Heather Kelday

Artist Information

Biography

"After a ten-plus-year successful run on the music scene, mostly fronting the bands Barefoot and A Band of Owls, singer/songwriter Heather Kelday is making a bold move and flying solo. Blessed with a dreamy voice, the gifted songwriter describes the world as she sees it in self-penned pearls that can be found on her much-anticipated debut solo album The Hitchin' Post. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Kelday plays her own blend of folk-which makes definite forays into blues, soul, bluegrass, and jazz-on banjo, mandolin, guitar and piano and is often accompanied by well-known artists from the East Coast music community. One of our most promising musician Heather Kelday is not to be missed."
-Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival
Considered a blend of folk-roots, blues and bluegrass, Heather Kelday writes in the creative spirit of indie-pop music, while rooting her songs in folk melodies. Heather’s strong voice, multi-instrumental talents (including banjo, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin and piano), and lyrical passion for the natural world carve a unique place for her in Canada’s music scene. After 2 years as an emerging solo artist, audiences have come to expect a Heather Kelday show to include unique compositions and collaborations with talented back-up musicians of varied genres in blues, Celtic, world music, bluegrass and more. They can also expect to be singing and participating as all shows are highly interactive.

Heather has sustained a professional solo career with benchmarks including a 2008 East Coast Music Association Showcase as a CBC Galaxie Rising Star, her first solo release The Hitchin’ Post in 2009 with sold out release concerts in Wolfville and Halifax, and two highly attended tours to Ontario and Quebec – one in the spring and one in the fall of ‘09, a featured artist in the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in summer 2009, as well as live performances on CBC’s Canada Live, Atlantic Canada’s All the Best and Atlantic Airwaves.

FESTIVAL / SHOWCASE EXPERIENCE
LaHave Folk Festival - LaHave NS - September 2010
Raise the Roof Womyns Festival - Kingston ON - July 2010
AMP Festival - Wolfville NS - May 2010
Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville NS - September 2009
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival in Lunenburg NS - August 2009
Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville NS in September 2008
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Series in Lunenburg NS in July 2008
Little River Folk Series in Petite Riviere in May 2008
CBC Galaxie Rising Stars Showcase in Fredericton NB in February 2008
In the Dead of Winter Music Festival in Halifax NS in February 2008
Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville NS in September 2007
Live from the Rock Folk Festival in Red Rock ON in August 2007
Evolve Festival in Antigonish NS in 2006
Deep Roots Music Festival in Wolfville NS 2005
Islands Folk Festival in Duncan BC in 2005
Ross Creek Arts Festival in 2004
Thundering Woman’s Festival in Thunder Bay ON in 2004
Canadian Tulips Festival in Ottawa ON in 2003
The Come Together Festival in Durham ON in 2002, 2003
Kokanee Beer Festival in Creston BC in 2002.

Instrumentation

Heather Kelday: vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano songwriter

Accompaniement: Upright Bass, Drum kit, Percussion, Violin, Cello, Xylophone, Accordian

Discography

The Hitchin' Post - Released 2009

Of wood and water, stars and song - Released 2006

Migration - Released 2005

Rabelstein EP - Released 2004

Road 2 - Released 2002

Official Website

http://www.heatherkelday.com

Links

• The Hitchin Post - Live at Deep Roots
• Facebook Fan Page
• MySpace
• You Tube

Audio

• Rushing Love Song 2
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• Films View
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• The Hitchin Post
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• Tide
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• Goodnight Moon
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• Lady Slipper
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• Whole
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Lyrics

• Bitter Bus
• Rushing Love Song 2
• Adventures of Leaf

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Heather Kelday joins Deep Roots 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Heather Kelday's brilliant new CD, "The Hitchin' Post", showcases a songwriter who has reached artis...Heather Kelday's brilliant new CD, "The Hitchin' Post", showcases a songwriter who has reached artistic maturity; a versatile musician/composer with the gift of a warm, expressive voice. Those who need to categorize music would file "The Hitchin' Post" under "Indie- Pop - Jazzy- Orchestral- Folk"; for the rest of us . . . well, it's simply great music! Heather is pursuing her career as a solo artist, following her inspired work with Barefoot/A Band of Owls, and she still keeps good company, having enlisted some of our region's best musicians to form the Mud Creek Symphonic. With their support, Heather Kelday's music continues to reach new heights!

• Performing at Lunenburg 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  "After a ten-plus-year successful run on the music scene, mostly fronting the bands Barefoot and A B..."After a ten-plus-year successful run on the music scene, mostly fronting the bands Barefoot and A Band of Owls, singer/songwriter Heather Kelday is making a bold move and flying solo. Blessed with a dreamy voice, the gifted songwriter describes the world as she sees it in self-penned pearls that can be found on her much-anticipated debut solo album The Hitchin' Post. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Kelday plays her own blend of folk-which makes definite forays into blues, soul, bluegrass, and jazz-on banjo, mandolin, guitar and piano and is often accompanied by well-known artists from the East Coast music community. One of our most promising musician Heather Kelday is not to be missed."
  -Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival 2009-
  

• December Pic - CBC Fresh Air
  

  New Album "Of wood and water, stars and song" chosen by Mark Rheaume for December featured Albums.

