Ann Vriend

Artist Information

Biography

Ann Vriend: Exquisite Folk/Pop Songstress

“With her soaring vocals, impressive songwriting ability, and multi-instrumental prowess, Vriend is truly an all-in-one package.” --Obscure Sound

Whether at the International Leonard Cohen Festival in Berlin, the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, or at her hometown Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Ann Vriend mesmerizes audiences around the world. Her vulnerable yet exquisite voice is often the first thing which turns heads, while her songs maintain a natural knack for melody. Her lyrics reveal a literary depth which stand as poetry on their own, and Ann’s stage presence, balanced perfectly between breathtaking, heartbreaking songs and charming, witty humor, make for a completely engaging show. Ann’s albums have sold over 10,000 copies to date, independently.

Ann was born in Vancouver, BC, but moved to Edmonton, Alberta at age 5. Early on her parents discovered their 3-yr-old could pick out nursery songs on a Fisher Price xylophone. Ann’s musical talent developed from there to the violin, but eventually she settled on the piano at age 9, which she chose in order to accompany herself singing. In her teens Ann was persuaded by her school principal to perform her original songs at a high school talent show. Encouraged by the success of this performance, she began singing in public more often, performing and co-writing in local bands. Ann then completed a 2-year music program at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton.

Within 7 months of graduating, Ann was recording at Sony Studios in NYC, with complimentary tickets to a concert of Paul Simon, her favorite of her parents’ vinyl collection. That same year she released an astonishingly popular demo, which garnered her immediate radio play on local stations across Alberta. Her debut full-length album, "Soul Unravelling", was released in 2003, and is now in its 5th pressing. “Waterfront,” a romantic piano ballad from this album, was placed on the DVD release of the hit US TV series “Party of Five”.

Ann’s writing reveals melodic and lyrical influences of ‘70s singer/songwriters such as Simon, Leonard Cohen, and Cat Stevens, combined in some songs with piano styles of contemporary pop artists such as Sufjan Stevens and Coldplay; in others tunes Ann borrows from jazz, blues, and soul music. Ann’s dynamic vocals are a stunning combination of old-school soul influences such as Aretha Franklin, and the honest, heartbreaking delivery of traditional folk/country singers such as Dolly Parton. Ann’s overall sound has roughly likened her to innovators such as Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell, but, as noted by a number of critics, “Vriend stands out from the crowd” (Drum Media, 2007); “Her style is her own" (South Australian Independent Weekly).

Ann's 2nd album, "Modes of Transport", (produced by Paul Brill in New York City, 2005) garnered rave reviews in Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia, and charted in radio stations across Germany and Canada, including receiving commercial radio play in Ann’s hometown of Edmonton with the cabaret single, “Feelin’ Fine.”

Ann spent 2005 and 2006 touring North America, Western Europe, and Australia, and also received songwriting commissions, including for the 2006 Commonwealth Games (Melbourne). She also was invited to perform at speeches made by honored humanitarians such as Romeo D’Allaire and Stephen Lewis.

In June, 2007, Ann released The Clandestine EP”: a signed, limited edition, 5 song disk containing 2 live tracks and upcoming material from her next upcoming full-length album. The EP received commercial radio play, charted in the Top 30 on Toronto’s CIUT radio, and received 4/5 stars in Toronto’s NOW Magazine.

March 2008 saw the release of Ann’s 3rd full-length album, “When We Were Spies”, produced by Juno Nominated producer Douglas Romanow. The album tells the tale of the treacherous, clandestine love affair of “former agent Ann Vriend” and an agent from “the other side”. In less than 2 months the album sold 1,000 copies. AnE Magazine rated the album 4.5 stars out of 5, while Drum Media (Australia) stated simply:

“When it comes to women with pianos, there are endless comparisons to make, but Vriend stands out from the crowd.”

Ann spent 2008 – early 2009 touring Canada, Australia, and America in support of “When We Were Spies”. Her next studio album is to be released May 2010. Prior to this Ann will release a live album of her concert at The Basement, recorded this past January in Sydney, Australia.

David Ritz, author of many biographies such Aretha Frankin and Marvin Gaye’s, writes:

"Once every generation... a singer-songwriter emerges with the creative fire to set the music world ablaze. Ann Vriend has the fire."

Song by song Ann Vriend is doing just that.

WWW.ANNVRIEND.COM

Instrumentation

Ann Vriend, solo: vocals, piano (or 88 key electronic keyboard when nec)
Band or duo option upon request. Full band consists of: drums, bass, guitar, organ/synth, 2 backup vocals, Ann on piano and lead vocals

Discography

--Soul Unravelling, 2003
--Modes of Transport, 2005, produced by Paul Brill, NYC
--The Clandestine EP, 2007
--When We Were Spies, 2008, produced by Juno nominated producer Douglas Romanow
--The Valiant Thieves, 2008

Links

• Ann Vriend's Mailing List
• Ann Vriend on MySpace
• Ann Vriend on Facebook
• Ann Vriend on iLike

