ocean, a thought from a memory, and a musician fro...Xoe Wise is a heart from a dream, a mind from the ocean, a thought from a memory, and a musician from the lack of difference between the three. She is an a original singer and songwriter and from the East Coast to lakes, she hopes you crave love and sun with every note. She grew up in North Carolina; a small ocean town on the outer banks. Her mind moves at a speed worth writing songs to. She’s a romantic, a dreamer, a surfer, a laugher, and is inspired by every moment. Her songs are made up simple times and silly thoughts within every dreamer. She sings of loves moments and the resonance of breath, touch, and waves.
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Summer Lovin'
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Xoe Wise’s bio begins, “Xoe Wise is a heart from a dream, a mind from the ocean, a thought from a me...Xoe Wise’s bio begins, “Xoe Wise is a heart from a dream, a mind from the ocean, a thought from a memory and a musician from the lack of difference between the three.” Thankfully, her music is less inscrutable. Here’s our interpretation: Xoe Wise is a North Carolina singer-songwriter with a talent for beachy, sing-a-long folk songs. Think Colbie Callait meets Elliott Smith. Multi-tracked vocals, acoustic guitars, twinkling keys and shuffling beats permeate her music. “NC 101” is soft and diaphanous, with breezy vocals that nudge the melody along. “Sail” and “Take Me Away” are folksy acoustic pop nuggets that share the same sunny insouciance. But our favorite has to be “My Heart,” a romantic gem where Wises’ lovely voice sails up the scales. Heart from a dream, a mind from the ocean—yeah, maybe. All you need to know is that she’s good. Put on this Carolina girl’s music and it feels a little less like winter.
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Mellow Wednesday Night Out at Martyrs' With Xoe, Matt & Nick
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Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their...Picking up the guitar at five years old, Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their sick baby goat. From a small town on the ocean in NC to a brief period in Michigan she continued to pursue music and now is based in Chicago, IL.
She entered the Chicago music scene in 2009 collaborating with Ethan Stoller. Stoller has contributed music to the DVD featurettes and promo materials of several major Hollywood films, including V for Vendetta (film), Ninja Assassin,Sherlock Holmes and more. Xoe released her first album Echo that October.
After growing in the Chicago music scene and simply growing up, her music has taken on a dreamy folk tone drawing comparisons to a female Bon Iver with her 6 piece band selling out shows in Chicago. She has been heard at venues from Hotel Cafe in CA to Hard Rock in Nashville. She has been supporting acts with artists Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell, John Legend, and Colbie Caillat.
Microsoft scooped Xoe up when opening their IL store now helping sponsor her 25 stop US tour. Xoe continues to rise to the top MTV-ourstage.com charts winning pop categories, and having been featured multiple times. Chicago Innerview recognizes Xoe as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick’s (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent “dreaminess,” as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs.
On Wise’s new album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism." While Chicago Redeye states "the song as something of a spiritual accident."Xoe Wise has played the Korean festival with 3000+ audience, as well as Oakland arena in MI for the Miracles for Life benefit show alongside Rolling stone featured band Jamestown Revival. Xoe also was the fall 2010 Uncommon ground open mic runner up (Crystal Bowersox previous winner).
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High Calorie Local Release Parties
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Before the heat comes rampaging back, best shoehorn in some hometown record-release concerts b...
Before the heat comes rampaging back, best shoehorn in some hometown record-release concerts before you sweat out more of your brains. Panoramic & True and Xoe Wise have some fine albums to sell.
I hate to be so lame as to hold up a band name — which is often chosen for the pure utility of designating a project and ends up sticking out of laziness — but with Panoramic & True you basically get the wide-lens chamber-rock experience rendered live with enough musicians to accurate reproduce it. Wonderlust is no exception: if ever songs are lovingly arranged, P&T shove tongue down their throats. It’s not all fey indie-pop stuff, either: “A Week Of Good Health” turns on the Television, “Dakota Child” some Loaded-era Velvets, and the keening “No Hurt, No Doubt” packs some surprising dirt under its nails for a cut that dies out with a violin elegy. (Friday@Hideout with Arc In Round.)
