Ann Vriend

"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 - Elle Magazine

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.
- Liam Casey

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 - A n E Vibe

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 - Party In Kingston

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." - A n E Vibe

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 th - Vue Weekly

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 - Sen Baltimore

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 stylisti - Obscure Sound

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 - Tracy Kolenchuk

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). - NOW Magazine