Audio

• (If We Are Not) Spies -- title track from "When We Were Spies", currently in rotation on commericial radio in Edmonton, Top 20 at Megatunes (Alberta retail outlet)
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• St. Paul-- reached heavy rotation on commercial radio in Edmonton, June 2007 - January 2008
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• Start Over-- pop track from "When We Were Spies" (acoustic, solo tracks available at http://www.sonicbids.com/annvriendunplugged)
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• Take My Hand, final track from "When We Were Spies"
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Lyrics

• (If We Are Not) Spies
• Start Over
• St. Paul
• Take My Hand
• On Your Street

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• A n E Vibe, 4.5 stars out of 5 [+ Show ]
  

  ANN VRIEND - When We Were Spies Written by Kindah Mardam Bey Artist: Ann Vriend Title:... ANN VRIEND - When We Were Spies
  Written by Kindah Mardam Bey
  
  Artist: Ann Vriend
  Title: When We Were Spies
  Publicity: Killbeat Music
  Released: March 11th 2008
  
  4 1/2 Stars
  
  Ann Vriend drives me nuts; how can music be this good and she's not plastered on billboards from L.A. to N.Y.? If you haven't heard of Ann Vriend, take my mini tutorial as I reviewed her previous album Modes Of Transport and interviewed her last year Music In Spades: Ann Vriend . It can be a little unnerving to receive a second album of an artist you really enjoy, because there is always the idea that the first album was a fantastic fluke, but Vriend manages to show that talent has a great deal of constancy to it.
  
  When We Were Spies is Vriend's third album (plus one EP) to her credit, which has an espionage theme, as Vriend takes on the persona of a secret agent:
  
  "Ann Vriend is a former spy. She worked incognito for an undisclosed western European agency, posing as a freelance journalist, when she met someone who was also spy - but for the other side. Against all odds, they fell in love - thus entering an increasingly complicated game of torn loyalties, clandestine passion, and treacherous lies. It is these experiences which inspired When We Were Spies; the cinematic new pop album by former agent Ann Vriend."
  
  So says her bio, but in truth, love is a lot like a secret agent game of cat and mouse, and Vriend seems to have explored that aspect of love amply on When We Were Spies. The theme aside, Vriend is an exceptionally talented artist with a strong comprehension of what her voice can do, an ear for orchestration and she plays the piano skilfully. So even though this album is very different in style from her previous album Modes Of Transport, it is still distinctly Vriend's signature sound. Where Modes was more of a soulful journey with excerpts of upbeat tracks, When We Were Spies is an orchestrated soundtrack that does indeed sound like it was intended for a big budget spy film. Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking Goldfinger here, Spies is a complex album full of subtleties wrapped in memorable tunes.
  
  Vriend is best when her songs are centered on her voice and her piano, such as at the end of the song ‘Start Over.' Her voice is serene with a great amount of precision to it, and yet wild at the same time, like unchartered, untamed vocal territory. It's mentioned that Vriend's voice is similar to Dolly Parton's but without the country, a little smokier like Parton with a spritz of Carly Simon perhaps. In truth Vriend is such an original, her vocals are hard to categorize.
  
  When We Were Spies is also a little more rock infused than Modes, like the song ‘Radio' which has a great guitar solo alongside Vriend's crooning lyrics. You can still find Vriend's usual upbeat tracks such as the highly ‘spy' infused theme song ‘(If We Are Not) Spies' and ‘St.Paul' which is currently getting radio play. Vriend also does a brilliant cover of Neil Young's ‘Rockin' In The Free World' with her own delightful take on it. Possibly my favourite track would be ‘Hallowe'en' as it is a literate gem with a delicious subtext and is paired with poetic music, almost like an echo of sound pulsing throughout the track. Perhaps when Vriend has ended the Neo-Cold War, we can hear her explore a mystical or fairytale world as Tori Amos once did in Boys For Pele.
  
  Whatever Vriend does after Spies, I would have to say buy it, in fact buy When We Were Spies and also buy Modes Of Transport. You can hear Vriend on her website at: www.annvriend.com and then do your best to support a new and inspiring talent, so that when she does become hugely famous you can say "Ann Vriend, oh yeah, I've known about her for years."

• Show Review, Drum Media (Sydney, AU) [+ Show ]
  

  Ann Vriend, with Brett Winterford and Jess Maynard Nearly an hour behind schedule, the adorable A...Ann Vriend, with Brett Winterford and Jess Maynard
  
  Nearly an hour behind schedule, the adorable Ann Vriend quietly slipped on stage. Although Vriend repeatedly stressed that she is from Canada, she has a voice that could have walked straight out of Nashville: strong and feminine, with a hint of underlying vulnerability. Her quirky take on contemporary jazz reminded me of New York oddball Nellie McKay, especially on numbers like Crowd Pleaser and The Invisibles (a song about Barbie and Ken as if they were real people). Or Regina Spector. Or early Tori Amos. When it comes to women with pianos, there are endless comparisons to make, but Vriend manages to stand out from the crowd.
  She chatted sweetly to the audience between songs, telling genuinely funny stories about her travels in Canada, America, Australia and Spain. Although Vriend apologized repeatedly for how late her show was running, nobody objected to her playing until the candles guttered. She has been here four times in the last two years. If she makes another visit soon, you'd do well to go along.
  