The temptation to get all patriarchal with Xoe Wise is fairly strong. Every photograph of her resembles a cloying ad for a “be natural!” teen product, and the song titles on Archive Of Illusions: “Your Love,” “How Did We Kiss,” “Nighttime Doves.” Right? There’s even a cover of Mazzy Star’s take-my-virginity potion “Fade Into You.” But where Hope Sandoval’s original vocal felt like one low, orgasmic exhale, Wise treats her own with a crisp self-harmony that paints her as an outsider — lonely, maybe even a stalker. It’s a somewhat jarring effect that survives the whole album, and tells you that even if she’s an ideal candidate to sell makeup, there’s a lot of trouble behind her facade. (Friday@Schubas with Duck & Goose and Little Light.)
– Steve Forstneger
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Sophmore Debut of Archive of Illusions
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Chicago singer-songwriter, Xoe Wise, is debuting her sophomoric effort with Archive of Illusions, an...Chicago singer-songwriter, Xoe Wise, is debuting her sophomoric effort with Archive of Illusions, and the first single pulled from the album is ‘Comes and Goes,’ which is a reflective, yet sweet single, typical of Xoe flair we admire and the emotional connection we take from it.
Listen to ‘Comes and Goes’ here.
Xoe has performed nationally with Greg Laswell, Colbie Caillat, Lisa Loeb, and fellow Chicago Matt Ryd. She will be making her local TV debut May 25th on WGN.
Watch her answer questions relating to the creative process of Archive of Illusions.
Follow and connect: Facebook/Twitter/YouTube/SoundCloud
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Xoe Wise
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Singer-songwriter Xoe Wise moved from North Carolina to Chicago, where she continues to work on her ...Singer-songwriter Xoe Wise moved from North Carolina to Chicago, where she continues to work on her acoustic-oriented pop music.
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25 Songs of Summer via Tunecore
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Below are the TuneCore Artists & tracks featured on the album…
1. Summertime On My Mind - Kelle...Below are the TuneCore Artists & tracks featured on the album…
1. Summertime On My Mind - Kelley James
2. 5678! – Butterfly Boucher
3. Good Thing (the Gold Magic Version) – Cole Williams
4. Me Gusta (feat. Carlos Mora) – THEKINGROCKER
5. The Rain – Ruca Suca
6. Join the Infestation – Celleste
7. On Fire (feat. Richie Righteous) – Rawsrvnt
8. I Know – Trademark Aaron
9. Shorty (My Girlfriend) Got Me Cuffinn – Young Lye
10. New Direction - God Cypher Divine
11. Calling On You – The Endangered
12. How High – Krmen
13. Where Is the Love (Spread the Music) {Radio Edit] (feat. Alexandra Star) – Enzo Darren
14. Watch the Moon Disappear - The Spring Standards
15. Praise to the Moon – Marco Ragni
16. How Did We Kiss – Xoe Wise
17. Two Pieces (feat. Shay Watson) – Nathan Brumley
18. Today - Critter Jones
19. Mercy – The Sights
20. House On the Hill – R2os
21. Someone Else – Lake Markham
22. The River - Lake Markham
23. Never On a Sunday – Granville Automatic
24. Soca Till We Die – Alison Hinds
25. Tropical Hideaway - Bruce Bergh
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Xoe Wise Live at 6:00
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Picking up the guitar at five years old Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their ...Picking up the guitar at five years old Xoe and her younger sister wrote their first song for their sick baby goat. From a small town on the ocean in NC to a brief period in Michigan she continued to pursue music and now is based in Chicago, IL.She entered the Chicago music scene in 2009 collaborating with Ethan Stoller. Stoller has contributed music to the DVD featurettes and promo materials of several major Hollywood films, including V for Vendetta (film), Ninja Assassin,Sherlock Holmes and more.Xoe released her first album Echo that October.
