Sarah Burton

Artist Information

Biography

"The Sarah Burton Band is comprised of incredible musicians who bring a new, fresh sound to the music scene and Burton’s songs are well crafted, the lyrics are thought provoking and she refuses to settle for mere hooks or formula writing. This is a band that you should listen to, because it will not be long before they are headlining concerts in large venues. That’s how good they are and they are only going to get better." -- Joe Montague, www.rivettingriffs.com


Sarah Burton packs a deadly musical punch using charisma, charm and a rock and roll attitude. With songs that are at the core, folk, Sarah draws from country, pop and rock to bring her songs to life. Honest and intimate, coy and sometimes brash, Sarah writes provocative songs that slide nicely under the skin and into the heart.
Since 2003 Sarah has graced many stages with her bittersweet irony. She has held two residencies in Toronto, completed five Western Canada tours, and one South-Eastern U.S. tour. In 2006 she earned a FACTOR demo award, and in 2007 she released her debut EP, Love is for Pussies, with Juno Award-winning producer, John Switzer. 


Love is for Pussies is a collection of the playful moods stored somewhere in the darkest corners of the heart. The disc features Gary Craig on drums, Steve Briggs on guitar, John Switzer on bass, and numerous special guests, including guitarist/vocalist, Graham Powell, pedal steel magic-maker, Burke Carroll and Flamenco guitarist, Jorge Miguel.
Since the release of Love is for Pussies, Sarah has been selected to perform at many great festivals and conferences, including NXNE, CMW, Kingfest, City Roots, Winterfolk, North Country Fair, Brandon Folk Festival, We Are Many festival, Artswells Festival, the Canmore Indie Music Festival, Sasquatch Gathering, and Vancouver City Limits.
2010 will bring Sarah’s second release – a full-length follow-up to her 2007 EP. The new album, May Flower, is a pastiche of stories collected from years of traveling, and covering new territories, both physically and metaphysically. Paying homage to her lost heritage, May Flower is Sarah’s personal pilgrimage through the North American landscape, and the solitude of mind. May Flower will be available Spring 2010.

Instrumentation

Sarah Burton - vocals, guitar, piano
Matt Blackie - drums, vocals
Andre Skinner - bass
Olesh Maksimiy - Guitar
Grady Kelneck - mandolin
Diana Catherine - harmonica

Discography

"The Independent Music Project III", Various Artists, 2006 (Featured song: Then Run Away)

EP, Love is for Pussies, Nov. 2007

Yours to Discover, Various Artists, 2009 (featured song: Romance)

"Snakes", Nervous Wrecked, 2009 (back-up vocals)

Beekeeper's Society (EP) 2009 (back-up vocals)

"We take the train" Girl & The Machine (2009 Single) (back-up vocals)

"Mayflower" EP 2009

Audio

• One way ride to Hell
  Listen  
• Romance
  Listen  
• Barcelona
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• I hate you
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• How good you are
  Listen  

Lyrics

• One way ride to Hell
• Romance
• Barcelona
• I hate you

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Radical Dudez, Car Jack, Average Lime, Siktransit, Sarah Burton and Peter Katz. Grad Club, Kingston October 17, 2003 [+ Show ]
  

  (excerpt)... Downstairs was another matter altogether. Where one could slip in and out of pleasant t...(excerpt)... Downstairs was another matter altogether. Where one could slip in and out of pleasant trances upstairs, the bands downstairs--with the notable exceptions of Sarah Burton and Peter Katz who played fantastically mellow acoustic sessions--played sets that you could only call energetic (not to mention good, fun, etc.).
  Sarah came on first and seduced the audience with her song craft. "Dirty Man" was one of the highlights and surely had all the males in the audience keeping their hands to themselves. I however, the self-admitted groupie that I am, was most pleased when she played "Walk Me Home." How can anyone have such straight forward, humorous, and poignant lyrics? "All that I wanted was for you to walk me home, under street lamps and electric cables." Brilliant.