• Show and Album Review, Party in Kingston [+ Show ]
  

  by Christine Bode Entertainment Editor Sunday, March 16, 2008, at The Wellington Street Theatre,...by Christine Bode
  Entertainment Editor
  
  Sunday, March 16, 2008, at The Wellington Street Theatre, I had the great pleasure of discovering Edmonton singer/songwriter Ann Vriend’s delightful brand of jazzy, lyrical, “baroque” pop songs when she played two charismatic sets to some very lucky listeners. Her distinctive, slightly nasal, airy, lilting soprano voice with its precise enunciation immediately reminded me of a cross between New York’s Nellie McKay and the pride of Tennessee, Dolly Parton. She’s an incredibly gifted songwriter and pianist who performs solo, duo or with a full band and on that night, she was by herself: a young, tall, willowy beauty with long, raven tresses, clad entirely in black except for red lipstick; her ensemble radically punctuated with a black spy hat and dark sunglasses.
  
  Ann played seven songs per set from her latest album When We Were Spies as well as her sophomore effort, Modes of Transport (“Crowd Pleaser”, “Back Seat Driver”) and debut Soul Unravelling, including the Paul Simon inspired “The Only Living Girl In New York” and the gorgeous “Waterfront”, which much to her delight was highlighted on the recently released Party of Five DVD soundtrack. She took a short break in between to talk to her new fans, answer their questions and sell CDs. What you have to know about Ann Vriend is that her spectacular, poetic talent for storytelling and her intelligent, clever voice deserves a massive audience and you can start offering your appreciation by purchasing a copy of the sensational When We Were Spies either through her MySpace site or CD Baby.
  
  Former Secret Agent Ann Vriend grew up listening to 70’s songwriters Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and Leonard Cohen. She’s a big fan of Tom Waits which is evident in her writing style and Aretha Franklin which is equally apparent in her singing. After posing as a freelance journalist to keep her spy status intact, Ann made the impossibly difficult and dangerous decision to defect and fortunately for us, convinced Juno nominated producer Douglas Romanow to produce an ode to her past, When We Were Spies: an album, in her own words, “centred around this exploration I seemed to be having about how much vulnerability and trust and transparency you allow yourself to have in a relationship, from the level of an intimate, personal one, to political and social ones.”
  
  The lushly orchestrated When We Were Spies opens with its second single, the infectious espionage love song, “(If We Are Not) Spies” and slips effortlessly into the picturesque “Central Park Monday” before honouring Neil Young with a matchless version of “Rockin’ In The Free World.” The optimistic and upbeat “Start Over”, which strikes a Sarah Slean chord, is a declaration of willingness to give love another chance:
  
  “I’ll take off my armour
  You drop your crown of thorns
  I’ll empty out a cartridge
  You put down your sword
  Baby, are you ready
  To suspend your disbelief
  Will you start over with me”
  
  The enchanting, hypnotic “Radio” is a dramatic, passionate plea (akin to a Tori Amos torch ballad) for help in calling out to a lover. The first radio single, “St. Paul” embraces a mission, the singer daring to risk it all; while “Now The Lights” accedes the ending of a relationship. “Where You Are” has an enthusiastic, jaunty, carnival feel to it, carrying on the spy theme. “The Agreement” is a lovely, slower paced piano ballad of love and doubt, preceding my favourite tracks which coincidentally close the album, the poignantly profound “Halloween” and exquisitely plaintive tale of love at the end of a night in a bar, “Take My Hand.”
  
  It is an absolute felony that Ann Vriend doesn’t have a prominent label behind her and the fact that this woman has sold over 10,000 CDs on her own is a testament to her ambition and determination to succeed in the cold and icy wasteland that is currently Edmonton…I mean the music industry!
  
  Fans of Katie Melua, Coco Love Alcorn, Sarah Slean and Kate Bush will undoubtedly love Ann Vriend and I urge you to listen to her music. Purchase her wonderfully eclectic discography through CD Baby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/vriend3) and uncover her charms through Killbeat Music at www.killbeatmusic.com, her official website at www.annvriend.com (where you can really get to know Ann through Leaks To The Press) and at www.myspace.com/annvriend where you can send her some love first hand. This enigmatic woman is a Canadian music legend in the making.
  
  Christine Bode
  c.bode@partyinkingston.com

• Interview: The Spies Are Coming! Ann Vriend unleashes her new epic album of Espionage & Love [+ Show ]
  

  Written by Kindah Mardam Bey One of the most gifted singer/songwriters in Canada, Ann Vriend h...Written by Kindah Mardam Bey
  
  One of the most gifted singer/songwriters in Canada, Ann Vriend has brought her stunning vocals, intelligent lyrics and compelling tunes to her third independently released full-length album When We Were Spies. She's sold over 10,000 records on her own steam and has established a significant fan base in both North America and Australia. AnEVibe sat down to a delightful interview with Vriend, as we mulled over the subjects of the secret service lifestyle, love, the record industry and ‘Hallowe'en'....
  
  Hi Ann! It's great to speak with you today about your impressive new album When We Were Spies. What was the inspiration for the espionage theme?
  