• Jazz-folkers experiment big-time on new LP [+ Show ]
  

  A Band of Owls Jazz folkers experiment big-time on new LP Heather Kelday and Paul Cressman trade...A Band of Owls
  Jazz folkers experiment big-time on new LP
  
  Heather Kelday and Paul Cressman traded in life and music made on the shores of Lake Superior—Thunder Bay, Ontario to be exact—for Halifax a few years back. Their reasons for the move were fabled and practical. "The slow-paced lifestyle, welcoming music community and to find a new drummer," says Kelday.
  
  And they found him. His name is Aaron Mangle and his hinting playing perfectly suits the dreamy jazz-folk vibe created by Kelday, who plays guitar and banjo and sings, and Cressman on acoustic standup and electric bass. "Rushing Love Song," from the band's new indie release Of Wood and Water, Stars and Song (official release on December 2 at the BusStop Theatre) demonstrates the trio's spellbinding powers.
  
  Alongside the dreamy aspect, there's a healthy get-up to the Owls' recorded and stage work, rousing the crowd with bluegrass and tapping into their roots. "Our earlier albums"—when the outfit was called Barefoot—"are rooted in indie-rock and jam band styles conducive to dancing," Kelday explains. "Those albums highlight improvisational jams, ambience.
  
  "Aaron, Paul and I have an affinity for experimental music," she adds. "We all grew up playing a variety of instruments."
  
  Lately, Kelday has been writing on banjo and mandolin, along with guitar. The shared spirit of experimentation and acoustic music created a delightful surprise for Kelday and company on Of Wood and Water, Stars and Song. "To go from jazz to rockabilly to cabaret all in one album was pretty fascinating and unexpected," she says. "But somehow it works."
  
  As for her songwriting, Kelday sings of the "natural world and social interaction …love, lust, loss—you know, the good ol' three Ls."
  
  Once she has her words down, she shares them with Cressman and Mangle. "It is so beautiful when Paul and Aaron add their thoughts and lives to the story in musical instrumentation."
  
  Beautiful too now that Band of Owls is in Halifax's musical life.
  
  Sean Flinn
  (November. 2006

• A Band that gives a Hoot [+ Show ]
  

  “A blend of folk, roots music, blue grass, jazz, rock and ambient, they perform songs that soar thro...“A blend of folk, roots music, blue grass, jazz, rock and ambient, they perform songs that soar through the heart, liberate the imagination, and bring us back down to earth with melodic poetry ground in the fertilit of nature and the human soul” Carolyn Sloan" (October, 2006)

• Whats HOT at Lakehead! [+ Show ]
  

  Folk music band, comprising Lakehead alumni, has loyal following: played to capacity crowd during Or...Folk music band, comprising Lakehead alumni, has loyal following: played to capacity crowd during Orientation Week.
  Maclean’s Magazine – Guide to Canadian Universities (2003)

• CD Release 2005 [+ Show ]
  

  “Their sound has a life and energy that is infectious. They have a keen sense of melody and motion ...“Their sound has a life and energy that is infectious.
  They have a keen sense of melody and motion with a mixture
  of a Daniel Lanois-style studio sound and the
  jangly acoustic feel and relaxed vocals of folk/rock.”
  Shelley Thompson – Halifax Herald (2005)
  
  

• Creativity [+ Show ]
  

  It was definitely some of the most creative music I’ve ever heard. Megan Valois - Athenaeum (Acadi...It was definitely some of the most creative music I’ve ever heard.
  Megan Valois - Athenaeum (Acadia University Paper – 2004)

• Frosh Week Review [+ Show ]
  

  Playing a mix of folk and blues injected with a wholesome dose of rock and roll ambition, their set...Playing a mix of folk and blues injected with a wholesome
  dose of rock and roll ambition, their set was equivalent of musical opium, leaving everyone yearning for more.
  Dave Briggs, Argus (2002)
  

• A Band of Owls bringing blended sound to the stage [+ Show ]
  

  If you’re looking for something to hoot about during some downtime at the Lunenburg Festival of Craf...If you’re looking for something to hoot about during some downtime at the Lunenburg Festival of Crafts, you may want to keep your eyes open for a low-flying owl — in fact, A Band of Owls, to be precise.

Setlist

Folk Venue
(song duration 5 min. and 2 X 45 min. sets or 1 X 90 min. set)

The Hitchin Post - Acoustic Guitar
High Speed Lovin' - Acoustic Guitar
Blow Your Mind - Banjo
Hand to Stone - Banjo
Gaspereau - Banjo
Melody for a Friend - Banjo
Your Old Heart - Piano
Better Times - Piano
The Humm - Piano
Films View - Mandolin
Rushing Love Song 2 - Mandolin

Basic Requirements

Calendar