• love is for pussies [+ Show ]
  

  Sarah is explosive in the manner which she delivers her message with a multi-dimensional personality...Sarah is explosive in the manner which she delivers her message with a multi-dimensional personality and a heave foot to keep her grounded. The non-sugar coated blunt and realistic style that made Edie Brickell and Alanis Morisette so successful is what's putting Sarah Burton in the same league.
  
  by: Fernando Fernandez
  www.unchartedsounds.com
  Vol.01 issue02

• Letter From Nashville [+ Show ]
  

  ...Sarah Burton's set was a biting combination of timeless melodies and dark quirky, sharp-tongued l......Sarah Burton's set was a biting combination of timeless melodies and dark quirky, sharp-tongued lyrics. She and Matt Blackie played as a duo with Matt joining her centre stage on vocals on a starkly beautiful tune that sounded like something written years before. Watch for her debut EP Love is For Pussies, produced by John Switzer.
  
  www.bcmusicianmag.com/issues/200901/

• Sarah Burton is a Lovely Distraction [+ Show ]
  

  The Sarah Burton Band opened for Kate Voegele on September 22nd at The Opera House in Toronto, Canad...The Sarah Burton Band opened for Kate Voegele on September 22nd at The Opera House in Toronto, Canada, but they were far from being an opening act, as I am sure most concertgoers would have gladly purchased tickets just to hear the Montreal native lead her musicians through a rambunctious and stellar performance that whipped an already stoked crowd into a frenzy. The first thing about Burton that makes your ears perk up is the quality of her vocals, they are emotive and her phrasing draws the listener into her folk rock tunes, that are well flavored with strong rock under currents. The second thing that you notice is the excellent band members that accompany her, for there is not one weak link in this group and they understand their instruments. On bass guitar we have Andre Skinner, Grady Kelneck plays mandolin, Matt Blackie was the stickman on drums, while Diana Catherine, who just released her own incredible album, plays harmonica and shakers, Alex May plays the electric guitar and Sarah Burton is very strong on her own acoustic guitar.
  
  
  
  The band opened with the song “Gravity,” and during her all too brief six song set, Burton was not afraid to tackle themes such as Seasonal Affective Disorder with her song “S.A.D.,” nor did she shy away from being provocative with “If This Is A Sin,” a tune whose lilt and groove will appeal to fans of Melissa Etheridge or Sheryl Crow.
  
  
  
  Demonstrating that she is not just a one dimensional rocker with edgy lyrics and fast paced songs, Burton became more vulnerable on the gentler love missive “Lovely Distraction.”
  
  
  
  Burton dedicated the fifth song of her set, “The Great Escape,” to her personable eighteen year old brother who was in attendance at the concert and who this reviewer spent some time getting to know, and then she finished out the set by introducing “Barcelona,” by asking those in the audience to shout out if there was an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend that you never wanted to see again. There was lots of shouting as the Latin rhythms unfolded, some beautiful guitar and mandolin playing accompanied Burton’s singing and Diana Catherine added to the Spanish flavor with her maracas and shakers. Although the theme of the song might suggest to the reader that this was a dark Suzanne Vega like song, it was from it, as it was upbeat and has more the feel of a song of liberation and freedom. The chorus ‘I don’t love you anymore,” becomes more of an anthem as the song unfolds.
  
  
  
  The Sarah Burton Band is comprised of incredible musicians who bring a new, fresh sound to the music scene and Burton’s songs are well crafted, the lyrics are thought provoking and she refuses to settle for mere hooks or formula writing. This is a band that you should listen to, because it will not be long before they are headlining concerts in large venues. That’s how good they are and they are only going to get better.

Setlist

Sets can range anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours of all original music. Every now and then you might hear a cover of an old classic by the likes of Roseanne Cash, or Bob Dylan, or an obscure or uncharacteristic cover by the likes of Mazzy Starr or Inner Circle.

Song titles from a typical 45-minute set include:

Antimonogamy
One way ride to Hell
I hate you
Up to here
Gently
What to bring
Dirty man
The Drought
Still
S.A.D.
Barcelona

Basic Requirements

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