  Thank you Kindah, it's been a risky album to make! The inspiration for these songs comes from my experiences as a secret agent. Due to confidentiality I can't go into too much depth about that; all I can tell you is that I posed as a music journalist while actually doing some under cover work for a European agency.
  
  These songs come from my struggle towards the end of my time spent as a spy; I had fallen in love with another agent, and was questioning the whole idea of trust and faithfulness in a relationship versus protecting myself and my own agency-- whom he was employed to sabotage, and vice versa. It was constantly hard to know if I should follow my heart or my head, or to know when he was and wasn't doing the same. And it was hard to know if sacrificing my personal life for my professional life was a good choice or not.
  
  2. How did the new album evolve? Did you go in a new direction with When We Were Spies or did you expand your focus on the style of music we are used to hearing on your previous albums.
  
  The album actually began with a song that didn't make it on the album, which opened with the line, "You were crying, I was hiding, like a spy." It revealed to me other songs I had been writing centred around this exploration I seemed to be having about how much vulnerability and trust and transparency you allow yourself to have in a relationship, from the level of an intimate, personal one, to political and social ones. Of course not EVERY song I was writing then fit under this umbrella, but a good handful of them did, and once I decided to go with this direction for this album, I wrote more around that concept and it started to be clearer how we wanted it to hang together.
  
  Musically it began with my meeting Doug Romanow, the producer of the album; he met me when I played at the Horseshoe in Toronto. We sort of kept in touch off and on, and co-wrote demo-ed a couple of tunes together. Then I got some money from a radio station in Edmonton to do some recording, and Doug declared he really wanted to do the album with me, and I really liked working with him, so we plunged in. From the start I had said I wanted to make an album that was accessible to mainstream radio and audiences, but still very much the Ann Vriend of previous records; the quirky, literary, melodramatic singer songwriter that often plays solo folk festivals and house concerts. I guess the main difference with this album is that it is very big, very epic, it's passionate in a lush and multi layered way, and is less rootsy and acoustic, though there still are a lot of breathable, earthy elements in it. It's still a very far cry from Top 40 teen formula stuff, it falls under the category of Baroque pop, I've been told. I'm a big fan of really big sounding albums, of Brit pop bands like U2 in Achtung Baby era, or Coldplay, or Athlete, David Gray. Or even the Beatles, where they added instruments and layers outside the regular 4 piece band configuration. And while my album doesn't sound like these artists per se I did want that big, epic, cinematic feeling in the album, which took more layering than a roots/folk approach to production. I thought it would be interesting to contrast that with a very tender, breakable way of singing, and really bring out the fragility of the character in the songs.
  
  3. A lot of your albums and songs are inspired by love, why is music so motivated by love (or the lack of sometimes)?
  
  Ah. Well, I can't speak for all the writers of music, of course! But I think music is very, very emotionally direct. More direct than any other language, at least any written, spoken one-- you can understand the feeling of the music without knowing the language the writer of it speaks, you can "get" its cadences, its mood. And music is very powerful: If you watch a horror movie, or even a romance movie, with the sound off, without the music, you are much less impacted by the film.
  
  So my guess is this is why music is often the arena in which to address the most heartfelt sentiments humans have. Not to say romantic love is the be and end all of human sentiments. But it's a really big part! With my writing, on the surface the lyrics are about romantic relationship, but oftentimes I try to get in more of a... well, for lack of a better word, "political" outlook; I try to convey how the characters in the song are shaped and affected by their economical and social and political environments-- though at the same time they're 2 people trying to relate to each other within the struggles of their environment. It's about love, but in a vacuum, not love on its own, but love in a place, in a time, and my hope is you learn as much about the place and the time as you do about the lovers.
  
  4. Tell me a little bit about how the songs ‘St.Paul's' and ‘Hallowe'en' came about.
  
  St. Paul is a song I wrote quite a while ago, and it came from my observation of a lot of people around me just sort of getting numb and giving in to the North American rat race, and not really feeling very alive anymore, or motivated to do things they know ethically matter. Which is very easy to do!
  
  So, I didn't want to write a song criticizing that, because I'm part of that too, I get way too tired to join every social justice and environmental thing there is out there, you know, the struggles of daily life can really occupy nearly all of your waking hours some days. But I did see this emptiness in the eyes of people sometimes... people that were just looking for a reason to wake up and really stick there neck out about something they believed in and was risky-- but emotionally rewarding-- for once. The interesting thing is the first time I ever played this song live was at a speech given by Stephen and Avi Lewis. It couldn't have been a more appropriate place to unveil the song. It was an honour and really fit with the sentiment and the vibe of the speech. It ended up being one of the singles from the album, which came as a bit of a surprise to me; it's a fairly complex song in some ways, lyrically anyway. But it seems to really strike a chord with people.
  
  Hallowe'en I wrote first as a poem, when I was touring in Australia. I was a bit homesick, especially because it was during Hallowe'en, and in Australia no one really does anything for Hallowe'en, it's not a big deal over there at all, there's no trick or treating, or getting dressed up, etc. In the meantime I was getting these emails from friends in North America about parties and Hallowe'en plans, and it just got me thinking about the absurdity of this bizarre holiday, and what its origins are. Because I was doing so much traveling and observing in general it hit me increasingly that a whole lot of things in our culture are pretty absurd, there are parts of it that are haunting and scary in real life, no need to pretend or dress it up. Doug did a great job taking this very raw, very simple song I laid down in one sitting at the Wurly-- I wrote the music to it one night after I got back home-and adding programming from top to bottom, and yet still keeping this really sincere, earthy vibe going on, really building toward the end. I was pretty thrilled about how it all came together.
  
