Artist Information Biography "On top of being extremely talented musicians, The Ease Down were friendly, courteous, and easy to work with. I would recommend that any campus looking for an emerging band with a positive attitude and a professional sound book them as soon as possible!" -J.Huber, Ball State University Student Activities, Muncie, IN (April, 2008) BIOGRAPHY Bandleader Ben Wilkins grew up as the home-schooled son of an Evangelical Minister in London, Ontario.  As a child, while he wasn’t memorizing his catechism, he spent his time lost in the abstract, rule-free world of music.  Wilkins immersed himself in any kind of musical experience he could.  From rock bands to school ensembles to and community musicals, Wilkins’ keen interest and talent led him to McGill University in Montreal where he studied at the Schulich School of Music.  He jumped into music history, classical theory, jazz harmony and arranging, and composition while continuing to write music on his own in earnest. In the course of his studies, Wilkins conceived a pop project he called “The Ease Down”, a project he envisioned would combine the sincerity and simplicity of classic songwriting with modern energy and new music ideas. Wilkins spent a year writing and producing The Ease Down’s debut album “Shapeshifter”.  The album features orchestration performed by 16 Montreal based musicians.  Shortly after he completed the album, Wilkins accepted a full scholarship to study the Chinese language in Shanghai and later Beijing, while he took time to ponder what was to be done next.  As alluring as the prospect of living in China was, he flew back in May 2007 and took on the band full time.  Since his return, the band has toured through Eastern Canada and played festival showcases at Toronto’s North by North East, Pop Montreal and Canadian Music Week.  They have also developed a new live show featuring orchestral pop arrangements for piano trio and string quartet.  The Ease Down showcased their first U.S. performance at the Colorado Music Summit, November 8, 2007, and followed it up with a North East US tour in April 2008. A second album is on the way… Instrumentation (trio) Ben Wilkins - Piano and Vocals Armen Forget - Bass/Backing Vocals Hugo Gravel - Drums/Backing Vocals (extended "with strings" show) Hugo Gravel - Percussion Marjolaine Lambert, Kate Cole - Violin Amina Tebini - Viola Naomi Hibbert - Cello Discography 'Shapeshifter' LP (July 2007) for sale on CD Baby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/easedown for sale on iTunes: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=206698885 streaming tracks on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theeasedown Links http://www.theeasedown.com Capsule Records Modern Arts and Music TheMuseBox Canada