After growing in the Chicago music scene and simply growing up, her music has taken on a dreamy folk tone drawing comparisons to a female Bon Iver with her 6 piece band selling out shows in Chicago. She has been heard at venues from Hotel Cafe in CA to Hard Rock in Nashville. She has been supporting acts with artists Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell, John Legend, and Colbie Caillat.
Microsoft scooped Xoe up when opening their IL store now helping sponsor her 25 stop US tour.Xoe continues to rise to the top MTV-ourstage.com charts winning pop categories, and having been featured multiple times. Chicago Innerview recognizes Xoe as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick's (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads. Both share an evanescent "dreaminess," as if washing in the aquamarine surf of their native environs. On Wise's new album, Echo, simple guitar and keyboard arrangements back up almost deliquescent vocals and lyrics tinged with starry-eyed romanticism." While Chicago Redeye states "the song as something of a spiritual accident."Xoe Wise has played the Korean festival with 3000+ audience, as well as Oakland arena in MI for the Miracles for Life benefit show alongside Rolling stone featured band Jamestown Revival
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Xoe Wise Drops Archive Of Illusions
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Chicago, IL - May 6, 2012. Chicago singer-songwriter Xoe Wise has just released her sophomore album,...Chicago, IL - May 6, 2012. Chicago singer-songwriter Xoe Wise has just released her sophomore album, Archive of Illusions, which reached #41 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart, and was immediately placed in the music store's "New and Noteworthy" section.
Originally from a small town on the ocean in North Carolina, Wise moved to Chicago to pursue a music career. She burst onto the scene in 2009, collaborating with Ethan Stoller on her debut album, Echo. Stoller has contributed music to the DVD extras and promotional materials of several major Hollywood films, including V for Vendetta, Ninja Assassin and Sherlock Holmes. Echo was released in October of 2010 to critical acclaim. Chicago Innerview recognized Wise as "easily the singer/songwriter and pop counterpart to Columbia native Chaz Bundick's (a.k.a. Toro Y Moi) laconic chill-wave synth ballads." The Chicago Tribune's Redeye described her single "Dear Sendai" as "spiritual."
Xoe Wise has performed at venues ranging from Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles to Hard Rock in Nashville. She has shared the stage with such artists as Lisa Loeb, Greg Laswell, John Legend and Colbie Caillat.
Microsoft tapped Wise to perform at the grand opening of its Illinois store and went on to help sponsor her 25-stop US tour. Xoe perpetually rises to the top of the MTV-Ourstage.com chart, having received first place in the "Pop" category. She finished her tour with fellow Chicago artist Matt Ryd in summer 2011 and released Archive of Illusions on May 1, 2012.
Xoe Wise will make her Chicago television debut on Friday, May 25. She will be performing live on the WGN Midday News and will then celebrate the release of Archive of Illusions with a show at Schuba's Tavern on Friday, July 20.
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Xoe Wise- Archive of Illusions Out Tomorrow
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Xoe means life in Greek (whether they called themselves Greeks or not), and with a last name like wi...Xoe means life in Greek (whether they called themselves Greeks or not), and with a last name like wise, Chicago singer-songwriter Xoe Wise has a lot to live up to. Her sophomore album,
Archive of Illusions, does not disappoint. The album will be officially released tomorrow, May 1. You can check out her insightful lyrics here.
We're pretty enamored with her poetic word play and imagery. The depth and intensity of her lyrics and her sweet, evocative vocals belie her age. Check out the following excerpts:
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Xoe on WGN-TV
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Xoe Wise- Duck and Goose- Little Light
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Singer-songwriter Xoe Wise's music bears the calculated innocence and simplicity of Taylor Swift, bu...Singer-songwriter Xoe Wise's music bears the calculated innocence and simplicity of Taylor Swift, but with fewer backward tropes about virginity. Her even keel and nonoffensive ditties are enough to slowly lull your brain to mush.
supersonic