  5. As you play piano and sing, what comes first for you, the lyric or the tune?
  
  It varies from song to song; there isn't really a formula to it.
  
  You do a great cover of Neil Young's ‘Rockin' In The Free World,' why did you pick this song in particular? You also took it in an interesting direction, would you explain the ‘how' and ‘why' of that.
  
  I'd been playing that in my live show for quite a while, and when it came down to putting the album together Doug and I were encouraged by a radio tracker (the one that broke Feist with her BeeGees cover, incidentally) to put a cover song on the album. We had enough original material that we hadn't thought of doing that, but he made a convincing case for it. So then there was the question of WHICH cover, and my partner suggested Rockin' in the Free World, and that I do it like the mournful, passionate lament I did in my solo show. At first that seemed like a weird idea, but it grew on me, and it's been interesting to watch the response to our version, it's really been all over the map -- understandably when you take a much loved, passionate song like that and change it up, there are going to be lovers and haters of your interpretation, especially when it is less low-fi rocky and done by a female in a non low-fi pop style. Regardless of that, for me, being from Alberta, the song really seems uncannily relevant, despite the fact it was written 19 years ago. Neil Young has this incredible talent of writing songs that never seem to stop being true-- quite infuriatingly and sadly so, in this case. I hope that bringing that song up in 2008, especially in my home province where I get a good amount of radio play, might make the occasional person think about that for a sec. If not, keep on rockin', man.
  
  7. You are a big fan of Leonard Cohen, what is it about Cohen's music that is so inspiring to you?
  
  He writes some absolutely exquisite lyrics that still remain consistently committed to everyday language. And though he's a really limited singer you really believe him when he sings, partly because the melodies are so logical and simple. He's just an astounding writer. When you listen to him you really get the feeling this guy knows you better than you know yourself, and yet simultaneously is one of the most fragile people out there. My one complaint is the unimaginative and cheezy production on his albums since the '90s, they sound like someone programmed them in 10 minutes on a Casio and thought no one would notice, I really don't know why that's happened, but the fact that his songs transcend that is testimony to how good they are.
  
  8. What are some other artists or albums you love to listen to?
  
  Royal Wood, Sigur Ros, the Beatles, Coldplay, Radiohead, Aretha Franklin, Alternate Routes, Cat Stevens, Sarah Slean, Bob Marley, U2, Queen, Athlete, Ray Charles, Manu Chao, Morcheba, Jacob Dylan, Katie Melua, Scissor Sisters, Billie Holiday, Nathan Wiley, Emmylou Harris,Lucinda Williams, Toots and the Maytals, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, I'll stop there but of course the list is endless.
  
  9. You have a large fan-base in Australia, why do you think the Australian listening audience has embraced your style?
  
  That's a good question. I think it's a combination of me just liking going over there, and a sizable amount of Aussies liking the more quirky, approachable artists over and above mainstream industry stuff; it's a place where Jon Butler, the Waifs, Kasey Chambers, Missy Higgins are from, you know? These are talented people but it's not all about glam or cult of celebrity with them. People just seem to appreciate raw honesty in music-- and in people in general-- in Australia. There is very little tolerance of pretension. And I'm the type of performer that can be pretty intense but I also break down the barrier between the audience and myself when I get on the stage, and that just seems to work really well down there.
  
  10. You know the Canadian independent music scene quite well; tell me a little about your perception of it.
  
  Well, it's a tough, tough thing. The Canadian weather, the large distances between towns, plus the fact lots of people don't have the time or money to go out, and the fact that there is less and less dollar value for recorded music with the whole downloading thing; these things combined make it really hard to carve out a living for yourself. And yet there are people out there who are really pumped about good music and good live shows, and I've managed to find some of them and some of them have managed to find me, all without the help-- and, in fact, the cold shoulder of the Canadian music industry, for the most part. It would be nice to not have to do everything by myself and in SUCH a grassroots, exhausting way all the time, but it seems to be the only option right now, and I have some really great people helping me out on an independent level. It's a little strange; when you consider that I've sold nearly 10,000 albums, that most of the industry in my own country is not remotely interested in working with me. I've pretty much given up trying to figure it out, and am just concentrating on the fans instead, who actually help put food in my belly, and who it's all for in the first place.
  
  How does being a singer and musician from the Western part of Canada (Edmonton, Alberta) show itself in your music or your career? (or does it?)
  
