Biography
Once the smoke clears and the curtains open on Drake Jensen’s debut country album, On My Way To Finding You, the world will see a man on fire and someone who has a sheer passion for the music.
This soulful singer/songwriter was born and raised on the island of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Canada, and recently moved to Ontario. “I was determined to be a singer before I even knew what that meant,” laughs Drake. “All I wanted to do was listen to my parents’ music on my record player and sing along!”
His great-grandfather played multiple instruments and was a gondola singer in Italy. Influenced by his mother’s love of country, Drake listened to Garth Brooks, George Strait and Dolly Parton and when he was just 4, he connected to John Denver’s hit Country Roads, officially giving his heart over to the music long before his mind knew how to sing it. “This was my first singing performance and it was done at my nursery school graduation ceremony,” smirks Drake. “It was my choice to sing and I was the only 4-year-old singing in this talent show!”
When he was 12, he started taking classical guitar lessons, but after not seeing instant results, he moved on to something else and began playing keyboard when he was 15. “It wasn’t long after that when I began writing my own music and decided to pick up the guitar and continue playing. My parents always encouraged me to pursue my talents and, well, let’s be honest, playing music was definitely preferable to hard labor!”
As a teenager, Drake diligently vocalized both rock and country while pounding the pavement, playing in any Canadian venue available. “I took any opportunity I could, just hoping to get my foot in the door.”
His first recorded cover song of Anne Murray’s “A Little Good News,” achieved impressive airplay in 2001 throughout the provinces of the Canadian Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and was a favorite of Sirius CBC Radio One. After a lengthy hiatus and a lonesome longing for some deep rooted country croon, Drake re-invented his style, reloaded his soul and brought his dream of becoming a vocal artist, back to life.
December 2010, Drake met his Nashville producer Kim Copeland who admired his “warm, rich and unique vocals.” His first album contains all original material, some penned by him and others from established songwriters. “I chose these songs because I connected to each and every one of them on an emotional level and the lyrics are just dynamite,” says Drake.
With his music beginning to make waves internationally, Drake is gaining recognition for his unique vocal style. An earthy combination of grass-roots country with a strong draw to a vintage, unrefined platform of sound, is driving him forward and putting him on the road to becoming a dexterous country vocalist and a force to be reckoned with in the country music genre. “I don’t take the credit for where I am in my career,” smiles Drake. “I truly believe that God has blessed it with the support of my team, my family, friends and especially my fans!”
Instrumentation
Jonathan Edwards - Bass, background vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Danny Desjardins - Electric Guitar
Jeff Pettitt - Drums
Rich Haller - Acoustic Guitar / Mandolin
Doug Chase - keyboards
Dan Aubé - Drums
Discography
Album: On My Way To Finding You, 2011
Cut-by-cut:
1. Where You Goin’ With That (M. Narmore, A. Scherz) – As soon as I heard the line “…you can’t drive a stick shift, so whatcha gonna do…,” I had to record it because, it’s something I can relate to.
2. I’m Here To Love You (K. Copeland) – This is the ultimate love song. Listen to it and you’ll agree!
3. The Son I’ll Never Have (J. Jones, M. Barrineau, K. Copeland) – This appealed to me because it is not a song about pro-choice, pro-life, or judgement, it is a song about reflection.
4. I Hope You Smile (M. Narmore, J. Schipper) – This song is about a relationship you may have with someone…life is short so do what is right and look back at those special moments you have shared.
5. It’s Not About Me Anymore (J. Jones, R. Williams, K. Copeland) – I chose this song to record because I truly believe that God has blessed me with this career and I hope I can help and touch people through my music.
6. Still On The Radio (B. Fuller, R. Garoutte) – Every couple has that one song that describes them perfectly and can relate to the words. This song is about that.
7. I Knew Her When (D. Jensen, K. Copeland) – This is a very personal song that I wrote about gradually losing someone.
8. All You Need (D. Jensen, K. Copeland) – It’s all about finding that one true, special person in your life that you want to make sure you give back everything they have given to you. (At radio 22-Aug-2011) (Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsDPgPjE710)
9. On My Way To Finding You (R. Mitchell) – This is a song about my dream and as soon as I heard it, it had to be the title track of my debut album. It’s my journey to find those people who need to hear my music.
10. Wash Me Away (M. Narmore, M. McGuire) – This is the ultimate song to listen to if you’re having a bad day. Turn it on, turn it up and wash those blues away! (At radio May-2011)
11. I Found Me (D. Jensen) – Self-explanatory song about searching and finding yourself and moving forward with your life, no matter what stage of life you are in.
Links
| http://www.drakejensen.ca |
| Last.fm |
| CD Baby |
| AirPlay Direct |
| YouTube |