  Edmonton is a blue collar, dirty town where people work hard-- some of them make a ton of money from the oil boom, but the other people don't, and can barely keep up. And even the people who make tons of money still work a lot of hours. So, it's that sort of gruff "put your head down and work" kind of town, especially in the long winters. The genre of music I've pursued is a lot different from what blue collar towns tend to produce, such as punk, alt country, folk/roots, blues, all of which are really prominent in Edmonton; whereas literary, epic, layered Baroque pop albums are really rare. Maybe I write these highly charged, intellectual, lush, romantic, songs of longing in reaction to that, I don't know! But the delivery of my shows and my vocal delivery have a lot to do with being from this gritty, down to earth place, people are very turned off by pretence; there is a value I admire of people being sincere and honest. And, what's interesting is though I've never considered myself a country singer, people seem to be hearing a "twang" in my singing-- outside of Alberta, that is. So, there must be something in the water in Alberta, and I hope not just from the contamination from the oil extraction...you can't escape where you're from, I guess; you can just use your imagination to escape here and there.
  
  12. What is the best advice you were ever gave? Or favourite quote?
  
  I was in Australia with Corb Lund and some other Alberta songwriters, and it was during a particularly really hard period in my life, including economically. I was lamenting to them that I had been really foolish not to have a backup plan in case my music career didn't work out. Corb said, "Well, then: you're a lifer", and I sort of looked at him indignantly at the time, but I've realized you do find ways to survive in music when you have to, that's for sure. It's not always very glamorous or easy, but you do. Or you get out. It's that simple.
  
  13. What are you listening to now?
  
  Actually, the radio. I'm doing a lot of driving on this tour, and checking out new music and listening to the news that way at the same time. And to a whole bunch of other artists I've met on this tour, who has wanted to trade albums with me.
  
  14. What are you reading now, or what is your favourite book of all time?
  
  I really wish I had time to read more, but it's pretty dangerous while driving. And a bit disengaging to do while performing, and those 2 things are mainly what I'm doing these days! .. the last book I read was when I was in Germany, it was "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." I couldn't put it down (luckily I was mostly taking the train at that point). I also really love all books by Barbara Kingsolver, for starts.
  
  15. Before we finish up here today, can you disclose any top secret agent information (I promise I won't tell anyone)?
  
  Hmmm. This seems like a lot already... I'm afraid I must keep my end of the bargain I made when I defected.
  
  
  

• A Spy Like Us, VUE Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  Ann Vriend is just a spy like us EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com When Edmonton songwriter Ann...Ann Vriend is just a spy like us
  
  EDEN MUNRO / eden@vueweekly.com
  
  When Edmonton songwriter Ann Vriend began work on her third album, When We Were Spies, she had a vision that required her to complicate the sound a bit more than she had in the past.
  “Musically, I wanted it to be a little grander and more cinematic and film noir-y than my previous albums,” she admits over an early phone call after a late-night flight from Toronto back to Edmonton. “It’s a departure in a way from the more rootsy or organic sounding albums that I’ve done before, and that was also largely due to working with Doug [Romanow], who’s the producer. Not that he isn’t capable of doing the rootsy albums, but he and I both sort of saw the vision for this record being quite epic and cinematic—big.”
  
  The two first met when Romanow spotted Vriend playing a gig at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and asked if she’d like to co-write and demo a song with him. That experience led to another co-write a year later when Romanow was out in Calgary doing some production work, and when Vriend was ready to do the album he signed on as producer.
  
  When We Were Spies finds Vriend digging deep into a metaphorical world of half-truths with her lyrics, complementing the dramatic soundscapes nicely. There’s a welcome consistency to the album in both sonics and theme, and that’s something that Vriend says she worked hard to hang on to as she put the songs together.
  
  “I didn’t have them all written when I started the project,” she explains. “I had some of them written, and actually the one song that I wrote that gave me the metaphorical idea of espionage didn’t even make it on the album. But that doesn’t really matter—it gave me the idea. But I am sort of a person who doesn’t really like putting a whole bunch of songs on an album for no reason. I just think when you’re going to have album artwork and you’re going to have a look and you’re going to have a feel, a photo shoot and all that video material—it goes on and on—that’s a medium in itself.
  
  “Because I’m a writer and I’m a literary songwriter I feel really compelled to play with that and to make the songs play off of each other more than just, ‘Oh, this is the next batch of 11 songs I wrote,’” she continues. “And so what happened was I went with that idea from the beginning and then there were the songs that Doug and I co-wrote and then adapted into that concept a little more, and then I wrote some specifically around that theme just to round out the album in terms of ... having a few more things that hadn’t really been represented musically yet.”
  
  Vriend concedes that it’s sometimes difficult to leave a song off of an album, as was the case with the tune that sparked the whole idea for When We Were Spies.
  
  “It’s hard because the very first line of it was ‘You were crying, I was hiding like a spy,’” she laughs. “It couldn’t be any more in your face, the theme right there, how being closed or secretive or untrustworthy or untrusting is going to lead to some turmoil in life.”
  
  Still, she never counts a good song down for the count, keeping old ones around until she finds just the right home for them. On the new album, “St Paul” is a tune that she had written before 2005’s Modes of Transport.
  
  “It just didn’t fit on that album because it didn’t really, sonically or lyrically, seem to belong there,” she explains. “Because of this idea that I have that albums should sort of hang together somewhat, there’s all sorts of songs that wait in the wings like that, and I just have to be more patient than with some of the other songs.”
  
  The one song that Vriend recorded for the album that she had no hand in writing is a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” although she thoroughly reinvents the tune as a sad lament rather than simply transporting Young’s famously biting and cynical electric version wholesale onto the album.
  
  The songwriter admits that there was a time when she was not even a fan of Young’s work, back when she was in music school and she was all too aware of Young’s wavering voice and rough—sometimes brutal—playing. But her feelings have changed over the last eight years that she herself has been performing live.
  
  “Nobody cares how you get there, you just have to get there,” she states. “What I mean is, nobody cares that he just played one note or that his singing is not technically perfect. People just want the music to really hit them and move them, and nobody cares how you arrive at that, how you can deliver it. They just care that you deliver it and if you don’t deliver it doesn’t matter how good a recording is or how nice your guitar is or how great a singer someone might be.
  
  “All people want is you to deliver that thing that makes them have a shiver on the back of their neck. That’s it. And there’s a thousand ways to get there and every artist has their own weird, unique thing that they come up with to arrive there.” V
  
  Sun, Mar 30 (8 pm)
  Ann Vriend
  Yardbird Suite, $18 or $28 with CD
  
  http://www.annvriend.com/
  
  http://www.myspace.com/annvriend
  

• Sen Baltimore, album review [+ Show ]
  

  Being a Canadian is the only reason possible for explaining why Vriend is not sweeping our xenophobi...Being a Canadian is the only reason possible for explaining why Vriend is not sweeping our xenophobic nation with her wit and charm. Spies doubles as a dossier on the human condition, replete with subversive love stories and clandestine sexuality. Department of Homeland Security be damned, Vriend is a whistleblower behind eighty-eight keys with a voice that would do the Iron Butterfly herself, Dolly Parton, proud. Ann Vriend has maintained a low profile up to this point, her third release. As St. Paul parlays, risk it all and listen to this manifesto without hesitation. Purchase When We Were Spies before Big Brother destroys the evidence.
  --Sen Baltimore Magazine, March 2008

• Top Secret-- Ann Vriend at Yardbird [+ Show ]
  

  Ann Vriend's top secret release of When We Were Spies was sold out long before show date. This was a...Ann Vriend's top secret release of When We Were Spies was sold out long before show date. This was a 'private booking', not shown in the Yardbird Suite program, but Ann's fans had no problems finding the show. The Yardbird Suite was an excellent venue for this latest release from Ann. She emerged from the darkness in trenchcoat and sunglasses to join her 'secret agents' on bass, guitar, drums and keys. Spies in the dark. I suspect they had a hard time seeing - the Yardbird is a very dimly lit venue.
  
  Ann's latest CD has received rave reviews. Secret Agent Ann gave a visual, as well as a powerful musical performance, much enjoyed by the packed house. Her unique voice cuts thru the crowd noise. Complex lyrics beg another listen. At first, her music might sound like the latest 'pop sound', but you soon realize she creates an 'ann vriend zone' when she gives a concert. No-one else sounds like Ann Vriend.
  --Tracy Kolenchuk

• Obscure Sound, Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Ann Vriend and the Spy Who Loved Her Wednesday 13 February 2008 Though the album’s name an...
  Ann Vriend and the Spy Who Loved Her
  
  Wednesday 13 February 2008
  
  Though the album’s name and cover art provide ample indication of its overlying theme, it is the first line on Ann Vriend’s third album, When We Were Spies, that truly prepares the listener for the cinematic storyline that the budding Canadian singer/songwriter has built the release around. “Ducking into alleys in my overcoat, tracking from a random phone booth,” she sings over a steady rhythm section that is eventually supplemented by twinkling keys and a suave electric guitar. “Take the stairs, avoid the elevator, I’d do anything to get back to you.” If you still don’t get it, maybe a bit of background info will help (or as Vriend would call it, pre-mission briefing). Apart from being a songwriter that has attracted thousands of fans and a handful of major labels, Vriend admits to being a former spy. Yeah, that’s right… a spy. Though I cannot tell if it is some trendy promotional campaign, the straight-cut facts, or a mixture of both, she claims to have worked for an anonymous agency in western Europe. And what is a good spy tale without a touch of romance? While working as a spy, Vriend apparently fell in love with another spy, leading to an intricate game of “torn loyalties, clandestine passion, and treacherous lies”. The supposed plot has quite a similarity to the James Bond movie, “The Spy Who Loved Me”, but believing it all makes the listening experience better anyways. Also, considering that her astute lyrical prowess is reflective of someone with a background in English, her cover as a freelance journalist seems quite appropriate.
  
  Even while the spy tidbit has to be one of the most unique characteristics of a new artist that I have heard in awhile, Vriend’s life as a songwriter was certainly more conventional before her mysterious western European pursuits. Born in Vancouver, it was immediately recognizable that Vriend had a rare form of musical adeptness. By age three, her parents had discovered that she could melodically identify nursery songs on a Fisher Price xylophone; not exactly a grueling task, but impressive for a three-year-old nonetheless. She continued to pursue music in school, with a performance at her high school talent show earning her a production deal in NYC. While there, she participated in the local scene by writing and performing in various bands. She left NYC a few years later to return to Canada and attend Grant McEwan College in Edmonton, where she studied pop and jazz for two years. She returned to NYC less than a year later when Sony Studios invited her to a recording session, with Paul Simon (her biggest childhood) tickets to woo her into the process. With funding aid from a songwriting contest she won earlier in the year, Vriend released her debut album, Soul Unravelling, in 2003, immediately winning over a diverse array of fans. She released her sophomore effort, Modes of Transport, in 2005 and put out an EP, The Clandestine EP, last year.
  
  Vriend plans to release her third full-length album, When We Were Spies, on March 11th. It was produced by acclaimed Canadian producer Douglas Romanow and has already pre-sold nearly 1000 copies. The two headlining singles are the thematically appropriate “(If We Are Not) Spies” and “St. Paul”, both touching on the apparent dangers of mixing a mysterious and life-risking occupation with emotionally demanding aspects in the vein of romance, companionship, and morality. Both have already earned heavy Canadian radio play, with Vriend’s sights now set on a growing American audience. She also has a surprisingly large fanbase in Australia. “I’ve been to Australia four times now in the last two years. It seems exotic somehow because I am from the other side of the world,” she said. “They think you are renowned in your own backyard because you are travelling around the world to perform. You never really know where your music goes to.” Like a spy, the ideology may be manipulative, but Vriend truly deserves all the recognition she receives. To give comparative examples of the acclaim Vriend is receiving, critics have likened her voice to Kate Bush and Regina Spektor; even better, they compare her lyrical ability to the likes of Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen. The only issue, as she claims, is the distribution process, which makes it enduringly difficulty for listeners to receive new quality music. “The only thing that is a drawback about the music business is all the time it takes beforehand to actually get to the music,” she says. With her soaring vocals (they are surprisingly untrained), impressive songwriting ability, and multi-instrumental prowess, Vriend is truly an all-in-one package.
  
  While listening to the album’s opening track, “(If We Are Not) Spies”, it should become quite apparent to listeners that Vriend has the doubtless potential to become a radio darling. She possesses the swagger and stylistic flair of a star in the making, with “(If We Are Not) Spies” being the most immediate proof of it. Backed by a grandiose chorus that is once again led by her empowering vocals, the topic of how emotionally demanding it is to be a spy is a unique but entertaining subject, entirely suitable when sung over an array of masterfully arranged instrumentation that is both suave and infectious in tone. “Cut me free, I can’t seem to get away from this job,” she sings during the chorus, demonstrating her stunning vocal ability in both range and genuine ardency. Like fellow Canadian songwriter Neil Young, Vriend incorporates a distinctive country twang into her vocal delivery while focusing on instrumental elements that are more alt-rock in nature. Appropriately enough, she attempts a cover of Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” and succeeds overwhelmingly. Though the chorus remains true in form to Young’s classic, the verse is now led by a series of strings and rhythmic progressions that are reminiscent of Vriend’s continuous spy theme. The bolstering strings recalls any likable theme song from a quality spy movie, with the peaking of strings creating a fulfilling sense of urgency until the guitar-led chorus of universal memorability. “St. Paul” is a touching gem that touches on the same spy-oriented subjects as “(If We Are Not) Spies)”, only this time being delivered primarily over keys and an acoustic guitar. Her melodic capacity is in full form here too, being of beautiful elegance in her seemingly natural ability to craft vocal-led hooks. When We Were Spies is Vriend’s most consistent release yet, with both her fantastic songwriting and vocal ability resulting in her best overall effort to date. If this album does not gain her some serious recognition outside of Canada, I would be absolutely shocked.
  
  

• Elle Magazine [+ Show ]
  

  "Ann Vriend sings with the heart-stopping intensity of Aretha Franklin, plays piano with the ease of..."Ann Vriend sings with the heart-stopping intensity of Aretha Franklin, plays piano with the ease of Norah Jones and writes songs as powerful in their simplicity as those of Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen."
  --August, 2006

• EP Review, NOW Magazine, 4/5 Stars [+ Show ]
  

  ANN VRIEND The Clandestine EP () Rating: NNNN (4/5 stars) She released her first record four year...ANN VRIEND The Clandestine EP () Rating: NNNN (4/5 stars)
  
  She released her first record four years ago, but Alberta's Ann Vriend has yet to make a major mark on the Canadian music scene. Her last album, Modes Of Transport, got some raves, but the so-called piano pop laureate deserves more attention.
  
  Her latest release, The Clandestine EP, won't do anything for her popularity – it's a limited-edition, five-song release – but it's a great precursor to what's sure to be a memorable third full-length album, whenever that comes out.
  
  The EP, only available for sale on her website and through her MySpace page, finds the perfect balance between lush, radio-friendly pop and Alberta twang.
  
  St. Paul, one of the better songs on the disc, features Vriend's smooth, rootsy vocals backed by CMT-approved instrumentation, while Hallowe'en's soft pop intro and passionate lyrics show off the songwriter's endless potential.
  
  Ann Vriend plays the Rivoli Wednesday (August 29).

Setlist

--Sets are composed of selections from Ann's 3 released albums, a few selections from her upcoming release, and 1 - 2 cover songs
--Set length and intensity are adapted to venue setting and time allotted
egs of cover songs: "Rockin' in the Free World" (Neil Young), "I'm your Man" (Cohen)

Basic Requirements

Calendar